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Love Scotland and want to share your stories – why not have a look at all the recent discussions and make a contribution or start a new discussion? Visiting Scotland and looking for some advice – why not ask a question or start a discussion or simply explore all the great content?
Join the conversation today and share your #scotspirit.
Best Of
Top Ten Pictish Stone Sites
Hi folks, in honour of World Heritage Day and the #ScotlandinSix Romans vs Picts 5k run at Callendar House, I wanted to kick off a discussion of the absolute best Pictish stones and sites to visit with my personal top ten list. Pictish stones are distinctive monuments carved in the 5th to 9th centuries, during the heyday of the Pictish kingdom in northeastern Scotland. There is just nothing else like them anywhere else in the world, and you have not been to Scotland until you see some! Ok, here goes my list, in roughly road-trippable order from south to north.
Fowlis Wester: one of the westernmost Pictish stones in Scotland, close to the edges of the Pictish kingdom in Strathearn. The stone is a large cross slab currently housed inside a lovely historic church, with a full-size replica outside in the village square where it may have stood for centuries (complete with iron jougs or collar for punishing troublemakers!). The church also protects two other important Pictish cross slabs, and is a real hidden gem.
Dupplin Cross: Currently on display inside St Serf's Church, Dunning, with its beautiful 12th-century square tower. This free-standing cross is one of the last Pictish stones, with no symbols, but very distinctive Pictish king and warrior imagery, alongside an extremely rare inscription naming king Constantine mac Fergus who died in AD 820.
Meigle Museum: A collection of 26 stones found in the church and the village, housed in the former schoolhouse. Home to perhaps my favourite of all Pictish stones, the Meigle recumbents, with their man-eating beasts and enigmatic empty slots - were they meant to hold upright grave stones, relics or ritual offerings?
St Vigeans Museum: Like Meigle but bigger, with 38 stones to marvel at! However it is now open by appointment only so make sure to get in touch before a visit!
Aberlemno: Home to not one but four stones in what appear to be at or near their original locations: three along the roadside, and one in the churchyard. They range from early incised symbols on possibly reused standing stones, to elaborate, relief-carved Christian cross slabs. The churchyard stone may be the single most famous Pictish stone, depicting a famous battle against Anglo-Saxons.
Brandsbutt: Now a wonky boulder in the middle of a quiet residential area, this was once a megalith in a stone circle, a great example of the way the Picts often appropriated existing ancient monuments. Also as a bonus, includes an ogham inscription alongside its Pictish symbols, which reads IRATADDOARENS, a clue to what the symbols might translate to one day?
Maiden Stone: A tidy cross slab with its Pictish symbols looking almost as clear as the day they were carved, thanks to the hard-wearing granite. Situated off the roadside and possibly standing in the same place it's been for over a thousand years.
Sueno's Stone: The tallest Pictish stone at 7m! So much to take in, you could visit countless times and see something new every time.
Burghead Fort: One of the largest and earliest of all the Pictish power centres which is impressive to visit on its own. But the site is also famous for the Burghead Bulls, panels carved with a single image of a bull in distinctive Pictish style, found here in the 19th century. Don't miss the mysterious Burghead Well and ponder what pagan rites may have taken place here!
Portmahomack and the Tarbat Peninsula: The perfect end to a Pictish Pilgrimage, or the beginning of a lifetime of Pictish fandom? This historic church was found during excavations to date back to a Pictish monastery possibly founded directly from Iona. Artefacts and carved stones from the famous dig are displayed at the Tarbat Discovery Centre at Portmahomack, but don't miss the other three stones at Hilton of Cadboll, Shandwick and Nigg on the 'Pictish Trail'.
So which is your favourite? And which would you suggest in place of these? Submit your top ten below!
Fowlis Wester: one of the westernmost Pictish stones in Scotland, close to the edges of the Pictish kingdom in Strathearn. The stone is a large cross slab currently housed inside a lovely historic church, with a full-size replica outside in the village square where it may have stood for centuries (complete with iron jougs or collar for punishing troublemakers!). The church also protects two other important Pictish cross slabs, and is a real hidden gem.
Dupplin Cross: Currently on display inside St Serf's Church, Dunning, with its beautiful 12th-century square tower. This free-standing cross is one of the last Pictish stones, with no symbols, but very distinctive Pictish king and warrior imagery, alongside an extremely rare inscription naming king Constantine mac Fergus who died in AD 820.
Meigle Museum: A collection of 26 stones found in the church and the village, housed in the former schoolhouse. Home to perhaps my favourite of all Pictish stones, the Meigle recumbents, with their man-eating beasts and enigmatic empty slots - were they meant to hold upright grave stones, relics or ritual offerings?
St Vigeans Museum: Like Meigle but bigger, with 38 stones to marvel at! However it is now open by appointment only so make sure to get in touch before a visit!
