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We’re excited to bring you another edition of ‘Hidden Scotland Weekly’. As always, we hope you enjoy reading and find inspiration for your next adventure.

Issue 10 of the Hidden Scotland Magazine is just around the corner. 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.

Enjoy this week’s edition, and have a fantastic Sunday!

The Best of Skye: Curated by Hidden Scotland

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.

Also check out our new collection ‘Unmissable Places in Skye’

The Battle for Arbroath Abbey

Tucked away on the Angus coast, Arbroath Abbey is best known for the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath over 700 years ago. That letter from the Barons of Scotland to the Pope has become one of the most iconic events in Scottish history. It declared in no uncertain terms that Scotland was an independent nation, fighting not for glory, nor riches, nor honours but for freedom alone.

However, that’s not the only story these ruined walls have to tell. Just over 100 years after the Declaration was signed, the peace and tranquillity of Arbroath Abbey would be well and truly shattered, as powerful men fought for control. In the mid-15th century, the monks of Arbroath Abbey had appointed Alexander Lindsay as their Baillie of Regality. That meant that he was responsible for upholding the law and dispensing justice around the vast lands held by the abbey.

It seemed like a sensible choice; Lindsay was the son of the powerful Earl of Crawford so he should have been a reassuring protector for Arbroath.

Instead, he was an irresponsible opportunist. Lindsay abused his power, stationing his band of thugs inside Arbroath Abbey’s walls and allowing them to cause mayhem. Before long, the monks were furious enough to replace their Baillie with his local rival Alexander Ogilvy.

Ogilvy wasn’t nearly as wealthy or powerful as young Lindsay, but at least he took his responsibility seriously. Unfortunately, his first real dispute to deal with was the fury of his predecessor. Linday wasn’t somebody who took rejection well, in later years he became known as the Tiger Earl for his violent outbursts.

The ousted nobleman raised an army of 1000 men and marched them right up to the doors of Arbroath Abbey. Ogilvy had been entertaining friends at the time, and they willingly added their own troops to assist their host. Even though they were still badly outnumbered, they bravely lined up against Lindsay, ready to battle for Arbroath Abbey.

Insults flew back and forward between the two sides, but nobody was bold enough to begin the attack. In the meantime, Lindsay’s father the Earl of Crawford was riding as fast as he could from Dundee to try and stop the madness. He reached Arbroath just in time, galloping in between the lines of shouting warriors and crying out for peace.

One of Ogilvy’s men mistook Crawford’s call for diplomacy as a signal to attack. He launched a spear with all his strength, snatching the Earl from his horse and killing him instantly. There was no hope for a peaceful outcome now. The stalemate was broken, and the bloody battle for Arbroath Abbey had begun.

The fighting lasted for hours as the outnumbered Ogilvy side tried to retreat across the Angus countryside. In the end, both sides had lost hundreds of men, Lindsay had won the day and Ogilvy lay dead. With nobody left to stop them, the victorious army was let loose to wreak havoc around Angus. The wealth of Arbroath Abbey was firmly back in the hands of the Tiger Earl.

A Trip Around The Borders Abbeys

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.

It’s not unusual for visitors to Scotland to immediately head into the Highlands after touching down in Edinburgh. However, there’s an incredible region to be found in the other direction, full of outstanding scenery and fascinating stories. There’s a lot to see in the Scottish Borders, but if you only have one day then I would explore the four Medieval Abbeys.

Melrose Abbey

The first Borders Abbey that you reach is Melrose and it’s one of the most incredible. Not just because of its architecture or beautiful setting, but because this is the burial place of Robert the Bruce’s heart! The body of this famous King of Scots lies in Dunfermline, but his heart was taken on crusade. It was eventually returned and buried at Melrose Abbey in a location now marked with a commemorative stone. Don’t forget to look up as you explore the ruined abbey. High on the south side of the building you’ll make out a bagpipe-playing pig amongst the religious figures and gargoyles.

Rhymer’s Stone

Just a few minutes outside of Melrose, up a quiet dead-end road, another special story is marked by the Rhymer’s Stone. This is said to be where Thomas the Rhymer, a legendary Scottish prophet, was enchanted by the Queen of the Fairies. After spending seven years in the Fairy Kingdom, Thomas returned to the mortal world with a special gift – a tongue that couldn’t lie. While that sounds like more of a hindrance than a help, it meant that anything he said came true. There are stories around Scotland linked to Thomas’ prophecies and he’s one of the Borders best-loved figures.

