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We’re pleased to return with this week’s edition of Hidden Scotland Weekly after a short break over the festive season. We hope your New Year has started off well! We're also excited to share that subscriptions to Hidden Scotland Magazine are now available. With a subscription, you’ll receive every issue delivered directly to your door, beautifully packaged and accompanied by a complimentary bookmark and cover print. To find out more, click here.

We hope you enjoy this week’s edition, and have a wonderful Sunday!

Plan your 2025 Adventures

As the year draws to a close, now is the perfect moment to start planning your 2025 adventure to Scotland. Whether you're dreaming of exploring the rugged beauty of the Isle of Skye, uncovering the charm and history of Edinburgh, or diving into the rich stories featured in Hidden Scotland Magazine Issue 09, our guidebooks and latest issue are your ultimate companions for creating unforgettable travel plans.

Additionally, our 2025 wall calendar is here to keep your plans organized and inspired throughout the year. Featuring breathtaking photography of Scotland’s most striking locations, the A3 calendar doubles as a collection of prints to cherish beyond the year. Start 2025 with inspiration and structure, ready to embark on your next Scottish journey.

The Battle of Largs

In the early 13th century, much of western Scotland and the Hebrides was under the control of the Kingdom of Norway. Evidence of this long chapter of Viking history is still evident in modern day place names. But in 1263, the King of Scots Alexander III decided it was time to claim this part of Scotland back.

King Haakon of Norway was happy with things just the way they were. It might be a long way from his throne, but he wasn’t willing to let this territory go without a fight. Haakon sailed around the north of Scotland and into the Firth of Clyde with an enormous fleet in a clear demonstration of strength. There the Norwegian King waited to deal with the King of Scots, just off the coast of Ayrshire.

Alexander could clearly see he didn’t have enough men to defeat the battle-hardened Norsemen. When it came to negotiations, he was in no position to be making any demands. The King of Scots delayed the talks again and again, giving time for his army to slowly coming together further inland. He knew that it was late in the year and so storm clouds were gathering along with the Scots.

King Haakon had finally had enough, and it looked as if the Norwegians were going to be released to cause havoc on the Scottish mainland. Then Alexander got what he had been praying for, a fierce autumn storm whipped across the water. Norwegian ships were torn from their anchors, smashed to pieces and washed up on the beach at Largs.

When a small force of the Norwegians landed to try and repair the damaged ships, Alexander sprung his trap. The Scottish army swarmed towards the beach to meet the invaders. The Battle of Largs was fierce, the Norwegians might have been battered by the storm, but they weren’t beaten yet.

Both sides fought each other to a standstill, neither able to gain the upper hand. When the battle died down and the armies withdrew, Haakon was forced to retreat with his remaining ships all the way back to Orkney.

The King of Norway died there that winter, along with his hopes of holding on to western Scotland. His successor would officially sign any claim he had over to King Alexander. The Battle of Largs might not have seemed like an overwhelming victory, but it had changed the course of Scottish history.

Written 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.

Molly the dog and I finally ticked off a place that’s been our “must-visit” list for a long time last week. It’s somewhere that I’ve driven past hundreds of times but was always in too much of rush. Refusing to put it off and more, I made a trip specially to visit the Old Village of Lawers.

It sits on the north bank of Loch Tay, hidden away off the main road with the mountain Ben Lawers looming high above. I knew that Old Lawers was just a ruin now, but I had no idea how much of it was left or how easy it would be to find. It turns out that I shouldn’t have been worried, finding this piece of history couldn’t have been easier.

Parking at the Ben Lawers Hotel, it was a short walk down a farm lane, round a field full of sheep and 5 minutes later I was surrounded by overgrown ruins. People lived here for over 750 years until the population began to dwindle during the Highland Clearances with the last family abandoning it for good in 1926.

I would never have heard of Old Lawers if it hadn’t been for one fascinating character from the 17th century. Her name was Mary Campbell, although she’s better known as the Lady of Lawers. She gained a reputation for her eerily accurate prophecies surrounding her home and nearby glens.

