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The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Looking for a green getaway? Five great places in Central Scotland
Glasgow's Dear Green Place If you know you know, but it's remarkable how many Glaswegians I've met who have never had a good bash around the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. This oasis spreads its surprisingly wild tentacles across 108 square miles. Nature reigns supreme today, but there is the detritus of mankind's industrial follies to check out too. The views are superb, both back towards the city and out across the Ayrshire coast to the isles of the Firth of Clyde and beyond. Castle Semple Loch is also on hand with accessible outdoor activities. Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park (Image: Robin McKelvie) Penicuik Estate I have to admit that although I only live a half hour drive away I only recently 'discovered' this gorgeous country estate in the southern foothills of the Pentlands, just to the southwest of Edinburgh. That is partly because I sometimes find private estates closed off and unwelcoming. Not this one. The Clerk family have held sway here since the seventeenth century and today the welcomes visitors with 15km of walking trails. The North River Esk, a brace of ponds, thick forests and sweeping views make this a gorgeous green lung. You can take a peek inside into the dramatic ruin of Old Penicuik House. In 2024 they opened up half a dozen self-catering cottages too, with the old factor's house, Stable Park, the pick of the bunch, with its outdoor hot tub and fancy BBQ. Summer 2025 sees the grand old stables, Penicuik House, reborn as an events space and pop-up hotel. Bucolic Beecraigs Were they in most countries the Bathgate Hills would be celebrated, but in Scotland they will always sit in the shadows of the Highlands. That doesn't mean 913-acre Beecraigs Country Park is not a brilliant green lung. Walk around the eponymous loch, which was fashioned by German Prisoners of War during World War One, looking out for birdlife and badgers on the banks, then head uphill and stroll between the deer enclosures. You can buy ultra fresh venison to take home. There is also a massive children's play park, BBQs you can use and a campsite. The wee hill of Cockleroy lies on the edge of Beecraigs too, a cracking wee ramble with epic views down to Linlithgow and over the Forth Valley. Bucolic Beecraigs (Image: Robin McKelvie) Don't take the Queen's Ferry Since time immemorial people have descended on South Queensferry to vault over the Forth by boat, in more recent centuries by road and rail. But it is worth lingering longer as this trim wee town is home to a trio of green lungs in the form of three country estates that you can wander around thanks to the Land Reform Act. Hopetoun is the best set up for visitors, though you have to pay to enter grand Hopetoun House and the immediate grounds surrounding it. The Dalmeny Estate (Image: Robin McKelvie) The rest of the estate offers superb walking and cycling along the coast, up on its raised beach and further into its forested hinterland. Dundas Estate meanwhile keep it low key, focusing on the regular weddings they host, but you're free to amble around, with the area around Dundas Loch the most scenic. The Dalmeny Estate can be a touch on the unwelcoming side in my experience, but again you're allowed to walk here with the best option the gorgeous coastal walk that leads to within striking distance of the Edinburgh suburb of Cramond. John Muir Way This 130-mile long distance walk is recognised as one of 'Scotland's Great Trails'. And it is a great, despite the fact the man who it was dedicated to – who famously declared 'the mountains are calling and I must go' – may have bemoaned the lack of hills, bar the initial sections out of Helensburgh and across to Kirkintilloch. What I love about the John Muir Way is not just that it goes past my front door, but that it runs right through Central Scotland on route to Muir's birthplace in Dunbar too. Loch Lomond from the John Muir Way (Image: Robin McKelvie) You can just break off bite-sized chunks rather than struggle to find the two weeks you'll need to tackle it all coast-to-coast. I've almost completed it now after spending the last few years enjoying various parts with pals and family. I love the first section from the Clyde to Loch Lomond and the glorious parts along the East Lothian coast at the other end. Each section is an utter joy
