In Scotland, there are plenty of walking tours. However, when you join Scot Mountain Holidays – it’s more than just a walk. It’s more of a complete adventure which will hopefully give you a sense of place and belonging. Not only do we feast on stunning mountain views, but we’re also treated to some spectacular, colourful and sometimes dainty looking wild flowers; and unexpected wildlife encounters.
Always bear in mind that September is also harvest month. In normal, times no doubt there would be church services to give thanks. Though we can’t do that this year, we have still been treated to some of the best of nature’s bounty (see images in slideshow).
This year we’ve picked loads of chanterelles and boletus mushrooms plus we’ve been able to find not 1 but 3 cauliflower fungi. It’s also a spectacular year for plums (from the garden) – and apples but they need a wee bit more time on the tree. Berries have been good too. Andy had brought back wild blueberries (blaeberries), wild cranberries (linganberries), juniper berries and cloudberries (highly prized in Scandinavia)
Though wildlife is not the focus of the walks Andy has led this month, he has some close encounters including 2 capercaillie and 2 black grouse down Glenfeshie. Unfortunately no pictures though to back up reports of the sightings.
Of course the dinners we’ve had this month have also been a highlight for everyone, but we’re usually too busy enjoying them to take pictures. We’ll try to add some in next month so you get a more complete picture of the trips and what makes them so special to the people who join us.
Here’s a sample from just this month of all the delights Andy has come across while out in the hills.
With thanks to Mala, Joanne, Valerie, David and Gareth for the excellent company this month.
Getting out and bagging a few more Munros in August is a luxury we haven’t had for a while. It’s fantastic to be able to hill walking in Scotland again and to see some familiar faces enjoying a respectable, socially distanced Munro bagging week based at Fraoch Lodge. These are just a selection of photos taken by Andy and Peter during a glorious week of sunshine and Munros. All were suitably exhausted but satisfied by the time they headed home.
The weather was amazing (as born out by the photos) so we were also able to enhance the trip with some outdoor dining experiences and broke out the BBQ as well which allowed us to be more social than we could have been if stuck indoors.
To see the full selection of images (and original sizes) please go to the google album.
We are so lucky here – wild camping in Scotland is a perfectly legal activity. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code allows us remarkable freedom, but as a result of coronavirus there seems to have been a resurgence in irresponsible access to the outdoors. Lockdown has inspired many to head out into the countryside and enjoy nature; exercise outdoors etc – especially as the gyms have been and remain shut in Scotland for now. Many have turned to so-called wild camping – much of which is a result of people touring in their own motor, caravan and motorhome. Not what we call wild camping. For us, if you’re wild camping you’re unlikely to see any other people at all and you won’t have the luxury of motorised transport.
We’re seeing an increasing number of reports in the local and national press these days about rubbish & fires. All these reports relate to what the press call “wild campers”. Social media is full of images of heaps of rubbish collected by local residents from walks in local beauty spots. It seems that there is an increasing problem with camping equipment being left behind and human waste not being properly disposed of. Of course, this is more of a problem at the moment as public toilets have been slower to open up in this age of coronavirus pandemic.
All this though is not due to “wild camping” in its truest sense. By rights wild camping and roadside camping should not be confused.
To wild camp you must:
“At Mountaineering Scotland, we continue to promote responsible access and behaviour to our members and the mountaineering community through our communications and campaigns. We believe that the problem is the behaviour, not the activity of camping, and that the creation of additional legislation will not be the solution. The existing legislation already deals with irresponsible and criminal behaviour; what is needed is more investment in low cost facilities, improved public information and councils, communities and police working together to find local management solutions.”
There are no doubt many people who camp close to the road and leave no trace. Unfortunately as per normal, it’s the minority who could spoil it for the rest of us. It is especially important in the time of a hugely infectious pandemic, to make sure that you do not leave any waste behind you. By this I am not referring only to plastic, cardboard etc, but also to any bodily waste. If you’re going to go and camp outside a camp site where public toilet facilities are not available, you need to either take your poo away with you to dispose of properly or bury it in a safe site. If you do not know the protocol, make sure you find out before you leave.
When you work for yourself, from home and your home is your business, it is difficult to get quality time away from work. Our choice is usually to head out for an overnight wild camp – maximum enjoyment for minimum time away. It often feels as if we’ve been away for a week after we come back from an overnight in the hills. The only problem is that we don’t go often enough!
We think it’s such a great way to relax and get away from the stresses of daily life, that we’ve incorporated a luxury version in our programme which you could enjoy too.
We’ve taken the wild camping concept one step further and made it more of a glamping experience. However, we’re still conforming with all the principles of “wild camping” above. No motorised transport; more than 30 minutes walk from a road; self-reliant and independent. Check it out.
