Cycling Scotland’s lost highways and byways: a two-wheel odyssey in the wilds of Sutherland In his new book, Jack Thurston cycles the quieter roads and forgotten hill tracks of Scotland, exploring Britain’s most remote and rugged terrain There aren’t many roads in Britain where you can pull over to cook breakfast and finish it without […]

From Sussex to Scotland, my road trip through four centuries of British holidays A 1,600-mile journey to the wild peaks of Scotland, via Llandudno’s Victorian promenade and the bright lights of Blackpool proved an eye-opener in more ways than one One of my favourite recent photographs is of me (unusually), perched on the bonnet of […]

‘I’m hoping to meet a river goddess’: a wild journey through Britain’s mythic waterways Follow the folklore and you will discover a landscape full of wonder and powerful women – from a fearsome Scottish warrioress to the first queen of a united England It’s just past midday and I appear to be inside a rain […]

Neolithic treasures and sparkling seas on Orkney – all for £2 bus fares A new cap on bus fares in the Highlands and islands makes exploring this stunning archipelago in Scotland a breeze The views are remarkable. From one window, gorse-gold hills roll west towards mountains patched with snow. On the other side, fields of […]

Weird Britain: 10 glorious oddities to visit and marvel at Eccentric public art, strange ruins, eerie landscapes, follies … Britain has a rich store of curiosities. An enthusiast selects 10 of the quirkiest finds from his new book One thing unites the British more than anything else. It stands there in plain sight but is […]

A new off-grid cabin stay in Scotland – on a farm where kids can run wild Wonderful walks, wholesome adventures and friendly farmyard animals await at this collection of cabins and cottages in Perthshire On a January morning in 1938, Pitmiddle’s last resident, James Gillies, closed the door to his cottage for the final time […]

Swimming pools, fabulous views and radical architecture: 30 UK holiday cottages with the wow factor From a stylish retreat in Norfolk to a remote hideaway on a Scottish island, these boltholes will make for a truly memorable stay Tourism experts are predicting a bumper year for “staycations” with more of us choosing to holiday in […]

Where to find Scotland’s best seafood. Clue: these places are just metres from the water The Highlands and Islands are rightly lauded for their superb seafood – but these days it’s not reserved for fine dining and can be found at the simplest waterside shacks and inns The best oysters of my life arrive on […]

10 of the best scenic stays in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland From a beachside bothy to a Highland bunkhouse and lochside inn, here are some of Scotland’s bonniest boltholes With its cheery, cherry-red tin roof, you can’t miss the sturdy stone bothy on the Ben Damph estate. The family-owned 5,868-hectare (14,500-acre) estate nudges […]

Scotland in bloom: wildflowers turn the Outer Hebrides into a Technicolor dream The machair is nature’s dazzling display on these remote islands, but this rare habitat also plays a vital role for wildlife and the resurgent crofting community Some 8,000 years ago, behind the retreating glaciers, a remarkable environment was born on the western fringes […]