Hidden Scotland 06

We’re delighted to be introducing you to the Sixth edition of Hidden Scotland magazine. Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2023 issue.

Various themes run through the following 150 pages. Perhaps the most prominent is the notion of breaking away from the main drag. We tiptoe quietly into the country’s secret gardens, celebrate Edinburgh’s smaller museums and galleries, and learn more about the remote creative retreats scattered across the map. We also head to the extremity of the mainland, to look at the nooks and crannies of far-flung Caithness.

These ideas of concealment and secrecy extend to two of Scotland’s best loved but most elusive animals. Golden eagles and otters are both the focus of features in this issue, with the Cairngorms and Islay providing the respective settings. The sport of surfing, meanwhile, is the very definition of finding freedom and release in the margins - here, surfer-photographer Sam Howard leads us through three years spent catching Scottish waves.

Sam is just one of many characters you’ll encounter as you flick through the pages. We also meet legendary silversmith and engraver Malcolm Appleby MBE and speak to the remarkable Nick Gardner, who set himself the challenge of climbing all 282 of Scotland’s munros at the age of 80. Going back in time, we also turn the beam onto the Stevenson family, who collectively designed so many of the country’s lighthouses. And on a modern note, we hear from Hazel Powell of superb East Neuk bakery Baern Cafe.

There’s room, of course, for much more besides. We highlight ten of Scotland’s best lochside walks, pay a visit to the book-lovers’ paradise that is Wigtown and delve into the past with a look at what happened to the Picts. If you’re exploring with kids, meanwhile, look no further than our family travel guide to Perthshire.
As ever, enjoy the journey. Slàinte mhath, enjoy!