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Times
21-06-2025
- Times
These are my favourite almost-secret beauty spots in Scotland
The North Coast 500, a loop of about 500 miles from Inverness around the northern Highlands, may only be marking its tenth anniversary this year, but it's already become the stuff of legend. Eye-popping crowds, imposing campervans, magnificent traffic jams — those superlatives once used to describe the scenery now more commonly used with a side of weary overwhelm to tell tales of overtourism. Who would want to join such a scrum? Fortunately you don't have to, because after more than a decade of rootling around back roads, clanging on to car ferries and nosing along promising-looking tracks and trails, I've found plenty of tucked-away spots across Scotland. These are some of my favourites. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Before the NC500 brought bucket-list tourism to the Highlands, the entire northwest was like this: deafening silence punctuated by seabird calls, a solitary single-track road slowly egging you on through ancient forest and across salt-sprayed moorland. Driving on to the Ardnamurchan peninsula on Scotland's west coast, you'll hug the coast of sinuous Loch Sunart, the Isle of Mull swinging in and out of view as you coil around chunky Ben Hiant and onwards to Ardnamurchan Lighthouse and Corrachadh Mòr, mainland Britain's westernmost craggy reach. It's worth pushing northwards to white-sand Sanna Bay for a bracing dip in turquoise waters, then stopping at West Ardnamurchan Community Garden's honesty shop for salad leaves and homemade sauces. Mingarry Park has contemporary bedrooms with private hot tubs, local venison for dinner and endlessly distracting mountain B&B doubles from £181 ( • Scotland travel guide At the far northern reaches of the Scottish mainland, the land seems taken over by water, pooled with lochs and sodden with bogland as the triangular wedge of Caithness and Sutherland extends into the North Sea. It's also often overtaken by NC500 road-trippers, rushing through on a loop that never veers too far from the coast. They're missing the real highlight: the UK's newest Unesco world heritage site, the Flow Country. These peatlands are like nowhere else on earth. Take the boardwalk through Forsinard Flows nature reserve and you'll see why, the colours underfoot shifting like an opal in the light as the wildlife darts out to meet you. You'll spot lizards, frogs and dragonflies plus birds aplenty and can climb the lookout tower for a hen harrier's view of it all. Forsinard Lodge has straightforward rooms a short amble from the nature B&B doubles from £115 ( Getting to Britain's most northerly inhabited island is an adventure in itself, leapfrogging via ferry from Shetland's mainland first to Yell, then on to Unst. Once you're here it's all big skies and broad landscapes, from creamy windswept beaches up to clifftop moorlands, with a generous scattering of Viking longhouses (at least 60) and even a spaceport licensed to send small rockets into orbit. For now, though, those skies are the preserve of the seabirds (puffins, gannets, guillemots) and dark enough by night to see the Milky Way or even the Mirrie Dancers from August to April (Shetlandic for the northern lights). One of Britain's most northerly country houses, Belmont House, has cosy bedrooms with a touch of Georgian grandeur, walled gardens and candlelit B&B doubles from £180 ( Calm waters dotted with tiny rock islands, romantic ancient castles and a climate gently warmed by the Gulf Stream make the Appin peninsula just north of Oban ideal holiday territory. Here you could paddleboard on tranquil Loch Linnhe, take the boat over to Castle Stalker for a tour with the family who own it or stroll the octagonal walled garden at Kinlochlaich, blooming with vivid rhododendrons and azaleas. My top pick, though, is the Isle of Lismore, which rises to barely more than hillock height between the peaks of Morvern and Mull. It's a cracking spot for gentle walks with mountain views, as listed in detail on the Walk Lismore website ( and in summer is carpeted in wildflowers. The Pierhouse on the shoreline in Port Appin has views from the beds over Loch Linnhe to Lismore and local seafood B&B doubles from £155 ( • 16 of the most beautiful places in Scotland Sometimes decline means preservation and Cromarty's lack of modern industrial success — not to mention its location just off the choked NC500 on the Black Isle near Inverness — has left it largely unmessed-with since its 18th-century heyday. That means plenty of grand Georgian merchants' houses and clustered fishermen's cottages, given a buzz in more recent years by the regular dolphin-spotting trips leaving from the harbour. These ply the sheltered Cromarty Firth in search of marine life, weaving around a quasi-parking lot of unused oil rigs that form an atmospheric backdrop. There's a buzzing arts scene here too, with exhibitions, live music and even sewing classes open to all at the Old Brewery, plus a seafront community