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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.

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ISSUE 10 SPOTLIGHT - SHINING LIGHTS: 10 OF SCOTLAND’S MOST INSPIRING PEOPLE AND PROJECTS

There’s never a shortage of things to celebrate in Scotland, but on this occasion we felt it was especially apt to shine a light on some of the remarkable people that make this country the place it is. In this spirit, this round-up feature looks at ten of the most inspiring people and projects around the nation: those entrepreneurs and free thinkers who, through skill and determination, have seen their creative plans and dreams come to life.

The Finnman’s Wager

A young fisherman from Fetlar called Ertie had no fear of the strong sea around Shetland. He delighted in going out in all weathers, claiming he was the best fisherman who had ever lived. Then one stormy day, a tall, dark stranger approached Ertie with a mischievous smile on his face.

Even before he spoke, Ertie knew this was a Finnman, a shape-shifting creature who lived amongst the waves. The Finnman had a wager for Ertie. Since he wasn't afraid of a little storm, the Finnman bet him that he wouldn't catch a single fish before Yule.

Foolishly, Ertie accepted.

The wind blowed and the sea raged and even brave Ertie thought it best to wait. Time started to run out but with just a few days to go, the storm eased. Quickly getting his boat ready to sail, the fisherman realised he didn’t have time to collect bait.

Instead, Ertie took with him strips of linen and a flask of oil. Once he had sailed out to his favourite spot, he cut his finger and put some bloody linen on the end of his hook. Before long, Ertie had reeled in a tiny fish. It wouldn’t be a big meal, but it was all he needed to win his wager.

Any joy he felt quickly evaporated when Ertie turned his tiny fishing boat for home. Three enormous waves were coming straight for him. The first wave wasn’t too bad but the crash of the second nearly tipped him over. Ertie knew he wouldn’t be so lucky when he reached the third wave.

Praying quietly, he poured some oil onto the troubled water, an old ritual for calming the sea. When that had no effect, in desperation he launched the entire flask right into the centre of the wave. Almost immediately, it died down to nothing and Ertie could make his way home as fast as possible.

As few days later, Ertie saw the Finnman again, but he barely recognised him. He had a broken nose, a black eye and missing a few teeth. Tentatively, the fisherman brought up the wager. The Finnman shouted back, "You'll be getting nothing after you doused me in oil and threw a jar in my face!"

Ertie knew he had been lucky to escape the wrath of the Finnman and was very happy to never see him again.

Story 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.

As April arrives, Scotland begins to open up again, with castles, cafes and other seasonal tourism sites coming out of winter hibernation. Naturally, that means things start getting a little bit busier for me, but there’s another reason that this month is always a wee bit hectic.

Anybody driving around the Scottish countryside will have seen that there are lambs popping up everywhere! Later this year, I’m getting married to the daughter of a sheep farmer and that means I get dragged up to the Angus Glens to help with lambing for at least a week every April!

It’s incredibly tough work, with a typical day starting at 6am and ending after 11pm, but it’s very rewarding. Sheep farming is so culturally important to Scotland and it’s great to see it first hand, although I’m glad I never have to do it for the whole month!

Aside from the farming life, I spent a lot of the rest of the month on the road taking private driving tours. The first saw me heading to Ardnamurchan, the most westerly part of the Scottish mainland and somewhere that still feels off the beaten path. The winding road isn’t for everybody, but there are more than enough interesting places to stop along the way and catch your breath.

The treat at the end of the road was Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, an engineering marvel from the early 1800s. After being greeted by Ted the lighthouse dog, it was a dizzying 152 steps and two ladders to get out onto the top of the building. The views out to the Small Isles and stories of the old lighthouse keepers are definitely worth the effort!

From the westernmost point we headed to the Western Isles, more specifically Harris and Lewis. While physically they’re joined together, culturally and visually, these are considered two very separate islands!

Harris is a place of mountains and golden sands, with Luskentyre often showing up on lists of the best beaches in world. Personally, I much prefer a wander on the quieter Huisinis, with a fold (not a herd) of Hairy Coos sunning themselves not far away. It’s somewhere to just exist for a while, breathe in the salty sea air and listen to the crashing waves.

The Isle of Lewis might be flatter, but it’s no less dramatic, crammed with interesting places full of fascinating stories. As always, I wish we’d had more time, but exploring the mysterious Calanais standing stones, Dun Carloway broch and then Arnol Blackhouse gave us an incredible journey from ancient history to more recent times.