Scott’s View

Leaving the main roads well behind, a narrow winding route climbs to one of the most breathtaking spots in Scotland. Scott’s View looks out over a patchwork of fields towards Eildon Hill, bursting from the otherwise quietly undulating landscape. This was a favourite of Walter Scott, giving the viewpoint its name and his horses even paused here one last time as they pulled the author’s hearse to his burial.

Wallace Statue

A short distance away at Bemersyde, a walk through the woods leads to a surprising monument. Standing at over 30 feet tall, an enormous statue of William Wallace gazes out over the Borders landscape. It was erected by the Earl of Buchan in 1814, making it over 50 years older than the Wallace Monument!

Dryburgh Abbey

At the end of the road stands the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, not the grandest or richest of the four found in the Borders, but easily the most peaceful. Founded in the 12th century in a loop of the River Tweed, it feels like a very special place. It’s secluded and tranquil today, but it hasn’t always been like this. Dryburgh found itself burned to the ground by marauding armies at least four times. In 1322, the bells were rung in celebration as a defeated English army retreated south, which made them come back to set the abbey on fire!

Lunch At Simply Scottish

Right in the heart of Jedburgh now, grab some lunch at Simply Scottish. The soup and a sandwich deal is a bargain and even better if you upgrade to Cullen Skink!

Jedburgh Abbey

The town of Jedburgh is dominated by its Augustinian abbey which, even though in ruins, is still substantial enough to take your breath away. Being built so close to the English border saw Jedburgh destroyed several times but always rebuilt, just a little bit grander than before. In 1285, the abbey saw the wedding of King Alexander III and his second wife Yolande de Dreux. Legend says that a spectral figure appeared at the celebration, saying nothing but raising a finger to point at the King. It was clearly a bad omen and in less than a year, Alexander had died and Scotland left with a crisis that would lead to the Wars of Independence!

Mary Queen of Scots House

There’s much more to see in Jedburgh, but the most interesting is the Mary Queen of Scots House. This 16th century townhouse wasn’t owned by the queen, but she stayed here for a few weeks during a turbulent period of her life. Many of the rooms inside feel like they’ve barely changed in over 400 years. The collection of paintings and memorabilia draw you into Mary’s life, making it the perfect place to learn this monarch’s dramatic story.

Kelso Abbey 

Round off an epic trip around the Borders with a final trip to Kelso Abbey. There’s very little left of this historic building, but it’s still well worth seeing from the outside. It’s a brilliant example of Romanesque architecture and was once the largest and richest of the Borders Abbeys and even saw the coronation of James III in 1460. While there might only be a few walls still standing, much of the stone was re-used around the town, so as you wander the streets of Kelso, keep your eyes open for any lintels that look impossibly old!

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

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Spotlight: Café Cùil - Isle of Skye

From Hackney to the Highlands; Clare Coghill opened the first Café Cùil in East London in 2019 where it quickly became a favourite brunch spot before heading home to launch this sprawling, barn-style red-roofed eatery on her home turf.

Equally famous for its brunch and showcasing the best of Hebridean produce, on the menu you’ll find Cuil kimchi toasties along with Scottish smoked mackerel on sourdough toast with blood orange, pickled fennel and pea shoots. The ‘beef brisket rarebit’ is a medley of slow-cooked Lochalsh beef with Orkney cheddar sauce, poached egg and onion jam, while the Middle Eastern dish shakshouka is given a Highland twist with the addition of vegetarian haggis. To drink; the house-made Cuil-Aid is a delicious homemade rhubarb and rose lemonade.

Cuil is the Gaelic word for nook, nest or corner and as well as the airy open-plan seating area there are clusters of cosy stove-hugging sofas. The queue at times stretches out the door, but if you can’t bag a seat inside there’s a takeaway counter for food-to-go - and in another corner, a shop where you can stock up on local artisan crafts, food and drink.

Follow Café Cùil’s journey on Instagram @cafecuil or find out more information from their website.

For more Isle of Skye recommendations check out our latest guidebook.

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