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This week’s email begins in Aberdeenshire, where Graeme Johncock spends a few early spring days among castles, old halls and quiet corners of the northeast, tracing a route that moves from long-standing favourites to places that still feel slightly under the radar. There’s a sense of the season turning here, with estates reopening and the first signs of life returning to the fields.

From there, the focus shifts into Scotland’s woodlands with a closer look at the work being done to protect red squirrels, following the ongoing effort to push grey populations back and restore a species that once covered the country.

We’ve also gathered a considered list of peaceful places to stay, from cabins and cottages to more remote escapes, each chosen for its setting and the space it offers to properly switch off.

There is still time to pre-order Issue 12 and secure the limited pre-order extras, including the Brodie Castle bookmark and A5 print, both available while stocks last.

Enjoy this week’s quiz, and good luck

All pre-orders include:

→ A 'Brodie Castle' bookmark
→ A5 print of the front cover image

Order soon, as the A5 print and bookmark are available for a limited time only.

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 most definitely spring in Scotland, there’s even been the smallest amount of sunshine over the last month! Flowers are starting to bloom, the first lambs are in the fields and visitor attractions, tourist spots and seasonal cafes are all beginning to re-open.

From the 1^st April, my diary gets exponentially busier, so March is always when I take a little bit of time for myself and head off for a few days of peace somewhere in Scotland. When your job is writing about places in Scotland, that can be a blessing and a curse. I know some amazing areas to visit, but I just can’t help it turning into at least partly a work trip.

That’s how I ended up starting the month with a stay at Maryculter House in Aberdeenshire, somewhere with over 800 years of history! This amazing building has its roots in a Preceptory of the Knights Templar, although the only part that old are the vaults beneath the hotel.

The Great Hall “only” dates to 1460, but it’s the kind of place that people dream of enjoying a dram or two on their trips to Scotland. With a fire roaring in the hearth and stag heads gazing down from old stone walls, I was in heaven. Out in the grounds, there’s even the remains of the Templar chapel outside with centuries old graves to explore.

As interesting as Maryculter House is, I wasn’t going to spend a whole weekend in a hotel, not when there’s so much more to see around Aberdeenshire! This area is known as Castle Country and I began by ticking off a couple of my old haunts. While studying history at the University of Aberdeen, I worked as a guide in Crathes Castle and I never miss a chance to go back.

Built by the Burnetts of Leys at the end of the 16^th century, it’s a soaring tower house packed with interesting little nuggets, lived in by the same family for almost 400 years. The painted ceilings are some of the best in Scotland, depicting heroic kings, inspirational muses and other brightly coloured characters.

There is of course a ghost as well - the Green Lady. I was never lucky enough to see her in my own time there, but other guides I knew who had worked in Crathes for decades had seen her apparition disappearing into a fireplace in one of the upper rooms!

Just a few miles along the road, I’m not stranger to Drum Castle either. It’s not quite as elegant as its neighbour, but the 14^th-century keep is far more impressive. This was home to the Irvines who were appointed as keepers of the Forest of Drum by King Robert the Bruce.

The entire castle is fascinating, but it’s always the library that gets me most excited, with over 4000 books lining the walls of an enormous room in the old tower! The National Trust for Scotland are in the process of meticulously conserving and recording every single volume in Drum, but it’s a task that will take years.

That definitely puts my own upcoming busy schedule into perspective!

Written by Graeme Johncock To check out more of Graeme’s Scottish Itinearies, click here.

I’m birdwatching near the shores of Loch Garten when there’s a scratchy, scrabbling sound coming from the tree above. I look up to see a flash of bright russet dash along a branch, then stop, poised and alert. I raise my binoculars and – I must confess – squeal out loud. And not only do I squeal, which is unacceptable behaviour among serious wildlife watchers, I use a word which is pretty much taboo. It would make Chris Packham wince. My excuse is that close-up in the circle of my vision is the most exquisite and endearing sight: a delicate little orange face adorned with comically long ears; an agile body, still but quivering; a fluffy orange tail almost the same size as the body; and those eyes! Bright and black, framed by a pale circle as if painted with the most delicate brush. "Oh!" I say. "That’s so cute!”

The writer Gavin Maxwell described otters as ‘an animal that might have been specifically designed to please a child’ and the same could be said of red squirrels, another iconic attraction among Scotland’s native mammals. With their bright eyes, beautiful colouring and cuddly-toy furriness, they bring out the child in us all. And with their sleek forms and impressive leaps between trees, red squirrels are sheer joy to watch. 

A partnership project, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS), has been working hard throughout the country to protect red squirrels and ensure that the delightful sight of them is one that future generations can enjoy. Reds were once the only squirrel species in Scotland and could be found in woodlands throughout the country. In Victorian times, grey squirrels were brought from America to stately homes in England and quickly spread into the wild. Wherever greys encroached, the reds declined or disappeared altogether. 

