Scotland famous for textiles – Scotland’s textiles are famous all over the world, not least of all for the kilt (a Highland tradition dating back to the 16th century!) and contemporaries who continue to produce some of the world’s finest fabrics.
Here textiles are as varied as they are practical. In the Cairngorms we certainly find wildlife stalkers are prone to camouflaging tweed, while walkers often go for the synthetics. Pro tip: don’t miss out on the versatility of wool; it keeps you warm when wet, wicks away sweat and can take weeks before needing a wash.
Carding wool at Knockando, great activity for kids!
The must sees of the textile industry include the Scottish Borders, Harris Tweed on the Isle of Harris, Fair Isle knitting between the Shetlands and Orkneys and Johnstons of Elgin based in London who have a free tour of their wool mill every business hour, on the hour.
Scotland textile artists have been making quite a splash in the fashion industry, too. Notables include Angharad McLaren, Lochaven of Scotland in Ayrshire village (known for creating the outfits for Harry Potter’s wizarding school!), Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders, Graeme Armour, and more. Another great article on Scotland’s influence in the fashion world is 10 Scottish manufacturers for fashion designers.
In addition, check out a few of our favourite textile and yarn manufactuers in Scotland, namely Keela and Bonar Yarns.
In the Cairngorms we have our very own Knockando Woolmill Trust. This charitable organization has a fully functioning water wheel where you can witness its fascinating process in action, set against a lovely Highland backdrop. You can also browse their garments in shop—check out more of our experience with Knockando and the Scottish Kiltmaker’s Exhibition.
The British Wool Fest in Cumbria and the Inverness Loch Ness Knitting Festival in June and September, respectively, are both wonderfully immersive introductions to textiles, and Rebecca has taken a 3 day weaving course she would highly recommend for beginners and novices.
To learn more about these experiences ask us about our self guided tours, because any quintessential Scottish holiday can’t miss out on its Tartan and Tweed!
Check out more of our adventures at Knockando:
How to keep you kids interested in a family walk is often a problem faced by parents of young children. We’ve put together a range of activities we’ve introduced to “walks” which have successfully encouraged our son and our friends children. We hope you will also find them useful to encourage your kids to enjoy the outdoors.
Stick substitutes courtesy of Santa
Photo Caption: There are plenty of sticks around which serve the same purpose, but in this instant Santa delivered popguns which proved very popular for keeping the interest of all the wee ones up on the walk.
The majority of the activities described below are suitable for walks anywhere in the country and have probably been used by parents all over the world to prevent the eternal cries of:
“How much further?”
“Are we nearly there yet?”
“I don’t want to go for a walk.”
I don’t guarantee that any of these will work on stubborn teenagers though!
Always a popular way of livening up a walk, especially if you’re in the woods where the hiding places are almost limitless but probably worth setting some boundaries as you won’t want to lose the kids permanently.
Wild foraging in the Caledonian pine forest of Scotland
Photo caption: a wee exercise in foraging – for some reason if we do hunting for mushrooms there’s much more enthusiasm for an expedition than there is if we suggest a “walk”.
Once Spring starts, opportunities to enliven the “walk” with wild snacking just increase. Wild fruit are obvious targets but you can also forage for wild garlic and mushrooms but please respect the rights of the landowner. If you do intend to forage, make sure you only take enough for yourself. The landowners take a poor view of anyone who picks commercially and have been known to prosecute.
Geocaching is now a worldwide phenomenon. You can download an app and use it to find all the local caches. It combines orienteering with treasure hunting. Etiquette is though that if you take anything from the cache you should replace it with something of equal value. (Most stuff which is in caches is worth no more than 10p. They vary from pens, to wee toy cars, to erasers …) You also sign in to the book and can register your find in the app.
Sticks seem to have an endless fascination for children. So much so that whole books have been written on the multiple uses of sticks when out for a walk. I’ve even seen a perfectly ordinary stick for sale on Ebay for loads of money for no obvious reason except that it originated inLondon.
Our son at 7 will still pick up virtually any stick along the path to be used as a sword, a gun or to help with the walk.
