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Discovering the Brough of Birsay

Lying off the storm-battered coast of Orkney’s West mainland, the Brough of Birsay juts out boldly into Atlantic Ocean’s churning waters. The small tidal island is only accessible via a slim concrete causeway at low tide, restricting passage to and from the mainland to only a few hours each day. With a total area of around 21 hectares, this unique island hosts some of the most incredible scenery, wildlife and history found in the Orkney islands.

For centuries, Orkney’s political and religious power was centred around the Brough, with the earliest settlements thought to date back to the 6th century. It was first occupied by the Picts, Scotland’s oldest indigenous people. Many brooches, fragments of glass, moulds for fine bronze jewellery and other high-quality objects have been found during excavations, suggesting that the site was a Pictish power centre – home to skilled craftsmen who lived a sophisticated lifestyle for centuries before Vikings arrived. By the 9th century, Vikings from Norway had settled on the Brough and continued to develop the site over the next three centuries, building over the top of much of the old Pictish structures.

Arriving on the island you are greeted with a complex maze of low stone walls, most of which date from the final, Norse, period of use. Some of the remains include a 12th century monastery, several Norse longhouses and incredibly, one structure that has been identified as a sauna and bathhouse, which was complete with underfloor heating!

Though most of the buildings that remain on the brough are from its later residents, traces of earlier Pictish settlement can be seen. The most profound of which is an impressively carved Pictish symbol stone. The original symbol stone was unfortunately found smashed; however, an accurate reconstruction was made and can be seen standing amongst network of structures.

Beyond the settlements, the land slopes gently upwards, with a small lighthouse perched at the top of the seaward facing cliffs, around 45m above sea level. The walk up to the lighthouse leads you along the perimeter of the island and reveals stunning 360-degree views of the striking coastline as well as further inland. During the summer months the clifftops are bursting with life, with bright wildflowers and hundreds of seabirds lining the cliffsides.

This is also undoubtably one of the best places on the Orkney mainland to spot Puffins – our favourite summer visitors! Puffins are known as ‘tammie norries’ in Orkney and actually spend most of their lives at sea. They return to their breeding colonies between the months of May to July each year, where they will only lay a single egg.

It’s easy for the hours to drift past while up on the clifftops admiring these adorable little characters, so make sure you keep an eye on the tide to avoid getting your feet wet on the way back!

Article and photographs by @rachelvisual

Lauriston Castle

Edinburgh

Just beyond the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh, Lauriston Castle is a 16th-century structure with layers of history and character. Originally a medieval tower, it evolved through various expansions into the complex we see today. Its Edwardian interiors act as a time capsule, while the Japanese Friendship Garden provides a peaceful outdoor escape. Whether you're interested in history, architecture, or simply want to take in the scenic views of the Scottish coastline, Lauriston Castle offers a unique and engaging experience that won't soon be forgotten.

Abbot House

Dunfermline

Noted as the oldest building in Fife, Abbot House is a slice of history in the middle of Dunfermline. It survived the Great Fire of 1624 and was largely believed to have been used for religious activities throughout the Scottish Reformation. It was even a Naval Officer’s Base during the Second World War.

Inverness Botanical Gardens

Inverness

A tranquil oasis from the movement of the city, these botanic gardens are free for people to visit and take in the calm of nature. With parts of the gardens regenerated over the last two decades by the G.R.O.W Project, the space includes formal gardens, ponds with resident fish and a tropical and cactus house maintained by the Inverness Cactus & Succulent Society.

The Murderous Craigmillar Bond

Often referred to as Edinburgh’s “other” castle, Craigmillar deserves much more recognition than that. Just a few miles outside the cramped city walls, this was the perfect place to rest, relax and hatch royal murder plots.

Craigmillar Castle was originally constructed in the early 15th century by the Preston family and became a convenient escape for the Scottish monarchy. James III was known to keep political prisoners there and it was isolated enough to protect a young James V from an outbreak of plague in Edinburgh.

Mary Queen of Scots has a connection with dozens of buildings around Scotland. She travelled the country extensively and it seems that there are few castles that don’t have a room the young Queen slept in. However, Craigmillar has a more intriguing story than most.

Mary was hosted at the castle a number of times by the charming Sir Simon Preston. She was in constant need of somewhere to avoid the judgmental eyes around Holyrood Palace. In November 1566, the Queen escaped to Craigmillar to recover after one of the most eventful and dramatic periods of her life.

Earlier in the year, while the heavily pregnant Queen was having supper in the private apartments of Holyrood, her husband Lord Darnley had burst in with a group of rebellious nobles. They dragged her secretary David Rizzio out of the room and brutally murdered him before tossing his corpse out of the window. The terrified Mary even had a gun held against her unborn child to stop her from trying to interfere.

The Queen did safely give birth to the future James VI, but it was a long and difficult labour. Mary fell gravely ill soon after and made her way to the safety of Craigmillar Castle. While she was recovering upstairs, her most loyal nobles gathered in the castle’s hall. There they decided something must be done about Lord Darnley. A scheme was hatched that would become known as the Craigmillar Bond although if a written agreement had ever been signed, it has since been lost.

With or without Mary’s knowledge, Darnley’s death had been arranged. Three months later, the Queen’s husband was suffering from his own illness. The conspiring nobles tried to convince him to travel to Craigmillar Castle to recover but instead, he chose a house called Kirk o’ Field in Edinburgh. Mary visited to care for him through the day but at some point, in the middle of the night, an enormous explosion rocked the city. Hidden barrels of gunpowder had blown up, reducing the house to rubble.

The body of the deceased Darnley was discovered but not amongst the wreckage of the explosion. He was found lying in the garden of Kirk o’ Field, half naked as if he had attempted to flee to safety. To make matters worse, it was clear to all that he had been strangled along with his servant. The Craigmillar Bond had been carried out but if the plan had been to make the murder look like an accident, then it had badly failed.

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