Where Spirits Roam: The Scottish Highlands

The motorway bridge over the Firth of Forth was built as a suspen­sion bridge between 1958 and 1964 and was the largest of its kind in Europe at the time. It is a good 2.5 kilome­tres long and consists of a total of almost 47,000 tons of steel. Together, the wire ropes are almost 50,000 kilome­ters long. The Forth Road Bridge has been listed since April 2001. However, a new bridge is being planned. The existing bridge is to remain pass­able for buses, taxis and cyclists. Parallel runs the Forth Rail Bridge, a steel bridge dating from 1890, which Alfred Hitchcock made world famous with a scary scene in his spy thriller, The Thirty-nine Steps.

The castle in the Scottish Lowlands was built at the beginning of the 17th century for the Earl of Hopetoun. To this day, the Geor­gian country house is inhabited by its descen­dants. In the first construc­tion phase, the central building with a repre­senta­tive staircase and numerous ceiling paint­ings was built, in the second construc­tion phase the current facade, the colonnades the pavil­ions in the south and north. At the beginning of the 19th century the inte­rior of the castle was rede­signed. The State Dining Room was created as a master­piece of inte­rior design. The current head of the Hope Clan, the fourth Marquess of Linithgow, has opened his domicile to visitors. Parts of the series “Outlander” were shot on loca­tion.

The peninsula between Edinburgh and Perth is char­ac­terised by its graceful landscape, picturesque castles and historic villages. Partic­u­larly beau­tiful is Culross, a picture-book town dating from between 1600 and 1800. From St. Monans, a former fishing village with a Gothic church, an artists' village has devel­oped. Loch Leven is also remark­able. On an island stands Loch Leven Castle, where Mary Stuart was held for a year. Sir Walter Scott describes the dramatic circum­stances of her night­time escape in his romantic novel “The Abbot”. In 2008 Loch Leven Heritage Trail was founded, a hiking trail around the lake and through the nature reserve.

The largest national park in Great Britain is located in the central high­lands and dominated by the peaks of the Grampian Mountains. The wild landscape with its heather-covered hills and the deep black lakes, inac­ces­sible moors and green forests form a unique natural setting. Some 25,000 red deer roam the forests and heaths of the park. Large parts of the area are not devel­oped for traffic. The largest towns are Ballater in the east and Kingussie and Aviemore in the west. Highest point is Ben Macdui with 1,310 m. Although two roads follow the border from west to east or to the south, there is no road access to the national park's center. The area can therefore be reached only on foot. South­east near Braemar stands a popular tourist attrac­tion: Balmoral Castle.

Two of the main attrac­tions of the town between Aberdeen and Dundee are fascinating cliff forma­tions and a long strip of coast­line with an excel­lent beach. About 6 km from the coast stands the House of Dun, built in 1730. Farther south is Arbroath, famous for its 12th century abbey and a smoked haddock dish called “smokies.” The picturesque Glamis Castle near Forfair is home to King Macbeth in Shake­s­peare's play of the same name. Numerous legends are connected with the ancient estate.

This castle on the River Dee is a typical Scottish tower house. In contrast to conven­tional castles, tower houses are higher than they are wide. This castle consists of three floors crowded over a small L-shaped foun­da­tion. The main tower, however, has a fourth floor. The chinks below the battle­ments between the towers, known as machico­la­tions, are purely deco­ra­tive and did not serve a defen­sive func­tion in this case.

Included in:
Scottish Heritage Pass

There are count­less whisky distil­leries all around the River Spey – more than anywhere else in the world. One of them is Benrinnes, which is named after the scenic mountain to the south. If you need some fresh air to clear your head between whisky tast­ings, we recom­mend climbing the mountain. (3 hrs, 6.8 km, eleva­tion change: 440 m)

The walk leads from the idyllic harbor town of Stonehaven via a spectac­ular coastal landscape to one of Aber­deen­shire's most beau­tiful towns. Behind Stonehaven, the road climbs steeply. At the top you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view across the sea. In the distance Dunnottar Castle is already beckoning, which we approach over the cliffs and without further climbs. After a visit to the twelve ruins of Dunnottar Castle, we return the same way. (Roundtrip: 4.8 kilome­ters, 1:30 hours, up and down: 166 meters)

The distillery of 1823 was the first legal one in the area, which is why the founder caused resent­ment in the whole region. Illegal distilling of whisky had a long tradi­tion in this area. In 1880, the Smiths acquired exclu­sive rights to the name “The Glenlivet”. In 1977 the distillery was sold to the Amer­ican alcohol company Seagram, which in 2001 went to Pernod Ricard. The distillery has a visitor center, visits are free of charge.

