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

Have a great Sunday!

Scottish Christmas Gift Guide

We hope you are having a great start to the weekend! Now that December is upon us we know that Christmas is just around the corner, which means we are excited to share our Christmas gift guide.

First up and brand new to the Hidden Scotland shop is our very limited edition gift box 'Isle of Skye Gift Box'. This has been inspired by our brand new guide book which we launched just a few months ago and we have been working with two of the very best artisans from Skye itself, Skíō Pottery and Birch Coffee, to create some beautiful gifts to go alongside our guide beautifully wrapped by hand and presented in a Hidden Scotland gift box. We have a very small batch of these, so please do be quick if you would like one. You can find out more on this by clicking the link.

And we also have our 2025 calendar designed to inspire your journeys throughout the new year.

So please head to the links below to explore our festive collection, we hope these will make great gifts for your loved ones this year!

We would also like to offer you a 10% discount code to celebrate which will be valid for the next 48 hours. Use code CHRISTMAS to redeem.

Product of the week
Scotland's Stories by Graeme Johncock

Everybody loves stories and Scotland is full of them. Every town, village, glen, loch, nook and cranny has a tale to tell and it's these stories that bring those places to life. Scotland's Stories is the key to unlocking those legends and seeing these incredible places in a new light.

Loch Garve looks very different when you know there's a Kelpie lurking somewhere in its depths. There's a new appreciation for the iconic Eilean Donan Castle after discovering the man who built it spoke with birds. An empty moor or wooded gorge is easily brought to life with the clashing sounds of a battle fought long ago.

Based on the popular travel blog from storyteller Graeme and Molly the Labrador, these tales will appeal to all who love history, folklore and Scotland.

The Church Built By A Kelpie

St Vigeans is a small settlement on the edge of Arbroath, believed to have once been an important Pictish centre. The church sits dramatically on top of a small mound, surrounded by graves packed onto the sloping hillside. Even more dramatic, is the story of the church’s construction.

Local folklore claims that the hill is entirely artificial, built on top of thick iron bars that prevent it falling into a loch deep below. The builder of St Vigeans church had captured the bridle of a terrifying Kelpie who lived in that loch. This powerful, shape shifting water-horse would be under his control for as long as he held that bridle.

With the strength of 10 regular horses, the Kelpie was forced to drag heavy blocks of stone into position. Then he built the mound and the church, all against his will. Kelpies are proud creatures though and once finally released, he put a curse on the church. One day a minister would kill himself and on the very next communion, the church would tumble into the loch below.

The story was passed down through the ages, with local people taking pride in their unique legend. Then one day in the late 17^th century, tragedy struck and a minister did tragically kill himself. The congregation of St Vigeans then refused to take communion there for the next 37 years.

Eventually in 1736, somebody was brave enough to take the risk. Just before communion, the entire congregation ran outside to watch from a safe distance, terrified that the church would collapse into a hidden loch.

Fortunately for St Vigeans, nothing out of the ordinary happened and the church still stands well above the ground.

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.

Last week I decided to explore somewhere a little off the beaten track. With Molly the Labrador in tow, I headed west to Loch Awe to see more than the usual touristy spots. I wanted to spend some time on the quiet side of the water.

The big-name sites on Loch Awe are popular for a reason though. It’s hard to pass by Kilchurn Castle without at least stopping for a picture. Once a stronghold of the Campbells of Glenorchy, the view across the water from a field of sheep is unbeatable.

Not too far away, there’s a short climb that many visitors to Loch Awe miss. Hiking up to the Duncan Ban MacIntyre monument gives great views down Scotland’s longest loch. Duncan was a great poet, who fought during the last Jacobite rising and has been called “The Gaelic Robert Burns”.

Travelling around the lochside, we came to St Conan’s Kirk, a beautifully bizarre combination of architectural designs. Walter Campbell built the church in the late 1800s because his elderly mother couldn’t handle the long journey to Dalmally every Sunday and it’s become a favourite stopping point.

One of the strangest things inside is the effigy of Robert the Bruce, laid out like a royal tomb. The unusual part is that the King’s toe bone sits beneath it in a little box as if it were the relic of a saint!

Bruce has an important connection to this area. As you follow the water onto the River Awe, you enter the Pass of Brander where the King of Scots won a famous battle against Clan MacDougall in 1308.

Once across the river, we were finally off the beaten path and it was time to stretch our legs. There are loads of great spots to hike, but we went for the Glen Nant Nature Reserve, one of the last pockets of Scotland’s ancient rainforest!

