Scotland The Best: The people places

Published on Sunday 29 November 2009 22:44

THE landmark 10th edition of travel guide Scotland The Best is published today and includes a new category. Jackie Hunter hears publisher Peter Irvine identify the places with a certain 'Atmos' appeal

THE venue for my interview with Pete Irvine is, he points out, one of those places that have inspired a brand-new classification in his bestselling travel guide Scotland The Best, the landmark 10th edition of which is hot off the press for St Andrew's Day. Not that he's even seen the finished product yet. I find myself in the unusual position of having read it before him, so when he arrives at Urban Angel on this bright but chilly morning, streaming with cold and snuffling into a handkerchief, it's the first chance he's had to see the completed fruits of his labour, a copy of which was whisked over to me from the printers' a few days previously.

"Do you like the cover?" he asks. "Turquoise… I wasn't sure, but I'm told it's the thing." The wry tone of this softly-spoken, affable man suggests he's not convinced. But what he's absolutely sure about is what's contained between those bright covers: an exhaustive list of places – ranging from out-of-the-way bathing spots and tiny cheese shops to the coolest city bars and Michelin-starred restaurants – that anyone who values a certain quality of life here in Scotland, either as a resident or a visitor, needs to know about.

And this year's significant new classification – the one which perhaps denotes an increasingly discerning public, cash-poor and time-rich in a way we weren't two or three short years ago – is "Atmos". (This idiosyncratic shorthand is something of a necessity in a guidebook crammed with entries but it is also part of Irvine's own rather charmingly abstract conversational style.) It means atmosphere, a certain ambience; evidence that the comfort, enjoyment and sensory pleasures of the visitor have been taken into consideration. In some instances it's the hand of a chef, a gardener or an interior designer that does this, while in others it's the inimitable input of Nature herself. So what does a place – such as the one in which we're drinking restoratively strong coffee this morning – have to provide to deserve its "Atmos" medal?

It's an aspect he has found to be increasingly important and it stems from caring about people, says Irvine – who, as well as combing Scotland to update this biannual recreational bible, also manages to organise Edinburgh's Hogmanay and Glasgow Art Fair on an annual basis. His examples: "As well as decent food and drink, a caf or bar might have a coal fire burning, plenty of newspapers to read, good lighting, friendly service. It's whatever makes us want to go back there and take our friends."

An added advantage of researching Scotland The Best is that Irvine has become a human barometer for the nation's lifestyle trends: what's up, down, in or out. Anyone considering a move into the catering or hospitality industries, in my view, would do well to pay heed to his astute observations gleaned at the coalface.

Right now, he says, "the traditional bakers and old-fashioned caffs in Scotland are declining. I still think there's an opportunity for a completely new approach to bakeries. We're sick to death of the cupcake – it arrived two years ago and now it's ubiquitous, like the muffin. But there's a whole range of traditional Scottish cakes and artisan bread that has not yet resurfaced. Tearooms, however, is a category in Scotland The Best that's increased. It's probably got more two-tick entries than any other section, because there are loads of good ones."

Pubs, gardens, cafs, secret spots… which particular national treasures – natural, man-made or a bit of both – does the questing author of this indispensable handbook think are most likely to surprise us by their inclusion?

LOCH AWE

"A SOMETIMES rather sombre loch; but the light over it is amazing. Loch Lomond and Loch Ness get all the visitors, but Loch Awe is really special. It has this very long shoreline in a very heavily wooded area with some lovely walks and one of Scotland's most outstanding churches, a loch-side kirk, St Conan's – an amazing building. Also, Kilchurn Castle is nearby. I've included this area because it's one of those very atmospheric bits of Scotland that we might otherwise hurtle past."

KNAPDALE

"ANOTHER surprisingly atmospheric place – it doesn't even sound like it's in Scotland, it could be in the Lake District.

"It's a beautiful peninsula, and in the middle of it is a fabulous pub called the Kilberry Inn, half-way along a single-track road. At the top of it is the Crinan Hotel, one of the most beautiful, but the countryside you might skirt round on the way there has all this ancient, mixed forest, stuffed with wildlife, and it's not on the tourist map at all."

