Scotland Magazine Issue 2

Where Gleneagles dare

Marcin Miller explores his new love of birds

Inspired by Elizabeth’s Walton fascinating article in Issue 1 of Scotland Magazine, I had the good fortune to try my hand at falconry recently. Where better to attempt this than at the British School ...

By Marcin Miller in the section From the Editor

Branding irony

Roddy Talks...

One of Scotland’s paradoxical problems, post-political devolution in the UK, has been to reconcile its future with its past. While conscious of being an ‘old country’ with a strong sense of identity, ...

By Roddy Martine in the section Roddy Martine's World

Letters to the Editor

DEAR EDITOR Scotland Magazine is an excellent and worthwhile addition to the newsstands of the world. Its photography is clear and precise, illustrating the beauty of Scotland with the colour it so ri...

By Marcin Miller in the section Letters to the Editor

Jewel in the crown - Culzean Castle

One of Robert Adam's finest creations, Culzean is a historic monument with much more up its sleeve than a pretty face and nice gardens

Magnificent and spectacular, the great castle of Culzean presides in clifftop majesty over the waters of the Firth of Clyde on the south-west coast of Scotland. Built in the late 18th century by the a...

By Charles Douglas in the section Historic Houses

Doing the Dunnet

Thomson Roddick & Medcalf: Good Paintings – 18th Century to Contemporary. Tuesday March19th.

To be held at the Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh, the second sale for this auction house of pictures and sculptures by Scotland’s ‘modern masters’ will include as a highlight some portrait sketches and p...

By Brigid James in the section Art and Antiques

Sotheby’s Scottish Pictures Monday 15th April

This sale of 19th and 20th century paintings is to take place near Edinburgh at Hopetoun House. One lot of particular interest is The Lotus Flower (pictured), of an unusual beauty and elegance, featur...

By Brigid James in the section Art and Antiques

Property News

Decisions, decisions...a smart city residence to buy or a charming country retreat to rent?

Baronial splendour The magnificent Castle of Invercauld at Braemar, Aberdeenshire, seat of the Clan Farquharson since the 16th century, was partially rebuilt in the Scottish baronial style in 1874. ...

By Brigid James in the section Scottish Property

80 minutes vs 1,000 years: pitch battle

Former Scottish Rugby Union captain Rob Wainwright looks back on the rivalry between the Scots and the auld enemy - and how history off the pitch can create motivation on it

Scotland’s national sport, as in so many other countries, is undoubtedly football. This is reflected in the massive profile of our domestic game and the huge followings of our top clubs, be it Rangers...

By Rob Wainwright in the section Scottish Rugby

Scotland's finest country hotels

The Scottish mainland, as well as featuring fabulous city hotels, also boasts some of the British Isles' most spectacular country hotels. We profile some of the best

THE FAR NORTH Sutherland and Caithness Not for nothing did Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother choose to make the Castle of Mey overlooking the Pentland Firth in the far north her Scottish home. This...

By Marcin Miller in the section Scottish Hotels

Gael Force

Take a swift history lesson, from James II to Queen Victoria - and discover the influence of the Jacobites on Scotland's past

In 1685, aged 52, James Stuart was crowned king of Great Britain. His father Charles I believed he had a divine right to rule as his fancy dictated. Parliament disagreed, and they went to war. The kin...

By James Irvine Robertson in the section Scottish Jacobites

Material girl

Belinda Robertson, feisty Glasgow girl, has taken cashmere to a new plane of fashion

Cast your mind back – not very far – to when there were just four types of sweater: polo neck, turtle neck, round neck and V neck. Nothing else varied much, except that sometimes people bravely wore a...

By Kate Patrick in the section Scottish Clothing

Dumfries & Galloway

Broadcaster and writer Fiona Armstrong, who lives and works on the English border, takes a look at the fascination of this unspoiled and magnificent part of the country

This is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland. But, then I would say that, wouldn’t I? Living here in the eastern stretches of the region, on the banks of the glorious Border Esk...

By Fiona Armstrong in the section Scottish History

Dumfries & Galloway, forget the cliches

Secret? Not for long. Dumfries and Galloway is bursting at the seams with everything to make a family holiday, romantic break or anything in between

It’s often called Scotland’s best-kept secret – even in this issue of Scotland Magazine – but that doesn’t really tell you much about the area or the wealth of places of interest, historic monuments, ...

By Marcin Miller in the section Regional Focus

Fiona Armstrong's Dumfries and Galloway

The broadcaster and writer manages to combine a high-profile media career with a rural existence

Fiona has worked for ITN and the BBC, helps front Border TV’s evening news and has her own production company, Border Heritage. She has written two fishing books and a cookbook and writes for magazine...

By Marcin Miller in the section Questions and Answers

Scottish Clans

The image, history and reality of Scotland's famous clans

Clans – the word evokes images of tartan-clad Jacobites, fired by a fierce local and national patriotism, brandishing broadswords as they rush joyously to war, urged on by the skirl of the pipes. Is t...

By Gerald Warner in the section Scottish Clans

Indoor Oasis

Scotland is winning accolades for something new - the delicate art of total pampering. Our pampering expert looks at a selection of Scotland's finest spas

Global warming has brought mixed benefits to Scotland. Our cold, damp and grey winters are undoubtedly less cold now, but the downside is they are greyer and damper. One advantage of centuries of deal...

By Geraldine Coates in the section Health Spas

Breakfast of champions

Sue Lawrence looks at the traditional Scottish breakfast and adds a few ideas of her own...

Remember when sideboards groaned with silver salvers of bacon, eggs, sausages and kippers? No, neither do I. So why does this constitute the breakfast of our dreams? This scene is idyllic not just bec...

By Sue Lawrence in the section Scottish Food

The lap of luxury

Explore Scotland in a different way - from the luxurious surroundings of a cruise ship

The interior of Scotland is rich with culture and breathtaking scenery – a natural habitat for holiday-makers. But sometimes getting from accommodation to excursion by road or rail can be wearying and...

By Nicki Symington in the section Scottish Cruises

Great Scottish castles

Scotland has the most romantic landscapes, a feature heightened by some of Europe's finest castles. Here are 21 impressive examples

Edinburgh Castle Midlothian Perched high above the capital, there has been a castle on a rock here for over 1,000 years. It was King Malcolm Canmore’s widow, Saint Margaret, who built the stone chap...

By Charles Douglas in the section Scottish Castles

All in the Game

CHARLES MACLEAN AND A PANEL OF TASTERS GET THEIR TEETH INTO SOME SMOKED VENISON

Venison – the dark, gamey flesh of the Red Deer – tended to be reserved for the gentry in days gone by. Deer forests were the provinces of kings; great hunts were organised by chiefs and nobles – such...

By Charles MacLean in the section Scottish Tastings

The accidental hero: Alexander Fleming

The story of the Scottish scientist who discovered the 20th century's greatest weapon against bacterial infections by chance...

Alexander Fleming was born to a Scottish farming family of Lochfield, Ayrshire in 1881, one of eight children. He excelled at his studies, and although employed by a shipping firm and part of a Scotti...

By Brigid James in the section Scottish Innovators