Aberlemno: Home to not one but four stones in what appear to be at or near their original locations: three along the roadside, and one in the churchyard. They range from early incised symbols on possibly reused standing stones, to elaborate, relief-carved Christian cross slabs. The churchyard stone may be the single most famous Pictish stone, depicting a famous battle against Anglo-Saxons.
Brandsbutt: Now a wonky boulder in the middle of a quiet residential area, this was once a megalith in a stone circle, a great example of the way the Picts often appropriated existing ancient monuments. Also as a bonus, includes an ogham inscription alongside its Pictish symbols, which reads IRATADDOARENS, a clue to what the symbols might translate to one day?
Maiden Stone: A tidy cross slab with its Pictish symbols looking almost as clear as the day they were carved, thanks to the hard-wearing granite. Situated off the roadside and possibly standing in the same place it's been for over a thousand years.
Sueno's Stone: The tallest Pictish stone at 7m! So much to take in, you could visit countless times and see something new every time.
Burghead Fort: One of the largest and earliest of all the Pictish power centres which is impressive to visit on its own. But the site is also famous for the Burghead Bulls, panels carved with a single image of a bull in distinctive Pictish style, found here in the 19th century. Don't miss the mysterious Burghead Well and ponder what pagan rites may have taken place here!
Portmahomack and the Tarbat Peninsula: The perfect end to a Pictish Pilgrimage, or the beginning of a lifetime of Pictish fandom? This historic church was found during excavations to date back to a Pictish monastery possibly founded directly from Iona. Artefacts and carved stones from the famous dig are displayed at the Tarbat Discovery Centre at Portmahomack, but don't miss the other three stones at Hilton of Cadboll, Shandwick and Nigg on the 'Pictish Trail'.
So which is your favourite? And which would you suggest in place of these? Submit your top ten below!
Top Proposal Spots
You have to admit, Scotland is pretty romantic! And I'm sure everywhere from the Michelin Star restaurants to the summit of hills have seen their fair share of proposals.
I bet there are people out there trying to find the perfect place to find the perfect moment to pop the question so let's give them some inspiration... I'll start:
A cold but beautiful Glen Etive
I'd actually recommend this place even if you weren't going to propose, just because it's so dramatic and beautiful. It's also the place where Bond and M go in Skyfall which is a fun photo to recreate. The deer are pretty friendly too - they were the first to admire my new ring
I bet there are people out there trying to find the perfect place to find the perfect moment to pop the question so let's give them some inspiration... I'll start:
A cold but beautiful Glen Etive
I'd actually recommend this place even if you weren't going to propose, just because it's so dramatic and beautiful. It's also the place where Bond and M go in Skyfall which is a fun photo to recreate. The deer are pretty friendly too - they were the first to admire my new ring
Re: Cult Scotland
Hi everyone. If you've seen the trailer for T2 Trainspotting then you will be familiar with the scene where Jonny Lee Miller’s character Sick Boy greets Ewan McGregor’s character Mark Renton saying: ‘’Hello Mark. So what have you been up to… for 20 years?’’. If you've wondered that yourself, check out our latest blog post - it looks at the Scottish locations that feature in the films and TV shows that McGregor and his Trainspotting co-stars have starred in over the last 20 years: https://www.visitscotland.com/blog/films/trainspotting-2/
Cult Scotland
With T2 Trainspotting coming out in a couple of weeks (who else is excited?!), I’ve been thinking a lot about cult film and literature in Scotland. Us Scots aren’t afraid to celebrate our dark side. I really love seeing films and reading books where you can really see that unique Scottish personality coming through and I don’t think I’m the only one!
It’s no secret there’s been loads of amazing ‘cult’ films set and filmed in Scotland. One of my favourites is Shallow Grave, Danny Boyle’s predecessor to Trainspotting – I just love that film. A brilliant ‘black comedy’ and full of great Scottish actors. If you haven’t seen it I recommend watching it now!
And if you’re going to talk about cult film in Scotland you can’t not mention about the Wicker Man (the original of course!). Definitely one of the best cult films of all time. Not only is it great being able to visit the locations in Dumfries & Galloway, but I loved being able to attend the Wickerman Festival in Dundrennan which was inspired by the film. It was a real shame to find out that the event was held for the last time in 2015. 
The 'Wickerman' at the Wickerman Festival in 2015
Then we have books –Scottish crime fiction has become such as phenomenon it even has its own genre now, ‘Tartan Noir’. Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre and Ian Rankin are some of my favourites. It’s really exciting to hear about the announcement of RebusFest, a festival celebrating 30 years of Rankin’s Rebus, I can’t wait to see what’s going to be involved. There are parts of Edinburgh like Fleshmarket Close I can’t walk through without thinking of Rebus! There’s also an annual literary festival all about crime fiction in Stirling each September, Bloody Scotland (great name!).