The Herald Scotland
06-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Bucket list: Five Scottish islands you've probably not visited yet
Owned by the Nicolson family since 1937, this trio of now uninhabited islands hide away in the Minch between Skye and Harris. When tide and wind allows you dare a rocky landing on the narrow isthmus that connects Garbh Eilean and Eilean an Taighe. The isles house around 2% of the world's puffin population and thousands of gannets, guillemots, skuas, kittiwakes and those hulking sea eagles too. A flotilla of dolphins guided us in today too. You can ramble on land if you're very careful not to disturb the avian residents. And then admire the hulking basalt columns that are much higher than either Staffa or the Giant's Causeway. The Shiant Islands (Image: Robin McKelvie) Get there – Hebrides Cruises ( are the only small ship operator running live-aboard Hebridean cruises that offer overnights in the Shiant Islands. Foula The Romans declared their Ultima Thule here 20 miles west of the Shetland Mainland and this magical island retains a palpable sense of the end of the world today. It's easy to see why Foula was chosen as the doppelganger for St Kilda in the 'Edge of the World' film. There is nowhere in Scotland quite like Foula though as they run to a different calendar (the Julian) than the rest of us, celebrating Christmas on January 6. The islanders are in my experience both stoic and welcoming; the kamikaze bonxies less so when you're hiking the hills without another human in sight. I saw a minke whale on our approach the first time I flew in, then a bonxie rip apart a healthy lamb right in front of its mum. Foula is that sort of wild and untamed outpost. Foula (Image: Robin McKelvie) Get there – You can fly on a wee plane from Tingwall ( or catch the ferry ( It gets so rough that the ferry is often hauled out of the water to protect it. Fair Isle Yes we all know about the jumpers with geometric patterns supposedly inspired by waylaid Spanish Armada sailors, but where is it? Roughly halfway between Orkney and Shetland, that's where, with administrative duties taken care of by the latter. It's brilliant for birds with an RSPB reserve and the chance to get right up to puffins on the grassy cliffs. They've spent £7.4m on rebuilding the bird observatory destroyed by far in 2019. The scenery and the sea cliffs are epic too. Fair Isle (Image: Robin McKelvie) Get there – You can fly from Tingwall or catch a ferry ( Papa Westray There is far more reason to come to this northerly Orcadian wonder than taking the world's shortest fight from Westray – the journey distance is less than the length of Edinburgh Airport's runway. You'll rejoice in epic white sand beaches, a thriving community and one of the most impressive wee churches in our isles. Then there is the Knap of Howar, which makes Orkney Mainland's Neolithic wonders seem like IKEA. Northwestern Europe's oldest dwelling is a full half millennia older than Skara Brae. Savouring a dram here with our ancestors on a June Orkney night that refused to die is one of my most sublime travel memories. Papa Westray (Image: Robin McKelvie) Get there – NorthLink ( ferry you to Orkney, then you can fly island hopping from Kirkwall ( on that route. St Kilda I wasn't sure when I started writing this I would include this distant archipelago, but how could I not? Set adrift in the Atlantic 40 miles west of North Uist the geology has more in common with the Faroes and Tolkien than the rest of Scotland. It was the first place in the world to be recognised on Unesco's World Heritage list twice – both for its natural and its human heritage. Since we abandoned St Kilda in 1930 the wildlife has thrived with thousands of gannets, puffins, gulls and sea eagles enjoying the run of this epic outpost. I've been five times and been lucky enough to land on all but one. I wish you all the luck in landing on the granddaddy of the Scottish islands you probably have not been to yet. St Kilda (Image: Robin McKelvie) Get there – A number of small ship operators brave the Atlantic rigours on live aboard adventures out here. I love the eight-passenger Splendour from Argyll Cruising ( who welcome guests with an intimacy and authenticity that is the antitheses of the massive cruise ships.
