Scotland Off the Beaten Track

Dumfries & Galloway | Holywood | Garden | ★★★★ [Slug Lakes and the Snake and Snail Mounds] The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is only open for one day each year, but if the sun's shining and you're in the area you should make every effort to visit this unusual, quirky work of landscape art. Graceful landforms, sculptures, bridges and gardens celebrating the universe, nature and the senses are waiting to be explored, only slightly marred by hundreds of others doing the same thing. Some of it gets quite technical (the Quark Walk gets you up to speed with the Standard Model of Elementary Particles, for example), many parts are fun for kids (with curving mounds, bridges and walkways including the Snake and Snail Mounds and the Comet Bridge ), while other areas are simply beautiful gardens in the more conventional sense (such as the Linear Paradise Garden ). It's all spread over 30 acres of picturesque Dumfriesshire countryside bordering the River Nith, and is the br

Fife | Methil | Museum | ★★ [Methil Heritage Centre] Methil Heritage Centre is one of a handful of small museums scattered along Fife's post-industrial south coast. The displays inside are smarter than the slightly unpromising exterior of the building suggests, outlining the growth of Levenmouth (the name given to the conurbation made up of Buckhaven, Methil and Leven) through the centuries and the fortunes and fates of its main industries: primarily fishing and coal mining. The museum also includes a small gallery, displaying coal mining art when we were there. [Art display] Location & info 📌 Methil Heritage Centre ★★ High Street, Methil town centre, G.R.: NT 374996 ///violin.played.civil Tuesday to Thursday & Saturday | Free [Industry displays]

Fife | Town | ★★★ [Kirk Wynd has some of the town's most attractive old buildings] Kirkcaldy vies with Dunfermline for the title of the largest town in the Kingdom of Fife. Like many of the coastal settlements on Fife's south coast, Kirkcaldy's historical growth came from fishing, coal mining and salt production. These were followed by something more unusual: the manufacture of lino(leum), popular as a floor covering until a few decades ago. These industries have all now declined but are remembered in the excellent town museum. The winding high street (with plenty of scope for shopping) also remains; its exceptional length has given the place its nickname: the "Lang Toun". There's further interest to the northeast. Following the underused esplanade in this direction reaches a cluster of sites to visit, dotted through old villages now swallowed up by Kirkcaldy. In the area known as Pathhead, Ravenscraig Castle is an unexpectedly substantial clifftop ru

Fife | Buckhaven | ★★ [Buckhaven Museum] Buckhaven now appears to be an quiet, unremarkable coastal village, consisting of a lot of modern housing and not much tourist appeal. The small museum housed above the village library reveals that this wasn't always the case: by 1831, Scotland's second largest fishing fleet was based here before coal mining took over in the 1860s. Old pictures inside the museum show off a beautiful local beach; sadly, this was ruined by coal waste which also silted up the now non-existent harbour. [Replica kitchen display] Location & info 📌 Buckhaven Museum ★★ College Street, Buckhaven village centre, G.R.: NT 360982 ///bills.even.sudden Open Tuesday & Thursday to Saturday | Free [Stained glass window mural]

Fife | East Wemyss | Castle | ★ [Wemyss Castle] Macduff's Castle is one of Scotland's more obscure ruins, named after the family who originally owned the land here. Set on cliffs above the wonderful Wemyss Caves and overlooking the Firth of Forth, it's easily reached by a short walk along the coast path from East Wemyss village. The castle was built by the Wemyss family in the 14th century following the burning of an earlier construction, and had two towers joined by a gatehouse range. Only the southwest tower has survived the wrath of the local council, who (apparently) demolished other parts of the property after somebody fell from it. [View from the west] Location & info 📌 Macduff's Castle ★ 10-min walk northeast of East Wemyss village centre, G.R.: NT 344971 ///feasted.official.cracks Always open | Free 💬 Park on the seafront at G.R.: NT 342969 ///audit.catch.overlooks . From here it's a 10-min walk to the castle on a good path with s

Fife | East Wemyss | Caves | ★★★ [Court Cave - home to Bronze Age cup marks, Pictish symbols and hunting scene carvings] The clue is in the name of the local village, East Wemyss: "Wemyss" is derived from the Gaelic uamh - or cave. Strung along the coast to the east of the village are a series of sandstone caves. They'd be interesting to explore in their own right, but what sets them apart is their wealth of ancient carvings. The Bronze Age, Pictish and Viking periods are all represented (as well as additions from more recent visitors which act as red herrings), making up a fascinating section of coastline. Macduff's Castle is easy to visit on the same trip, and an unusually low tide made for excellent rock pooling when we were there. The usual precautions should probably be taken if entering the caves, such as wearing a hard hat and telling someone where you're going, but many people probably don't bother. Most of the caves aren't particularly d

Argyll & Bute | Glen Fyne | Full day walk | ★★★ [Along the ridge to Beinn Bhuidhe] A Munro with a brewery at the bottom? Sounds like a dream come true. Fyne Ales Brewery is perfectly positioned at the head of Loch Fyne for a sneaky tour (check in advance) or pint at the start or end of this circuit taking in Beinn Bhuidhe, a remote Munro just outside the western boundary of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. A long, flat walk along Glen Fyne followed by a well-worn hill path has probably been the most popular route for decades; there are wonderful views alongside Allt na Faing and on the final summit ridge, but it's slow, steep going with rocky ground to negotiate further down. More recently a hydro track has appeared, snaking its way to about the 600 metre mark. It makes an easy alternative route (which we suggest using in descent, when legs are weary) at the expense of scenery: it's a truly hideous scar on the landscape, "designed" with seemin