Spey­side Cooperage is the only Scottish cooperage that makes and repairs whisky barrels. Approx­i­mately 150,000 oak barrels are currently produced annu­ally. Only a very small propor­tion of these are new, the predom­inant busi­ness being the refurbish­ment of used barrels. Old whisky barrels, the wood of which no longer gives off any aromas after being used several times, are prepared for reuse by sanding and charring. The cooperage has its own visitor center. The work on the barrels can be observed from a visitor gallery.

Easter Ross is the east­ernmost part of Ross-shire, which in the west reaches to the Atlantic Ocean and includes a Hebridean island. The region on the North Sea is shielded by the high mountains to the west and therefore has a milder climate than the Western High­lands. The green hills reach up to the Cromart Fjord, where some­times dolphins can be spotted. Amongst all this are small villages and manor houses.

In the remote Blackburn valley lies a monastery founded by the Scottish King in 1230. It joined the Bene­dic­tine Order 200 years later. With the Scottish Reforma­tion in the 16th century and its best days behind it, it was abandoned and by the 17th century lay in ruins. In 1948 Pluscarden was revived when Bene­dictines from Montecassino, Italy, were overwhelmed by the spir­itual power of the place in the north of the Grampian Mountains. They revived the monastery. Today the build­ings have been restored to their former glory.

This former whisky distillery near Forres is now a museum in a listed historic building. The name “Dallas” comes from the Gaelic words for valley and water. “Dhu” means black. There is no visitor center, but the Historic Scot­land orga­ni­za­tion has done a great job restoring the distillery. The old ware­house is now a museum about the history of Spey­side Whisky in Scot­land. The museum also includes a tour of the entire distilla­tion and the matu­ra­tion process. The whole building complex is open all year round.    

Included in:
Historic Scot­land Explorer Pass

According to Shake­s­peare, this castle with its massive keep was the crime scene where King Macbeth murdered Duncan. Histo­rians have their doubts, however, because the castle was was not built until the 14th century and because Duncan actu­ally died in the Battle of Elgin. Never­the­less, Cawdor Castle, which now belongs to the Dukes of Argyll, is still worth a visit. One of the very few “Royal” whisky distil­leries, the Royal Brackla Distillery, is next door.

In the swamps of Culloden, the dream of the High­lan­ders of rule over Great Britain came to an end on 16 April 1746. The Battle of Culloden is a turning point in the history of Scot­land. Not only did it put an end to the Stuarts' final attempt to assert their claim to the throne, it also marked the demise of tradi­tional Scottish culture and the powerful special posi­tion of clan leaders and sealed the integra­tion of the formerly inde­pen­dent country into an English-dominated Great Britain. Today only a lonely tower and a museum remind of the blood­bath.

Included in:
Scottish Heritage Pass (Culloden Battlefield)

During the 13th century, French monks built an abbey on a spot along the River Beauly just before it empties into the firth. They called it the “beau lieu” due to its partic­u­larly beau­tiful loca­tion. The monastery was abandoned during the Reforma­tion and became a ruin. The cloister, dormitory and the abbot's resi­dence disap­peared and the roof of the church caved in. Never­the­less, the ruin exudes a very unique charm.

Several kilome­ters before the River Abhainn Droma flows into the sea near Ullapool, it passes through a ravine that is too deep to have been carved out by the river itself. Corrie­shalloch Gorge was actu­ally formed by glaciers during the last ice age. Ferns grow at the bottom of the gorge and there is a stunning vertical waterfall. The bridge in front of the waterfall is a great spot for taking spectac­ular pictures.

The almost 50 meter high rock needle made of black basalt is visible from afar and a landmark of the Trotter­nish peninsula. All around there are smaller upright rocks, which in old stories are called his family. His wife, the second largest rock needle, unfortunately collapsed years ago. Legend has it that they were looking for a runaway cow in the area. Then they met giants and fled. When they looked back, they were turned into stone.

The only whisky distillery on Skye is the Talisker distillery, founded in 1830. It is known for its double distilled single malt whisky, which is consid­ered to be one of the best. Guided tours and whisky tast­ings are on offer.