The Herald Scotland
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Community buyouts across Scotland search for sustainable incomes
The Community Land Scotland Annual Conference debated how – with a widespread squeeze on public money - the 840 community-owned buyouts around Scotland can address the challenge of long term financial sustainability. Getting a community buyout off the ground is usually hard work, invariably led by enthusiastic and innovative volunteers, aiming to buy land or buildings to benefit people in their community. But, having secured ownership of the property, work then begins to successfully generate regular income to pay the multiple costs - including essential staff - to run the community-owned project. Largo Communities Together was set up in the Fife coastal community in 2017. They are dedicated to enhancing access and local facilities, including pathways and public spaces. They aim to restore Largo pier and improve facilities and access to Largo beach. READ MORE: In order to generate income, access to land is the top priority. Louise Robb, LCT chair, said: "At the moment we have no land and we have no actual sustainable income. Our biggest issue is looking at how we survive sustainably so that we do not have to rely on grant funding. 'One immediate priority is to secure an income for our development officer and that income stream is our biggest challenge.' She added: 'Owning land will allow us to generate income and is essential for our future. It would enable us to make our own choices about what we could cultivate on that land, and how it could bring us a small amount of sustainable income, enough to maintain a level of human support for our community. That is key for us.' On the other side of Scotland, the 7000-hectare Knoydart estate was one of the big, iconic, community purchases completed in 1999. The Knoydart Foundation has developed multiple income streams. Each year around 250 deer are culled through stalking, the meat is processed and sold locally, with a tasty discount for Knoydart residents. Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula (Image: Robin McKelvie) The Knoydart community also raises income through campsite accommodation, housing, a local shop and pub, walking tours, construction timber and firewood sales. While the Foundation has significantly increased its self-generated income, it can also point to significant success around repopulating the estate -numbers doubled from 60 to about 120 since 1999. Richard Williams, Project Manager with The Knoydart Foundation, explained: 'It's a lot of work by a lot of very determined people. Land ownership is definitely key to generating sustainable income. It allows an autonomy of decision-making, it allows ideas and projects to evolve and develop. 'There are huge skills and knowledge in the community, and new people have also come in over the last 25 years that have been crucial to success. 'It is absolutely fundamental that each community organisations reaches a point where in income covers costs. Otherwise you are living hand to mouth. You might get two to three years of grant funding for a project but then you are always looking at where the next grant is going to come from. READ MORE: 'So having a baseline of core income from different sources is absolutely fundamental.' Lauren Brook, CEO of Greener Kirkcaldy, said: 'Having a sustainable income has to be a priority if you are going to really benefit your community. We do a lot of community fundraising. We make a special effort to be open with the community about finances and they appreciate the value of what everything costs. 'We have found that the community really want to contribute. One of the main things I have found is that people are willing to pay for events and services. People want to help and they want to contribute.' 'You have to be prepared to take risks, you have to persevere, you have to adapt. And if your project isn't working, you have to let it go. Some groups are reluctant to call a stop when they have started. But if it isn't working, best to leave it and move on.' Sustainable income streams for many in the community land sector means wind turbines and the income they generate. Julia Campbell, Development Officer for Coigach Community Development Company, said: 'The one turbine the community owns in Coigach is crucial to generating our own income and I'm not sure what we would do without it.' Coigach, in Wester Ross, shares universal rural problems: falling school numbers, lack of housing, lack of available land. Coigach (Image: Coigach Community Development Company) 'It was obvious that public funding would be difficult and if we wanted anything done we needed to do it ourselves', Ms Campbell added. 'One thing we had lots of in Coigach was wind and a turbine was the obvious thing to go for and it has helped us hugely. Community buyouts are a successful model.' Dr Josh Doble, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Community Land Scotland, said: 'The vast majority of community buyouts are resilient, success stories, with communities demonstrating ingenuity and creativity in raising funds for an initial purchase and finding means to support the community longer term. But our members do face challenges making their business models resilient and it was great to discuss that at our conference. 'There are lots of fantastic ideas out there about how to generate income from accommodation to recreation, to shops and rentals and venison. 'But we know there is still a long way to go and, nationally, less than three percent of Scotland's land is in community hands. If communities do not own the land, then their opportunities for economic development are seriously limited. 'We will continue to press for public policy that supports the army of people who are working to help their communities, their environment and deliver vital services across Scotland, often on a voluntary basis. 'It is people at community level who know their areas best and who know what will work most successfully for them. They have the ideas and the strategies, we just need to ensure that they have an enabling environment in which they can flourish and build on the fantastic work they're already doing.'