Photo Caption: Exploring a pre-built shelter in Deshar Woods (Boat of Garten) always a highlight when walking out in the woods.
A walk which includes any body of water or river/stream is always popular with kids and can extend the time it takes to complete the walk considerably. Always be wary though (having been frequently caught out myself) and take care to pack a towel if you’re going to encounter walking. Despite numerous warnings, your child is bound to get damp, if not soaked.
Pooh sticks – always a winner with boys of all ages! 3 generations of competitors here.
A big bag of “bribes” is always a good thing to have with you. If you go on ahead of your family, just a short distance and hide wrapped sweets along the way, you’ll turn the walk into a treasure hunt.
7. Build a shelter
The activity of building a reasonable shelter could take over the original aim of completely a decent walk, so be wary if you start this and make sure you have allowed plenty of extra time.
Of course not every walk presents as spectacular a tree climbing opportunity as this one, but it always makes a “walk” more exciting if there are opportunities to explore along the way – a cave, a tree, a cliff – for kids they are all places filled with adventure. Weasling is just the technical term for climbing in and around rocks and through tunnels.
What fun teetering along the trunk of a fallen tree.
Photo caption: The high winds during the winter storms have felled a few trees in the woods. There have to be some pluses to that weather. These particular trees are proving a popular site to explore even for grown up kids.
You’d be amazed how much more of an adventure it will seem if you have a project of photos to take – how many different leaves can you record and take pictures to identify at home; who can get the best bird picture? Can you find a yellow flower? How many flowers can you find? Record them all and compare at home.
Take a torch on a night time walk. You’ll be amazed how many eyes you see in the woods. What animals do you think they belong to?
More formal ways of turning a walk into an adventure:
Trek with a donkey – if you have previously enjoyed hiking, all day or overnight adventures used to be your thing but now the kids have arrived on the scene and you’ve had to curtail your adventures or do them without your partner. We discovered a way you can “have your cake and eat it” – trek with a donkey in France. The donkey will transport your baggage and your children when they get bored or alternatively the donkey will serve as entertainment as your child leads it or feeds it. The presence of the donkey, really lifts the whole hiking experience and makes it an adventure for everyone – plus the food is amazing and the scenery glorious. How could you refuse? More details.
Photo caption: Leading the donkey in the Cevennes
Also read:
A trekking adventure in France
Mission Adventure: New app in development to turn a walk into an adventure by creating your own treasure hunt/story.
Treasure trails: these trails are set up all over the country. You can stay at Fraoch Lodge and follow any one of the local trails. We plan to stock the trails which you can then follow when you’re staying here.
This is the question asked by far and few between, yet still questioned. For those who are more comfortable at home and don’t enjoy the thought of dragging bags across countries. Well, we are here to convince you that travelling is about so much more.
Travelling can offer something for everyone, no matter who you are, what you do or what you’re interested in. The world is literally at your feet. We travel for culture and we travel for different food. We travel to meet people, but most of all we travel for experience.
Personally we think Scotland has something to offer for everyone. You’ll quickly discover Scotland is a wonderful destination for travellers. You’ll learn fascinating history, experience food and drink that will comfort and challenge you and enjoy lively music. But best of all, what Scotland can offer is the scenery. Whether you’re a wildlife enthusiast, enjoy quiet country strolls, challenges mountain hikes or crystal clear lochs. You name it; you can experience it in Scotland. And that is what travelling is really about. The experience.
Understandably, travelling can be a little daunting for those not fully comfortable with it. But it’s certainly made easier for you when holidaying with Scot Mountain Holidays. We understand how stressful planning holidays can be and have packaged our tours to remove the hassle for you. All you need to do is select a tour; and it’s as simple as that. All our packages are inclusive of all meals, accommodation and transport, and in a group atmosphere; it’s perfect for a first time traveller.
Still unsure if travelling is for you? Consider the amazing experiences Scotland has to offer you in both activities and relaxation. Combine this with Scot Mountain Holidays stress free holiday packages and you have the ideal destination, and the perfect travelling experience.
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