Respect a few simple rules or run the risk of losing the right to camp responsibly: check out this article
For a more in depth article covering wild camping across Scotland check out Alex Tiffany’s article on JustgoExploring
Camping – a beginner’s guide by Fiona Outdoors
Wild Camping: Scotland’s top 10 spots
Guide to Wild Camping in Scotland (WatchMeSee)
Visit Scotland guide to Wild Camping
MC of S – concerns about Wild Camping
Lockdown encouraged surge of interest in nature
At the moment, most of us a feeling a wee bit more tied down and unable to go out for much outdoor exercise during lockdown. However, even though you may have to do the same or similar walks from home for a while, there are ways to make your regular walks more entertaining
Inevitable with more people “working from home”, getting out and about on the paths surrounding your home and maintaining your social distance is becoming more difficult. Why not turn it into part of the challenge for your walk? How many people did you see when out today? What did you do to avoid them? How could you manage a completely isolated walk? – Walk at midnight? Can you manage an invisible walk?
Nettles are in season right now, but you’ll have to be quick as they’ll quite quickly become too big to be tender enough to use for soup – recipe coming soon.
Wild garlic is also in season. We have some pasta base and pesto recipes for wild garlic and have also made some wild garlic ice cubes to add to our pasta/stew recipes
Spring foraging recipes to follow shortly
Wild garlic
Sorrel
Listen to the birds which are out around you and see if you can identify them by the song you here. Check your identification with the app on your phone. You might be surprised what there is in your locale.
The Woodland Trust have very good tree identification app which now I come to think of it has been recommended by other people to me.
It’s amazing how different a walk can seem at night as opposed to during the day. You could try and do what we’ve done in the past and take a torch with you to spot “eye shine”. This is when your torchlight reflects back off animals’ eyes. For example, you can see from the eye shine that there are a lot more deer out in the woods than you thought during the day
There are a few different options and fortunately someone else has already done an analysis of the options. Take a look at this blog.
If you don’t have an audible subscription yet, I would recommend it. Though there are also plenty of podcasts out there to keep you company on your walk, a book lasts longer. We enjoy audiobooks while we’re travelling in the car, but as we can’t do that at the moment, enjoying some listening while walking a route you’ve done many times before can make things a wee bit more interesting. You might not have anyone else in your household to enjoy outdoor exercise during lockdown, the audiobook could be good company if you choose well. There are also lots of inspiring walking, hiking, climbing and travel books which have been narrated to keep you inspired.
Some recommendations:
Touching the Void (Joe Simpson)
No Shortcuts to the Top (Ed Viesturs)
The Marches (Rory Stewart)
The Living Mountain (Nan Shepherd)
In the Cairngorms (Nan Shepherd)
Suggested podcasts:
Scotland Outdoors
The Adventure Podcast
Sounds of the Trail
Of Mountains and Minds
Also checkout this recommended list put together by Much Better Adventures.
Nothing like feeling as if you’re still part of a community, even if it is online!
However you manage to enjoy your more limited time outdoors this spring, do take care but at the same time – keep fit and ready for a time when we can head back into the outdoors as much as we like.
We work from home every day. For the entire time in which we have been running Scot Mountain Holidays our home has been our business. However, this is an unusual blog post for us, due to the unusual circumstances in which we find ourselves at the moment. Normally we don’t look so much behind the scenes at working aspects of Scot Mountain Holidays. But perhaps now the time has come to share with you our tips for working from home – one side of our business we don’t usually boast about. As you’d expect from a small business like ours, we work from home. However, to complicate matters further our home is also our business. We’ve had to struggle for years with balancing home and work but now we’ve also got to add in the home schooling complication. We thought we might share some of our tips with you – though we realise some will be more difficult to adhere to than others.
Make sure you take some time first thing in the morning or last thing at night to make a list of what you’d like to accomplish. It’s difficult to stay really motivated right now when there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight to the restrictions placed on our lives by the government, but it will come to an end. Will life have turned around completely by then? It’s doubtful. I have no doubt that when we can, we’ll get back to the adventures we hoped to have this year.
we all need structure in our lives. If we drift aimlessly right now, all we’re going to accomplish is being up to date on Facebook and other social networks and chatting endlessly online.
during your working hours (whatever you designate as your work time – doesn’t now have to be a 9 – 5 day) don’t be tempted to read the news, watch TV/Netflix/Amazon Prime etc, go on your social channels to take a break. Before you know it, half the day will have disappeared and you’ll not have accomplished any of the tasks you set yourself.
over the years we’ve had a few different work setups. In the very beginning, when a lot less of our work was online, we even shared a computer. Not advisable, especially now! Even Gregor (age 11) has his own Chromebook now he is doing Google classroom instead of going in to school. Never share an office if you have enough space to create your own.
It’s very easy when you’re working from home to end up working all the time. Or at least you might think you are.
It’s easier when you’re at home to get stuck in a rut.
