Five of the best wildflower meadows in Scotland
The buzz of bees, the scent of honeysuckle, the gentle sway of mallow nodding on an early summer breeze — Scotland's wildflower meadows are nature's quiet masterpiece. Here Tania Pascoe, the author of Wild Garden Weekends, picks five of her favourite wildflower meadows to visit.
Spend a day wandering the inner coastline of Balranald in summer and you may spot rare great-yellow bumblebees, painted ladies, red admirals, choughs, corncrakes and otters. All thrive at this nature reserve, where the machair is cropped on a rotational basis, seaweed is the only fertiliser used and there is no mechanised harvesting. Wildflower lovers will find the machair stunning and the barley and rye fields abundant with corn marigolds and poppies. rspb.org.uk
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Times
7 hours ago
- Times
16 of the most beautiful places in Scotland
For many, Scotland is all about the great outdoors: hiking through Highland glens lined with lochs that look like slices of fallen sky, exploring the giant forests of Perth and Kinross, its rivers rippling with salmon. If the weather gets rough, there'll be a rugged castle at hand, usually with a legend attached, and a distillery tour just down the road. And then there are its biggest cities, Glasgow for cutting-edge arts and breezy good humour, and architecturally elegant Edinburgh, the serious seat of government — two cities that couldn't be more different if they tried. My mother comes from the Isle of Skye, so for many years family holidays were annual pilgrimages north to rendezvous with cousins, scramble up mountains and stagger into peat bogs, cursing at midges. In more recent years I've ranged more widely across the whole country, particularly for my book Four Scottish Journeys. And I am pleased to say that the days when the accommodation was basic and the food was mainly beige have long since gone. There's every kind of quality — here are the most beautiful places to start. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue There is a deeply spiritual aura to this little green chip of land that lies off the southwestern corner of the island of Mull. Iona has been a place of pilgrimage ever since St Columba arrived in AD563 and today pilgrims step off the ferry and weave their way to Iona Abbey. At Iona's northern tip is the White Strand of the Monks, springy machair — wildflower-rich grassland — lined with white sand. The turquoise water is the perfect backdrop for contemplation while watching the gannets dive into the Sound. The island is at its best when the day-trippers have gone, so stay over at the St Columba Hotel and enjoy produce from its organic garden. If there's anything that epitomises wild and romantic Scotland, it's the northwest coast up to Cape Wrath, the most exhilarating stretch of the popular North Coast 500 driving route. It begins at Applecross, a remote peninsula reached by a dramatic switchback road. Halfway up the coast is Ullapool, a free-spirited ferry port on Loch Broom, full of creativity and gastronomy. And while hiking Cape Wrath itself is only advisable for the fit and brave, this northwestern tip has surprisingly fine white sand beaches at Balnakeil. Stay in Ullapool's Ceilidh Place, where there's live music most nights. • Read our full guide to Scotland The Dukes of Atholl, who some 200 years ago owned most of the land between Perth and Inverness, planted 25 million trees, including larch, Douglas fir, maple, western hemlock and redwood, which is why this region has been designated Big Tree Country. The Queen's View, a historic viewpoint high above Loch Tummel, is particularly fabulous in autumn. Key resorts are Victorian Pitlochry and genteel Dunkeld, on the silvery Tay, where you should stay in the Dunkeld House Hotel for riverbank views. It's a 20-minute walk downstream to Birnam Wood, as mentioned in Macbeth. The Great Glen is a giant fissure that runs diagonally from Fort William in the west to Inverness in the east. Several lochs line its length, including awe-inspiring Loch Ness, and there's a long-distance trail to pack your walking boots for too ( The lochs have all been linked to create the Caledonian Canal, connecting sea with sea, with cruises and boat rental. Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, at 1,345m (4,413ft), looms over its western end by Fort William. The Ben is an arduous but straightforward 11-mile hike for the fit and the well prepared. Stay above Loch Ness in the quirky-cum-traditional Whitebridge Hotel. Regularly cited as the most remote part of mainland British Isles, Knoydart is a mountainous peninsula on the west coast, opposite the Isle of Skye, with eagles overhead and whales and dolphins offshore; you can look out for all on a boat trip. A handful of small settlements are distributed along its only road, with the main community and Britain's most remote pub, the Old Forge, gathered at Inverie on a sheltered bay in Loch Nevis, where regular ferries connect it to the port of Mallaig. Stay at Doune Knoydart, which is on the peninsula's point looking towards Skye. • More great hotels in the Highlands Too often overlooked in the hurry to get north, the peninsulas around Scotland's west coast south of Oban are delightful tessellations of water and land. Probably the best known is the dangling Mull of Kintyre, mainly thanks to Paul McCartney and his song of the same name. Here you'll find Campbeltown, which is well known for its whisky festival held in May, and on a clear day you can see Northern Ireland from its west coast. Moving north, other notable landmarks are the Crinan Canal and the Ardfern peninsula, busy with yachts in summer. Don't miss Seil, with its Bridge over the Atlantic, which may sound grand but is actually a narrow tidal stream. Here you can get cosy in Ardfern's Galley of Lorne Inn, popular with overnighting yachtsmen. The Heart 200 is a much easier and more varied drive than the North Coast 500 and does what its name suggests, looping around Scotland's striking heartlands, linking the towns of Stirling, Crieff, Perth, Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy and Callander. That means gorgeous castles at Stirling, endless golf courses at Gleneagles, great whiskies at Dewar's distillery in Aberfeldy, a thriving salmon river in the Tay and plenty of brilliant hiking routes, particularly the two-and-a-half-mile Birks of Aberfeldy circuit. Aberfeldy is the centre point of Scotland, so the Fortingall boutique hotel just outside the town in Glen Lyon makes for a handy place to stay. • More great Scottish road trips• Best Airbnbs in Scotland It's the archetype of mystical and romantic Scotland — eagles overhead, deer in the glens, lochs that look like fallen slices of sky, and the Cuillin mountains rising into the mist. Skye's clan legends and crofting culture have long attracted visitors, but until the opening of the bridge that linked it to the mainland, its hospitality was spartan. These days the island has new distilleries, great gastronomy and hotel accommodation, and that has encouraged a steady flow of film directors who come to use the dramatic landscapes of the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr as locations. The Bracken Hide is a stylish base, with glamping pods and an excellent bar. • Best luxury hotels in Scotland• Best spa hotels in Scotland The border between England and Scotland has long been heavily contested, which is perhaps why the towns that lie just to its north — the likes of Melrose, Hawick, Kelso and Coldstream — have been such a force in Scottish rugby, and in the Scottish military, over the years. This is a place of handsome Georgian and Victorian town centres, of striking abbey ruins (at Melrose), and of rolling hills that nurture salmon rivers (the Tweed). It is also the location of grand country mansions such as Abbotsford, the home of author Sir Walter Scott. Schloss Roxburghe is the place to lay your head nearby, with huge, old-world rooms and a great spa. Each of the Outer Hebrides has its own natural beauty. Barra is rugged, with its airstrip making use of a tidal beach. The Uists are low lying and waterlogged, lined on the west with springy wildflower-rich machair. But it is Lewis and Harris, two separate 'islands' but actually the same lump of land, which have the big-ticket attractions. On Harris it's the west coast's Caribbean-style white sand beaches such as Luskentyre, plus the architect-designed homes (some of which you can rent out). On Lewis, the standing stones at Callanish draw the visitors — as does Stornoway, the metropolis of the Outer Hebrides. As for where to bed down after a day of exploring, consider the boutique, modern Hotel Hebrides, conveniently located right by the Tarbert pier. The archipelago that lies offshore from John O'Groats is quite unlike the Scottish Highlands. Orcadian accents are far gentler, reflecting Scandinavian origins, and the land is smoother and more fertile, well suited for grazing. Most remarkable on Mainland, the biggest of the islands, are the neolithic tombs and excavated villages, which had to be well built to withstand the weather. Also long-lasting is the tradition of the Ba' Game, a rugby-related mass scrum that rampages through the main town of Kirkwall every winter. Stay at the centrally located Ferry Inn for its comfortable rooms, bar, and restaurant serving posh pub grub. • What to do in Orkney Not as well-trodden as their northern relatives Skye and Mull, the Southern Hebrides are gentler, quieter landscapes, well worth an island-hopping odyssey. Colonsay, reached by ferry from Oban, is a land of farms and immaculate beaches, particularly up at Kiloran. Islay, which is ferry-connected to Colonsay and to the mainland, is whisky heaven, with nine distilleries, including Bowmore, Ardbeg and Laphroaig, all producing distinctive and peaty single malts. Family-run Port Askaig Hotel is known for its seafood and proximity to some of Islay's best