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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!

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ISSUE 10 SPOTLIGHT - BARD SCOTLAND: CRAFT AND SOUL

Celebrating Scotland’s makers and designers, Hugo Macdonald and James Stevens have curated a treasury of compelling objects at Bard, their shop and gallery on Leith’s shoreside. Opening its doors in 2022 and named after the traditional Celtic storyteller, Bard is an experience. Inside, an eclectic mix of crafts are brought together in a unique setting that honours both Scotland's culture and the couple’s deeprooted passion for design.

The Honourable Sergeant Mòr

John Cameron was a Scottish soldier famous for his great size and strength and known simply as Sergeant Mòr. He was a proud Jacobite and even after the rising ended at the Battle of Culloden, this warrior wasn’t ready to give up. Instead, Sergeant Mòr took to the hills around Loch Lomond and lived the life of an outlaw.

A band of equally patriotic Jacobites formed around the Sergeant and he became a Robin Hood figure. He stole only from supporters of the British Government, while making sure to guard the local Jacobite sympathisers from any repercussions. In return, the people protected the group when the soldiers came searching. While Sergeant Mòr might have lived the life of an outlaw, he was still known to be an honourable man.

One day, a British Army officer carrying a large sum in soldier’s wages found himself lost amongst the mountain passes when he came across a friendly looking man. He confessed that he was on his way to Fort William but had no idea how to get back on the right road. He had heard stories about outlaws in the area and was terrified of running into the dreaded Sergeant Mòr while carrying such a huge amount of money.

The stranger smiled and agreed to escort him back to the right track. As he led the way to safety, the pair talked, and conversation inevitably turned to the legends surrounding the leader of the outlaws. The officer cursed the man and his crimes, robbing and murdering innocent people at will.

At that, the stranger stopped in his tracks, spun around, and confronted the soldier. He declared that the Sergeant might lift cattle from those who supported the government, but he would never kill an innocent person. Without thinking he added that there had been one death at Braemar, but that was an accident and he had left the spoils behind as compensation!

Seeing the look on the officer’s face, the stranger knew he had said too much. It was now evident that this was the notorious Sergeant Mòr and his travelling companion had gone very pale. He was standing in the middle of nowhere, carrying an awful lot of gold, with the man he had been warned to avoid right after gravely insulting him.

The big Sergeant laughed. He might have been an outlaw, but he was also an honourable character. It wouldn’t be right to rob somebody he had promised to escort to safety, especially not a fellow soldier. He pointed him to the right road and watched the officer run for his life.

In 1753, somebody finally tipped off the troops as to where the outlaws were hiding. Half a dozen men grabbed the Sergeant while he slept in a barn, but the big man threw them off as if they were children. Running outside, he was met with the barrels of loaded muskets and found himself completely trapped. He was executed for his crimes but lived on as a folk hero in an old poem written to the tune of the popular Loch Lomond song:

"Wi' the men o' Sergeant Mòr shall I work to pay the score,
Till I wither on the wuddy in the sun, lad!"

Story by Graeme Johncock

Walking Tour Of Aberdeen

Graeme Johncock, the travel blogger and storyteller behind Scotland's Stories, is now bringing his adventures to us in a weekly column. He will journal about his explorations around Scotland, sharing fascinating stories and highlighting unique places to visit. Accompanied by his dog Molly, Graeme continues to uncover and share the rich history and beauty of Scotland.

Edinburgh and Glasgow might get most of the attention, but Scotland’s third largest city Aberdeen has plenty to offer as well! That’s where I spent four years at University studying History and somewhere I never tire of returning. While you can save time and get around by car, Aberdeen is a small enough city that I usually try and explore on foot or by bus.

Kings College

Starting your day at a university might seem odd, but at the heart of Old Aberdeen you’ll find one of the most beautiful campuses in the world. I might be biased, but the 500-year-old Kings College is a special place. Founded in 1495 by Bishop William Elphinstone, you can spend plenty of time wandering the cobbled streets. As well as the main quad, you’ll see the ivy-clad New Kings and the strangely shaped Powis Gates. There’s even a small museum inside the main university building!

Coffee at Kilau

In the middle of the university campus, you’ll find one of my favourite coffee shops Kilau. I find it hard to pass by without stopping in and grabbing a coffee and a snack, followed by a look in Blackwells bookshop.

St Machar’s Cathedral

10 minute walk Cross a modern, busy road and back onto the cobbles towards St Machar’s Cathedral, peeking into the Cruickshank botanical garden along the way. Open daily and free to enter, this incredible church sits beside a loop of the River Don, originally founded over 1400 years ago. The current building began to take shape in the 1100s, although it’s been extended, ruined and restored in the centuries since then. One of the big highlights of St Machar’s is the recently restored heraldic ceiling. Coats of Arms of European royalty, local Scottish nobility and important churchmen look down on visitors, placed in order of prominence!

Brig o Balgownie

20 minute walk Take a leisurely stroll across grassy Seaton Park to reach the River Don and the historic Brig o Balgownie. This impressive single arch is the oldest bridge in Scotland, built around 700 years ago. For centuries, this was the only way to cross the river near Aberdeen. The best view of the arch is via a short riverside walk on the Seaton Park side of the water, although from the bridge itself you have a chance of spotting seals enjoying themselves around a little island!

Lunch At Books & Beans

30 minute bus (20/1/2) / 10 minute drive / 60 minute walk Right in the busy Aberdeen city centre, Books & Beans is a great wee café where you’re surrounded by thousands of second-hand books to browse while you graze.