cinema. Stay at the Factor's House B&B, its three bedrooms arranged around an almost 200-year-old home with views over the private gardens to the Cromarty Firth waters B&B doubles from £185 ( Despite being one of the best places in Europe to spot bottlenose dolphins, this slice of Scottish coastline near Inverness attracts a mere sprinkling of tourists. Why? You'll wonder as you winkle around in postcard-worthy villages that tumble down to ancient fishing harbours and burrow your toes into the sands of vast Findhorn beach. You'll want to visit Cullen for a bowl of the town's famous smoked haddock soup, Cullen skink, of course, plus cliff-clinging Findlater Castle; but if it's those dolphins you're after, among the best spots is Burghead, where the whitewashed visitor centre looks out over waters rich with marine life including dolphins, seals and whales. The former coaching inn, the Seafield Arms in Cullen, has stylish bedrooms with just-subtle-enough tartan decor, a lounge for whiskies beside the fire and easy strolls to the Room-only doubles from £150 ( • I love Scotland more than anywhere else. These are my 25 top stays The single-track road may initially lack promise: a ribbon of tarmac plunging along a furrow in the landscape. But persist through the steep-sided grey of Glen Valtos on Lewis's far west coast and eventually you'll emerge at the most incredible beach you've ever seen. A bold claim perhaps, but Uig Sands has that effect on people, generally rendered speechless by this expanse of golden sand, deposited and smoothed to a sheen between one set of hills and the next by the retreating Atlantic. You'll romp, you'll whoop, you'll write in the sand — then it's time to head to wee Abhainn Dearg Distillery for a dram of whisky, and to wait for an incredible sunset. Afterwards, continue enjoying the view from Uig Sands, a restaurant with rooms that stares out across the beach and serves seafood suppers fresh from the Room-only doubles from £120 ( Ripples of sand rush up to meet you before a delicate thud and a gentle spray of seawater herald your arrival into Barra on the world's only scheduled beach landing. The second-southernmost of the inhabited Outer Hebrides islands defies easy pigeonholing: is it remote because it's 60-odd miles west of the mainland, or accessible because it's a one-hour direct flight from Glasgow? Either way, it's a beauty — its shell-rich beaches backed by tufty machair grassland, its largest village, Castlebay, low-slung around a curved shoreline that protects the offshore medieval stronghold Kisimul Castle. Take a coastal hike to spot seals basking on the rocks of Seal Bay and view a rainbow of summer wildflowers blooming in the machair. The Castlebay hotel in the centre of the village has simple sea-view doubles, Barra seafood dinners and trad music in the B&B doubles from £125 ( If the waters off Coll were Mediterranean not Atlantic, the island would be overrun, and the price you pay for its tranquillity is that near-constant breeze keeping your jumper in place. Despite its exposed location to the west of Mull, though, Coll clocks up some of the highest sunshine hours in the UK, tempting visitors to the beach (there are more than 30), onto boat trips to look for basking sharks and out for corncrake-spotting strolls through the RSPB reserve. It's a Dark Sky island too, with virtually zero light pollution to detract from the stars, while dinner is taken seriously here and might feature local lobster and brown crab alongside Coll-reared Hebridean lamb. The Coll hotel is the hub of the community and has bright and breezy rooms, creel-caught seafood and free bikes for B&B doubles from £145 ( Where have we missed? Let us know about your favourite under-the-radar Scottish spots below
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
First Corran Ferry foot passenger fare to be introduced
The introduction of the first foot passenger fare on the Corran Ferry is to go ahead after a group of councillors delayed its five-minute, Highland Council-run crossing links the wider Lochaber area with communities in the Ardnamurchan local authority's economy and infrastructure committee agreed to a £2 charge last month, but its implementation was paused to allow for a further debate on the attending a special meeting of the full council voted 34 to 27 in favour of the fee. The group of councillors had raised concerns about an impact on residents and Baxter, Liberal Democrat councillor for Fort William and Ardnamurchan, led calls for a debate at a meeting of the full fare would only apply to passengers aged 23 to 60 years would include cyclists, although there would be no extra charge for the alternative journey by road around Loch Linnhe takes about two Council describes the Corran Ferry as Europe's busiest single-vessel car carries about 10,000 foot passengers, 270,000 cars and 11,000 commercial vehicles a Council said a £2 charge could generate £20,516 a agreed to a 10% increase on vehicle fares in March, but left a decision on foot passengers to the economy and infrastructure committee.