The Herald Scotland
16-05-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Forget glamping, here are Scotland's best sites for real campers
So in a country where free wild camping is enshrined in our culture are there even any decent campsites that still take actual tents? The good news is twofold - there are and there are some crackers to suit even the most reluctant camper. Beecraigs (Image: Robin McKelvie) Beecraigs This is a no frills site for Central Belters who want to avoid dragging the kids off on an interminable drive in search of somewhere beyond the reach of Google Maps in the dreich mists of Skye. The rolling Bathgate Hills are home to this campsite set in the thick woodland of the Beecraigs Country Park. One major plus is that there is a resident deer herd so you can snare seriously fresh venison to cook over the campfire. There is a fitness course in the park, as well as a lovely walk around the reservoir built by German prisoners of war in 1914. Hike up Cockleroy for views; Cairnpapple is even better with Arran to the west and Bass Rock to the east. Cairnpapple is also topped by a Neolithic burial chamber. Camping at Luss (Image: Robin McKelvie) Luss Caravan & Campsite Given some of the more hysterical headlines, you might presume that camping is banned outright on the bonnie bonnie banks. That is fortunately not the case and this trim site is a relaxed hideaway a world away from abandoned supermarket barbeques and flimsy one-off tents that would have been been ashamed to show face at T in the Park. It's right on the loch so you can dip your toes in the cool waters and admire the sweeping views across to the hulk of Ben Lomond, appreciating why Runrig got so excited in the first place. The heritage village of Luss is on hand for shops, cafes and a stroll; Cameron House is close too if you need to escape torrential rain and check into a luxury resort. Comrie Croft (Image: Robin McKelvie) Comrie Croft When I worked on the Cool Camping guides I wasn't really meant to have favourites, but Comrie Croft probably always was the one. It ticks all the boxes and I'd happily send almost everyone I know there. It's beautifully set right on the Highland Boundary Fault betwixt Crieff and Comrie on a tree-shrouded hillside. There are four camping areas and the facilities include a farm shop and mountain bike business. There is a bike skills loop too, as well as rougher single track trails that sit alongside hiking options further up the rugged hillside. Comrie Croft glows with a lovely communal, back to nature vibe – it's how campsites should be. I'd have felt like I'd made a terrible choice arriving here with a six pack of Tennents as a teen, but then probably up ended up sharing a dram with a juggler from Jedburgh and learning yoga from a yogi from Yeovil. It's that sort of oasis. Robin's family at The Sands (Image: Robin McKelvie) The Sands Caravan and Camping This is my favourite family campsite, home to some of my warmest camping memories. And not just of the kids leaping for joy at coming over the dunes and seeing those epic sands, or making a plaything out of an old lifeboat in this seriously fun Wester Ross outpost. It's a playground for adults too. I love hunkering down around a fire here – fires are not always a given on campsites these days – and checking out their well-stocked shop. Once I was dispatched there on a mission to get sausages and a bottle of plonk. I came back with big smile, a hulk of beef from the farm at the site and a bottle of Sauternes, the latter to wash down the Chablis after dinner. The steak in the burgers comes from the farm too. The views are life-affirming, peering out over the marine mammal rich Atlantic waters to the Isle of Skye. Bealach na Ba (Image: free) Applecross I wrote in our camping books that there are not many sites worth blowing your car's gasket over and of this being one. I stick by that. It's a mind-blowing drive over the Bealach na Ba to get here on one of the UK's highest roads. The scenery on the way is like a TV advert for Scotland as Highland massifs soar all around and the cobalt Atlantic blinks back. The effort (and gasket) is worth it as you drop down from the mountains to the wee oasis of Applecross: the sort of trim, whitewashed Highland village that makes you want to start writing postcards again. The epic seafood of the Applecross Inn awaits down the hill from a site with views towards Skye. Order the 'prawns', actually hulking langoustines in this glorious part of the world.