Decide what your project is going to be for the next wee while. If you have the luxury at the moment of having a bit more time on your hands than usual (which despite having no guests to look after, I don’t have) set yourself a target –
Our edible garden behind Fraoch Lodge
Eve reads Gregor a story
Amazing meals at Fraoch Lodge
Ponies in training
I’ll put up some weekly menus shortly and you can let me know if any of them are possible to create at the moment or what adaptations you’ve had to make (if they worked).
The trouble with planning a hiking vacation in Scotland is that you are almost spoiled for choice. There’s no way you will be able to fit everything in to one vacation.
The scenery on Skye and around the west coast of Scotland is remarkable from the road. It has inspired movies such as “Brave”. The draw is understandable but the disadvantage is that for Scotland it can be “touristy”. It will be unusually busy with other visitors. If you’re looking for a quiet experience of Skye when you have a chance to enjoy the scenery without the crowds, you’ll need to consider taking the time to explore there out of the main tourist season. April, May and September are the best times to head over there. You have a high chance of good weather and a low to non-existent chance of encountering the dreaded midges.
In recent years, particularly since the Land Reform Act (2003), there has been public money available to develop paths across Scotland. This has resulted in a proliferation of way marked long distance routes. The Land Reform Act (2003) formalised the right of access to all land in Scotland, whether privately or publicly owned. Access rights are for outdoor recreation, for crossing land and water, and for some educational and commercial purposes. Exercising access rights, and managing access land, must be done responsibly.
The most well-known of the long distance routes is the the West Highland Way, but there are many others like the Speyside Way (the one to do if you’re in to whisky). Another recently mapped route which is less formally organised is the Cape Wrath Trail. This trail is described by Cameron McNeish as: “It’s the sort of long distance route that most keen walkers dream of. A long tough trek through some of the most majestic, remote and stunningly beautiful landscape you could dare imagine.” You can research more details here: http://www.capewrathtrail.co.uk/foreward.htm There is also a recently published map by Harvey maps covering the area involved.
A full list of long distance paths across Scotland is available here:http://walkhighlands.co.uk/long-distance-routes.shtml They range in length from 338km to 38km. Some can be linked together to make a longer route.
The disadvantage, depending on your point of view, of most long distance paths in Scotland is though they go through mountainous areas most if not all of these routes do not go up the mountains so if you stick to the waymarked route you’ll only be admiring the peaks from afar.
Photo Caption: Long distance path walking in Scotland
There has been quite a lot of investment in path construction and signage in Scotland since the development of the Outdoor Access Code in 2002. There are opportunities virtually everywhere to get out of the car and explore a wee bit to a viewpoint or through spectacular woodlands or around a loch etc. The difficulty is in knowing which option to choose.
WalkHighlands can help with this in that all the walks they list are graded and have an estimated length in distance and time. However, possibly the best way of choosing is to ask your hosts at your accommodation for their recommendation of the best walk to choose and if you have a wee bit more time available take advantage of a guided walk as you will gain so much more insight into the area from the guide’s knowledge. There are ranger guided walks in most areas, particularly in the National Parks like the Cairngorms and the Trossachs which will reduce the cost. Some of these walks are even free. Boat of Garten has it’s own ranger service offering guided walks around the woods behind the village. The RSPB also offer guided walks on the Abernethy reserve.
The advantage of booking a walk with a guide is that you’ll be able to get off the beaten track with confidence. You might even be able to do a longer walk or go higher than you would be confident doing on your own.
A guide will also have extensive knowledge of the local folklore, the environment, the flora and fauna as well as the terrain through which you are hiking. There really is nothing better for bringing the area alive to you. As a student or cash strapped tourist you may consider the cost relatively high. However when you look at the cost of eating in a restaurant or your accommodation for the night, you’ll realise that on an hourly rate your guide is not charging a lot of money. A qualified mountain leader will have invested years of training into his qualification not to mention the cost of the training course itself.
A qualified mountain leader (or accompagnateur) will charge from £150 – £200 for a day out. This fee will be split across the clients in the group. The larger your group of family the less the cost per individual. The rewards of going out with a guide for the day are however beyond price as you will learn so much more about the area which you won’t find in the guidebooks.
Most organised hiking tours will explore only one area in depth. While this approach is not for everyone (many people visit a country with a tick list of sights they want to visit – which are inevitably the same spots 90% of visitors also want to see, resulting in overcrowding), if you go on an organised vacation you are often more likely to have a more genuine and authentic experience of the country you are visiting.
It is worth checking that the company you book with has a philosophy which appeals to you. Also that the structure of the trip suits your priorities. For example, if you are thinking of booking with Scot Mountain Holidays but it is important to you to have 5 star hotel style accommodation, rather than a home away from home, you will probably look elsewhere for your trip. The philosophy behind our vacations is that our guests stay within our home. They immerse themselves in the atmosphere and feel comfortable discussing all aspects of life in Scotland.