The road was empty now and I was enjoying the drive through beautiful countryside to Dalavich Shop & Café. Fuelled by a toastie and coffee, I turned the corner at the appropriately named Ford and onto the other side of Loch Awe.

There was one place in particular that I wanted to see down there and it’s easily missed. The humble island fortress of Innis Chonnel Castle was where Clan Campbell began. Donald Dubh, chief of Clan Macdonald in the late 15th century, was kept captive here as a child and while I don’t envy his situation, it’s not a bad place to be stuck!

Unfortunately, as happy as Molly was to swim across to the island, without a boat, I was stuck on the shore. That just gives me a good reason to come back again for another trip all the way around Loch Awe in the future!

Written by Graeme Johncock Greame has recently written a book called ‘Scotland's Stories by Graeme Johncock’ Grab a copy here.

Escape with Martin Donald Smith

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.

Based near Falkirk in central Scotland, landscape photographer Martin Donald Smith travels across the country to capture the striking and atmospheric images that you’ll find showcased in his print shop. Accompanied on trips by his border collies Jasper and Mitchell, Martin’s photography encompasses the rich diversity of the Scottish landscape, from mountains and lochs to coastal scenes, and his love of low light conditions means that he’s often photographing the last or first light in any location.

As he writes on his website Light, Land and Sky: “For me, landscape photography is all about capturing natural light in a pleasing way as it falls across the scene, and framing the scene in a way that makes for a composition that connects in some way to the viewer and tells a little story.” From dawn breaking over the Black Mount to the starlit skies over Elgol on the Isle of Skye, Martin captures both subtle and dramatic shifts in light.

When asked about his favourite place, Martin chose a spot in Aberdeenshire – indeed, a photograph from one of those trips is available as a print titled Made it through the night.

Tell us about your favourite place - where is it?

Rattray Head in Aberdeenshire, between Peterhead and Fraserburgh. There are fantastic dune grasses and sands, and a very photogenic lighthouse.

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

I’m drawn to seascapes as a landscape photographer, and this location is perfect for sunrise shoots - my preferred time of the day. This exposed corner of Scotland also tends to benefit from decent waves. I’ve been about half a dozen times now, and each visit has been different. I don’t think I’ve exhausted the location by any means. The last time I was there, I was walking the dogs about a mile south of the lighthouse and noticed a shipwreck that I hadn’t seen previously – I’d like to photograph it at some point, perhaps at mid tide.

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

I first visited in 2020 after lockdown restrictions were lifted. I camped in the dunes for a night with a friend. It’s an isolated spot and it was magical to have the place to ourselves, with just us and the beam of the lighthouse for company. There have been some other memorable moments. I got stuck in the snow earlier this year, and had to be tractor-towed by a friendly local farmer. I was also there on the night of the major aurora in May 2024. That was very special.

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

It hasn’t changed much at all. That’s what I like about the location so much. There’s a feeling of familiarity; the lighthouse is like an old friend.

How does this place inspire you?

The morning light tends to be good and the waves are usually energetic. Seals can often be seen bobbing up and down, less than 50m out to sea, so it feels very wild, quite raw. As a photographer, I’ve never felt as though I can’t get an image at the location.

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

They should definitely know that the road leading down to the lighthouse is notoriously potholed. It’s single track, soft and sandy in places, but extremely rough overall. Allow at least 15 minutes to cover the last mile or two of the journey. And come prepared – there are no facilities or shops for miles.

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

There are many of course, but if I had to pick one area out, it would be Ardnamurchan and Moidart. The reason for Ardnamurchan is mainly because of the variety of scenery within a relatively small area, where you have lochs, mountains, beaches and a rocky coastline, with castle ruins thrown in. As for Moidart, it’s the inaccessibility that appeals. Now that my dogs are older and more trustworthy, I’d like to do some walks out that way.

See more on Martin’s website Light, Land and Sky

Interview By Fiona Reid

The Isle of Muck - Taken by Simon Hird

Gift Hidden Scotland this Christmas

We are back with our gift wrapping service for our autumn/winter edition of Hidden Scotland magazine. This year we are very proud to have collaborated with Scottish illustrator Joy Nevada to create this festive wrapping paper. The gift wrapped magazines will also come with an A5 print of the front cover image as well as a bookmark.This gift is dispatched in our custom-designed Hidden Scotland box, sent directly to the recipient or to yourself.

You can also choose to add a personal message with a handwritten note.

We will dispatch all gift edition copies on the 5th of December so they all arrive in time for Christmas.

If you would like to email us about any suggestions or feedback please email [email protected] with the subject feedback. Thanks!