Travel and wildlife writers share their favourite places to revel in the dark of winter “We,” says the Brocher, face lit by fire and dark with soot, “have creosote in our blood.” In their blood, on their hats, on their boots, down their backs – the Brochers, and in particular the Clavie Crew, have creosote everywhere, except in their whisky. They take that with water, a substance they otherwise disdain as being fine for quenching a thirst but a terrible thing to allow near a bonny flame ..read more

A hike in the footsteps of mountaineering royalty also takes in some of the Scottish Highlands’ finest views Excitement rises from the get-go. Ahead, a clearcut path leads through ankle-high heather across a landscape bound on either side by the Red and Black Cuillin, two dark-frowning massifs with deeply scarred features and bones of rugged gabbro. Even half-hidden in mist on this overcast morning, they are to me the most beautiful mountain ranges in Britain. Yet beyond these, almost coming into the light between the two, is Sgùrr na Strì, a far more modest 494-metre knuckle of coagulated roc ..read more

Revel in nature’s glorious autumnal colours with a country walk, then retire to one of these cosy pubs Part of the vast 22,500-acre Elveden estate, owned by the Guinness family, this charming pub with rooms is surrounded by the Brecks, one of the most wildlife-rich areas in the UK, part of Thetford Forest. Stroll the forest tracks beneath blazing autumnal canopies, and look out for stone curlews, woodlarks and nightjars, roe and red deer, hares and muntjac. The High Lodge Forest Centre has play areas, cycle trails and a tree canopy adventure course – ideal if you’re visiting with the kids, wit ..read more

A new fitness and nature retreat in Argyll, two hours by train and ferry from Glasgow, ditches speed and calorie counts to let the countryside work its magic At a viewpoint overlooking a sea of canary-yellow gorse and delicate blackthorn blossom tumbling down to inky Loch Fyne, the six of us howl like wolves into a gentle breeze. It’s an exhilarating moment, adding to the euphoria as we near the end of the four-day retreat’s longest run. It’s day three, and from our base at Auchgoyle Farm, a once-dilapidated dairy farm going through a rewilding transformation thanks to new owners David and Kat ..read more

Cal Hunter and Claire Segeren spent four years, and acquired 300,000 Instagram followers, doing up a dilapidated house in Dunoon. Now it’s open to holidaymakers, you can see the results for yourself You know that feeling when you accidentally buy the wrong house? No, me neither. Cal Hunter does, though, and it was to prove quite the most fortuitous error of the 31-year-old carpenter’s life. The blunder, in 2018 – attributed to a fast-talking auctioneer and a mix-up with lot numbers – left him and his partner Claire Segeren, 29, with a derelict Victorian villa 35 miles from the apartment in Gl ..read more

With great water sports, coastal walks, wildlife and an ice-cream parlour, this idyllic spot in Sutherland is the perfect hangout – and no one seems to know about it I was weaving through an underwater forest, russet strands of seaweed billowing around me like mermaids’ hair. As we snorkelled, the water was at times shallow enough that my fins scraped the sand; at others, the kelp-smothered rocks seemed to drop away, leaving the seabed out of reach. A flicker of movement in the corner of my eye had me spinning around to find my guide, Rhionna, pointing to a small, crimson-red sea anemone on a ..read more

In September, thousands of monuments, civic buildings and private homes throw open their doors to offer a rare glimpse of normally off-limits spaces. Here are some lesser-known treasures around the country England’s Heritage Open Days run from 8 to 17 September encompassing more than 5,000 volunteer-run events, tours and openings, all of which are free. For this year’s festival, Sound Leisure, which has been manufacturing classic jukeboxes since 1978, will be offering tours of its Leeds factory and showroom, with the chance to meet the team who hand-build these retro wonders. 14 September, 10a ..read more

From sculpture gardens to ancient woodland, windswept hills to deserted beaches, here’s where to really escape from it all Fifty square miles of untouched countryside with just one road, come for lochside walks, cherry-hued sunsets and magnificent views across the Sound of Mull from Ben Hiant, the peninsula’s looming mountain. Unique Cottages has a range of self-catering properties, from £495 a week; unique-cottages.co.uk ..read more

We ride the Kirkpatrick C2C, a new 250-mile route across lowland Scotland and stopping at bike-friendly hotels and cafes along the way The weather-beaten curves of a battered stone wall guide me out of Langholm, an idyllic old textile town tucked between the hills of the Esk valley, eight miles north of the English border. As I pedal slowly around a steep corner, a lamb and her mother, grazing on the grassy fringes, scurry off up the road. I appreciate their show of faith in my cycling abilities, but on gradients of 9%, I wouldn’t have been able to keep their pace even if they’d crawled off. I ..read more

There’s a lot to see just a short rail journey from Edinburgh. Don’t miss out on these stunning Scottish countryside delights – including one of Attenborough’s ‘wonders of the world’ Of the half million annual visitors to the Edinburgh International Festival (running from 4-28 August this year), the vast majority don’t leave the city. Which is understandable given the cultural smörgåsbord on offer, and that it takes place in (arguably) the UK’s most attractive city. But it’s also a wasted opportunity given that this is the capital of one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with a wea ..read more