Scotland Off the Beaten Track

Highland | Aviemore | Ski centre | ★★★

Cairngorm Mountain (historically referred to as Aviemore) is Scotland's best known winter sports destination, attracting more visitors than any of the country's other ski areas. On paper, it's easy to see why: its Top Bowls have the most reliable snow cover of any runs in the UK, theoretically accessed by a funicular railway which also directly serves the dozen or more runs on the Cas side of the mountain. Nearby Aviemore village is also the closest thing Britain has to an all winter (and summer) sports "resort", making it a popular year-round holiday base. But Cairngorm's drawbacks are non-trivial. Huge lift queues are common at weekends and during school holidays, and the upper slopes are barren and inhospitable in bad weather: days when the hill is stormbound or uplift limited are fairly common. And that's even before ongoing problems with the funicular - which will disrupt operations over the coming season. We ar…

Fife | Town | ★★★★

University town, the home of golf, magnificent ruined cathedral and castle, an attractive coastal setting... St Andrews seems to have got the rub of the green when it comes to tourist attractions, even if you don't want to play the world-famous courses. Two magnificent beaches are particularly underrated - the more extensive West Sands was the filming location for the start of Chariots of Fire. Many visitors find the centre surprisingly small, and it's probably only thanks to the large termtime student population that St Andrews has a bustle about it that's rare in similar-sized Scottish settlements. It's certainly a bit of a bubble, with an almost English feel and in complete contrast to the rest of Fife.


Location

📌 St Andrews ★★★★
Fife, G.R.: NO 509167 ///butlers.butter.roaming

🚶 St Andrews is a rewarding place to explore on foot, with all the interesting local sights within a 20-min walk of each other.
🚌 The nearest railway station receives frequ…

Fife | St Andrews | Castle & cathedral | ★★★★

One of St Andrews' manifold attractions is its wealth of religious history. On the coast and close to the town centre stand the ruined remains of St Andrews Castle and Cathedral. The two sites' histories are closely linked and you can buy a joint ticket covering both sites. There's a lot more to offer beyond the buildings you first see on the ground. A siege carried out by the Earl of Arran in 1546 involved the construction of underground passageways (by both sides) which you can still explore by crawling in places: great fun if you're in an adventurous mood. Meanwhile, the depths of the vaults around the cathedral's south cloister are home to a museum showcasing stone carvings, Pictish stones and gravestones from the site itself and the wider area. Finally, you can climb to the top of the 33-metre St Rule's Church tower: pre-dating even the cathedral buildings.


📌 St Andrews Castle★★★★
Description: Ruined home o…

Fife | Village | ★★★

So far we've only had the chance to visit the fishing village of St Monans at dusk in December, which is not long after 4 pm at this time of year. Even in the gloaming we could see enough of the beautiful harbour to make us want to come back during proper daylight hours, to further explore the sea front and the old alleyways leading back from it. Just along the coast path to the east is Fife's last surviving windmill, built in the late 18th century in order to pump sea water into nearby salt pans - once a major industry all along the Forth estuary. There are information panels and good views from the top of the spiral staircase inside, but see the info below about access.


Location

📌 St Monans ★★★
Fife, G.R.: NO 526016 ///strut.accompany.melon

🚶 The village centre is tiny; good paths extend in both directions along the coast, giving access to other villages.
🚌 St Monans is served by buses on the Leven - East Neuk - St Andrews route.



See & do (<1 mi a…

Perth & Kinross | Pitlochry | Full day walk | ★★★★

A full-day's circuit taking in Ben Vrackie and Killiecrankie Gorge is surely one of Scotland's most varied hill walks. Starting in the centre of bustling Pitlochry, the return route winds along the beautiful River Garry, taking in the dramatic Pass of Killiecrankie. In 1689 this was the scene for a major battle during the first Jacobite rebellion; one soldier escaped by jumping across the gorge at a spot now named The Soldier's Leap. Oh yes, and there's also the small matter of the hill itself: its majestic bulk speckled with scree, heather slopes and a small loch, with the summit visible even from the town beneath. A week's worth of variety packed into a single day?


📌 Walk: Ben Vrackie & a leap of faith ★★★★
Start / finish at A924 junction with Larchwood Road (street parking), 5-min walk west of Pitlochry town centre, G.R.: NN 937583 ///snake.paths.amplified

▶ 17 km / 11 mi | ▲ 860 m | ⌚ Full day | ⬤ Tough
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