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

We have begun shipping the Best of Skye Guidebook, if you have not already received your copy it should arrive very soon, you can still pick up the book here.

Have a great Sunday!

The Best of Skye Guide Book
^{Available now!}

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.

5 Hidden Gems in Fife

History hangs like a sea-mist over this green, salty-aired slab of land between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay. The so-called Kingdom of Fife – often known simply as ‘The Kingdom’ – spent around half a millennium as the home patch of the Scottish monarchy, and the peninsula still has a unique character. A place of mellow fishing villages and rolling farmland, of age-old abbeys and booming coastal views, the region is also famed worldwide as the home of golf. Mark Twain, who memorably described the sport as a ‘good walk spoiled’, clearly never visited Fife.

Visitors dreaming of striding along the fairways invariably focus their sights on the historical coastal town of St Andrews, where you’ll also find the third oldest university in the English-speaking world, various medieval remains, and windswept lengths of white sand. But while St Andrews is, without doubt, a first-rate charmer, it’s far from being the only Fife town worthy of your time. Culross, Aberdour, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy – now there’s a varied bunch – are among those that all offer gems of their own.

And then, of course, there’s the East Neuk, a glorious stretch of coastline dotted with little red-roofed hamlets, cloaked in tales of the past, and laced together by the most scenic parts of the Fife Coastal Path. ‘Neuk’, incidentally, is an old word that translates as ‘corner’, and when seen on the map, the headland still juts into the North Sea as if determined to retain its old-world individuality.      

Venturing further inland, you’ll also discover that this is a part of the country with ample outdoor riches. A particular highlight comes in the form of the volcanic Lomond Hills – also known as the Paps of Fife – which loom above a 25-square-mile spread of lochs, moors and farmland, offering some spectacular day-walks and cycle routes. And, this being Fife, you’ll find plenty of places across the region to indulge in some seriously restorative food and drink.

Here are 5 places you may not have heard of

Abbot House

Resplendent behind a glowing pink exterior, Abbot House is thought to be the oldest building in Dunfermline. It dates back to around 1450 and was likely the residence of the abbot – being mere steps from the abbey itself – and its bulky stone walls were secure enough to survive the Great Fire of Dunfermline in 1624. Having spent several years closed due to a lack of funding, it’s now open to visitors once more.

St Fillan's Cave

Believed to be a kind of magical place, the cave was visited often by St Fillan, an Irish missionary who helped to bring Christianity to the residents of Fife in the 8th century. It’s believed he lived in the cave for some time, writing sermons by the light of his famous, luminous arm.

Welly Garden

A rainbow array of flora-filled wellington boots form the unlikely focal point of this seasonal attraction in St Monans, the bonkers-but-brilliant brainchild of a local schoolteacher, who found herself in possession of wellies that her grandchildren had outgrown. From small beginnings, the community became involved, and these days up to 200 pairs can be seen on the village slipway each summer.

Wemyss Caves

Proving that nature’s work is so often the greatest wonder of all, these six sea caves near the village of East Wemyss were shaped by the perennial battering of the elements and now form part of a designated national monument. Their damp, dark walls are covered in marks and inscriptions that hark back as far as the Bronze Age.

Standing Stones of Lundin

Standing Stones of LundinLundin Ladies Golf Club is one of the oldest courses in the world to have a wholly female membership. It’s also the only course in the world to have three megalithic standing stones in the middle of the second fairway. Dating back some 4,000 years and made of sandstone, the trio reach heights of up to 17 feet: golfing obstacles to some, prehistoric jewels to others. It’s possible to walk to see them if you ask at the hut by the entrance.

Tullibole Castle’s Drunken Ghost

When the Kings of Scots travelled between Falkland Palace and Stirling Castle, they would often stop a night or two at Tullibole Castle. Naturally the King stayed comfortable indoors, but there was nowhere near enough space for his enormous retinue. Instead, a temporary village sprung up down by the river, just outside the castle walls.

On one such trip, the King's best warrior issued a challenge to any of the Laird's men. He was a big talker and an even bigger drinker so it wouldn’t be a battle between swords or pistols. The weapons of choice were tankards full of beer.

Most of the Laird's men took one look at the champion and knew they didn't stand a chance. His bragging was relentless though, so they were determined to shut him up. Word was sent for big Kelty from a neighbouring farm, nobody held their drink better than him. The challenge was accepted, and the two men sat down to their unusual duel.

