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We’re delighted to be back with a new ‘Hidden Scotland Weekly’. We really hope that you enjoy reading.

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Through Eyrie Woods - Golden Eagles at Glen Tanar

Snippet from the magazine…

Scotland has a beautiful diverse natural landscape that is home to some incredible wildlife. Watching an otter feed at low tide for butterfish on the weathered western shores, or catching a glimpse of a noble red stag roaring in an ancient pine forest are incredible sights to behold. Moments like these, which allow us to gaze into the intimate lives of Scotland’s wild inhabitants, are breathtaking. However, for one of Scotland’s most famous, yet secretive residents, sightings like these are few and far between. This is a story about Scotland’s top aerial predator – the golden eagle - and the Eyrie woods which some of them call home. If you have ever been lucky enough to see one soaring in the sky far above your head, then you are indeed very fortunate. Perhaps you even briefly mistook them for a glider in the wind if not for the occasional beat of their wings and the silhouette of their dark brown plumage setting them apart. These magnificent birds of prey have an impressive king-sized wingspan but, despite their imposing size, they manage to lead relatively undisturbed and secretive lives in Scotland’s remote glens and bleak, but beautiful, craggy coastal cliffs.

To read the full article you can purchase issue 06 here.

Broughton House & Garden

Dumfries and Galloway

In the heart of Kirkcudbright sits this magnificent Edwardian house, complete with Japanese garden. Broughton House was the residence of Edward Atkinson Hornel, a painter and member of the ‘Glasgow Boys’ artists group, who amassed one of the largest collection of Burns’ work in the world at this house.

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Colinton Tunnel

Edinburgh

Beneath Edinburgh's bustling cityscape, where trains once roared, now reigns a quiet harmony of pedestrians and cyclists. The Colinton Tunnel, a relic from an older rail era, serves as a canvas for a storybook told in public art. Inspired by the lyrical flow of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem, From a Railway Carriage, the tunnel's walls spring to life with colour and imagination. This artistic metamorphosis, orchestrated by Chris Rutterford and Mike Scott, illuminates a formerly forgotten passageway with bright murals. It's a place where past and present converge, celebrating community spirit, nostalgia, and the beauty of art echoing literature.

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Glasgow Botanic Gardens

Glasgow

Glasgow's Botanic Gardens, thriving since 1817, have their roots in the pioneering vision of Thomas Hopkirk, a respected botanist. Initially gracing an 8-acre parcel at Sandyford, the Gardens outgrew their initial location, nurtured by the scientific zeal of eminent botanists like William Jackson Hooker and the adventurous David Douglas, famed for introducing the Douglas Fir from North America. Today, sitting resplendent on the River Kelvin banks, the Gardens serve as an ever-unfolding spectacle of plant diversity. From the Victorian glasshouses teeming with tropical and temperate flora to the outdoor expanse housing a wide array of hardy trees, the Gardens continue to inspire, educate, and engage visitors all year round, free of charge. Among its standout features is the 'A' listed Kibble Palace, a Victorian marvel that invites exploration of diverse plant species from around the globe.

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Best Picnic Spots in Edinburgh

There are plenty of green spaces dotted around Edinburgh to choose from so here are just a few of our favourite places to enjoy a picnic. A few things before we begin, if you decide to head out for a picnic, please remember to dispose of any rubbish after the meal or take leftovers home with you.

Princes Street Gardens

Beginning with Edinburgh’s most central green space, Princes Street Gardens stretches out over 37 acres and sits between Edinburgh’s medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town. The gardens play a key role in the city throughout the year and during the summer months, they provide ample space for those who want to soak up a bit of sunshine or enjoy a picnic with friends and family.

Both gardens have a scattering of benches, plenty of grassy open space to spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy a packed lunch plus incredible views of Edinburgh Castle that makes this a unique picnic spot.

Local suggestion for picnic food: Victor Hugo Deli’s (104 George Street) was founded in 1955 by Hugh and Zdzislaw (known as Victor) and the deli is well-known for its range of continental foods, breads, coffees and wines.

Holyrood Park

Holyrood Park is a royal park that sits adjacent to Holyrood Palace and consists of an impressive collection of landmarks that make up Edinburgh’s unforgettable skyline including the Salisbury Crags, the extinct volcano Arthur’s Seat, St Margaret's Loch, and St Anthony's Chapel Ruins. Being the largest green space in Edinburgh, stretching across 650 acres, there are a vast number of options when it comes to unrolling your picnic blanket and enjoying your meal. If it’s a still, sunny day, more adventurous picnickers can hike up Arthur’s Seat and enjoy a picnic near the summit to make the most of the views across Edinburgh and beyond. On the other hand, there’s a large open space behind Holyrood Palace and Holyrood Abbey which provides ample space for a peaceful picnic while soaking up the view of Salisbury Crags.