beaches. • Best distillery tours in Scotland Ben Nevis may be the highest of Scotland's mountains, but the wildest are in the Cairngorms National Park, which cover a massive 1,748 square miles. Among the tops, a series of plateaux create a bleak, boulder-strewn semi-tundra, littered with rocky outcrops and rich in wild species such as capercaillie and golden eagle, as well as the UK's only free-ranging herd of reindeer. Aviemore is the adventure hub, but also in the national park is Braemar, known for the annual Braemar Gathering with its Highland games. For a unique, stylish stay, book into the Fife Arms, a former coaching inn in Braemar with a fabulous art collection and a fittingly cool crowd. Read our full review of the Fife Arms The Neuk (nook) of Fife is an intimate place of fishing villages such as Crail and Pittenweem, whose red-roofed cottages cluster together along the harbour wall. Colourful boats bob in the bay, and Pittenweem still has a morning fish market, mostly for lobster and crab. Further round the Neuk, the scene changes at St Andrews. This handsome town is dominated by two institutions, the Royal and Ancient, one of the most historic golf clubs in the world, and the university, which attracts students from the top echelons of society, including royalty. The Peat Inn is the place to stay, a 15-minute drive from East Neuk's villages, with elegant rooms and an excellent, Michelin-starred restaurant. This hugely accessible national park just north of Glasgow has a bit of everything. Scenic Loch Lomond is a place of boat cruises and water sports, with the long-distance West Highland Way following its eastern shore. There are more cruises over in neighbouring Loch Katrine, which visitors can cruise aboard the steamship Sir Walter Scott. Between the lochs, the hills and glens are cloaked in oak and fir, particularly around the adventure centre of Aberfoyle. And finally, several mountains rise silently out of the northern part of the park, a foretaste of the wilderness beyond. Cameron House has an unbeatable location on the southwest banks of Loch Lomond, as well as a sprawling spa and rooftop infinity pool. A dramatic set of hills, the seat of government, a famous castle, a major annual festival and a long literary tradition — it's hard to know where to begin with the Scottish capital. Experience the views from Edinburgh Castle, which hosts its Royal Military Tattoo every August; take a ghost tour through the dank alleys and staircases of the Old Town; and see the elegant New Town, which — despite the name — is mostly from the late 18th century. Affordable stays in Edinburgh aren't always easy to come by, but we love 3 John's Place, which has B&B doubles from just over £100. • More great affordable hotels in Edinburgh• Best restaurants in Edinburgh
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Major blow dealt to plans for controversial Flamingo Land resort in Scotland
Plans for a controversial holiday park in Loch Lomond have been stalled by the Scottish Government. Ministers had been expected to give permission for the resort development but have now reconsidered due to its 'potential impact on Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park'. Operated by Flamingo Land, the proposed £40m resort was set to feature a monorail, waterpark, hotel and restaurants. Ivan McKee, Scotland's Minister for Public Finance, said he is now recalling the plans as 'the appeal should be determined at a national level', reports the BBC. The original proposal was first rejected in September 2024 amid protests by local residents. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park authority said the park did not comply with environmental policies. Flamingo Land then appealed to the Scottish government reporter who had said they planned to allow the resort as long as Flamingo Land signed a legal agreement with the national park. But following the recall, the final decision on the Flamingo Land resort's future will now be made by ministers. Ross Greer, a Scottish Green MSP, said McKee's decision to recall the plans was the 'right move'. He said: 'Once ministers consider the flood risk, loss of ancient woodland, hundreds of additional cars which would have be brought onto notoriously congested roads and the litany of other devastating impacts it would have, I am sure they will reject the mega-resort application and finally end this decade-long saga.' Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie also welcomed the decision, claiming that the SNP had 'ignored concerns' about the park 'time and time again'. The Balloch and Haldane Community Council said it had had more than 50,000 new objections to the plans last week. Flamingo Land submitted updated plans for its park in 2020 and described the development, set to be called Lomond Banks, as a 'major step away' from its other theme park style resorts. The company currently runs the Flamingo Land resort in North Yorkshire which offers amusement rides and exotic animals.