This basalt massif on the Isle of Skye is a paradise for Alpin­ists. The mountain range is home to twelve Munros, as Scottish mountains higher than 3,000 feet are called. The highest is the Sgurr Alasdair at 992 meters. The Glen Sligachan mountain hotel is the starting point for hiking trails with every level of diffi­culty. Most of the trails are unmarked as they cross screes, rocks and gullies worn into the mountain­side. The views here are overwhelming on clear days. You can see as far as the main­land to the east and all the way to the Outer Hebrides as well.

Today – because of its picturesque loca­tion – Arisaig lives mainly off tourism. The village is easy to reach for tourists trav­elling through Scot­land: by car via the pano­ramic ‘Road to the Isles’ and by West High­land Line trains from Fort William. Arisaig station is the west­ernmost station in Great Britain. From the small harbor of the village there are ferries to the offshore islands of Eigg, Muck and Rùm. However, ferry traffic plays only a minor role, as all larger ferries call at the port of nearby Mallaig.

The former manor house of the MacDonald Clan lies between Ardvasar and Kilmore on the Sleat promontory in the extreme south of the Isle of Skye. Orig­inally, the clan chiefs had lived there in simple farm­houses. It was only after they had come to money that they had a repre­senta­tive castle built in 1790. After a few decades it was added to at a huge expense, only to burn down shortly after. To this day, the romantic prop­erty is largely dilap­i­dated. Worth seeing are the restored 17th century garden with exotic plants and the Museum of the Isles.

The fishing port on Scot­land's west coast was founded in 1840 and connected to the British railway network via the West High­land Railway. That way the fresh fish could be trans­ported easily and quickly. Today the local fish­ermen are special­ized in shrimp and lobster. Mallaig is also the end of the Road to the Isles, which for most part runs parallel to the railway-line Fort William-Mallaig and is one of the most scenic roads in Scot­land.

Oban is an ideal base for trav­elers wishing to explore the Western High­lands. The little town south of Fort William boasts a harbor and a yacht club. Most of the shops and restau­rants are clus­tered around the small train station. Ganavan Sands is the best place to swim. The Oban whisky distillery, built in 1794, is known for its malt Scotch. Boat trips can be taken to the Hebrides west of Orban, while the sparsely popu­lated country east of the city offers spectac­ular mountain landscapes. Some of the most beau­tiful lakes in Scot­land, such as Loch Tay, Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond, are all within an hours' drive.

The island in the south of the Inner Hebrides has a good twelve square kilome­ters, a thou­sand-year history and currently less than 30 inhab­i­tants. Since the 12th century it belongs to the Mac Dougalls clan. The Scottish King Alexander II gathered his fleet in the south of the island to take the Hebrides from there. In the 16th century the clan estab­lished its ances­tral seat, Gylen Castle, on the island. A hundred years later, the castle was conquered and all its inhab­i­tants killed. Since then the gloomy building has remained uninhabited. Kerrera is not in any travel guide, which is why only a few visitors come. The best way to explore the car-free island is by bicycle. During summer ferries leave Oban every half hour.

The peninsula south of the road from Fort William to Mallaig is sepa­rated from the rest of Scot­land by Loch Linnhe and the Sound of Mull. Two more miles of holes divide the land mass into more peninsulas, making the area diffi­cult to access. The popu­la­tion is corre­spond­ingly thin. On the Morvern peninsula, which covers 650 square kilome­tres, live less than 320 people! There are hardly any sights here, but endless grass­lands, some­times dry, some­times humid, occa­sion­ally a few afforested woods, wide views, deep clouds; but above all silence and lone­li­ness, as they can only be found at the edges of Europe. Water is never far away. There are also only a few hiking trails. But you can walk cross-country to your heart's content.

The “Valley of Tears” has a bloody history: In 1691 the English King William III pardoned all High­land clans who had fought against him. The condi­tion, however, was that they had to swear alle­giance to him. Those who refused were sentenced to death. After the Clan MacDonald had agreed only reluc­tantly, his boss went erro­neously to Inver­lochy and he reached Inver­aray only after the dead­line. Thus the whole clan was denied the pardon. The royal soldiers carried out the massacre at Glencoe, in which the inhab­i­tants of the valley died. Today one of the most beau­tiful hiking trails in Scot­land begins there. (10 kilome­ters, 6 hours, up and down: 1,070 meters)