Of course, if you have enough time you could consider a shorter, organised trip as part of your vacation and tour the rest of the country by car/bus.
Think about access – a major consideration as part of the planning. Some areas of the Highlands are more difficult to reach than others. For our organised vacations we have tried to make it as easy as possible for our guest to access them. We offer pick ups from Aviemore station and Inverness airport. In the Cairngorms, we are lucky enough to be near the major route north from Edinburgh – the A9, which makes it very efficient to get here.
It may look like it isn’t far to reach some areas of the Highlands but travelling on narrow, sometimes single track roads, will take longer than anticipated.
When planning your trip bear in mind that reaching some areas by public transport can be time-consuming. Many of the routes used have to go around rather than through the mountains.
Scottish weather has it’s own reputation. Everyone who comes to visit seems to be prepared to be cold and wet. Many are pleasantly surprised when they come to stay with us. Scotland has a great many ambassadors who spread the world all over the world but there’s no getting away from the fact that it is a green and beautiful land and that green comes at a price sometimes. However, it is possible to minimise the effect a poor weather day could have on your vacation.
A quick comparison between a relief map of Scotland and the annual rainfall map shows a very close correlation. The higher you go the higher the annual rainfall. The altitude of the land can change considerably in a single mile and so can the amount of rainfall both on an annual and daily basis depending on the prevailing wind direction.
The point is, the Scottish Highlands are packed with micro climates and by jumping in the car and placing big mountains between you and the prevailing wind direction, you can massively improve the weather you’ll experience for your day. It can be the difference between frequent heavy down pours and sunshine with the odd very light shower. If active frontal systems are sweeping across the country, well you’re probably going to experience some kind of precipitation at some point wherever you are but if they’ve all passed through and it’s just an air-stream scenario then some judicious planning can pay handsome dividends.
I remember turning up at a house in Glenfeshie one April. I was to guide the group of ladies up from the London area. The forecast for the N. Cairngorms was not good: 70 mph NE winds, blizzards above 800m and torrential rain. I arrived to the gutters overflowing but having studied the weather closely I suggested we jump into the cars for an hour and drive around to Pitlochry on the leeward side of the range to do Ben Vrackie. The suggestion wasn’t greeted with any enthusiasm and possibly a certain amount of doubt but the thought of an hour in a dry bus was better than an extra hour walking in the heavy rain.
As soon as we passed over Drumochter Pass the weather started to improve (as is often the case) and by the time we got around to Pitlochry we were in sunshine to the comment of “Andy, haven’t you done well”. We had clear views from the summit, albeit in a strong bitter wind. On passing back over the pass we drove back into the bad weather. ‘Had it been wet and horrible all day’ I asked Rebecca, my partner. “Yes’ was the answer.
The prevailing weather/wind direction makes a big difference. If there’s bad weather on the way make sure you’re on the sheltered lee side of big mountain ranges. One of the most common comments made by visitors is how changeable the weather is.Don’t judge the days’ weather by what’s happening at breakfast.
So when it comes to planning your tour, if you can remain flexible and not book things too far in advance it can often make a big difference. Avoiding the high season from the middle ofJuly until the end of August can be a big help in this regard. April & May can produce some of the best weather.
The vast majority of Scotland’s bad weather comes in from the south and west. You will notice the east side of the country is considerably drier than the west. In fact the west coast ofScotlandcan receive up to 3 times the annual rainfall of the east. So by basing yourself, for example, in Strathspey or in the North East side of the Cairngorms National Park you can often greatly increase your chances of experiencing better weather. Also, with easy access to the main road routes to Ullapool in the North West Highlands and Fort William in the West Highlands are only 1hr 40mins and 1hr 30mins away respectively from Aviemore it’s easy to make a foray into these areas.
This is you buying into in-depth local knowledge of suitable locations with regards to the weather conditions. Adventure activities also provide you with the opportunity to immerse yourself in the beautiful landscapes and amazing wildlife of the Scottish Highlands.
Adventure Tour Operators in Scotland
Highlands and Islands Adventures (mountain biking specialists)
Walking holiday providers in Scotland
When you go travelling one of the things you’ll find most interesting is to explore the local cuisine. This is no less exciting in Scotland. It’s not all haggis here! It can even be an adventure even for visitors from across the border! Here are some Scottish food classics for you to explore.
How many of these Scottish classics are familiar to you?
This has to be one of the most famous Scottish food classics available. I’m not sure it’s quite on a par with “Scotch”, whisky or malt, all the same thing though the name varies, depending on who you speak to. Haggis exports have been more limited though and US customs regulations have meant that we’ve been unable to spread the haggis far and wide across the US. It doesn’t always travel well. One businessman who flew from the Highlands to Birmingham was pulled to one side and accused of carrying explosives (which turned out to be his haggis).
