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Happy New Year from Hidden Scotland. We hope 2026 has started well, wherever you are reading from.

We start out on the water, with a new collection highlighting some of Scotland’s best water-based experiences, from sea kayaking and wildlife boat trips to outdoor swimming pools and lochside saunas. There’s also a fresh island walk from Graeme Johncock, who heads just across the water from Oban to explore the quieter paths and stories of Kerrera.

There’s a very special Sunday offer running today too. All back issues of Hidden Scotland Magazine, from Issue 02 through to Issue 10, are available for £10 each, making it a good moment to add to your collection or pick up any editions you may have missed.

The Best Water Experiences in Scotland

Some of Scotland’s most memorable days out happen away from roads and footpaths. This collection brings together a range of water-based experiences found across the country, from guided activities such as rafting, canyoning, coasteering and eFoiling to quieter ways of spending time on the water, including sea kayaking, wildlife boat trips and loch cruising.

Sauna on a Boat, Loch Tay
A floating wood-fired sauna moored on Loch Tay, pairing steady heat with cold-water dips, loch views and optional cruises from Taymouth Marina.
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Jupiter Artland Gateway Pool
Timed outdoor swimming sessions in an artist-designed pool within Jupiter Artland, offering structured cold-water bathing in a carefully managed setting near Edinburgh.
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Sea Safari from Oban
Fast wildlife boat trips from Oban exploring islands, sea lochs and tidal waters, with regular sightings of seals, seabirds and marine mammals.
Find out more

Inchree Falls Canyoning
Guided canyoning experiences near Fort William, following waterfalls and rock pools through a narrow gorge with jumps, slides and swims led by qualified instructors.
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St Monans Tidal Pool
A restored tidal swimming pool beside St Monans harbour, offering sheltered sea swimming on the Fife coast in a simple, community-maintained setting.
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Sea Kayak Oban
Guided sea kayaking trips and courses from Oban, exploring sheltered sea lochs, islands and coastline with experienced local guides.
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Lost Shore Surf Resort
An inland surf centre near Edinburgh with a programmable wave pool, offering coached sessions and consistent conditions for beginners and confident surfers alike.
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Stonehaven Open Air Pool
The UK’s only heated Olympic-sized outdoor seawater pool, set on Stonehaven seafront and open seasonally for lane swimming, family sessions and events.
Find out more

Wild Isles Sea Kayaking
Small-group sea kayaking trips from Oban, focusing on west coast waters with options ranging from day journeys to multi-day coastal expeditions.
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Wildlife Boat Trip from Findhorn Marina
Short wildlife boat trips from Findhorn Marina, offering close views of seals, seabirds and coastal scenery on the Moray Firth.
Find out more

eFoiling Beneath the Forth Bridges
Guided eFoiling sessions on the Firth of Forth, allowing riders to glide above the water beneath the iconic Forth Bridges with expert instruction.
Find out more

Eden Springs Loch Wild Sauna
A wood-fired sauna beside a quiet freshwater loch in Fife, combining heat, cold-water immersion and a calm rural setting.
Find out more.

To view the full collection click here

Sunday Special Offer - All back issues of Hidden Scotland Magazine £10 today only.

Now is a good moment to add to your Hidden Scotland collection. For a limited time, back issues from Issue 02 through to Issue 10 are available for £10 each, making it easier to complete your set or pick up the editions you may have missed along the way. Each issue offers a snapshot of Scotland at a particular moment, with journeys, people and places that remain just as relevant today.

There are also special savings on our Edinburgh and Isle of Skye guidebooks. Both are built for thoughtful trip planning, with practical routes, local insight and carefully researched detail, whether you are revisiting a familiar place or planning a first trip.

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.

Walking On Kerrera

Scotland has around 100 inhabited islands, some large and some small. The Isle of Kerrera is definitely on the smaller end of the scale. It’s the long, low bit of land that makes Oban such a good harbour and while seen by thousands every year, few make the effort to visit. Kerrera feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of Oban and it’s quickly become one of my favourite islands to escape to for a day’s walking!

Catch The Tiny Kerrera Ferry
5 minute drive from Oban 

The main ferry to Kerrera leaves from Gallanach, just a few minutes south of Oban. It’s a tiny boat and the only vehicles allowed are for island residents. If there’s any more than 12 people waiting, the ferry will go back and forward until they’re all over. Don’t worry if you don’t make the first cut, the trip takes less than five minutes each way and, in my opinion, standing there with the wind rushing past and waves spraying up is all part of the experience!

Follow the Southern Loop

Kerrera is split into two halves and while both can make for good walks, it’s the southern section that’s most interesting to me. Following the track takes you first round the large Horse Shoe Bay with beautiful views back to the mainland. Keep your eyes open for the little teapots and cups on fence posts leading the way!