Fife | Ceres | Museum | ★★★ [Fife Folk Museum] Farming is everywhere in Fife, so perhaps it's not surprising that the county has an excellent museum dedicated to the region's rural history, housed in a former tolbooth and 19th century weaving cottages in the middle of Ceres. Er, where? Ceres is a village not far from Cupar - it's an attractive place but not really on Fife's main road network, which could explain why the Fife Folk Museum isn't better known. A colourful collection of gardening and agricultural equipment strung along Craighall Burn welcomes you to the museum, with a fascinating assortment of objects spread across several (small) levels and buildings. Upon entry we were each given a woven tag emblazoned with the name of one of Ceres' former residents, with displays at regular intervals allowing us to follow the life of our chosen citizen as we moved around the building - a nice, innovative touch. [Farming equipment in the annex] Loca

Fife | Town | ★ [River Eden at Cupar] Cupar is Fife's former capital, an important crossroads and former market town set on the River Eden. This is no garden of paradise though. The town has a firmly down-to-earth feel - probably a useful hub for local residents, but tourists are probably better off heading to nearby St Andrews or Falkland . Meanwhile, Cupar just about scrapes its way onto this blog by virtue of a pleasantly bustling main street (Crossgate), striking yellow council buildings and a handful of more interesting attractions in the wider area. [Crossgate] Location & info 📌 Cupar ★ Fife. Crossgate is at G.R.: NO 375146 ///defend.noisy.storybook 🚶 After exploring the small shopping district, you might quickly run out of things to do without using the local buses. 🚌 Trains call from Edinburgh, Dundee and other towns in Fife. Cupar is also a bit of a regional hub for buses throughout Fife and beyond, including connections from St Andrews, Edinbu

Fife | Lomond Hills | Half day walk | ★★★★ [Ascent to East Lomond] East Lomond is a notable exception to the flatlands of Fife: a bare domed summit looming large above Falkland village from which you can see most of the Kingdom. The steep, forested sides are quickly defeated by dozens of steps on the way up, but returning through Maspie Den takes the fun factor to another level. This glen, hidden on approach, has a real Highland feel with rocky sides, a tumbling burn with waterfalls (including one you can walk behind)... even a tunnel cut out of the valley side by wealthy estate owners in bygone decades. The fact that the walk starts and finishes in one of Scotland's prettiest villages is a convenient bonus. [Picturesque Maspie Den features a waterfall you can walk behind] 📌 Walk: East Lomond - fun for Fife! ★★★★ Start / finish at Cross Wynd (street parking), Falkland village centre, G.R.: NO 253073 ///narrowest.royal.general ▶ 7 km / 4 mi | ▲ 380 m | ⌚ Half a da

Fife | Falkland | Palace | ★★★★ [Falkland Palace] Falkland Palace is the crowning glory of the attractive village of Falkland . Backing onto extensive gardens containing Britain's oldest Real Tennis court, it's well worth adding to the history shortlist. The palace was built in the early 1500s by King James IV and V as a "pleasure palace" and soon became a favourite country retreat for the Stuart kings. The Marquess of Bute restored parts of the buildings in the late 1800s following decades of disrepair, resulting in an interesting mix of grandeur and ruin. [Palace gardens (2/5/15)] Location & info 📌 Falkland Palace ★★★★ East Port, Falkland village centre, G.R.: NO 254075 ///focal.ballroom.spectacle Open daily, March to October | £13 adult / £9 child / free for National Trust for Scotland members [East Range (2/5/15)]

Fife | Village | ★★★ [Falkland seen from the ascent of East Lomond] Falkland is one of the most picturesque inland villages in Scotland, designated the first conservation village in the country and even featuring as a rural WWII settlement in TV drama Outlander . Narrow cobbled streets wind away from the main street, with a number of independent shops clustered around the central fountain and village square. The historic highlight is Falkland Palace, a former country home to the Stuart monarchs with interesting gardens. The village sits beneath the shady northern slopes of the Lomond Hills in central Fife, with excellent walks starting right from the centre. [Falkland Palace] Location & info 📌 Falkland ★★★ Fife, G.R.: NO 253074 ///thinker.oath.adventure 🚶 With the lovely village centre, palace and an array of local walks, this is a great base for a day or two in good weather. 🚌 Buses call here from towns including Glenrothes, St Andrews and Cupar. See &a

Scottish Borders | Village | ★ [Innerleithen High Street] Tucked into the folds of surrounding hills at the confluence of two rivers, Innerleithen has a pleasant setting but doesn't look particularly interesting from the main road. The settlement was once an important textile town as well as a health spa destination, but nearby Peebles has more recently taken the lion's share of shops and services. Fortunately for Innerleithen, its former importance and the local landscape have bestowed it with a decent range of visitor attractions. Top of the list now has to be the fabulous mountain biking (with a local trailhead as well as 7stanes Glentress a few miles up the road)... ah, so that explains the number of cyclists hanging around. Opportunities for walks in the the surrounding hills and glens are excellent, with wonderful views from the tops. Rainy day? There's the old spa-turned-museum, a Victorian printworks and even Scotland's oldest inhabited house to explor