Modern squeamishness puts a lot of people off trying haggis, but it is quite environmentally friendly in its way. It uses parts of a sheep that might otherwise be thrown away. A traditional haggis is made with “Sheeps ‘pluck’ (heart, liver, and lungs), minced (ground) with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach and boiled” Doesn’t sound appetising – but tastes delicious.
We normally bake our haggis here as we find it makes the haggis more succulent and less greasy or less soggy. Or alternatively we make haggis stacks, as below. Easy but impressive way to serve up haggis. Check out our blog on haggis and bagpipes
Haggis stacks: a round of haggis, a round of neeps topped with a round of mashed potato with green beans wrapped in prosciutto and drizzled with whisky and mustard sauce
A lot of visitors get very confused by the abundance of Scots words we still like to use liberally in everyday speech.
“Neeps” are Scottish turnips (what are known as the vegetable Swede in England). Try describing a “neep” to a foreign visitor. Most have no idea what you’re talking about and may not even be familiar with them as human food in their own country. Some think of them only as animal food and to be fair you do often see them liberally scattered across the fields in winter to feed the sheep and cattle.
“Tatties” – potatoes
The Scots, just like the Irish, love their potatoes. Mashed, fried, boiled – all forms of potato are good and often appear on the plate if you eat out in Scotland – far more common than rice or noodles, much to the horror of our Asian visitors.
Porridge or ‘Parritch’ is a favourite breakfast here in Scotland. It’s very similar to what the Americans call oatmeal, except that porridge can also be made with rolled oats. Traditionally porridge is made only with oatmeal, water, and salt. Ours here at Fraoch Lodge is a wee bit less traditional.
Porridge recipe at Fraoch Lodge:
1 big mug of oats, water, and milk. Heat at a medium-low until thick and creamy. That’ll do about 4 grown adults alongside some honey, fruit compote, chopped fresh fruits and maybe even some home-made granola on top. The consistency is up to you, lessen or add liquid to your preference.
To put it simply, Scotland and the Scots take massive pride in their whisky, and why not? There are around 120 whisky distilleries all over Scotland, and all have their unique designs and flavours. Notice the difference in the spelling of the word, some people, like our Irish and American brothers and sisters, include an extra ‘e’ to make whiskey. It doesn’t make too much of a difference to the item that it describes, but just to keep in mind that there’s probably a Scot who won’t hesitate to correct you.
The beverage itself is not just enjoyed straight from the bottle with some whisky rocks on a cold Scottish evening by the fire, it can also be used to flavour both sweet and savoury recipes. Here at Fraoch Lodge, we’ve used our whiskies to flavour our home-made orange marmalade down to the delicate and creamy whisky sauce that is perfectly paired with the Haggis stacks pictured above. It is a more versatile item than you think and well-beloved by the Scots, so to bring one (or two) bottle home with you after your visit certainly wouldn’t hurt. (Whisky sauce is great with pan fried salmon too.)
These are not just a Scottish classic, but a lunchbox must-have for kids and adults everywhere. There are many versions of this chocolate-caramel snack around the world but this one certainly has a spot in our hearts that remind us of home. Tunnocks (the family-run business based in Scotland) has been a beloved provider of said snacks since the 1890’s. Its sticky-sweet caramel alongside the crunchy wafers dipped in milk chocolate is an unbeatable feel-good snack whether you’re walking up a hill or walking the dog. I for one can’t settle for just one piece! Now that you mention it… *opens up a caramel wafer* Also famous in the children’s book series: Tom Gates by Liz Pichon.
This magical meaty invention will break your sausage expectations. The sausage is thought to be named after Lorne in Argyll, Scotland… and it is square. Yeah, that’s right, it’s a square sausage. This and ‘tattie scones’ are what makes a Scottish breakfast so distinct from all the others around the UK. It’s got the usual mix of minced pork and beef, alongside rusk and spices like a normal sausage, apart from the fact that it’s square. It tastes delicious by the way, don’t knock it ’til you try it! But also, it fits so perfectly well inside two pieces of bread. Some even have a piece of black pudding in the middle, and if you don’t know about black pudding yet, keep scrolling.
Now, I know what you’re going to say… “What in the world were the Scots thinking?!” But hear us out, it may just change your life. The battered Mars bar is what it says in the carton, it’s simple and yet so special. Just get your chocolate bar of choice, (yes, it doesn’t always have to be a Mars) dip in the batter and deep-fry in vegetable oil.
A few tips to get the best result possible:
When you discount all the calories and potential risk of going up a clothing size, it is well worth it.
Gat ye me, O gat ye me,
O gat ye me wi’ naething?
