If you’re pining for the remoteness and wild allure of Shetland, then it looks likely that you’ll be able to make it there in 2021. Discover Shetland offers small group tours for 2-4 people, ensuring a personal and completely safe experience of the i

The January sun rose mid-morning in Glasgow. Surface ice on the walkway along the River Clyde began to thaw and allow a firmer grip for the small crowd waiting and watching intently. Several cameramen stood ready to record the big moment. Storm, a gi

Ever dreamed of living in the Scottish countryside, in your own authentic Georgian mansion? Then step this way. Netherfield House is set in 70 acres of grounds, which include a large landscaped loch with a waterfall, boathouse and woodland. Dating fr

A scheme is underway in Aberdeen, the Falkirk district, Kirkcaldy and rural Scotland that uses local gift cards to help towns, cities and communities recover from the havoc wreaked by the pandemic. The Town and City Gift Cards, which act like a prepa

The Tartan Army is elated as Scotland’s national men’s football team has made it through to its first major tournament in over 20 years, thanks to a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Serbia in the UEFA Euro 2020 play-off final in November. The team

“The following morning George sat at the kitchen table drinking tea as Av busied around him looking for paper to light the fire in the stove. She found some sheets which Susan had crunched up into a ball and lit the fire with them. Paul came into the

The tiny isle of Eigg, just 10 miles off the west coast of mainland Scotland, is celebrating after a successful crowdfunding appeal means its plan to open a brewery, which will make beer using renewable energy, is one step closer. At the time of pres

If you’re ever in Glencoe – and I thoroughly recommend it – pause for refreshment at that fine inn, The Clachaig. The desk at reception has a sign declaring “No Hawkers or Campbells”. Yes, it’s a joke to amuse tourists, but it shows how the story has

Steve Burnett is a man who loves trees and makes them sing in memory of great literary figures by transforming their substance into finely crafted violins. The Edinburgh-based luthier sees himself as “giving trees a voice for our struggling environme

5th-18th Feb 2021 THE HEBRIDEAN DARK SKIES FESTIVAL What? Stargazing events, workshops, music, an exhibition by astronomy-inspired artist collective, Lumen, and talks led by leading scientists, as well as film, music and theatre. It’s all located on

Shortly after the Skye Bridge was opened, my wife and I spent a week in Lochalsh because we were attending the Gathering of the Matheson Clan in Lochalsh. I had rented a car and was told about how locals loved to taunt the people who manned the bridg

Each summer, the Potter family would bundle the household, pets and all, onto a train from London to Perthshire. Benjamin Bouncer, the rabbit, squirmed the whole way. They would spend three months at a country estate, entertaining friends and allowin

Tradition has it that Clan Maclean originates from Gillean of the Battle Axe, a descendant of Irish migration from North Ulster. He and his son Malise fought against King Haakon IV of Norway’s invasion at the Battle of Largs in 1263. Thereafter, thei

The Isle of Lewis & Harris is renowned for its awesome scenery: rugged coastlines – where you’ll find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world – bleak mountains and lunar landscapes, where you’ll find glistening rocks carved out by glaciers in

Edinburgh is many things: medieval town, the Georgian answer to Athens, and Scotland’s modern capital. But for many, including James Thomson OBE, it is its Gothic intrigue, seen in the decaying cemeteries, dark, twisting lanes, and old weather-beaten

I’ve always believed in new years heralding new beginnings and never more so than this one. I doubt there are many people out there who aren’t relieved to see the back of 2020. In 2021 there is so much to look forward to, including the reopening of S

Born on 25 August 1930 in the Fountainbridge district of Edinburgh, Thomas Sean Connery landed his career-defining role as James Bond in the Sixties. As the original actor to portray Ian Fleming’s protagonist on film, Bond not only made Connery, but

[QUIRKY SCOTLAND] Winters can be harsh in Scotland, where freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall and ice often leads to road closures – occasionally areas get cut off due to the weather – so spare a thought for the nation’s gritters that work tireless

Just when it was time to write the next column for this magazine, I heard the sad news of the death of Sir Sean Connery. Growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s, Sean Connery was, for me, the classic James Bond and I doubt there was a school boy who

By 1406, a century had passed since Robert the Bruce was crowned Robert I, King of Scots. Yet, if he’d known that his great, great grandson was being held captive by the English monarch and would remain uncrowned for nearly two decades, he would no d

What place do you remember most vividly from your childhood? Dunblane Tennis Club. It was just around the corner from my grandparents’ house, and it’s pretty much where I learnt to play the game with my brother. Our Mum [Judy] was also a coach there,