Included in the:
Scottish Heritage Pass (Glencoe Visitor Centre)

Moss, stones, wind and stormy forests: Above Kinlochleven, a settle­ment of miners with almost 1000 inhab­i­tants, there is a wild and lonely high moor­land, which is suit­able for a circular hike. The barren heath landscape offers wide sweeping views across Loch Leven, which get lost in the twil­ight of the clouds. On the way back you cross an exposed ridge between two river valleys. (Return: 9 kilome­ters, 3:30 hours, up and down 385 meters)

The late medieval castle stands on a rocky spur above the River Teith, where it is protected on three sides by steep slopes. In the background, the southern Scottish Tros­sach mountains rise. There prob­ably was already a prede­cessor castle before the Duke of Albany had the fortress built in 1390. In the 16th century it served the Scottish monarchs, including Mary Stuart, as a summer resi­dence. Never­the­less, the building was never completed, which contributes to its myste­r­ious appear­ance. Anyway, Doune Castle is a popular movie set. Scenes from the TV series “Game of Thrones” and the movie “Knight of the Coconut” by Monthy Python were shot here.

Included in:
Historic Scot­land Explorer Pass
Scottish Heritage Pass

Centuries ago, the city between Edinburgh and Glasgow used to be the Scottish capital. The medieval old town devel­oped around the great castle (Stirling Castle), which still dominates the place. Stirling is often called the “gateway to the High­lands”, because here is where the flat hills of the Scottish lowlands meet the steep slopes of the high­lands. Maybe that's the reason why the city is haunted by count­less spirits. Most famous are the “Green Lady” who was seen in the castle several times, and a soldier. But nowhere appear as many ghosts as in the tavern “Settle Inn”.

Included in:
Historic Scot­land Explorer Pass

On 23 and 24 June 1314 the Scottish army under Robert The Bruce won a deci­sive victory over the much larger English army under Eduard II in the marsh­lands of Bannockburn. The battle is consid­ered one of the worst defeats ever suffered by an English army. Thou­sands of English foot soldiers were killed on the run. The entire English baggage fell into the hands of the Scots. Today a highly modern exhi­bi­tion centre commem­o­rates the battle. Every year the Scottish National Party orga­nizes a march from Stirling to the field of Bannockburn, where a wreath is laid at the statue of Robert Bruce.

Included in:
Scottish Heritage Pass (Bannockburn Heritage Centre)

This fortress towers high over Edinburgh from its perch on Castle Rock, an extinct volcano. A previous fortifica­tion prob­ably stood here as early as the 7th century. The current royal castle was first mentioned in 1093 in refer­ence to the sieges and havoc wreaked by the English. Mary Stuart, who lived here until she was impris­oned and beheaded, was the castle's most famous resi­dent. The area in front of the castle, known as the “esplanade,” provides the best view over the rooftops of Edinburgh's Old Town. The esplanade is also where the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is held every year. 

Included in:
Historic Scot­land Explorer Pass
Scottish Heritage Pass

The small village in a deep gorge was the granary of Edinburgh. No fewer than eleven grain mills were in oper­a­tion at the best times of the 19th century. The river  Water of Leith, which had a steep gradient here, provided the neces­sary driving power. In 1833 a spectac­ular bridge over the valley was built, but then the decline began. Electric and steam mills replaced the water mills. Poverty and unemploy­ment moved into Dean. In the 1970s, Edinburgh city dwellers discov­ered cheap housing in the tranquil surround­ings. Today Dean is a hip suburb of the Scottish capital.

The heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, known as the Royal Mile, is situ­ated between Canongate, High Street and Castlehill. It really does measure a Scottish mile in length (1.8 kilome­ters). Here you will find the High­land Tolbooth Church, the People's Story Museum, the Museum of Edinburgh, the John Knox House and the Scottish Parlia­ment building. Small, steep alleyways known as “closes,” “courts,” or “wynds” run perpen­dic­ular to the Royal Mile in a herringbone pattern. The Old Town also features several large market squares.

The small river Water of Leith flows through a valley, across Edinburgh and into the North Sea near Leith. On its bank there is a hiking trail, which starts at the school of Balerno and partly leads over disused tracks. Although you walk through the middle of the city, you hardly ever walk over tar and still pass some important sights, for example the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art or the Dean Gallery. The trail ends at the mouth of the river Leith. (One way: 20 kilome­ters, 5 hours, up: 60 meters, down: 210 meters)