This epic trip ended with a last night at Shieldaig, near the edge of the Applecross Peninsula. It’s one of my favourite places anywhere in Scotland, with an epic sunset over Shieldaig Island followed by an early morning drive over the Bealach na Ba.

Anybody who loves a road trip will love travelling that winding mountain pass, although it’s definitely not for nervous drivers! It was the perfect way to opening to the season of touring around Scotland, helped by near- constant blue skies and heat that we’re not used to at this time of year. Lets hope we get lots more of the same over the next few months!

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

The Cider House Rules by Lucy Gillmore

‘Pressed’ Guardswell Farm’s artisan cider festival is back for its third year on Saturday. A handful of Scotland’s most innovative and experimental cider and perry producers will be coming together in a converted steading on this bucolic180-acre grasslands – and apple tree-laced – farm in Perthshire’s fertile, fruit-growing region, the Carse of Gowrie. A mix of tastings, talks, live music and food cooked over fire, you can chat to the producers, learn about cider-making and enjoy a glass or two – fingers crossed - in the sun.

Scotland’s cider scene has been going from strength to strength over the past few years and this annual celebration is turning into a calendar highlight. The brainchild of Guardswell’s husband and wife team Anna Lamotte and Digby Legge, the event showcases some of the exciting developments, orchard restorations and array of different styles being tried out by the country’s growing band of cider-makers - from Pet-Nat to Méthode Traditionnelle.

As well as hosting a programme of rural events from foraging workshops to farmers markets, Guardswell is home to Diggers Cider. Digby Legge started making cider with apples from his parents’ small orchard, but over the past few years has planted nearly 3,000 apple trees at Guardswell. While they reach maturity he uses unwanted apples from local, unsprayed orchards and gardens to create his wild yeast-fermented, minimal intervention, Pet-Nat-style cider.

This year’s festival has an exciting line-up of producers as well as Aeble Scotland’s first dedicated cider shop set up by Jaye and Grant Hutchison in Anstruther in Fife. Also worth checking out are Torrisoule, a community cider project in Aberdeenshire and Social Juice which aims ‘to save the planet one apple at a time,’ using surplus fruit to make cider with profits going to fund community orchards. Seidear’s Christian Stolte makes cider from ancient apple varieties grown in old walled gardens, keeved then fermented in the bottle using the champagne method. Peter Crawford of Naughton Cider in Fife also uses 'méthode traditionnelle’ and champagne barrels with a second fermentation in the bottle, while another Fife producer, Robbie Fleming (@flemingsfifecider) will be releasing his gently floral Fife Perry 2023 at the festival.

The event begins with a panel discussion at midday followed by tastings from 2-5pm when you can mill around the stalls sampling the ciders and perries. There will be a cooked-over-fire lunch hosted by Little Trochry with produce from their market garden and Guardswell-grown hogget and beef (along with vegetarian options), a Cider Bar and Bluegrass band from 5-7pm.

This year, Guardswell is also holding its first Pressed Dinner, a long table supper cooked by chef Harris McNeil, once the head chef at Ballintaggart Farm, whose stripped-back, casual dining restaurant Eastfield in Dundee has been gaining rave reviews.

Pressed takes place on Saturday 10th May. Tasting Tickets cost £18 guardswell.co.uk

Written By Lucy Gillmore

Lucy Gillmore is a freelance journalist who left a newspaper travel desk for the Highland hills. Dipping into Scotland’s ever-evolving food and drink scene she will be bringing us the latest news stories, dates for the diary and shining a light on local food heroes in a regular column. You can follow her on @lucygillmore

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Dunscaith Castle

Dunscaith Castle, perched dramatically on a windswept headland on Skye’s Sleat Peninsula, is a place where history and legend collide. Known as the ‘Fortress of Shadows’, this ruined stronghold dates back to the 14th century, and was once a formidable power base for the MacDonalds of Sleat. But Dunscaith’s story goes far deeper than its stones. In the ancient Irish legends of the Ulster Cycle, it’s said to be the home of Scáthach, a fierce warrior woman who trained the legendary hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat. Whether you’re drawn by its historical significance or its mythical connections, Dunscaith Castle is a place that will capture your imagination. The castle itself sits on a tidal island, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel that was once spanned by a drawbridge. Although the drawbridge is long gone, you can still see the pivot holes in the rock, a reminder of the castle’s defensive past.

For more info click here.

An Corran Beach by Simon Hird

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