Admire Dail Righ

On the other side, an inconspicuous fenced area, probably filled with sheep is known as Dail Righ – King’s Field. It's said that this is where King Alexander II decided to start taking back the Hebrides from the Norse in 1249. They had been taken by Norway over a century earlier, but Alexander felt strong enough to begin his conquest. That night, with his fleet anchored in the bay, the king was visited in his dreams by saints Columba, Magnus and Olaf. They all warned him not to land on Kerrera, but he ignored the prophetic visions and after stepping ashore at this spot, he had a fit and died!

Climb The Iron Age Fort

After skirting round Little Horse Shoe Bay, keep your eye’s open for a rocky outcrop across an open grassy field. It doesn’t look like much from the ground, but that’s an Iron Age fort that’s evidence of Kerrera being inhabited for over 2000 years! It’s a short but steep hike to the top and once there, the low stone walls around the perimeter are unmistakable. The views up and down the Sound of Kerrera are spectacular from here, you can see why the island’s early residents picked this spot.

Grab Lunch From The Kerrera Tea Garden

The path then moves away from the coast, heading inland and over a ridge where you’ll spot one of Kerrera’s big attractions. It’s not a castle or waterfall but a tiny tea garden. Some people make this whole trip just to visit here and the soups, sandwiches and coffee are well worth it! Just be aware that it’s only usually open between April and September.

Explore the Ruins of Gylen Castle

As you carry on south, around a small cliff, the spectacular ruin of Gylen Castle comes into view. Impossibly perched high on a crag above crashing waves, it’s an impressive icon of the island. A short hike will take you up to the tower house and it’s possible to go inside and explore what’s left of the tiny tower. Gylen is a fairly new castle by Scottish standards, only built in 1582 by Clan MacDougall. It helped to guard access through the Sound of Kerrera but would only be inhabited for 65 years. In 1647, the Royalist MacDougalls were besieged by a Covenanter army and forced to surrender and watch the castle be destroyed after their water supply ran dry!

Catch Spectacular Views To Mull

While the first half of Kerrera’s southern loop is all action from King’s deaths to ruined castles, once you reach the western side of the island, it’s a much calmer affair. While there isn’t an abundance of historical sites, the views more than make up for it. I often find myself stopping again and again to take in the sweeping views to the mountains of Mull in the west and the low-lying Isle of Lismore further north. You’ll pass ruined cottages beside modern homes and most likely cows lazing on the beach! These tracks were once drovers roads for cattle heading to market using Kerrera as a stepping stone from Mull.

Browse At Balliemore Farm Shop

Just before arriving back at the ferry pier, you’ll spot the Balliemore Farm Shop. There’s usually locally raised meat to buy here as well as crafts, sweets and ice creams for hot days. It’s the perfect way to support the local community of this special wee island before heading back home!

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

Did you know that Scottish brothers set the record for rowing the Pacific?

In August 2025, three Scottish brothers, Jamie, Ewan and Lachlan Maclean, beat the world record for fastest unassisted row across the Pacific Ocean. Using only their own power, they made it across 9000 miles of ocean in just under 140 days! They raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for clean water projects in Madagascar, braving storms and monster waves along the way. Lachlan Maclean was even washed overboard at one point, but was thankfully attached to a safety line!

Find out more

Cuillin Hills Hotel, Isle of Skye.

This old hunting lodge now a familyowned hotel, is cradled by 15 acres of mature grounds and looks down onto Portree’s pastel-painted harbour and over the Sound of Raasay to the Cuillin mountains beyond.

Built by the Macdonalds in 1865 as a shooting lodge, the family began to spend more time here in the early 20th century after their main residence, Armadale Castle, fell into disrepair. The property was sold in the 1950s, however, and briefly used to house workers from Holm Mills, before being converted into a country house hotel in the 1960s.

Today, it is a handsome hideaway with 39 contemporary rooms, some in turrets, many with dreamy views. The restaurant also looks out to sea and showcases the best of Scotland’s produce with starters such as local Misty Isle Gin-cured salmon on a bed of Orbost-grown salad and pickled samphire and mains including North Atlantic hake with a Dunvegan crab butter sauce.

Find out more

PDF digital copies of issue 11 now available

Issue 11 of Hidden Scotland Magazine is now available as a downloadable digital edition. This Autumn Winter 2025–26 issue is included with every digital subscription, with a one-off purchase available for readers who prefer to buy individually. Inside, you will find wild saunas across Scotland, thoughtful journeys to Mull, Iona and Arran, profiles of dedicated makers, family stories from the outdoors, and a closer look at the red squirrel. Designed for unhurried reading, the digital edition is ready to enjoy wherever you are this season.

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PS As a digital subscriber, you receive access to our full archive of back issues, digital guidebooks, and our trip planning tools to help shape future journeys across Scotland.

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