Winter on the Scottish isle is a thrill for our writer, a reminder that the ‘bad’ elements can be as exhilarating and restorative as sunshine It had been hard to judge the wind’s strength. On the Isle of Skye there aren’t many trees to bend, and despite the low temperatures the chimneys of the few white-washed crofting cottages we had driven past on the way to the western tip of the island were not smoking. But as soon as we parked at Neist Point, it was obvious it was blowing a hoolie. Water is meant to fall downwards, yet all along the step of the cliff that bends away to the east, the run-o ..read more

Guardian travel writers share their discoveries of the year, taking in food, art, history and wildlife Travelling down Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, my wife and I stumbled on İztuzu beach by accident. Almost three miles of sand stretches in a slender spit between a river delta and the sea, ringed by high mountains ..read more

Grand halls, turret views and resident ghosts … From the Borders to the Highlands, these accommodating castles offer bags of history, luxury and escapism Home of the Duke and Duchess of Fife, who live on site, the 15th-century Kinnaird has three rented apartments, of which the Macduff Tower is the most traditional, with views out across its well-stocked deer park, and a huge bedroom with four-poster bed. If you’re looking for a castle stay with a dog in tow, this is for you – there’s no extra charge for canine guests and they’ll love running in the grounds. Kinnaird is only open to the public ..read more

Lost Shore Surf Resort near Edinburgh is Europe’s largest wave pool and there are few better places to learn this exhilarating sport The sun splashes off the lagoon and I shield my eyes to see the wave rushing up behind me. I’m lying on my big foam surfboard in perfect position as it arrives. “Three big paddle strokes to catch the wave,” is what my instructor, Owen, had told me. I do just that, pop up and voilà: I’m surfing, arms out, gliding, grinning, sailing, slipping, falling flat on my face, hard into the water. I stand back up, unable to suppress a seismic smile and shake myself off like ..read more

On the shores of Loch Fyne, the swish Kabn is inspired by Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian contemporary design – and the perfect place to do nothing I am sitting on a sofa with my feet up, next to a log-burning fire, which is crackling away. The view out of the floor-to-ceiling window in front of me is on to a mess of deciduous forest stripped of its colour by winter. Beyond the trees, the main character of the piece, Loch Fyne, shines. The month is late November, and Scotland’s longest sea loch wears a coating of ice; thin enough to sink a skater but thick enough to colour the reflection ..read more

The city and its stunning setting on Scotland’s north-east coast are surprisingly easy to explore by rail, bus and on foot Seabirds fly below the train as it crosses the Firth of Forth with late afternoon light sparking the water. A kestrel hovers over hay meadows near Kirkcaldy. The lumpy Lomond Hills are sun-misted and the woods are touched with autumn gold. The final stretch of the seven-hour train journey from London to Aberdeen runs along the rocky Scottish shore past forts and firths. (York-Aberdeen costs from £32.30 one way, London from £68.80, lner.co.uk). Looking back, near Stonehaven ..read more

Thanks to the near nonexistent light pollution, the Hebridean island has been officially recognised as one of the best night skies in the world I step out the door of Guirdil bothy at 2am to the guttural roar of a stag and the sound of the ocean lapping on the beach before me. It’s the height of the rut here on Rum, a Hebridean island where red deer outnumber people, and stags have been bolving all night. The skull of an old, beached minke whale lies on the pebbles, just discernible in the darkness, while the imposing slopes of Bloodstone Hill tower over Guirdil, sheltering the bay from the wi ..read more

Fancy a seasonal getaway? From cosy inns to restaurants with rooms, we’ve found the best boltholes – all with menus as enticing as the scenery Glenfinnan House Hotel, overlooking Loch Shiel and the Jacobite monument, is one of Scotland’s most celebrated properties. On a clear day, you can see Ben Nevis from here, too. Glenfinnan viaduct, which attracts Harry Potter fans hoping to glimpse the steam train, is a short walk away. The family-owned country house dates from 1755 and has had a major refurbishment this year, reopening under new management ..read more

The Sea Change film festival on Tiree is a DIY affair that celebrates women and also connects communities on a series of small, scattered isles Think of a film festival and images of celebrities, paparazzi and throngs of tourists might spring to mind, but one festival on a Hebridean island does things a little differently. The Sea Change film festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday, has been attracting the public and the film industry to Tiree (population about 650) in the Inner Hebrides for the past five years. It’s Scotland’s only annual festival dedicated to celebrating women through fil ..read more

On the surface, little appears to have changed in the 30 years that bestselling author Peter May has been visiting the Isle of Lewis. But tourism has had a big impact – from Sunday opening hours to a deep water port for cruise ships There was a joke doing the rounds when I was first visiting the Outer Hebrides more than three decades ago. On the flight to Stornoway, halfway across the Minch, the pilot makes an announcement: “We will shortly be arriving on the Isle of Lewis. Don’t forget to turn your watches back two … hundred years.” And there was, indeed, as you arrived on the islands for the ..read more