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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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With this service you can place your order and we will send it direct to the recipient, just don't forget to add a note at the checkout so they know who its from. Or just have it sent to yourself.

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The Weeping Mermaid Of Loch Assynt

The ruins of Ardvreck Castle stand like a sentinel keeping watch over the icy, black waters of Loch Assynt. You might hear the soft sound of sobbing as you wander around the edges of Loch Assynt and explore the ruins of the old castle. It might just be a trick of the wind but then again you might be hearing the legendary Mermaid of Loch Assynt.

The story goes that when the Chief of the MacLeods of Assynt was building Ardvreck Castle, he ran into a bit of financial trouble before the work had even been started. MacLeod was desperate to have a home befitting his station but he faced the prospect of not only having no castle, but having no home at all.

That was when a dark stranger approached him and offered to help build the castle, financing the whole thing himself. MacLeod couldn’t believe his luck but he was no fool, he knew there would be a catch. All he would need in return was the promise of MacLeod’s soul. That was when the clan chief realised he was dealing with the Devil and suddenly the arrangement didn’t sound quite as appealing. He did his best to negotiate a different payment but the Devil wasn’t budging.

This all changed when MacLeod’s daughter Eimhir walked in. The Devil changed his price from MacLeod’s soul to his daughter’s hand in marriage. It was a difficult decision but MacLeod wanted this castle badly and to his eternal shame, he accepted. Ardvreck Castle was built in a matter of days and now the Devil was ready to claim his side of the bargain.

Eimhir had no idea of the real identity of the groom but was given no choice in the matter and dutifully went along with the arrangement. The night before the wedding, MacLeod’s conscience got the better of him and he broke the news to Eimhir. He admitted who her betrothed truly was and saw the tears in his daughter’s eyes. She was distraught but there was no way of escaping before the ceremony the next day.

Rather than face marrying the Devil, Eimhir threw herself from the top tower of Ardvreck Castle and plunged into Loch Assynt below. Nobody believed that she could have survived the fall and the Devil was furious that he had been denied his prize. In his rage he caused huge rocks to fall from the sky in an attempt to destroy MacLeod’s land, leaving the boulders strewn across the landscape to be seen today.

Everybody assumed that Eimhir had died but her body was never found. Soon, people started to notice a weeping sound near the loch and occasionally the flick of a large tail disappearing under the water. Eimhir had transformed into a mermaid and kept herself hidden from the Devil in caves deep below the surface. The water level isn’t constant in Loch Assynt and it’s believed that when the loch begins to rise it’s due to the tears from the Mermaid of Assynt, weeping for the life that she was never able to live.

Words by Graeme Johncock, Photographs by Simon Hird

Lean to coffee

Lean To Coffee in Skye offers a cosy retreat on a family croft in Ashaig. Serving locally roasted Birch coffee and a variety of tasty treats, including vegan choices, this snug spot in a repurposed shipping container with outdoor seating is a must-visit for both coffee aficionados and those preferring a sweet hot chocolate or a rich matcha.

Follow them here

More Skye cafes worth a mention

• Birch (link)

• Café Lephin (link)

• Bog Myrtle Skye (link)

• Caora Dhubh Coffee Company (link)

• Cuillin coffee Co (link)

• Café Cuil (link)

• Café Sia (link)

• An Crùbh (link)

Escape with Matt Butter

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 follow photographer Matt Butter on Instagram – if not, you can find him on @palace.swindle - you’ll already be familiar with his keen eye for portraiture and a combination of urban scenes and landscapes alongside beautifully captured everyday details. So it might come as a surprise to discover that photography isn’t Matt’s profession; rather, he works in the legal sector and turns to photography in his spare time. “Mostly I just enjoy photography as a hobby in and around Edinburgh, where I live, and combine this with my interest in exploring Scotland, its landscapes and its communities,” he says.

In the last few years Matt has also worked on photo commissions for a range of independent businesses including the Edinburgh-based whisky brand Woven Whisky, Fife-based guesthouse The Dundonald, The Lengths Studio in the Highlands, Futtle Organic in East Fife, and the Vancouver-based fashion brand Gillian Stevens.

Having grown up on Scotland’s east coast, just south of Aberdeen, and lived in London for many years before moving to Edinburgh, Matt chose to head west, to the Outer Hebrides, when considering his favourite place.

Tell us about your favourite place - where is it?

Picking a favourite certainly isn’t easy. Scotland is full of enticing and varied landscapes and at times it feels like there isn’t enough time to see it all. 

Living in Edinburgh, I try to get out to visit the East Lothian coast or the East Neuk of Fife as often as I can - both are beautiful parts of the country and only an hour or so from the city. But if I have to narrow it down to one place, it’s going to be the Isle of Lewis.

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

My mum grew up on Lewis and we visited my grandparents throughout my childhood. It’s a special place with a real sense of community and a feeling of distance from the mainland. When I visit these days, I always feel a connection with the past - not only to my own life but also to the generations of resilient and resourceful islanders who were able to build their lives and communities in what must have been a pretty tough environment at times.

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

I think I was only a baby when I first visited, so I can’t remember that trip of course. But I do remember being there a few years later, probably when I was about three years old. I remember visiting my great granny’s house - she lived in a crofting community just outside Stornoway. I have vivid memories of the sheep outside the back door, relatives chatting away in a mix of Gaelic and English, the little road down to the sea and the smell of the peat fire. To this day, the smell of peat smoke always brings back early memories and an emotional connection to the island.

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

Yes and no. The sights, sounds and smells remain very familiar in many ways. 

But, of course, all rural communities need to adapt and change to support current and future livelihoods. On Lewis, there is a new deep water harbour being built in Stornoway and ongoing debate about the expansion of wind farms on and around the island. There’s no doubt these will bring in further investment and economic benefits through industry and tourism, but this will need to be managed in the right way to protect the delicate natural environment of the Hebrides.

How does this place inspire you?

As well as the island’s unique character on a human level, the landscapes, geography and nature are quite spectacular. On the east coast of Lewis, you can walk through prehistoric rock pillars at Garry Sands while looking back across the Minch to the jagged mountain peaks of Sutherland. You’ll see gannets diving into the water at great speed to pluck out their catch and if you’re lucky you might hear a corncrake squawking at you while taking its evening stroll through the machair.

At Ness you can watch the oystercatchers fishing in the rock pools and think of the intrepid locals who sail to the remote Sula Sgeir each summer to hunt for guga. At Bosta beach on Great Bernera you can listen to the tidal bell (part of a nationwide installation around the British coast) and spot seals basking on the rocks. And down the road at Mangersta you can look down over the massive sea stacks that almost resemble a collection of very sharp teeth.

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

If they have the time, they should take the ferry across from the mainland to enjoy the views and adjust to island time.

Also, they should be sure to get their hands on some locally produced food - Atlantic langoustines, hand-dived scallops, smoked kippers, Stornoway black pudding, crumbly oatcakes. There’s also expertly baked Neapolitan style pizza, which can be found from an unassuming shipping container in the rural community of Lochs.

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

Despite being only a relatively short ferry trip across the Sound of Harris, I have never made it down to the Uists. They are on my must-visit list for the next few years.

See Matt’s photography on Instagram at @palace.swindle.

Interview By Fiona Reid

Our New 2024 Calendar is here! 15% off this weekend only.

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Would your business like to feature in the Hidden Scotland Weekly? e-mail [email protected]