Local suggestion for picnic food: If you're walking from the direction of Princes Street, there’s a delightful small business called The Banh Mi Bar (3 East Market Street) that specialises in Vietnamese sandwiches, summer rolls, salads and more.

Dunbar’s Close Garden

If you prefer a more cosy, intimate picnic spot, head along to Dunbar’s Close Garden - a 17th-century-style garden located along the Canongate. The Canongate was once filled with fine houses and spacious gardens so it’s lovely that a few of these green spaces remain and provide peaceful pockets along a generally busy street. As you enter Dunbar’s Close, you’ll pass under a canopy of lush trees and emerge into an elegant garden divided into eight distinct sections. There are picturesque knot gardens which would have been common to find in the Canongate during the 17th-century, patches of wildflowers, a rose garden as well as a lawn sheltered by large trees at the foot of the garden which is perfect for a tranquil picnic. There are also various benches dotted around the garden for those who prefer a seat.

Local suggestion for picnic food: The Edinburgh Larder (11 & 15 Blackfriars Street) is known for its delicious, seasonal, local food. Lunch options include their Taste of Scotland plate, wraps, sandwiches, and soups.

The Meadows

The Meadows is a lush, open stretch of grass with tree-lined paths crisscrossing through it. The green space boasts views of Arthur’s Seat and is surrounded by the grand buildings of the former Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Victorian tenements of Marchmont and the University of Edinburgh. Coming in at 58 acres, the Meadows is well-loved by the surrounding neighbourhoods and comes into its own as a community hub on sunny summer days. It’s not surprising to walk through the Meadows on a summer’s day and spot a sea of people claiming every inch of grass soaking up the rare Scottish rays. The smell of barbeque wafts through the air, music is played in the distance and there are often various cheers accompanying a game of football. This isn't the ideal spot if you’re looking for peace and quiet but there is something undoubtedly special in the atmosphere of the Meadows on a sunny day that is very enjoyable.

Local suggestion for picnic food: There’s the option to visit Victor Hugo Deli’s Marchmont branch (29 Melville Terrace) which is well-known for its range of continental foods or enjoy a takeaway sourdough pizza from Söderberg Pavilion (1 Lister Square).

Calton Hill

Despite being the smallest of Edinburgh’s seven hills, Calton Hill is renowned for its magnificent panoramic views over the city and the surrounding areas. As long as it’s not too windy, Calton Hill is an ideal picnic spot as you won’t have to carry your packed lunch up the likes of Arthur’s Seat to enjoy spectacular views. Once you’ve finished your picnic, there’s plenty to see beyond the views such as Calton Hill’s collection of historic monuments and the former city observatory which has been beautifully converted into a contemporary gallery space called the Collective.

Local suggestion for picnic food: Valvona & Crolla (19 Elm Row) is an independent family business and a cornucopia of Italian deli produce, pastries, bread and wines.

See the full list here

Words by Shawna Law photography Simon Hird

Escape with: Kuljit Athwal

Explore some of Scotland’s most beautiful locations and hidden gems in our Escape With series where we ask people about their connection to a favourite place.

If you look on photographer Kuljit Athwal’s website you’ll find a section titled ‘Tentsmuir Project’ where Kuljit shares photography taken in Tentsmuir Forest in Fife, dating back to 2011. As he writes: “This is a personal project to document the changing environment through the seasons…” Over the years, Tentsmuir has been a place to photograph, to find inspiration and to unwind, and for adventures with his family, so when asked to share his favourite place in Scotland, it feels natural that Kuljit should have chosen this beautiful stretch of forest and the long expanse of beach that neighbours it.

Based in Dundee, Kuljit specialises in landscape, wedding and portrait photography, and shares urban photography on his Instagram account @lovedundee, while his landscapes can be found on @kuljitathwal.

Tell us about your favourite place - where is it?

My favourite place has to be Tentsmuir Forest and Beach. You can see it from where I live in Dundee, Scotland. It's across the River Tay towards Fife. I always think of it as the corner of Fife as you have Tentsmuir Point, which is a National Nature Reserve that hosts many protected species of animals and birds, jutting out into the Tay Estuary. It's easily accessible from Dundee and St Andrews using the National Cycle Network, which I recommend as you'll be able to explore deeper into the forest than on foot.

