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We’re excited to bring you another edition of ‘Hidden Scotland Weekly’. As always, we hope you enjoy reading and find inspiration for your next adventure.

Enjoy this week’s edition, and have a fantastic Sunday!

Have a great weekend.

ISSUE 10 SPOTLIGHT - Nàdair Celebrating Scotland’s Larder

“Nàdair” is an old Gaelic word meaning nature, and the very apt name of a new, easy-going Edinburgh restaurant run by chefs Alan Keery and Sarah Baldry - the former Head Chef and Pastry Chef of Wedgwood The Restaurant. Alan and Sarah discuss just how good the produce is here in Scotland and how they do their best to flaunt it by keeping it as unadulterated as possible, within their ever-changing five-course set menu that is forage-focused, local and micro-seasonal.

The First Shots of the Jacobite Rising

Bonnie Prince Charlie raising his standard at Glenfinnan is often thought to be the beginning of the 1745 Jacobite rising. However, while the prince was addressing his men on the banks of Loch Shiel, the first shots had already been fired at Highbridge.

British commanders were aware that Charles had arrived in Scotland and was busy organising an uprising somewhere in Lochaber. Without knowing exactly where he was, they sent 85 soldiers marching along the Military Road to reinforce Fort William. These roads allowed troops to march quickly through rough terrain, but it also made them very predictable.

Highbridge was the only way for them to cross the gorge that funnelled the thundering River Spean below. As they approached, the soldiers suddenly came under musket fire from the treeline on the other side of the bridge. Bagpipes began blaring, flashes of tartan plaid appeared between the branches and the British troops were soon panicking.

Retreating to a safe distance, their captain decided to send two men to try and reason with whoever had ambushed them. The talks didn’t last long, they were quickly captured and dragged away. The captain began to fear that they had stumbled upon the entire Jacobite army.

Unknown to them, those 85 soldiers had been stopped in their tracks by just 12 MacDonalds of Keppoch including a piper. The MacDonalds were making enough noise for an army and that was beginning to draw more clansmen to add to their firepower.

The soldiers had already marched around 20 miles, but now they were forced to turn around and march back the way they came. Not wanting to give away their true numbers, the MacDonalds shadowed them from a distance. By the time the soldiers reach Loch Oich, a larger group of Highlanders were waiting for them, blocking the only route home.

Exhausted and surrounded, the government troops surrendered and the Jacobites had won their first victory without losing a single man.

Story by Graeme Johncock

Exploring Historic Dunbar

Written by Beth Reid

Dunbar can often be missed by those in search of a historic day out, but this coastal town has been a place of historical significance for centuries. History is ever-present while wandering through Dunbar, from the ruins of a 13th century abbey in the grounds of a supermarket, to the crumbling ruins of its castle on the harbour. Dunbar has also been the scene of bloody battles, including the Battles of Dunbar in 1296 and 1650. Let’s explore it together.

Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery

Starting in the town centre on the High Street, amongst the flourishing collection of independent businesses, you’ll find Dunbar’s local museum. Located in the Tolbooth, which was constructed in the late 16th century to replace an earlier municipal building, this was once Dunbar’s jailhouse.

As well as two cells, this building held a council chamber which was used as a courthouse during the witch-hunting craze that occurred in Scotland from the 16th to 18th centuries. During this time, there is evidence that around 73 women were accused and tried for witchcraft in Dunbar’s council chamber, but the likelihood is that there were many more who went unrecorded. This dark period of Scottish history has left its mark in many towns and villages across Scotland, and Dunbar is no exception. 

John Muir Birthplace Museum

A two-minute walk along the High Street from the Tolbooth will bring you a museum that celebrates a Scot beloved in both Scotland and America. John Muir was an environmentalist who is popularly known as the father of America’s National Parks. He was born in Dunbar on April 21st 1838, in a house that has now been converted into the John Muir Birthplace Museum.

After emigrating to America with his family at the age of 11, Muir’s love for nature and wildlife developed into his lifelong commitment to conservation. This free museum tells the tale of John’s life and chronicles his passionate involvement in protecting the natural world in America, inspired by his childhood in Dunbar. It is also the starting point for the John Muir Way, a 134-mile walking and cycling route from Dunbar to Helensburgh. 

Dunbar Battery

Take a ten-minute walk from the High Street down to the harbour to visit Dunbar Battery, a place with a varied history. The Battery was built in 1781 to increase Dunbar’s defence against naval attacks by privateers, but never saw any combat. It was decommissioned before becoming an infectious-diseases hospital due to its isolation from the town, and was later used in World War I as a hospital for recovering soldiers. 

After a brief stint as a site for social housing, Dunbar Battery was left a ruin. However, in 2018 Dunbar Harbour Trust transformed the ruin into a public space used as an outdoor venue with public art and a garden. The views from the Battery are absolutely incredible, gazing up the coast to the Bass Rock and out across the North Sea. 

Dunbar Castle

Walking for five minutes around the harbour from Dunbar Battery, you’ll come closer to the ruins of Dunbar Castle. Despite the castle’s poor condition, you still get an incredible idea of the sheer size of this place. Built into and atop solid rock, this was once one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland and has been used as a defensive site since the 7th century. It might only be home to kittiwakes now, but Dunbar Castle was a major centre of the powerful earls of Dunbar through the centuries.

