Piping hot summer
CLAN COURIER
An ambitious island project, some Highlands nostalgia, and an old whisky route is revived
[PROPERTY]
DREAM BIG
Have you ever dreamed of packing it all in and moving to the Scottish islands? If so, and you’re looking to make that fantasy a reality, then why stop at a simple home when you can buy a whole island estate with tourism potential?
A rare opportunity has arisen to purchase an incredible 72-acre estate on the Isle of Coll, which encompasses the former volunteer centre of Ballyhaugh (complete with its own cèilidh hall), a four-bed croft house and a pair of traditional thatched cottages.
Those who can afford the £1.6m asking price can enjoy a tranquil lifestyle in this wildlife haven, home to corncrakes and hen harriers, with basking sharks and minke whales often spotted around its coast. Known for having some of the highest number of sunshine hours in the UK (as well as some of its darkest skies), Angus Kelly, partner at Rural at Bidwells, which is marketing the estate, says it’s one of “the most breathtaking locations in the Inner Hebrides”. It certainly sounds like a dream come true to us. homes.bidwells.co.uk
[EXHIBITION]
A KING’S WORLD
Until 14 September 2025, you’re invited to explore more than 140 objects related to King James VI in a landmark exhibition at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.
The World of King James VI and I charts the remarkable reign of Mary, Queen of Scots’ son 400 years after his death and includes many portraits, jewels, textiles and rare manuscripts displayed together for the first time.
Kate Anderson, senior curator of Portraiture at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “The artworks and objects on display give us the unique opportunity to delve into King James’s life and reign and uncover the people, places and events that shaped him.” nationalgalleries.org
The Hebridean Way
Our writer takes a journey through Scotland’s Western Isles to discover how a growing band of islanders are turning it into one of Scotland’s most exciting culinary routes
Words by ROSIE CONROY
LEFT TO RIGHT: The Highlanders stand in formation in the shadow of Blair Castle; Regimental Sergeant Major Graham Jack
THE BODYGUARD
We meet Graham Jack, Regimental Sergeant Major of the Atholl Highlanders, to find out what it means to be a member of the Chief of Clan Murray’s private army
Words by SALLY COFFEY
The Atholl Highlanders, Europe’s only private regiment, may be best known for its association with Queen Victoria, who granted them Colours with the right to bear arms in 1845, but their story began way before the queen set eyes on them.
The Atholl Highlanders were first raised as a regular regiment in 1777 by the 4th Duke of Atholl, Chief of Clan Murray, to provide relief to British regiments during the American Revolutionary War (though they were redeployed and spent most of their time in Ireland).
Disbanded in 1783, it was more than 50 years later that Lord Glenlyon (the future 6th Duke of Atholl) recalled the regiment to act as his bodyguard during the Eglington Tournament in Ayrshire.
It was this iteration that impressed Queen Victoria so much when she toured Scotland in 1842 and who watched over her at Blair Castle – the ancestral home of Clan Murray – in 1844 that she officially recognised them as a private army.
Despite this honour, the regiment entered a period of abeyance after 1933 until the 10th Duke of Atholl reinstated them again in 1966.
Today, the Atholl Highlanders – which come under the command of the Duke of Atholl, not the British Army – are best known for their annual parade and gathering, which takes place in the grounds of Blair Castle each year, over the last weekend of May.
Their numbers comprise local men who tend to work on the Atholl Estate and have an association with the regiment (women are yet to be permitted, though there are women who are Honorary Atholl
Words and photos JEREMY FLINT
BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE
Our photojournalist visits a Shetland-based maker who is helping revive the craft of Fair Isle chairs
THIS IMAGE: Eve weaves a Fair Isle chair’s back using Shetlandgrown oat straw
Words by KIRSTEN HENTON
THE EARLS OF MAR
We profile some of the most memorable holders of Scotland’s premier peerage, plus examine what the title means today
THIS IMAGE: John Erskine, the 23rd and 6th Earl of Mar, painted by Godfrey Kneller