Rock an reel, and spinning wheel,
A mickle quarter basin:
Bye attour my Gutcher has
A heich house and a laich ane,
A’ forbye my bonie sel,
The toss o’ Ecclefechan. The Lass O’ Ecclefechan a poem by Robert Burns 1795
First things first, if you’re pronouncing the name of this tart as if you’re gathering phlegm and then deciding to swallow it, you’re probably pronouncing it right. This tart, otherwise known as the ‘Border Tart’ is named after a village in Dumfries and Galloway, south of Scotland. The texture of this one resembles a lovely pecan tart except with walnuts alongside other flavours too, like cinnamon, lemon and raisins. It is considered a substitute for its not too distant English cousin, the mince pie, but instead of just being allowed to consume it during Christmas, the Ecclefechan is available all year round.
I’m not going to lie to you, I was first dubious when I was served it on a plate with a small pot of cream beside it but by God, when I took my first bite, I did not care what it looked like. It’s a taste that I can only describe as Ecclefechan and it blew my mind. I prefer this tart with custard for sure, but you can have it with cream (whipped or not), ice cream or custard.
If you happen to come across a cafe that serves this beauty, don’t hesitate, just get it. If it’s not to your palate, at least you’ve tasted a bit of Scottish history.
No this is not medicine, nor is it a piece of technological gadget. It’s a super sweet Scottish treat! A little disclaimer, one must defer from giving to already hyperactive children, it may cause carnage.
This piece of confectionary is 85% sugar, so you don’t need a lot to feel that rush. It’s got a grainy yet melt-in-the-mouth, buttery texture and also has a wide variety of flavours, i.e. whisky! Tablet is not quite as soft as fudge but not as hard as a hard-boiled sweetie. It’s super simple to make and if you click the link in the title, you too can make this simple yet irresistible treat for you or your sweet-toothed friends!
Ye cannae complain!
classic shortbread
Shortbread… where do I begin? It’s neither short nor is it a bread, but is more of a crumbly, buttery biscuit. It is prominent in most Scottish households and Scottish supermarkets, as well as tourists who’ve just come from Scotland, will find themselves with boxes and boxes of Shortbread to give to their friends. Some in tins, some in boxes, but you can be sure that it’s either got a Scottish terrier in front or some sort of tartan design.
This historic beauty of a biscuit dates back to the 12th century and was said to be Mary Queen of Scots’ favourite. It is a staple for afternoon teas and are available in most cafes. It is a versatile piece that can be flavoured to your liking, such as chocolate and cherries. Here at Fraoch Lodge, we make our Lavender shortbread for when we have a lot of Lavender kicking about in the garden. When dipped in dark chocolate and sipped with tea, it is a divine thing to have on the palate. Click on the link in the title to make it yourself!
Apart from the Whisky, the nation would describe this orange-coloured carbonated soft drink as “Scotland’s other national drink.” I’m not a big fan of this particular drink myself but will drink it if given no other choice. My Scottish friends are adamant that I’m crazy to not like their “other national drink” but I’m sure I’m not the only one. I would still be careful about turning a can down though if you’ve been offered… the identity of this drink is so deeply rooted within the Scottish psyche that you might well cause offence.
It was initially named “Iron-Brew” but was not put up for sale until after health allegations were cleared up. Basically, the English thought that the drink itself had iron in it. The title changed to “Irn-Bru” in the year 1946. It’s popularity shot up after the wartime as they correlated their advertising to the comic strip “Adventures of Ba-Bru”. It was considered so outrageous that the style of advertising is still used today. Have a click on the title to see some advertising hilarity!
Fish And Chips Recipe — Dishmaps
The fish supper is not merely a foodstuff in Scotland, it is truly a tradition. It would almost be a sin to come here and not have a fish supper for one of your meals. Fish, usually haddock, was one of the main food sources during wartime Great Britain. Paired with chips (fries to our American readers) it managed to keep the population of Britain somewhat sustained. Fish and Chips is now considered a staple, or comfort food. After a long day out on the hills, or after a tiring day out climbing, the thought of having a fish and chips at the pub is as comforting as the thought of a warm bath.
Thinking of the crispy batter surrounding the flaky fish fillet inside is enough to get your feet moving through the hardest of times. Truly a shame if you don’t like fish.
Stornoway Black Pudding – Black Pudding – John Davidsons …
Okay, I have been asked this many times before, “Why is black pudding called a pudding?” We realise that the word ‘pudding’ makes one imagine a soft and creamy dessert as opposed to blood sausage. Yes, blood sausage. It was a way for our ancestors to use every single part of the kill. Then nothing would go to waste. The blood of the animal after it’s been killed doesn’t keep for very long. This way they could make it into something tasty. Now, this particular piece isn’t just of Scottish origin but has been popular all around the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is one of the many components of any Scottish, English and Irish breakfasts.
The taste is rather distinct and can only be described as black pudding. It can be grilled, fried, baked or boiled in its skin. Before you knock it down, do give it a wee try. I can say from personal experience that this ‘pudding’ is particularly delicious.
Stornoway Black Pudding is said to be the best. On one of our trips to the Western Isles, one of our clients was fixated on picking up some black pudding to take home before we left Lewis. (She succeeded.)
