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About Scotland
5-minute
Scotland
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RODDY MARTINE was born
in Kuching, Sarawak, of Scottish parentage.
He
lives in Edinburgh and has written over twenty books on Scottish interest subjects
ranging from Scottish Clan and Family Names - Arms, Origins and Tartans and Scotland
- The Land and the Whisky to Time Exposure: The Life of Brodrick Haldane, photographer
and The official history of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. |
He is co-author
of The Swinging Sporran, Living in Scotland and Living in the Highlands. He is
a contributing editor to the lifestyle magazine Caledonia, writes for a wide range
of UK newspapers and periodicals, and is a regular radio and television broadcaster
on social and current affairs topics. For more information on Roddy Martine, see
www.roddymartine.com
A favourite outdoor location
I have had a love affair
with Edinburgh for most of my life. Like those who came before me, I feel privileged
to live in this extraordinary capital city of imposing architecture and changing
skylines. On clear summer days, I can think of no more rewarding experience than
a stroll onto the summit of Calton Hill which stands at the east end of Princes
Street. From here, on one of Edinburgh's seven hills, there is a full 180 degree
vantage point. To the north can be seen the port of Leith, the waters of the Firth
of Forth, and beyond, the Kingdom of Fife. The south east features the ascent
of Salisbury Crags surmounted by Arthur's Seat whereupon once sat a mythical king.
To the south west lies the mediaeval Old Town, framed against the Pentland Hills
and crowned by its castle on a rock. To the east, far in the distance, the lump
of North Berwick Law locates the coastline of the North Sea. To the west sprawls
the cityscape of Edinburgh's Georgian New Town with its linear streets and elegant
squares. It took a native son, the author Robert Louis Stevenson, to put the feelings
such a view inspires into words. From far off Samoa he wrote:"Hearkening
I heard again in my precipitous city beaten bells winnow the keen sea wind."
A
favourite viewpoint or landscape
When
travelling to the Isle of Skye, most travellers either take the road bridge at
Kyle of Lochalsh or the ferry from Mallaig, but during the summer months there
is a third route, the tiny, privately owned ferry crossing from Glenelg to Kylerhea.
Now far be it from me to divert an excess of traffic in this direction, but the
return trip from the village of Glenelg across the steep slopes of Ben Avoinich
towards Shiel Bridge affords one of the most spectacular views of Scotland that
exists. Being so high up there is often a low mist, but when the clouds separate,
prepare to be amazed. With the shiny waters of Loch Duich at their feet, the mountain
range known as The Five Sisters of Kintail peaks across the horizon into the far
distance, seemingly into infinity. This is the Scotland of picture books, romance
and legend.
A
favourite journey
On
Burns Night this year I was invited to stay overnight at magnificent Culzean Castle
on the Ayrshire Coast, once the cliff top stronghold of the powerful Kennedy families
and today owned by the National Trust for Scotland. I had forgotten what an entertaining
drive it could be, south from Glasgow through Kilmarnock on the A77 to Ayr, then
along the coastline of the Firth of Clyde. Alloway is the village where the poet
Robert Burns was born in 1759, and the surrounding countryside is filled with
memories of his songs and writings. To the south of Dunure, a tiny fishing village,
is the Electric Brae where the road appears to be descending when, in fact, it
is rising. This optical illusion is brought about by the contours of the surrounding
landscape. Out to sea, in the distance is Ailsa Craig, a sugar loaf of an island
also known as "Paddy's Milestone", being located half way between Belfast
and Glasgow.
A
favourite historical place
At
the foot of Edinburgh's Canongate are the gates of the Palace of Holyrood. Do
not expect to be overwhelmed by magnificent treasures and lavish decoration, for
Holyrood is the most ancient of Royal residences still occupied by the British
Royal Family, and it makes no pretence at being opulent. That would be totally
out-of-keeping with all of its history and tradition. And therein lies the fascination
of this old turreted building with its ruined abbey steeped in the turbulence
of eight hundred years.
