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Campbell Country
WIN
Tiny islands with huge appeal
Her final days in her own words
CLAN COURIER
A historic hotel changes hands and Outlander star Sam Heughan to appear in New York
[FUNDRAISER]
A GRAND GALA
The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA’s (NTSUSA) annual gala, A Celebration of Scotland’s Treasures, will be held at the Metropolitan Club in New York on 16 April.
The black-tie fundraiser provides a chance for those who love Scotland to come together for a joyous occasion and tickets include a whisky tasting, a four-course dinner in the Metropolitan Club’s resplendent West Lounge and a Scottish cèilidh in the marble-clad Great Hall.
Ticket holders will also be in the room when this year’s Great Scot award is announced – with previous recipients including Sir Billy Connolly, Judy Murray OBE and Diana Gabaldon, it’s a much-anticipated moment.
There will also be a live auction, plus a silent auction for those who cannot be there on the evening.
Kirstin Bridier, Executive Director of the NTSUSA, says: “A Celebration of Scotland’s Treasures is a chance for those who love Scotland in America to come together to support the conservation of Scotland’s heritage and natural beauty for future generations. The evening celebrates the enduring connection between Scotland and America that is central to our mission, and it strengthens our bond with the National Trust for Scotland’s extraordinary team, who work everyday to provide access to nature, beauty, and heritage for everyone.” ntsusa.org/about-us/celebration-gala
Campbell COUNTRY
In the first part of a new series, we go in search of the ancestral lands of one of Scotland’s most powerful clans
Words by GRAEME JOHNCOCK
BAY of SECRETS
Tucked away on the Dumfries & Galloway coastline, ve-star hotel Knockinaam Lodge serves colourful history, convivial hospitality and restorative calm in equal measure
Words by LAURA SUTHERLAND
THIS PAGE: Knockinaam Lodge is a 30-acre estate overlooking a secluded cove
After 15 minutes of weaving between undulating sheep-studded elds south of Stranraer, my taxi takes one last left turn and we’re faced with an immaculate green lawn that gives way, seemingly without border, to the Irish Sea’s endless navy expanse. Standing sentinel over this heart-stopping spread is historic bolthole Knockinaam Lodge. So far, so like the description of Richard Hannay’s hideout in John Buchan’s 1915 adventure novel, The 39 Steps. Having spent a spell at the house, it’s said that the author was inspired by this remote setting and cast it – albeit anonymously – as the isolated residence where his hero evades his pursuers while unravelling the conspiracy.
Indeed, there can be few better places in the world to hide out than this generous boutique hotel set within this enchanting private cove’s 30 acres. Built in 1869 as a Victorian shooting lodge for the Hunter-Blair family, it’s now a ve-star restaurant with rooms, with an array of satellite lodges now a work in progress, set into the enveloping slopes behind the main house.
Once checked into the light- lled, double-aspect South suite, I perch on the window seat to gawp out at the sprawling Bay of Spittal, which is fringed by wild owers, gorse and rugged rock formations. On the lawn below, a colony of rabbits are joyfully splooting and rolling under the sun’s rays. The only sound I can hear is the gentle percussive lapping of the waves on the shore, the cliffs on either side of the cove insulating me and my fellow guests from the outside world.
Such a convening at a pivotal point in the war would have been shrouded in secrecy
Orkney’s other ISLES
Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre are home to an extraordinary number of prehistoric sites
Words by MARK ROWE
What springs to mind when you think of visiting Orkney? Most probably the blockbuster attractions: the Neolithic stone village of Skara Brae and the equally ancient Ring of Brodgar stone circle.
Yet, just two miles to the north of Orkney’s Mainland lies the island of Rousay, which has arguably the richest collection of archaeological sites not just in Orkney but in the whole of Scotland. And the chances are, you will have them to yourself.
Separated by the fast-flowing waters of Eynhallow Sound, Rousay is reached by a 30-minute ferry ride from the tiny port of Tingwall and the sense of visiting a place apart starts there: if you are driving, your journey will begin in unexpected fashion as the ferry crew will politely ask you to do a three-point turn and reverse on – the MV Eynhallow is a Ro-Ro ferry with only one ramp.
On approach, Rousay is visually striking, for the land rises abruptly from sea level in steep, serrated contours, creating thrilling cliffs, lonely bays and high moorland. The eye-catching terraced hillsides – caused by pavement-like slabs of old red sandstone –might just bring to mind fanciful notions of Orcadian vineyards.
LEFT: Aerial view of Midhowe Broch, on the west coast of Rousay
JOIN THE IN-CROWD
From well-curated, intimate experiences to lavish lodgings, revel in Scotland’s many splendours by booking a luxury small-group tour
Words by LAURA SUTHERLAND