The Royal Burgh of Cullen in Moray, Scotland has stamped their name on this particular dish after having created it as early as the 17th century. Its main ingredients are smoked haddock, potatoes and onions. It’s usually served hot as a starter dish for posh meals. Or you can also have it with some lovely fresh bread as a hearty lunch.
It’s closest relative dish is the American clam chowder. Cullen Skink has a more distinct taste though because of the smoked haddock. I, for one, love a good Cullen Skink, it’s hearty, warm and full of flavour. Click on the title link. You can have a hand at making it yourself, but beware, the fish smell is a strong one. We found a recipe for cullen skink pie and cullen skink tart, both of which are out of this world. We’ll share on our recipe blog!
Macaroni pie
Everyone knows the good old mac n’ cheese, with its variations from all over the world, heck, even your own mother has her own take on it. The Scot’s macaroni pie is what it says on the tin. It is macaroni and cheese but within a Scotch pie crust. You really think this dish could still use more carbs on top of the pasta: *not*.
Needless to say, it’s a filling dish if one needs to bulk up. It’s also a great way to serve up mac n’ cheese in a bowl you don’t have to wash.
We’re sure that there are plenty more we’ve missed in this list. We’re working our way into tasting everything about this beautiful part of the world. What’s your favourite?
Some twisted versions – Can’t wait to try some of these. We might even practise for our own St Andrew’s. What do you fancy?
How to avoid cold hands and feet on your bikeWe did our first big ride of the autumn as a family last weekend – 28 miles on the mountain bikes. Unfortunately this also coincided with the first really cold day of the autumn. As we were riding with our 9 year old, there were occasions when we just couldn’t go as fast as we would have done on our own. I particularly suffered from cold hands and feet and the others weren’t best prepared. We decided it was time to get advice from our friends in the bike business.
We asked Backcountry Bikes, Mikes Bikes, Go Where and our own local ladies mountain biking club, PetalPower for their help:
“Mmmm. It’s a tricky thing and many people have a bunch of ideas around it. It’s useful to look at why it happens. 1. your touching/gripping great big lumps of metal, that’s effectively a heat sink 2. as you move through the air the air whips away heat add moisture to that (sweat or rain) it happens 20 times quicker. 3. what the state of the rest of your body temperature? if you core’s chilling your body will react and protect the core by drawing blood away from your extremities.
Things you can do…
1. insulate from the heat sinks, silicone grips on the bars silicone covers on brake levers, bigger shoes (windproof is ideal if not block mesh up with gaffer tape/or loosely wrapping your forefoot in tin foil) with nice wool socks and plenty of space to wiggle in…
2. pogies on the bars ( check out what pogies are on my site or look at hotpog on the internet) manage moisture, by not working to hard that you sweat or having a number of liner gloves to change as they start to get wet.
3. your hands and feet are relatively static while riding, so stop get off the bike and do something to get blood moving, have a pre ride routine to encourage the whole body warm up, think about fueling the body so it has plenty to go around, ‘warm head warm hands'”
Andy from Backcountry.scot – Backcountry.scot specialise in bikepacking and packrafting. They run trips and sell the essential gear you’d need to head off on your own.
“We swear by Sealskinz waterproof socks (along with a thin pair of Point 6 merino socks when it’s v.cold) and their gloves are ace too: https://www.sealskinz.com/m/by-activity/mountain-biking” Go Where Scotland
The Sealskinz socks are also highly recommended by Cycling weekly We’ll definitely be looking to invest in a pair.
[amazon_link asins=’B00M14NRRQ,B00REG22JK,B01GQ0W6G8,B01LYAWN2G’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’1603-8102-0783′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’860d4f73-c47b-11e7-b46a-f55bb4d2a84b’]
Go Where Scotland – Guided, self-guided and bespoke mountain bike tours – we’re proud to be the ‘Scotland only’ mountain bike travel specialist since 2008. That means we know exactly what makes for a great mountain biking holiday in Scotland.
If you belong to a cycling club, don’t be shy about asking for advice. Any enthusiast, no matter the activity, is always keen to offer advice. All you need to do is to filter down to the advice which suits you for your problem and your budget. Cold hands and feet are a common problem here in the Highlands when you reach a certain time of year. If you don’t want to pack the bike up for nearly half the year, invest in a wee bit more gear.
” I use a size bigger shoes for winter so there’s room for thick socks. And goretex boot liners if wet. Also neoprene overshoes help.”
For those of you not fussy about branding “Check Aldi, they had neoprene gloves, waterproof socks and merino socks.”
“I have waterproof socks with merino lining – not sure of the make- I’d have got them from Mikes Bikes I think? And I wear Seal Skinz winter gloves and add a cheap silk liner pair from Mountain Warehouse if v cold. I agree with Dot – looser shoes to get more layers under.”
“Always have cold feet even with thick socks and over shoes but once warmed up have cold hands but will wear ski gloves if I have to. Just never care what you look like just get out and ride!!”
