Scotland Off the Beaten Track

Argyll & Bute | Black Mount | Full day walk | ★★★★ [Stob Ghabhar from Stob a' Coire Odhair]  Between Glen Coe and Bridge of Orchy lies the Black Mount: a rough and wild hill group comprising four Munros linked by fine high-level ridges. At 1090 metres above sea level Stob Ghabhar is the highest of the quartet, a natural focus for the southern half of the range, but fairly easily climbed by its southeast ridge from Victoria Bridge. The superb circuit described below uses this route in descent, instead adding in 945-metre Stob a' Choire Odhair as an energetic warm-up. Travelling between the two summits requires climbing the northern flank of the Aonach Eagach; this is unrelentingly steep and involves simple scrambling, but is much more straightforward than its narrower namesake above Glencoe village. [Gazing west from Stob Ghabhar] 📌 Walk: Stob Ghabhar - Black Mount Magic ★★★★ Start / finish at car park at minor road end near Victoria Bridge, 2 mi northwest o

City of Edinburgh / Midlothian | Pentland Hills | Half day walk | ★★★★ [Red grouse on the summit of Caerketton Hill, with Edinburgh City Bypass in the background] The spine of the rolling Pentland Hills comes abruptly to an end with Allermuir Hill and Caerketton Craigs, with only the Edinburgh City Bypass separating the moorland of Muilieputchie from Oxgangs cul-de-sacs. This half day walk therefore offers big contrasts: the curious dichotomy of a spacious, underpopulated southern vista accompanied by the rumble of road traffic 300 metres below - no doubt a strange world for the resident red grouse! The beginning of the route climbs around the chairlift and ski runs of Midlothian Snowsports Centre, eventually leading to easy ridge walking across the tops. The descent has a further surprise in store however: the exquisitely pretty, conservation hamlet of Swanston, where 18th century thatched cottages enjoy a rural idyll barely half a mile from the city limits. [Looking into

Scottish Borders | Duns | Stately home | ★★★★ [Manderston] Manderston is undisputedly the finest Edwardian country house in Scotland. Mostly redesigned by John Kinross (to massively upgrade a 18th century mansion) between 1901 and 1905, the house is still home to the Palmer family and exudes wealth from every pore, from its magnificent ballroom to a grand silver staircase. The construction budget? Reputedly unlimited. Today's visitor can also explore large parts of the extensive grounds; these comprise a lake and woodland garden on the south side, while on the north side there are formal gardens, a Marble Dairy and a cavernous stable block. The ingredients are therefore all present for a very impressive day out indeed - shame then about the indifferent attitude of a couple of the tour guides on our visit. [Gardens & grounds] Location & info 📌 Manderston ★★★★ Off minor road 2 mi east of Duns, G.R.: NT 811544 ///testy.crowds.brings Open Thursdays & Su