Scotland Magazine Issue 13

Stunned and speechless

Dominic Roskrow gets back to nature

Richard and I spotted them at about the same time, our gaze almost instinctively drawn upwards; four dots on the skyline, one larger than the other three. And we stood in awed silence as they approach...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section From the Editor

A legacy that grows with each year

Roddy Martine talks...

Amatter of days before the New Year bells, I received an urgent e-mail from Manhattan. Liz Smith, columnist on the New York Post, was asking for a translation for “pint-stowp” and “a right gude willie...

By Roddy Martine in the section Roddy Martine's World

The Knock, Crieff, Perthshire. Ewan McGregor

Our third celebrity to reveal a favourite place in their homeland is top Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, with words and pictures by photographer Andy Hall

Ewan was the first to agree to participate in my photographic project, A Sense of Belonging to Scotland. To have him on board at such an early stage gave me the impetus to produce a publication of whi...

By Andy Hall in the section Celebrity Scotland

At the heart of Scottish history

Scone Palace has a long link to Scottish monarchy. Charles Douglas reports

The name of Scone resonates in Scotland’s history, associated as it is with the Stone of Destiny upon which monarchs in Scotland and England have been crowned for more than 1000 years. It was to Scon...

By Charles Douglas in the section Historic Houses

Mary's Royal Progress

Mary Queen of Scots got around a bit, so John Hannavy decided to take another look at sme of her residences

In the second feature in this series (in Issue 10 of Scotland Magazine), we looked at some of the Scottish castles associated with Mary Queen of Scots, and as there are so many of them, visiting a sec...

By John Hannavy in the section Scottish Castles

Totally torn in two

The 'disruption' saw Scotland's Kirk split for more than 85 years. James Irvine Robertson explains why it happened.

The free kirk, the wee kirk, the kirk without the steeple; the auld kirk,the cauld kirk, the kirk without the people. In 1603, James VI inherited the English throne. The monarchy left Edinburgh for L...

By James Irvine Robertson in the section Scottish History

The eagle has landed

Sea Eagles are among the United Kingdom's most impressive wildlife, says Graham Holliday

Britain’s largest bird of prey, the white-tailed eagle or sea eagle, is a magnificent, if rare, sight in the wilder reaches of the western Scotland. This massive bird, the world’s fourth largest eagl...

By Graham Holiday in the section Scottish Wildlife

The pipes are calling's

Scotland called is anew company which aims to give tourists an alternative view of Scotland in total luxury. Dominic Roskrow spent three days exploring Scotland's west coast.

It’s an overwhelming experience standing at the top of Bealach Na Ba – Gaelic for cattle pass and a road which can lay claim to being both Britain’s highest road and one its most dramatic. Even on we...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Scottish Journeys

Searching for Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria's love of Scotland is well documented. Ian R Mitchell, author of 'On the trail of Queen Victoria in the Highlands', chooses 10 of his favourite Victoria locations on Deeside.

Balmoral Castle Victoria rented Balmoral without having visited it, persuaded by paintings she viewed of the Deeside location, done by Aberdeen artist James Giles. It was also recommended as a good ...

By Ian Mitchell in the section Scottish Destinations

Not so blue Skye

Australian travel writer Graham Simmons wanted to see Skye up close and personal. So he and his friends hiked their way around it.

Few places on earth call forth such lyrical longing as the Isle of Skye. The colours of Skye are a total eye-symphony – lime-green moss on weathered black rocks, yellow-dock spikes and red hawthorn be...

By Graham Simmons in the section Scottish Travel

Cashmere if you can

With Scottish knitwear now appearing on the international designer catwalks as high-fashion in its own right, Kate Patrick talks us through some of the best places for pullovers in Scotland

Thanks to a phenomenal renaissance in the popularity of Scottish cashmere and other high-quality knitwear, the wool-hungry shopper no longer actually needs to go to Scotland to buy it. With top Scott...

By Kate Patrick in the section Scottish Shopping

Land of inspiration (Ayrshire)

There's much more to Ayrshire than Robert Bruce - though he is a crucial component. David Gordon reports.

How can one describe Ayrshire? It is historical, picturesque and even inspirational. The spectacular, rugged coastline and its green rolling hills have drawn visitors from all over the world. Many pe...

By David Gordon in the section Regional Focus

Hotels in the best possible taste

KNOCKINAAM LODGE Knockinaam Bay, by Portpatrick, Wigtownshire Tel: +44 (0)1776 810 471 Fax: +44 (0)1776 810 435 This sparkling little hotel still bears testimony to the golden age of touring and spor...

By in the section Best of Scotland

Much Mor for your money

Fancy a week's holiday at Gleneagles for the rest of your life? The hotel's new seasonal homes offer just that opportunity. Dominic Roskrow reports.

It says much about the world fame of Gleneagles and its reputation for golf that when it announced plans to open 50 seasonal homes the week covering the Ryder Cup – still some years away – sold out al...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Best of Scotland

Edinburgh's dark and sinister side

The vaults give a glimpse into Edinburgh's murky past - and reports suggest they're haunted too. Frances Anderson visited them.

For years, tourists flocking to the capital for the world famous festival have been unaware of the ancient stories hidden beneath their feet. While the festival attracts record-breaking numbers of vis...

By Frances Anderson in the section Best of Scotland

Hire a piece of history

Myres Castle is a nine-bedroom castle near Auchtermuchty, a few miles south of Perth. You hire it exclusively, and it might well be haunted. Dominic Roskrow spent a night there all alone.

It’s not often you get the chance to sleep in a room which played host to Mary Queen of Scots. But there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the Queen’s Room at Myres Castle was used regularly by th...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Best of Scotland

A taste of honey

You might have to suffer a bit ot find the best honey - as Sue Lawrence found out. But was it worth it.

It was a gloriously warm summer morning in the Borders of Scotland. All I could see around me was purple heather – two shades (bell and ling) – along the sides of the valley. The tranquil picture was ...

By Sue Lawrence in the section Scottish Food

God's own cruising heaven

Tom Bruce-Gardyne goes cruising around Scotland's beautiful west coast, but don't mention the weather.

Scotland does not slip smoothly into the sea, at least not for the most part. Rather, its coast is endlessly jagged and dramatic, with the west in particular marked by a series of giant slanting sea l...

By Tom Bruce-Gardyne in the section Scottish Cruises

Macbeth: bloody tyrant or popular king?

Most of us know Shakespeare's version of Macbeth. What was the reality? Jackie Cosh reports

In August 1606 William Shakespeare presented his new play to King James I at Hampton Court. Macbeth, the story of a tyrant king whose ambitions lead him to commit murder, was to become one of Shakespe...

By Jackie Cosh in the section Scottish Heroes

Lord of the isles (Donald)

In the first in a new series on the great clans of Scotland James Irvine Robertson traces the history of the dominant clan Donald

The story of Clan Donald is the history of the Highlands. Other clans have had their moments but, for generation after generation, Clan Donald was pre-eminent. Their chiefs were Lords of the Isles, in...

By James Irvine Robertson in the section Scottish Clans

'Singing butler' set to go for a song

A news round up from the Scottish art and antiques world, by Kate Ennis

Demand for the work of controversial artist Jack Vettriano has been so great in recent times that last year alone, top auctioneers Sotheby’s broke the auction record for the artist no less than three ...

By Kate Ennis in the section Scottish Antiques