Provost Skene’s House

5 minute walk Hidden away between modern concrete and glass buildings, the last of Aberdeen’s old town houses dates from 1545. Provost Skene’s House doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves, but it’s well worth dedicating at least an hour to. The displays tell the stories of incredible people from right across Aberdeenshire, from Nobel Prize winning scientists to musicians and sportspeople. All in the beautiful surroundings of a perfectly preserved 16th century building!

Aberdeen Art Gallery

5 minute walk From a local museum to an international gallery, the collections inside the Aberdeen Art Gallery span 700 years. Recently renovated, there are even more works of art on display than ever before! While there’s something for every taste here, my personal preference are the scenes of Old Aberdeen, showing how the city has grown and developed through these single snapshots in time!

Footdee 

30 minute walk / 20 minute bus (13) / 10 minute drive Heading to the coast, stepping foot in Footdee (pronounce Fittie) feels like you’ve left the city behind and entered an old fishing village. It’s very easy to miss but once you’re there, you might not want to leave. Built 200 years ago to house fisherfolk living in slum housing, today it’s a quirky neighbourhood full of vibrant colours and small artist’s studios. Originally all built exactly the same, once they were sold privately, inhabitants started to put their own mark on the homes – most including a nod to Footdee’s maritime heritage.

Aberdeen Beach

2 minute walk Footdee sits right beside the vast stretch of golden sand that makes up Aberdeen Beach. While the city centre might be famous for being a bit grey, this stretch of coastline more than makes up for it. It’s the perfect place to wander the sands or grab an ice cream although it’s rarely warm enough to take a dip in the North Sea without a wetsuit! If you really want to be adventurous, it’s maybe safer to enjoy some rides at Codona’s Amusement Park than risk the crashing waves!

My Top 5 secret places for coffee in Scotland

By Fiona Grant, founder of Glen Lyon Coffee Roasters.

Isle of Rum General Store, Rum

We are wholesale suppliers to so many amazing cafes throughout Scotland but I have a particular soft spot for The Isle of Rum General Store. When owners Stuart and Jennifer approached us with a proposal to bring amazing coffee to Rum we were intrigued. After all there’s not many people that would think of setting up an espresso bar on an island with a population of just 36! Their proposal fitted right in with our goal of supplying great coffee to rural and remote locations in Scotland (we’ve seen firsthand how coffee brings people together). It’s a pleasure to supply this place and certainly one of the wildest locations I can think of to get a delicious flat white.

Tarmachan Cafe, Crathie

This is such a beautiful space in such an unexpected location, tucked into a secluded former quarry just of the A93, within a stone’s throw of Balmoral. The cafe is surrounded by a forest of silver birch whose leaves dance patterns of sunlight and shadow onto the modern black and glass building, wildflowers grow right up to the cafe door and there’s always the most gorgeous flower displays on the tables inside. The coffee here, roasted by Williams and Johnson in Edinburgh, is consistently on point. Whenever I get a chance to visit I feel like I’ve stumbled into one of the Cairngorm’s best kept secrets.

Steampunk Coffee. North Berwick

One of Scotland’s earliest speciality coffee roasters (Steampunk started roasting just a year after we did) and a fellow female founded coffee business too (owner Cath is a friend and, along with Lisa the founder of Dear Green in Glasgow, we’ve done some fun coffee collaborations together). It’s always such a treat to visit Steampunk’s quirky, open plan cafe and roastery in the beautiful town of North Berwick where I love to check up on what they're currently roasting and sampling their tasty single origins.

Lean to Coffee, Isle of Skye

My brother and his family live on Skye so when Lean To Coffee opened a few years ago this is now the first place we stop when we travel to the island. I love how a simple, converted, timber clad shipping container next to a ruined croft byre rivals any speciality cafe you might find in a capital city. I’ll have a flat white here paired with one of their home baked, gorgeous pillowy cinnamon buns which I’ll savour while sitting in the old byre and taking in those wonderful Skye views.

The Cow and Parrot Coffee Store, Aberfeldy

You’ll always receive the warmest of welcomes here from owners Nicola and James. Cow and Parrot is in my hometown of Aberfeldy so it’s where I come for coffee when I want to escape the roastery or meet up with friends over one of James' legendary sandwiches. Inside is an eclectic delight of wood panelling, battered chesterfields, sheepskins, art books and atmospheric low lighting. It’s no surprise that Nicola’s background is in design. The coffee and food are to die for and you’ll always find a fun posse of locals and their dogs at the bar.

Fiona Grant is the founder of Glen Lyon Coffee Roasters. Formerly a journalist based in South America, Fiona set up Glen Lyon Coffee in 2011 after returning to Scotland with her family. She is a qualified Q grader, licensed to score and grade arabica coffee, and regularly travels to Latin America and Africa to source green coffee and establish direct trade partnerships with producers.

Glen Lyon Coffee is also available from our online shop.

Article by Rachel Rowley
Photography by Simon Hird

Today’s special offer

15% off The Best of Skye: Curated by Hidden Scotland

The Isle of Skye is a place of rare wonder, a wildlife-rich spread of bays, peaks, cliffs and ridges. The views are big, but the prospect of adventure is even bigger. We hope this curated Hidden Scotland guide – which takes in everything from the best walks to the finest restaurants – helps you to have your own unforgettable island escape.

For 15% off use code SPRING15

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