Also … a word or two from the Telegraph who interviewed Gary “Flash” Blesson
Very timely – obviously I’m not the only one thinking about this as an issue. I’m pleased to see that The Telegraph is also getting on the bandwagon with their recent article about the Best Cycling Gear for Winter
If it’s gear you’re after you might want to check out these:
30 Seven Rechargeable heated gloves
It’s all in vogue these days. As our normal lives become more and more sedentary, there’s an increasing emphasis on keeping fit. As we get older too, it becomes increasing difficult to maintain our fitness levels. We can’t afford to hibernate over the winter. Instead of heading abroad, we can take on a new experience and continue getting out in the countryside throughout the winter months. If you find the winter weather a challenge or too scary, take a course to give you the confidence to get out walking the hills in winter.
Extra ways of burning calories while walking in winter include:
All of which you can tick when you go hillwalking in winter.
As far as anyone can tell, the “one pound on your feet equals five pounds on your back” notion originated with Sir Edmund Hillary’s successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. Since then, numerous studies by academic researchers and even the U.S. Army have concluded one thing on the matter: Weight on the feet is disproportionately more exhausting than weight carried on the torso.* To find out more read the links in our further reading section. Therefore walking in winter boots requires more effort and will burn more calories!
The air in winter is so much more crisp and clear than in the spring/summer months. In spring the large estates who own huge swathes of the Scottish hillside, often start to burn the heather to maintain the grouse moors. Obviously this produces a haze from the smoke which can affect visibility. In the summer the air is generally more hazy due to the humidity which then affects how far you are able to see clearly.
In the middle of winter it is possible to see 100km or more from the high hills. For example, Ben Nevis can clearly be seen from the summit of Cairngorm.
Challenge is the big buzz word these days. Have you run your first marathon? Have you participated in your first triathlon/ironman? Tough Mudder anyone? Compared with challenges like these, winter hill walking is much more accessible and something you could do every day (in season). The biggest challenge for winter hillwalking is building up your stamina when you’re also trying to hold down a full time job. Many of us have deskbound jobs these days and the closer we get to “middle-age” (our 40s and 50s) the more difficult it is to maintain fitness and stamina levels. However, in the course of a week, many people find that their fitness and stamina levels noticeably improve on a guided winter hill walking trip.
On a typical winter walking day out with Andy, the guests record steps in excess of 30,000 per day! You’d be well on your way to your #Walk1000miles at that rate.
Sharing is a major part of walking. People tend to chat as they walk in a group and often end up discussing all manner of topics; setting the world to rights. When you share an interest (i.e. walking) already with the people you’re with, chances are you have topics in common you can discuss without coming to blows. Of course, camaraderie is not something which is confined to winter, but there is something about pitting your skills against the environment which pulls your group together and gives you something to share.
It doesn’t matter what sport you’re enthusiastic about, people love to talk about their gear and share their experiences of using it. When it comes to winter walking, if you’re a novice, you will need to make some investments to upgrade from your summer/autumn walking equipment in order to be safe in the winter hills. If you’re not sure it’s going to be your thing (though if you already enjoy walking, you might get hooked quite easily), you can always hire the technical stuff – winter grade boots, ice axe and crampons, before making the leap yourself into buying the kit.
Sliding around in the snow with a sharp tool – sliding down a hill on your bum – digging in the snow – kicking into ice with crampons – all become legitimate “skills” when you’re on a winter course learning the “personal safety skills” of safe movement on the winter hills.
To go out walking you don’t need to pay for a lift pass for every day you want to go up the hills.
You don’t need to buy the skis and generally you’re further away from the ski lodges, so you don’t have access to the cafes and restaurants, which means you have far fewer opportunities to spend your hard earned pennies.
Gaining new skills and becoming proficient in using them builds confidence not only in the activity you are doing, but also in other areas of your life. It is always a good idea to keep your brain active and to learn new things, particularly if you are also learning new physical skills which will help your body remain fit as well as your brain.
If you’re a novice or if you’re lacking time to gain the skills yourself, remember that winter is harsh environment and not everyone has the experience to head up into the mountains but there are plenty of local, highly-qualified guides who are very happy to take you out.
It’s much more fun to share unusual experiences with your friends. Most people like to see images and videos of adventurous activities, spectacular views, mountains, nature – you can tick all these boxes when you record your experiences out and about in the winter hills, then share then on your favourite social media channel. You’re virtually guaranteed some interaction with your friends/followers.
*A pound on the foot – the science
The Great Outdoor Forum (Stack Exchange) – discussion on the science behind extra weight on your feet.
Scot Mountain Holidays (Ltd),
Fraoch Lodge, Deshar Road,
Boat of Garten,
PH24 3BN
All content © Copyright Scot Mountain Holidays 2024
Responsive web design by Summit Web Solutions