‘While factors such as habitat loss play a role, greys are by far the main threat to red squirrels,’ explains SSRS Communications and Engagement Officer Molly Martin. ‘They endanger reds in two ways – firstly greys are bigger animals that can live at higher population densities, so they soon out-compete reds for available food sources. They can also eat foods such as acorns earlier in the season. Secondly, greys carry a virus, squirrel pox, which doesn’t harm them but is fatal and highly contagious to red squirrels.’ 

One SSRS priority area is defending the “Highland Line” – the geographical fault line that forms the natural boundary between the lowlands and highlands of Scotland. North of this is a red squirrel stronghold. SSRS aims to prevent incursions from greys and, in time, move the battle line south to claim more of Scotland as red territory. 

Another project is in and around Aberdeen, where SSRS is working to eradicate an ‘island population’ of grey squirrels.

 ‘Back in 1971, around 20 grey squirrels were transported to a zoo in Aberdeen and escaped,’ says Molly. ‘By the 2000s, the population of greys had taken over and the reds were disappearing. 

Now, after 15 years of conservation work, greys are only occasionally sighted, and reds are reclaiming the space – even in the city’s parks and gardens.’ 

The public can contribute, Molly continues, by sending in squirrel sightings of both greys and reds. This helps the project keep an up-to-date map of their presence throughout Scotland. Telling the difference between the species isn’t always straightforward, due to colour variation in both – greys can have a ginger-tinge, and reds may be grey-ish and quite dark. The best indicators are the small, delicate face and body of the reds, while greys are bigger and chunkier. Greys have white tips on their tail fur, forming a halo of white; but it is only the reds that have the distinctive ear tufts, which are especially prominent in autumn and winter. (And, whisper it, reds are simply cuter!) 

So being squirrel-aware – looking up and listening out – can help to protect a native species, as well as enhancing a walk in the woodlands. 

Molly shares some spotting tips: 

‘There are many wildlife reserves around with hides and feeders, so these make great viewing spots. If you’re not in a hide, sitting quietly for 20 minutes is a good timeframe for any wildlife to forget that you’re there or glean that you’re not a threat. Understanding habitat is key to any wildlife watching. Reds like to feed on seeds from coniferous trees such as pine and spruce, so look for chewed cones, which are stripped and nibbled. They’ll also feed in mixed broadleaf woodland on hazel and beech nuts, leaving cracked shells lying around.’ ‘While reds are active year-round, they’ll hunker down and are unlikely to be out in wet, wild weather,’ says Molly. ‘Autumn is the best time to see them, when squirrels are most active with so many seeds and nuts available. They’ll also be looking their best! Reds shed their coats in spring and summer but regrow rich red fur in autumn. And they look particularly stunning among the colours of surrounding woodland.’

Submit your sightings to:
scottishsquirrels.org.uk/squirrel-sightings/ 

To read the full article purchase issue 11 of the Hidden Scotland Magazine

Words: Anna Levin // Photography: Bret Charman

This week's accommodation recommendation…

We all have those moments when we long to escape from the clamour of modern life – to ensconce ourselves in the natural world, away from phones and computer screens. Scotland’s wild and varied landscapes are ideal for doing so and, whether your idea of peace is being among the mountains, surrounded by trees or watching the tide, you’re bound to find the perfect spot here.

Fortunately, finding peace doesn’t have to mean compromising on style or modern comforts. A tranquil setting needs to be complemented by a serene interior in order for it to really work as an escape; ultimately, you need to feel calm and at home so that you can truly relax and enjoy the peacefulness of a location.

Of course, the places that offer up ‘peace’ are often fair from completely quiet: you might be woken by a chorus of birds, the bellow of a stag or the screech of an eagle. But connecting with nature – whether watching birds feeding or easing yourself into a cold loch – brings a special kind of deep-rooted peace.

Our Favourites

Airdit, Fife

Park Cottage, Cairngorms

The Scullery, Scottish Borders

Borradil, Ardnamurchan

Stonechat Bothy, Skye

Foulain Cottage, Sutherland

Rhuroin, Wester Ross

Tigh Na Coille, Loch Ness

Talli House, Ayrshire

Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages, Aberdeenshire

Kabn, Loch Fyne

Stormhouse, Argyll

Woodside Lodge on Loch Goil, Argyll

Lindores Estate, Fife

Harris Hideaway, Isle of Harris

Boath Cabin, Moray

Ceannabeinne Cottage, Sutherland

Eagle Brae, Invernesshire

Glenhurich Lodge, Loch Shiel

Kingairloch Estate, Lochaber

Newhall Mains, Black Isle

Eastside, Pentland Hills

Mayen Estate, Aberdeenshire

A Highland Life, Perthshire

Dunsinnan Farm & Estate, Perthshire

Glen Glack Cabins, Perthshire

Pheasant Cottages, Perthshire

Half of One, Skye

Harlosh, Skye

The Black Shed, Skye

Coire Domhain, Cairngorms

Strathmore Cottage, Sutherland

Whitehill Farmhouse, Perthshire

Quiz Answers