She claimed that the jawbone of the sheep would drive the plough from the land, predicting the Highland clearances, as well as fire coaches crossing the Drumochter Pass, believed to be steam engines. Mary even planted an ash tree beside the old church, prophesying events that took place as it grew to different heights.

The walls of that church are still there, although as I clambered around inside, Molly refused to follow which always gives me a chill down my spine. Dog’s can definitely sense things that we can’t and it’s said that the Lady of Lawers haunts her old home!

So, we wandered away from the church to where the bulk of the old cottages are grouped, flanking the Lawers Burn. I’ve visited cleared villages before, but never one with so much left standing and it makes for a very quiet, poignant place.

It doesn’t take much imagination, as you stand there, for the ruins to come back to life with the memory of those who lived here for centuries. I’m glad I finally made the time to visit Old Lawers, it felt like another world, cut off from the traffic on the main road high above. To me, it’s the wee places like this that make Scotland special.

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

Spotlight: Sandwood Bay

There’s not much of the map left when you reach Sandwood Bay. As the eagle flies, it sits a mere six miles from Cape Wrath, the north-westerly extreme of the Scottish mainland – and the beach is every bit as remote as that description would suggest. It’s accessible via a 75-minute walk from the nearest car park, at the crofting hamlet of Blairmore, and after the legwork you’ll expend in the journey, the beach’s pinkish, cliff-flanked sands arrive as a kind of promised land.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, its reputation is as sizeable as its mile-wide breadth. Sandwood Bay regularly gets named as one of the most beautiful beaches in Britain, a distinction only heightened by the fact that even on a ‘busy’ day here, the sense of emptiness and escape is profound. The sands are backed by ranks of hefty dunes, behind which spreads the freshwater, trout-filled expanse of Sandwood Loch, although the main draw is the vast arc of the beach itself, gazing out across the North Atlantic.

Setting off the panorama of sand, cliffs, dunes and ocean, meanwhile, is the towering sea stack of Am Buachaille, which stands sentinel to the southwest. Its 65-metre-high sandstone pinnacle is renowned among climbers – despite the short swim required to reach it – and the stack was summited for the first time back in 1968. Its Gaelic name, incidentally, translates as ‘The Herdsman’, thought to come from the breaking waves at the stack’s base, which can create the impression of white sheep.

Since 1993, Sandwood Bay and the surrounding land – an atmospheric area of dune grassland and machair – have been owned by the John Muir Trust, which is responsible for keeping the long path from Blairmore in a usable condition for walkers. Which, when you consider the beach that lies at the path’s end, is some responsibility.

For more please visit here.

Fergus & Angie Co-owners Of Cairn Candle Company

Hi Fergus & Angie, please tell everyone a bit about yourselves and introduce your brand & products.

Hello! Cairn Candle Company hand craft earth-first luxury candles from our home in the Cairngorms National Park, just outside Grantown on Spey. We have lived in Strathspey all our lives and have a view of the Cairngorm mountains from our kitchen window, hence Cairn was born. We are endlessly inspired by our surroundings and try to distill this passion into our products and give our customers a little slice of Scottish cosiness for their homes.

The candles are made from slow burning and sustainably sourced soy wax combined with essential oils and Scottish premium fragrance oils. Each candle is hand poured, created with a lot of care and attention to detail. It’s a process we’ve completely fallen in love with.

We’re a mum and son duo and we started at the end of 2018 after a couple of years testing and perfecting our recipes. Mum’s a retired primary school teacher and had loved making candles with her pupils. She has always been aware of the power of scents to enhance wellbeing and the draw of the simple, single flame to centre the self, to be still. We also feel strongly that candlelight helps people of all ages to connect more closely. I work in media and love the creative aspect of it all. We saw an opportunity to bring together our skills and haven’t looked back since! Our shared desire to create earth-first luxury – beautiful candles which give back to the earth – is at the centre of our philosophy.

How would you describe your style and where do you take inspiration from for your collections?

Cairn’s style is minimalist and rustic. There’s a real beauty to the simplicity and utilitarian aesthetic of our products. We work to create candles that are beautifully timeless, both in their fragrance and style. We are avid walkers and the tin candles are very special to us, reminding us of long hikes to local bothies and their ageless charm.

