A new, paperback edition of Pete Irvine’s Scotland the Best 100 Places, will be published on the 9th of March by Collins and here we look at some suggestions around Scotland’s capital and the east of Scotland.
The new release features 100 extraordinary Scottish places selected by Pete and accompanied by stunning images from some of Scotland’s finest photographers.
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Hide AdThis special collection features some of the country’s most beautiful and interesting places, demonstrating exactly why Scotland was recently voted the 2nd best country to visit in 2017 by Rough Guides.
The selection veers away from the obvious landmarks and visitor attractions and instead offers glimpses of less known Scottish treasures.
Peter Irvine said: “This book is about ‘place’, our sense of it and how it informs our awareness and perception of Scotland. Although it is a photography book, featuring photographs from some of Scotland’s most notable photographers, it is also a manual, helping readers to find the places in the pictures they might otherwise walk by. Of course, my selections is entirely subjective. There are perhaps glaring omissions, but I’m confident that these 100 places are all exceptional and that this has been captured in each of the photographs selected. Whether sitting in Charlotte Square Garden in August, or on the shore in Iona, or arriving by boat to Knoydart or Stromness, you know you’re in a very good place, that it’s great to be in Scotland and good to be alive.”
St Margarets
Holyrood Park may easily be taken for granted by citizens, yet St Margaret’s Loch sits serenely in the corner as if it were its own quiet country.
Rosslyn Chapel
Recently restored to its former glory, Rosslyn is probably one of the most enigmatic churches in Christendom. Sibce 1446 it has attracted devout pilgrims, codebreakers and the curious thanks to its association with Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Prestonfield
Around the world there are a handful of luxury hotels uniquely at one with their place. Prestonfield, overlooking Arthur’s Seat, is one such hotel. Imbued with a heady atmosphere of opulence, romance and even decadence. Innumerable accolades are testament to its enduring reputation.
Moray Firth Villages
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Hide AdOff the beaten path, far east of Inverness and north of Aberdeen, there is a stretch of coast with beautiful beaches, airy seabirds, not many folk and couthy villages. Many good exploration days await on this coast.
Greywalls
The building was designed in the Arts and Craft style by Edward Lutyens and was completed in 1901. Most agreeable to all senses, both inside and out, this is a house that feels at once sociable and intimate.
Glen Lyon
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Hide AdOne of Scotland’s crucial places, Glen Lyon has long been lauded by walkers, fishers and connoisseurs of landscape, including Wordsworth, Tennyson, Gladtone and Baden-Powell.
The Forth Bridge
One of the engineering marvels of the world, in 2015 it will have been over 125 years in situ and in service.
Falkland
Quite unlike anywhere else in Fife, Falkland has an intimacy and welcoming ambience all of its own. It’s a perfect place to while away a day, with country walks that radiate from its charming fountain crossroads, art galleries and a good choice of tea rooms and bars.
Edinburgh Graveyards
For anyone interested in old graveyards, Edinburgh is an alluring prospect. Graves and monuments are not only a roll call of well-known historical figures, but also a reminder of the extraordinary influence and impact Edinburgh had on the world in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Dunnottar Castle
Dunnottar is a castle with presence, both in its spectacular location and its place in Scottish history. Linked to the mainland by a narrow strip of land, it’s a bracing and rewarding walk up there from Stonehaven Harbour.
Dr Neil’s Secret Garden
Not so much a secret these days but this public garden still seems like a private hideaway; it was a labour of love when it was created by the good Doctor and still is, under Claudia Poitier and a dedicated group of volunteers