A
favourite country walk
Some
years ago I enjoyed the tenancy of a small cottage in the Tweedsmuir hills, wonderfully
located for exploring some of more glorious corners of the Scottish Borderland.
Close by was the Meggat Valley, flooded to create a great reservoir. On the far
side of a spectacular scenic route lay St Mary's Loch, to the north east of which
is the Veil of Yarrow and the Ettrick Forest, once part of the great Caledonian
Forest. It is difficult to choose a specific walk in this great wilderness, but
perhaps a start should be made at the inn beside St Mary's Loch known as Tibbie
Shiel, named after its proprietress in the 19th century.
A
favourite city walk
Unknown
to many, Edinburgh sits upon a river, The Water of Leith Walkway that rises in
the Pentland Hills and flows to the Port of Leith. Long neglected, this sparkling
spring has been brought to life over the past thirty years by the building of
a pedestrian footpath along its length. A favourite stretch, however, has to be
the leafy pathway that leads from the Dean Village and under the lofty Dean Bridge
to St Bernard's Well, a small waterside temple, complete with statue
A
favourite hotel
I
have family connections with Argyll, and at the west end of the Crinan Canal,
which cuts across the top of the Kintyre peninsula between Loch Fyne and the Sound
of Jura, is the Crinan Hotel presided over by the inimitable Nick Ryan. It is
famous for its seafood landed the same day from the boat that sits on the quay
outside.
A
favourite way to spend a day in Scotland
The
Blairgowrie Highland Games takes place on the first Sunday of September in one
of the fields at Ardblair Castle, ancestral home of the Blair Oliphant family.
The chieftain of the games is my good friend Lawrence Blair Oliphant, a magnificent
kilted Highlander with a beard worn down to his waist. Blairgowrie is very much
a traditional local gathering with piping, Highland dancing, cabers being tossed
and shots being put, and there is also a tug o' war between the neighbouring towns
of Blairgowrie and Rattray. Anybody can take part, and it makes for a marvellous
day of entertainment.
A
favourite food, menu or recipe
Lobster
fresh from the sea off the island of Lewis or Smoked Salmon from either the Loch
Fyne or Loch Awe Smokery in Argyll.
A
favourite Scotch whisky
I
am fortunate enough in my career to have written extensively on the subject of
Scotch whisky, and to have become involved with the Keepers of the Quaich, the
exclusive club formed within the Scotch whisky industry to honour those who have
promoted its products. It is my belief, therefore, that there is an ideal whisky
for every occasion, an Islay malt for a cold, winter's night, a powerful Northern
dram to be consumed during a rainstorm, or a light Lowland malt or Speyside for
a summer's evening. All of these are personal favourites, but perhaps if I had
to choose for an evening at home, I would not turn away from a Chivas Regal, which
is a blend, or the nectar of the single malt Royal Lochnagar from Deeside.
A
favourite museum or art gallery
The
Abbot House in Dunfermline, located next to the great historic cathedral, is a
surprising sight because it is painted pink. In mediaeval days, coagulated bull's
blood was used to harl such buildings, hence the rosy appearance. I love the quirkiness
of this place with its eccentric interiors, an Egyptian style room, a tribute
to the suffragette movement and a ceiling painted by the writer and illustrator
Alasdair Gray. The renovation work was the inspiration of my friends Dr Elspeth
King and Michael Donnelly who have since moved on to transform the Smith Art Gallery
and Museum in Stirling.
A
fond memory of Scotland
I
was aged sixteen at the time, and a family friend persuaded my parents to let
me accompany her on a Hebridean cruise. It was a magical experience, sailing from
Gourock on the Clyde and up into the Western Isles. We visited Tobermoray on Mull,
sailed around the Small Isles, Eigg, Muck, Canna and Rhum, then over to far away
St Kilda, the most westerly island grouping between Scotland and North America.
I shall never forget that adventure. Whether the weather was good or bad, the
sky overcast or brilliant blue, the changing light on the water was something
I have never encountered anywhere else.
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