POOL HOUSE HOTEL, POOLEWE

"A NEW inclusion. The house was taken over by the Harrison family, an elderly pop and mom and their two daughters. They've taken on this historic house, which once belonged to Osgood Mackenzie, and turned it into a boutique hotel. But the difference is they're not a part of that world, they're not on the fashion radar like most hotels that fall into this category; it's simply one of the most carefully run and tastefully decorated hotels in Scotland. One of the daughters is a painter and has decorated the rooms with different murals and themes."

MONTEVIOT HOUSE GARDEN, NEAR ANCRUM

"MUCH as I try to trim the entries in this book so that I can raise the bar, when it comes to gardens in Scotland it's really difficult. Monteviot House Garden, in the Borders, is attached to the beautiful house where Michael Ancram lives. It's on the River Teviot, which was a feature of my childhood because I'm from that area, and Ancram (Marquess of Lothian] was the local laird, the big Tory. One of my student-days jobs was helping trim the forest on his estate.

"In that same area, off the A68, is a secret swimming hole. If you didn't know about it you would never find it. Swimming in Scotland's rivers is one of the great but lesser-known pleasures and something I've been doing for many years, so I'm always on the lookout for good places. This one is really gorgeous and surprisingly deep. Also on Ancram's estate is an obelisk called Peniel Heugh, a monument to the Battle of Waterloo."

JURA HOUSE GARDENS, JURA

"A GARDEN which I had underestimated. It's not particularly manicured with gardeners keeping every leaf in place, but just very natural and with 'atmos'. Maybe that's because there's hardly anyone there, it being Jura. In summer they have a tea tent on the lawn and serve home-made cakes. You can walk from there down to the shore or you can have a beautiful bower all to yourself; it's just lovely."

DR NEIL'S SECRET GARDEN, EDINBURGH

"I DISCOVERED this garden, on the shores of Duddingston Loch, when I was researching the last edition of the guide. It looks more like Argyll, you'd never imagine it was in the city when you look at photos of it. One of those unexpected places, superb and hidden."

SHAMBELLIE

"THIS is a new addition, an abandoned walled garden near Dumfries. It's behind (but not part of] Shambellie House, a National Trust property, and was rescued by Sheila Cameron, who reinstated this spectacular walled garden with the help of her brother. A real labour of love."

STRATHMASHIE

"ONE of the most beautiful picnic spots, but hardly anyone knows about it. It's on the A9 at Newtonmore on the road to Fort William and has the most gorgeous swimming hole, with a little waterfall. It's like heaven. Secluded, surrounded by Scots pines, with rocky ledges and beautifully clear water. I've often been there when there's hardly anyone else. There are a couple of car parks there now, but they're mainly used by walkers who use this as a starting point. About 5km away there's a lovely little tearoom, too, so this is a good spot to head for a swim, a walk and some tea. The perfect afternoon."

FINZEAN FARM SHOP, DEESIDE

"THIS one's fabulous, a new one for the book. It's not on the main road, but between Banchory and Aboyne, in an estate. Kate and Katrina run it and it's just lovely, looking out on to the mountains.

"A lot of food sold here is from the estate – meat and game – and loads of stuff they make themselves, carefully sourced and very well presented. It's really special – one of the best in Britain, I'd say. Carefully locally sourced and very well presented. A real foodie destination."

HAMMERTON STORES, ABERDEEN

"THIS is a discovery for me. It's in a suburb of Aberdeen and very deliberately not called a deli or a shop – it's a neighbourhood store for provisions, but you won't find tinned beans and packets of KitKats here.

"The owner, Susan Watson, has just filled the shop with things that she likes.

"But of course that happens to include loads of stuff we like, too – it sells everything from travelling rugs to local cheeses, homemade jam, artisan bread, and simple but tasteful crockery. It's not huge but it's very discerningly stocked."