One of my favorite events in Scottish history took place at Dunbar Castle. In 1338, Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar, defended the castle for five months against William Montagu, Earl of Salisbury. The castle’s strategic position on the east coast made it a key stronghold for the English to take, especially as they were on the backfoot to pro-Bruce forces in Scotland. Salisbury’s army deliberately targeted Dunbar Castle during the absence of Agnes’ husband, Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, but they were to be disappointed. Agnes managed the castle’s defense and led her garrison to victory, damaging the English war effort in Scotland with a costly and failed siege. Her role in this event has seen her immortalised in Scottish legend and history, and is key evidence for understanding the experience of women during the Scottish Wars of Independence. 

Beth Reid is a writer and content creator who explores Scotland through the lens of its history. She is passionate about sharing lesser known perspectives and experiences from Scottish history, with her debut book Women in the Scottish Wars of Independence to be published in 2025. 

In to the Deep - Underwater Gannets

Bouncing around in a small inflatable boat I was heading to one of the remotest coastal cliffs in Shetland, and I was starting to feel a little nervous. There is nothing between these cliffs and Norway, and they get pounded by massive storms and large swells. For me to make the images of diving gannets underwater I had to pick my days carefully, it needed to be relatively calm.

As I ploughed through a wave and a wall of spray hit me in the face leaving me squinting to see the shoreline, I wondered if I had overdone the loading of the boat. Weighted down by the 150 kilograms of mackerel, camera gear and dive kit and the fact that thick fog was making navigating around the headlands difficult, I started to question my sanity. I knew once I made it to the cliffs I would be sheltered, but the fog seemed to be getting denser. I had gambled as the forecast was for the fog to clear. 

It was very eerie sat there all alone in dense fog, waves breaking at the base of the cliff, listening to the noisy gannets, and the overpowering smell of guano but not really being able to see them. I felt my sense of hearing heighten, expecting to see the Black Pearl and Captain Jack Sparrow appear through the fog. Three hours later, the constant rolling of the boat and the strong smell of mackerel had me starting to feel a little queasy. I began to wonder what the hell I was doing, feeling very exposed and vulnerable to the elements; perhaps it was time to head back as the fog was not clearing. 

Suddenly my feeling of hopelessness eased as I sensed it was becoming brighter. A faded sun could be made out through the white filter of fog; I could see more of the cliffs and more importantly I started to see lots of gannets. Within ten minutes the fog was halfway up the cliffs, and it was getting brighter. I started the boat engine with excitement and headed out, away from the base of the cliffs.

On cue, a swirling mass of gannets started circling the boat. I threw a mackerel into the water, and the gulls and skuas came in. I threw some more mackerel, and within seconds the gannets were diving. It did not take long for it to turn into a gannet frenzy. Several thousand birds circling the boat. Every time a fish went overboard, suddenly a single bird would plunge dive and others would see it as an indicator, then there would be 20, 30, 40 birds diving. Gannets will plunge-dive from 9-15 metres above the water reaching up to 100 kph when they break the surface. They have evolved for this way of foraging, with air sacs in their head and neck that inflate to reduce the chances of impact injuries. Their nostrils are fused, preventing water from entering the sinuses.

Several times gannets were skimming my head and wings hitting me in the face as I tried to capture the raw emotion of the feeding frenzy. All the anxiety was forgotten, and the fog proved to be a blessing more than a hindrance. Filtering the sun to create bright but diffused white light, it protected the image from the harsh direct midday sun which on white birds can cause the highlights to burn out. A couple of hours later, a card full of pictures and 150 kilograms of mackerel lighter I headed back with not a worry in the world. 

The above is an account of one of the very first times I went out to shoot a gannet feeding frenzy. Since these early days, I have developed a polecam system, basically a camera on a pole that can be used by anyone to photograph the gannet feeding frenzy. Nowadays I work closely with a good friend and colleague Phil Harris of Shetland Seabird Tours, and we take people out on his luxury boat , compared to my old, small and battered RIB.

It is one of the wild wonders of Scotland to be under the towering cliffs of Noss. They are the third highest sea cliffs in Scotland at 180m tall, and during the summer over 80,000 seabirds nest on Noss, which includes 25,000 of our largest seabird, the Northern Gannet. No matter what size boat you are on, the cliffs feel huge from the sea and take on a white glow due to the number of gannets nesting there. The noise, the smell and the sight hit all your senses as this magnificent seabird city plays out in front of your eyes. There are always several hundred gannets circling the boat, and as you introduce a few dead mackerel, you see their agility and adaptation of these birds to dive like a torpedo. 

The dive itself only allows the bird to reach depths of a few metres, but they can swim very well underwater using both wings and feet for propulsion - this enables them to pursue fish down to around 30 metres. They have two dive types, one described as V-shaped (lasting only a few seconds) and U-shaped dives where the bird swims and can be submerged for around 20 seconds. The U-shaped dive is about 50 per cent more successful at catching prey than the V-shaped dive. 

Feeding aggregations are very visible, often attracting gulls and skuas after an easy meal. Despite their large size, gannets are often victims of ‘kleptoparasitism’ – I often watched several being harassed by skuas forcing them to regurgitate their meal. Gannets swallow their fish under the water so they can eat more fish on that dive, to stop other gannets stealing their food and to avoid having their fish taken by skuas or gulls on the surface. 

Scottish seabirds have gone through some difficult times over the last few decades, related to changes in sea temperature, affecting food supply. However, gannets are one of the success stories with populations increasing on average around three to five per cent per year due to well-managed mackerel and herring stocks. If you are visiting Shetland, one of the ‘must’ places is a trip to the seabird cliffs on Noss.

This article was taken from issue 04 of the Hidden Scotland Magazine.

words & photography // Richard Shucksmith

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