The forest is criss-crossed with various paths and trails and the forest bed undulates over many of the natural sand dunes that have been slowly consumed by the Scots Pine and ferns. It's one of the few places that I can think of where you can walk and emerge from the forest onto beautiful golden sandy beaches and dunes. It really is an escape from whatever gets you down.

Why does this place mean so much to you? Why are you always drawn back there?

The forest here means a lot to me. I've spent a lot of time here over the last 15-20 years walking and thinking, resting and creating. Having a reminder of all that is fragile so close to home has impacted me in the way I live and in the way I raise our children to appreciate the natural world. When you visit the forest here, whether by car, bike or public transport, as soon as you start walking 10-15 minutes into the forest in any direction, you'll find yourself alone.

And that's when your senses really come to life. From the noises of the trees rubbing against each other when there's a gentle breeze, to the smells of the natural wild flowers that can be found at your feet, to the haze of pollen floating in the space between the trees, illuminated by the beams of sunlight that penetrate the canopy, you'll feel the stresses leave your body and your shoulders will lighten.

Do you have a first memory of visiting this place? Or a favourite more recent memory perhaps?

I don't quite remember the first time I visited the forest or the beach but, especially over the last 10 years or so, I've made many happy memories there with my family - from visiting the beautiful dunes and beach during the summer months, spending hours with picnic blankets and beach tents, to camping and bushcraft with our eldest in the forest.

I think my most favourite recent visit was with our bikes, where we cycled through the trees along a variety of tracks and paths, stopping off at various landmarks within the forest for lunch and rest. We built a tarp shelter, set up camp among the trees, and cooked lunch over an open stove on the beach. I can count on one hand the number of people we saw that day. We could have been miles and miles from home and it certainly felt that way. It's such a perfect location for micro adventures.

Has Tentsmuir changed over the time that you’ve visited?

The areas of Tentsmuir that have been my favourite to explore and revisit have recently completely disappeared due to forest management by Forestry and Land Scotland. This is the section between Tayport and Tentsmuir Point. This has actually left me devastated. It became such a familiar place for me and often my visits to the forest were to revisit this area as I have some favourite photographic locations there. I used to go specifically to capture certain trees and dunes that became my favourite features.

However, last year the area was significantly impacted by the recent Storm Arwen and subsequent minor storms that felled large portions of the forest. But coupled with blight management and containment, and future planning for rising sea levels, the commission has identified this part of the forest as one for increased tree biodiversity. So for me the visible changes in the forest are largely the result of human interference.

But there are some interesting features of Tentsmuir for which time stands still, and the forest has grown and consumed them. These are the pill boxes, bunkers and anti-landing craft defences that line the north and east perimeter to the forest. These were constructed by Polish forces during the Second World War, as part of a plan to prepare for the possibility that invading German troops could identify this part of the coast as a landing point.

How does this place inspire you?

I used to joke that it had become my photography studio. I've conducted portrait sessions within the forest and some of my best known landscapes have come from here. Given the location you get perfect compositions for sunrise and sunset images and the trees offer endless framing opportunities.

Through the seasons, with the changes in foliage and atmospheric conditions, you can often get variation in the image while retaining a sense of familiarity for the location. I actually feel guilty for not acting on its inspiration more, and that weighs heavier on my mind now that I know some of my favourite locations have disappeared forever. But it does inspire me to get out there and explore some of the areas I haven't yet photographed.

If someone was thinking of visiting Tentsmuir, what’s the one thing they should know?

Keep an eye out for red squirrel and deer. If you're parking at the main car park to visit the beach, head straight over the dunes and then walk north for 15 minutes and you'll soon find yourself alone on the beach and away from the crowds. And if you're visiting the forest from the north, be courteous to the local residents and park at the designated car park. And remember to always leave no trace. Sorry, that’s more than one thing!

What’s the place you’d most like to explore in Scotland, that you haven’t yet?

I've always wanted to visit Galloway Forest. This is because of its incredible conditions for star gazing and astrophotography. It's one of only four dark sky parks designated on the entire planet and is the first in the UK. For it to be in Scotland is an added bonus.

See more on Kuljit’s work on his website and you can also purchase prints of Kuljit’s photography on his print store.

Follow Kuljit on Instagram

Interviewed by Fiona Reid

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