Scottish Sun
05-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
I've visited 100 countries but always go back to these Spanish islands – they love Brits & have the best food & beaches
And why the best beaches are found on the overlooked island ISLE GO I've visited 100 countries but always go back to these Spanish islands – they love Brits & have the best food & beaches Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DESPITE having travelled to more than 100 countries as my time as a travel writer, the place I always return to is much closer to home. Having first visited the Canary Islands in Spain back in 1998, I've been back at least once a year on holiday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Robin has been visiting the Canary Islands for over 27 years Credit: Robin McKelvie 7 Now he hits the eight islands with his family Credit: Robin McKelvie Here are some of the reasons why it still remains one of my top places to have to go. The locals STILL love the Brits Heard about the anti-tourism protests in the Canaries and wondered if we're still welcome? This year I've been back to four of the eight isles and could not have been more welcomed, with the locals stressing how much they value British visitors. I even stumbled across a counter protest movement with 'Lanzarote Loves Tourism'. The world's most varied archipelago The Canaries are all things to all people. On Tenerife alone you can party at the world's second biggest carnival, bash around the world's best waterpark (Siam Park) and climb a mountain almost three times higher than Britain's Ben Nevis. La Graciosa could be on a different planet. There are no tarmac roads, nevermind an airport. It's a brilliant escape from the modern world, hiking and cycling around rough tracks, up volcanoes and out to windswept beaches. Much more than just British breakfasts You can still tuck into British comfort food across the resorts, but there is far more to savour today. Lanzarote and Gran Canaria boast Michelin star restaurants and foodies flock to Tenerife to dine at eight Michelin star restaurants. Spanish island reveals plans for huge new £4.8billion train routes – connecting beach holiday hotspots 7 There's plenty of good food around - including grilled lobster Credit: Robin McKelvie 7 Robin visited Santa Cruz Beach on the island of Tenerife Credit: Robin McKelvie Tenerife boasts more Michelin stars than Wales and the Royal Hideaway Corales Resort has more stars than any hotel in Spain with four! And Tenerife just keeps winning stars. This year Il Bocconcino snared one. I dined there just after, with chef Nikki Pavanelli telling me how he reinvents Italian classics using ultra fresh Canarian produce. It's not all posh nosh - my favourite spot is simple, traditional Restaurante Los Abrigos, with as many locals as tourists in the quaint spot by the Atlantic. Ask to view the catch of the day – they'll weigh it and give you a price so you won't get ripped off. 7 The islands are a hit for everyone with sweet treats and drinks Credit: Robin McKelvie Not so Lanzagrotty Michael Palin once unfairly dubbed Lanzarote with this horrible nickname. I've met him since and he insists it was just a joke. In fact Lanzarote is the classiest Canary Isle. It's largely down to one man - madcap artist Cesar Manrique. He persuaded his politician pals to ban huge resorts and tower hotels. He worked on a series of bewitching projects too – he transformed a rubbish tip into the Jameos del Agua, which looks like the lair of James Bond baddy. A great place to stay is family-run Finca de Arrieta , which captures the spirit of Manrique. World-class hiking As a Scot I know when hiking is brilliant. Tenerife has massive variety, as does Gran Canaria, but my top tip is La Palma. I hiked around what the Canarios call 'La Isla Bonita' with Ramble Worldwide earlier this year. It was a joy soaring with our friendly group of largely British retirees up volcanoes, through thick forests and down to the cobalt Atlantic. We witnessed the Tajogaite volcano, created in the massive 2021 eruption you probably saw on TV. It's fascinating to get so close to such recent volcanic activity in an archipelago that is basically just the tips of eight giant volcanoes. 7 La Graciosa, the volcanic island, has good terrain for biking Credit: Robin McKelvie Culture beyond the bars The karaoke bars tempt alongside pubs showing British sports in the resorts. Beyond is an archipelago alive with culture. The original inhabitants – before the Spanish piled in – left their traces with carvings and stories that linger through generations. On Tenerife you've got the UNESCO World Heritage listed city of La Laguna with its gorgeous hanging wooden balconies and the world-class Auditorio de Tenerife. Gran Canaria has the old town of La Vegueta and La Gomera was the last place Columbus stopped en route to the Americas. I love jogging around the Torre del Condo, imagining Columbus here in 1492. Bountiful Beaches This is what most people are drawn by, but some of the best are found on the more overlooked islands. Tenerife is not my favourite island for beaches – I prefer the third largest isle, Fuerteventura. The Parque Natural de Corralejo sports mile upon mile of Sahara-esque dunes and gorgeous beaches. It's just south of Corralejo, a resort popular with Brits and is easily my favourite Canarian resort. Corralejo offers the best of all worlds. It sports all the touristy trimmings, plus great walking, epic seafood, a real Spanish vibe and brilliant beaches. Real variety too with kitesurfing, day trips to Lanzarote and a big Italian community. In short it's as wonderfully varied as the Canaries.
