Place of interest Archive

Skara Brae – Solid Stone Living on Orkney

Owning your own terraced house was in high demand even in the Stone Age. At Skara Brae, its residents made that dream come true. The interior: standard issue for the era, right across the board … She sighed contentedly, casting one more checking glance at the fish bait in the storage tank. Here in Skara […]

Dun Carloway – Broch on the Outer Hebrides

Dun Carloway rises up like a fang, jagged and sharp. The Iron Age tower is considered one of the best-preserved brochs in Scotland. And it once played a gruesome role in a clan feud. The Morrisons were mangy cattle thieves! And this time they were foolish enough to get caught. Donald Cam MacAulay and his […]

Duart Castle – Ancestral Seat of the MacLeans

Duart Castle keeps a fearsome watch over the narrow sound off the Isle of Mull. More than once it’s proven the undoing of ships and their crews. For the Spaniard, this was the end of the road; here, in the dark dungeon of Duart Castle. He was an officer of the crown, once part of […]

Ardvreck Castle – MacLeod, His Daughter and the Devil

It’s easy to overlook, the ruin of Ardvreck Castle. Yet tragic stories cling to these walls – like that of MacLeod’s daughter. MacLeod’s daughter fell far. She had thrown herself down from the tower of Ardvreck Castle. But it was her own father’s heartless betrayal that had driven her up there. Her father was one […]

Pennan – A Bay With a Film Legend

A bay, a village, a legendary film – the little settlement of Pennan is surely one of the most idyllic spots in Scotland, and famous for its role in the film Local Hero. The phone in the red telephone box outside the pub is ringing. It’s night. Nobody picks up. The caller’s longing goes unanswered […]

Balnakeil Village – Murder, Sea and Chocolate

This place unites opposites: a visit to the ghost village of Balnakeil and, right next door, a thoroughly lively artists’ community … So here lies the murderer Donald McMurdo, his grave fittingly marked with a skull. He’s said to have had 18 people on his conscience (the exact number of his victims isn’t entirely certain). […]

Sango Sands – A Beach With a View

Barefoot on the beach, white sand between your toes … even at the very top of Scotland that’s possible. Sango Sands is one of the most beautiful stretches of coast in the Highlands. The turquoise water of the Atlantic rolls gently over the fine sand and washes around black rocks. Green headlands reach far out […]

Shandwick Stone – A Magnificent Pictish Stone

Not much is known about this ancient Scottish people. But the Shandwick Stone gives a real sense of Pictish culture – it’s one of their finest surviving relics. It’s so different from the Celtic crosses in the west of Scotland. The Shandwick Stone radiates a warmth all of its own, thanks to the sandstone’s soft […]

Cawdor Castle – A Castle With a Holly Tree and a Donkey

Cawdor Castle rises near Inverness like a proud stronghold. It’s surrounded by wonderful gardens – and deep inside, it also guards an ancient plant. According to legend, the Thane of Cawdor wanted to build a great new castle in medieval times. In a dream, he was told to load a donkey with a chest full […]

Fort Augustus – Locks on Loch Ness

If Loch Ness has a beginning, it’s probably Fort Augustus. Because here, every boat heading for Inverness has to pass through a magnificent flight of locks. Nothing remains today of the old fort that gave the village its name. A far more interesting structure has taken its place: this is where a stretch of the […]