Scotsman
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Ocean-rowing sons and whisky writer dad launch limited-edition charity whisky for Father's Day
A new limited-edition single malt from the Isle of Raasay Distillery is the latest charity bottling from The Maclean Foundation – and every bottle sold will provide clean water for life to a person in Madagascar. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... This five-year-old single cask whisky, matured in virgin Chinkapin oak and bottled at a cask strength of 61.1% ABV, is the third in a series of single malt releases by the charity, which was founded by whisky writer Charles Maclean MBE and his three sons – world record-breaking ocean rowers Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean. The launch celebrates a major milestone -- the Maclean brothers are now half way across the Pacific having spent 59 days rowing at sea. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Youngest brother Lachlan commented: 'On Father's Day, we'd normally enjoy a dram with dad. The thought of getting to enjoy our new whisky with him will make us row a little faster.' Charles Maclean Just 246 bottles are available, exclusively from Royal Mile Whiskies, Scotland's leading independent specialist Scotch retailer. As with previous Maclean Foundation whiskies – with Glen Scotia and Ardnamurchan– all profits will fund clean water boreholes in rural Madagascar through the charity's local partner, Feedback Madagascar. Charles Maclean MBE, who selected the cask at the Isle of Raasay Distillery, said: 'This partnership is rooted in gratitude — to the industry that's given me so much, and to a place with poetry and purpose in its bones. 'The island, the spirit, and the generosity of this cask reflect everything we hope to do – to connect people through whisky and turn drams into lasting positive impact.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The label, created by creative agency Contagious, features Maclean's own words and memories, written in a style that blends flavour notes with storytelling. It recalls a dram enjoyed at the summit of Dùn Caan – Raasay's flat-topped peak – with a nod to James Boswell's historic 1773 dance there. Ewan, Jamie, Charlie and Lachlan Maclean Charles added: 'It's a sensory time capsule. The smell of sphagnum moss, dry peat hags and distant sea mingling with mellow, savoury notes of the whisky. The taste is bracingly salty with a long, spicy finish to warm the heart.' The whisky is made using unpeated spirit and water sourced from the island's 'Well of the Pale Cow' – which runs through some of the oldest geological formations in the world, including Archean gneiss and Jurassic sandstone. It is matured in a virgin Chinkapin oak cask, air-dried and heavily charred to develop aromatic complexity. Isle of Raasay Distillery – the island's first legal distillery – was founded in 2017 by whisky blender and botanist Alasdair Day and entrepreneur Bill Dobbie. In the years since, it has won acclaim for both its spirit and its visitor experience, and now employs over 25% of the island's population. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Alasdair Day, co-founder of Isle of Raasay distillers, said: 'We're honoured to collaborate with The Maclean Foundation, whose work is transforming lives by providing something as fundamental as clean water. That mission resonates deeply with us at Raasay, where water is at the core of our whisky-making, it imparts a purity and mineral richness that shapes every drop of our spirit. Matured in a bold, characterful Chinkapin virgin oak cask, this whisky captures the essence of our island and process, and we're proud that it will help bring lasting impact far beyond our shores.' Ewan, Charlie, Lachlan and Jamie Maclean The Maclean Foundation was established after the brothers' world record-breaking 2019/20 Atlantic crossing. It will be a few months before the brothers get to enjoy a dram of their new whisky – they're currently on a 9,000-mile row across the Pacific Ocean to raise £1 million for clean water projects. The Foundation works with Feedback Madagascar to fund the construction of boreholes in Madagascar, one of the country's most susceptible to the impact of climate change in the world. Each one costs around £6,000 and can supply clean water to 200 people for up to 100 years. So far, they've funded more than 20, helping thousands of people.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Corran Ferry passenger fare paused for more debate
Plans to introduce the first foot passenger fare on the Corran Ferry have been delayed after a group of councillors pushed for a full council five minute, Highland Council-run crossing links the wider Lochaber area with communities in the Ardnamurchan local authority's economy and infrastructure committee agreed to a £2 charge at a meeting on the group has used a notice of amendment to pause implementation of the fare after raising concerns about how it might affect businesses and residents. Highland Council said a special meeting would be held later this month. Andrew Baxter, Liberal Democrat councillor for Fort William and Ardnamurchan, led calls for a debate at a meeting of the full council. The charge for the crossing of Loch Linnhe's Corran Narrows was expected to come into effect in the summer. Under the plan approved last week, the fare would only apply to passengers aged 23 to 60 years would include cyclists, although there would be no extra charge for the alternative journey by road around Loch Linnhe takes about two Council confirmed it had received a notice of amendment and a special meeting would be held on 12 local authority describes the Corran Ferry as Europe's busiest single-vessel car carries about 10,000 foot passengers, 270,000 cars and 11,000 commercial vehicles a Council said a £2 charge could generate £20,516 a agreed to a 10% increase on vehicle fares in March, but left a decision on foot passengers to the economy and infrastructure committee.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
First foot passenger fare approved for Corran Ferry
A foot passenger fare will be introduced for the first time on Europe's busiest single-vessel car Council said a £2 charge could generate £20,000 a year on its Corran Ferry service in crossing of Loch Linnhe's Corran Narrows carries about 10,000 foot passengers alongside 270,000 cars and 11,000 commercial vehicles each council's economy and infrastructure committee approved the new fare, saying it would "contribute to the sustainability of this vital transport link". The fare will only apply to passengers aged 23 to 60 years charge will come into effect in the summer and will include cyclists, although there will be no extra charge for the previously agreed to a 10% increase on vehicle fares in crossing links the wider Lochaber area with communities in the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the alternative journey by road around Loch Linnhe takes about two hours.