Our inspiration has always derived from our home in the beautiful Cairngorms National Park. It’s a magical place! We wanted to find a way to pay homage to it and to connect with others who have the same love and care for the wilds. We launched our ‘Cairngorm Collection’ a few months ago. It’s a series of three fragrances, each named after and inspired by places we hold dear in the area. We chose to include quotes from the Father of the National Parks, John Muir, as his philosophy of interconnectedness is very special to the good folk of Badenoch and Strathspey. It was quite an endeavour deciding on scents and felt like a huge responsibility to represent not just a physical place, but the depth of how so many of us feel about where we live. However we got there in the end and the collection has been so well received. We like to think the new range brings the outdoors inside for our customers.

What is it like running a family business?

It’s a lot of fun! We’re really lucky that we’re always on the same page when it comes to decision making. It was definitely tricky in the early days knowing whether the choices we were making were the right ones but after almost two years it feels like we’ve developed a really clear path for the business. Certainly our shared love of the forests around us made our wish to plant trees be centred at the core of all we do. To date we have planted over 10,000 and it’s been lovely that people want to help with this. It’s exciting to see what’s round every corner. We are just loving the adventure of it all!

Can you tell us a bit about the process behind creating your candles?

There’s something really tranquil about the traditional process of candlemaking. It’s also quite like cooking so it feels very nurturing. The method is very precise but focusing on the detail and taking time to get it right always feels really mindful. A highlight is definitely watching the golden melted wax slowly change colour and solidify into a creamy white. Delivering candles to shops or customers really does feel like giving a wee gift. It’s magical!

“Sustainability is the very root of Cairn’s ethos with a mission to create earth-first products and be as sustainable and ethical as possible.” Can you share with us a bit more about this and why this is important to you?

We knew from the outset when we set up Cairn that we wanted to ensure it was as green and ethical as it could be. As with many product-based businesses, there’s an inherent impact on the planet so we wanted to do all we could to ensure that was minimised and offset. It’s really important to us. Our latest collection is completely plastic-free, 100% vegan and animal-cruelty free, featuring sustainable soy wax and biodegradable packaging. Since we launched we have planted a tree for every candle sold. We currently plant through a partnership with Trees For The Future, working to improve the livelihoods of impoverished farmers by revitalizing degraded lands in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainability is at the heart of Cairn and it’s something we want to continue to build on in the future. It is lovely that so many people connect with what we are trying to do.

Can you tell us a bit about the area you live/work in?

We love the Cairngorms and always feel so incredibly lucky to have such wilderness and beauty on our doorstep. My brothers and I have always felt nurtured by our community and our surroundings. From the mountain tops, to the Caledonian Forest, beautiful lochs and rivers – this area sustains us. Even living here for as long as we have, we still feel like we are discovering new places all the time. We’re so grateful for how our business has been received and helped to thrive locally. We like to think that our candles evoke memories of cherished times for our customers.

What would you recommend doing/seeing in your area to someone visiting?

There is so much available to visitors to the area and whether you’re an adventurer or a peace seeker amidst nature there is something for everyone. Our big tip would be to make sure you set aside enough time to properly explore.

One of our secret favourites has to be Uath Lochans in Glen Feshie. There are various lengths of walk available but most base around a spectacular view over four small lochs nestled amidst the forest. The beauty is quite breathtaking and walkers passing on the winding paths have nothing but smiles for each other.

We have a small selection of Cairn Candles left in stock, if you would like to buy one then find out more here.

Last few remaining
Hidden Scotland 2025 Calendar

Enjoy a selection of stunning photography that captures some of Scotland's best bits throughout the year.

The A3 landscape wall calendar is printed on a beautiful matt art paper stock that makes the images really stand out. The landscape layout allows for an A4 image on one side, which can be utilised as a print afterwards.

As well as a square for each day for you to add those all important events and special dates you have coming up in the new year. There is also a notes section for any additional information you need to jot down for that month.

This weekend only for £17.00 £20.00

Sandwood Bay - Taken by Simon Hird

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