What are your favourite ‘cult’ Scottish books and films? I’d love some recommendations.
ailsa
5
Escaping it all in Scotland
With Black Friday, and the rest of the hectic shopping season, fast approaching.. my mind automatically switches to finding a way to avoid the stressful crowds and dreary trudging around the shops looking for festive bargains.
Luckily, Scotland provides a lot of ways to distract yourself from the masses, and ways to escape completely for a bit of "you" time.
For me, that would mean grabbing my camera, and heading out into the wilds, in search of the many beautiful views and wildlife spectacles to be found in our stunning and diverse country
First stop for me would be a hike up one of our many mountains, yes it maybe requires as much, if not more, effort than a hectic days shopping.. but the views you will get as a reward trump anything you will find in the bargain bin! And you never know.. you could be the only person on that mountain.. bliss
Imagine being the only person taking in that view.. or this one
And if a hike up a mountain doesn't sound appealing, then why not try a spot of wildlife spotting! I find nothing more relaxing than spending a few hours either walking around a forest or sitting on a beach, taking in the sights and sounds, with the chance of spotting some animals.. big or small
Like this curious seal near Kilberry, Argyll
Or this little Red Squirrel in a forest near you
And if we get clear enough skies (rare at times) there are plenty of spots I can think of, with little light pollution, that I like to head to and enjoy the millions of stars above our heads, it doesn't take long to drive from the city or town, or even walk to your local park and completely forget all shopping stresses.. as you gaze upon shooting stars and if your lucky, witness the Northern Lights dancing across the sky
Aurora at Bellanoch, Argyll
So these are a few of my favourite ways to escape the crowds at this hectic time of year...
what's yours?
Munro Bagging
Last weekend I made my way to Glencoe with a couple of friends and traversed Buachaille Etive Mòr via Curved Ridge. We bagged two Munros: Stob Dearg and Stob na Bròige. It was a thrilling and beautiful route* – the views were incredible! The route took us 6.5 hours to complete. However, we were walking at a quick pace to ensure we got back to the car before dusk.
*This route is not recommended for beginners. Curved Ridge is regarded as a classic hard scramble (Grade 3 or moderate rock climb). It requires careful route-finding and some would use a rope to aid security.
Some photos from the route below.
Perfect day for a scramble
I should not have looked down at this point
Climbing ‘The Crux’ on Curved Ridge
Pretending not to be afraid
The view from Buachaille Etive Mòr
What do you think I should climb next? I’ve got the bug! 
MichaelG
10
Re: Vote: What is your favourite Scottish bridge?
It was a difficult one but had to go for Brig O'Doon as I adore Tam O'Shanter.
Another favourite and regular stop off point for me is the Old Packhorse Bridge at Carrbridge.
Oh then there's the Roman Bridge in Glen Lyon which is pretty and the bridge connecting Harris and the Isle of Scalpay.
Another favourite and regular stop off point for me is the Old Packhorse Bridge at Carrbridge.
Oh then there's the Roman Bridge in Glen Lyon which is pretty and the bridge connecting Harris and the Isle of Scalpay. 
Vote: What is your favourite Scottish bridge?
Though bridges are usually built for function, many take such a beautiful form. We've put together a list of some of Scotland's most iconic bridges and we want to know which bridge is your favourite - vote now!
Autumn in the Cairngorms
Living in Scotland, l am lucky enough to get to enjoy it in every season and l love every season for different reasons. But, as a photographer, l get particularly excited about Autumn. The colours are spectacular and the light is divine. My favourite place to visit at this time of year is Cairngorms National Park. So much to see and do and the landscapes and vistas take your breath away. Where's your favourite place to visit in Scotland at this time of year? Anything that can tempt me away from this beauty?
Kat
9
Re: Hi I am planning a trip to shetland next year and island hop.
Usually, the best time to try and see the aurora is around the spring and autumn equinoxes (March-April or September-October), although I have managed to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights in December/January too.
I've listed a few useful websites below which you can check before or during your trip to monitor what they call 'geomagnetic storm activity' - the more powerful the storm, the more likely you are to spot the lights. It's also good to have a clear night, as clouds can obscure the aurora, and you'll want to find a good, low northern horizon to increase your chances as well
- AuroraWatchUK
- AuroraWatchUK Facebook Page
- AuroraSpy
- Aurora Shetland Facebook Page
I've listed a few useful websites below which you can check before or during your trip to monitor what they call 'geomagnetic storm activity' - the more powerful the storm, the more likely you are to spot the lights. It's also good to have a clear night, as clouds can obscure the aurora, and you'll want to find a good, low northern horizon to increase your chances as well
- AuroraWatchUK
- AuroraWatchUK Facebook Page
- AuroraSpy
- Aurora Shetland Facebook Page