They downed cup after cup, matching each other with ease and none of the watching crowd could tell who was going to come out on top. The drinking lasted all night and all the next day.

Eventually, the King's soldier toppled sideways with a groan, spilling his drink on the ground. With a relieved sigh, Kelty drained his final drink and stood up to resounding cheer before promptly collapsing in a snoring heap.

When Kelty woke up, he saw grave looks on the faces around him. The King's man wasn't sleeping, he was dead. The soldier was buried next to the river by a small pool now known as The Troopers Dubb.

On dark nights his ghost can still be heard wandering the grounds between Tullibole Castle and the river. He drunkenly hiccups and begs for one more cup so he can finally win the competition.

Words by Graeme Johncock

Around Scotland with Graeme Johncock

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.

The Isle of Iona is one of the most special places in Scotland. This wee island was where St Columba and his 12 followers chose to build their monastery in 563 and spread Christianity across northern Scotland. Even for people with no religious or spiritual connection, Iona is a fascinating island packed with history and beauty in equal measures.

People have been making pilgrimages to this island for over 1400 years and last week, that included me. While nowhere near the arduous journey that the early pilgrims made, it still takes some effort to reach Iona. Your first ferry will take you to the Isle of Mull and then it’s a long and winding road down to Fionnphort to catch the boat to your destination.

With only residents' cars allowed on the island, I walked the same path that thousands of people had done before me - Kings, queens, clan chiefs, and tourists. Leading from Martyr’s Bay, that track is known as Sraid nam Marbh or “Street of the Dead”. The monks of Iona really knew how to give places memorable names...

Just before reaching the restored 1200s Abbey building, I stopped to look over Reilig Odhrain. Somewhere in this small graveyard lie dozens of Kings of Scots, many that I’ve told stories of like Macbeth or Kenneth Macalpine. Keeping them company are chiefs of West Highland clans like the MacLeods, MacKinnons and of course the MacDonald Lords of the Isles.

By pure accident, I happened to be visiting the island on a Sunday, giving me the opportunity to attend a church service in Iona Abbey. The Iona Community make it very clear that these are open to anybody and everybody, regardless of their beliefs. However, if you do attend then be prepared to sing.

Just walking around the abbey is a special experience, but attending a church service surrounded by the same walls as so many important figures in Scottish history were gave me goosebumps. Tea and coffee in the cloister afterwards was quietly watched by grave slabs of clan chiefs, including Angus Og MacDonald, the man who helped Robert the Bruce take back control of Scotland.

I was lucky enough to have scorching hot weather that day to explore some more of Iona. There’s more to enjoy here than just old buildings and historic graves. I spent the rest of the trip writing on one of the pristine sandy beaches in the north of the island, with my toes dipped in the clearest of water.

I didn’t have the heart to tell any of the surrounding sunbathers that the White Strand of the Monks got its name from a particularly brutal massacre by the Vikings in the 9th century. Maybe sometimes it’s better not to know the story!

Written by Graeme Johncock

Crail - Taken by Simon Hird

Have you read issue 08? It’s still available to purchase.

We’re delighted to share with you the eighth edition of Hidden Scotland magazine. Welcome to our Spring/Summer 2024 issue. 

It’s now been four years since our first issue appeared, back in the fateful early months of 2020, and it’s a source of real pride that the magazine continues to find a growing audience. But while four years can be seen as a long time in some contexts, in the case of Orkney – captured beautifully by seasoned National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson on pages 10-17 – such a timescale is a mere grain of sand in the hourglass of history.

As Jim explains, the distant past is still very much in evidence on the Orkney archipelago, and its islands now showcase a unique blend of tradition, modernity and prehistory. The concepts of ‘Auld and New’ also underpin another guest article in this issue – on pages 148- 153 – in which interior designer and online personality Banjo Beale discusses his love of collecting beautiful things.

Between these two absorbing features you’ll find pages packed with all manner of Scottish tales and topics, from whisky, folklore and regenerative farming to a focus on some of our most impressive botanic gardens. We also look at the reintroduction of wild beavers, take a deep-dive into the wonders of Fife and spotlight the remarkable Ploterre, a creative business inspired by nature.

Elsewhere you’ll find a fantastic recipe for foraged kelp miso ramen from Café Canna in the Inner Hebrides, as well as an overview of Scotland’s Little Free Libraries and a tour of the remarkable Royal Deeside – you’ll even learn more about our own Hidden Scotland Shop, set in an old farmhouse on the Deeside Way. And as ever, there’s more to discover too.

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