Escape home: Arbroath Sea Fest | Highlands | Antonine Wall

By JOOLS STONE
Published on 07/08/2012 21:48

DIG out your vintage best for Arbroath Sea Fest 2012, the annual celebration of the town’s maritime history and heritage.

This year’s theme is the Second World War, so there are special events such as a 1940s car display and wartime music and dance. There’ll also be 70-odd stalls along the harbour featuring fine food and crafts, as well as a huge variety of sea-faring vessels on show. 4 and 5 August.

• Arbroath Sea Fest

LICENSED TO HILL

The Highlands are set to grace the big screen again in new Bond film Skyfall. Buachaille Etive Mor and Glen Etive (pictured) feature in the blockbuster, as does nearby Dalness Lodge, once the family home of Bond creator Ian Fleming. The King’s House Hotel, one of the oldest inns in Scotland, is a great base for exploring the area as it sits right at the junction of Glen Coe and Glen Etive. Rooms from £30.

• The King’s House Hotel

WALL-TO-WALL

Scotland boasts many Roman ruins, and few are more impressive than the Antonine Wall. Stretching for 40 miles from Bo’ness to the mouth of the Clyde, it was made up of a line of forts linked by a 12-foot wall designed to keep unruly Caledonian tribes under control. You can explore the remains of the wall and surrounding areas under the expert guidance of archaeologist and ancient historian Andrew Wilson on a week-long tour. From 28 July, from £1,080.

• Ace Cultural Tours

COOL, CALM AND CRUISED

Cruises don’t have to be about all-you-can-eat food and all-you-can-stand entertainment. The National Trust for Scotland has been running cultural cruises for 60 years now and they’re a very civilised affair. “Isolation, Islands and Intrigue”, one of the two on offer from its newly-launched 2013 brochure, is a week-long tour that covers the Scottish coast and islands including St Kilda, Isle of Lewis and Isle of Rum. From £1,450.

• The National Trust for Scotland

TAKE THE HIGH ROAD

The former Colquhoun Arms hotel in Luss looks set to be very bonnie indeed after refurbishment and rebranding into the Loch Lomond Arms. The 200-year-old hotel – visited by William Wordsworth in 1803 – promises to recreate its original coach house atmosphere. Opens at the end of this month.

• Loch Lomond Arms