The Guardian
17 hours ago
- The Guardian
Down by the river: a meditation on mental health
During periods of deep turmoil in her personal life, Dutch photographer and mother of six, Marjolein Martinot, sought solace in nature. Each evening she'd walk to a nearby river in the south of France with her camera in hand. There she captured the quiet beauty of the natural world in the golden light of dusk, forming connections with the animals and families she encountered at the river's edges – jumping, splashing, climbing and swinging from the trees. Riverland is available to purchase from Stanley Barker Marjolein Martinot: 'At once, I felt connected again. Connected to life, to the beautiful nature around me, but most importantly, I felt connected to myself again. For me there is almost no nicer experience than being by yourself, surrounded by peace and quiet in a beautiful natural setting. Finding worthwhile moments, and then to be able to capture these with the camera. It is purely therapeutic – distracting and comforting, and often extremely stimulating as well. It is just a great recipe to feel much better overall' 'The first inspiration for Riverland started while I was photographing a bunch of little boys in trees on the Creuse river of the Indre. It was in the early months of the global Covid pandemic, and it felt almost surreal to be there during those challenging times, and to be photographing these happy and enchanting moments. Something shifted inside of me then, and it made me want to come back there and make more work. I subsequently kept on searching for other unique moments in natural scenery, all in and around the rivers of southern France. This image is the core of the work for me' Through these intimate, unguarded moments – children mid-leap, ripples catching the last light of day, trees bending towards the water, and horses galloping in the fading glow – Martinot began to piece together a new sense of self. She writes: 'I photographed this young couple lying down on the grass, near a branch of the Aveyron river in the region of the Tarn-et-Garonne. They were lying down exactly like this when I asked if I could take their photo, and then told them to please not move. I loved the simple intimacy of the moment and the sweet, content gaze of the girl' 'At some point I started noticing that the project contained a bit of a fairytale vibe, both in mood and scenery, and even in character. That kind of made sense though as in a certain way, the whole project was also an act of escapism for me. It was around that moment that I came up with the title Riverland' 'Maybe it's a bit of a cliche, but I've always appreciated the river as a metaphor for life. It just seems to echo life in such a simple, beautiful and poetic way. Rivers are like the veins of the world, connecting places, plus you never know what or whom you might encounter there, and I just loved that idea. I randomly selected southern rivers in France as starting points for my travels and subsequently followed some of the trails along them. This is a photo of water lily leaves, floating on the surface of a small river in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne' 'After I photographed these wild flowers, I remember thinking that they somehow reminded me of the Coronavirus images I'd seen. Perhaps it's the way the 'tentacles' appear here. In a certain way, they depict the daunting moments of the global pandemic for me' 'Sometimes I just saw someone lovely and/or interesting, and then asked them directly (and naturally also the parents) if I could take their portrait. I was quite lucky in that respect, as most people accepted. I always asked for contact information and then sent them photos of the shoot afterwards. I love taking portraits of people. When taking a portrait, the interaction is often intimate and special. That tiny instant of someone's personality coming through is a lovely experience. Being a naturally shy person, these one-on-one encounters give me a real boost' 'Finding the right light was crucial for the poetic mood I was after in my pictures. With a couple of exceptions, most of the photos for Riverland were taken either very early in the morning at the first available light, or in late afternoon/early evening – at dusk or even later' 'For years I had been struggling to find enough time to express myself genuinely and creatively – both as a woman and as an artist. The times we were (and still are) living in made things feel much worse. With the many horrible things going on in the world, and with so many negative outlooks, I was often finding myself feeling overwhelmed and depressed. Turning towards nature seemed like an obvious answer, and I did just that' 'The work contains a mixture of nature and portrait photography. The nature and landscape photos are mostly quiet and slightly ethereal perhaps, while in contrast to that, some of the portraits might be perceived as rather straightforward and direct. The combination of the two just appealed to me as it resonated with my feelings at the time, and it confronted me with myself in some way as well' 'Some of the photos of people in the book were spontaneous captures as I stumbled upon them because they were perfect in the given situation, and I was afraid that if they became too aware of me photographing it all could end up looking staged. However, I always introduced myself afterwards and asked for permission to continue shooting. I consistently ended up talking to the people I met, as I think that it's an essential part of the whole process. These girls were from Germany, and were vacationing with their parents in the Hérault department' 'As the work was being shot with film and on analogue cameras, it meant that I couldn't see the results right away. However, often when I had a good feeling at the time of taking the picture, it turned out to be so as well. This photo was taken with an old Rolleiflex camera. The introverted mood of the moment just resonated with me'
