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Magical Mystical Scotland

VisitScotlandAngelaVisitScotlandAngela Member, Moderator, VisitScotland Staff ✩
edited November 2017 in Understanding Scotland
There are so many places in Scotland that I think are magical and mystical - but for very different reasons.  Whether it be the dramatic landscapes, the folklore and heritage or the magical falls and hidden valleys, I think Scotland is one of the most magical and mystical countries in the world!  

One of the most magical areas I have been exploring lately has been the Trossachs.  I love the folklore attached to the village of Aberfoyle - stories of elves and faeries creating mischief and stealing the soul of the reverend who spoke of their tomfoolery.  They have celebrated this by carving sculptures in the woodlands at Doon Hill.  There's also a magical woodland trail from The Lodge Visitor Centre passing by some mirrored sculptures to the Little Fawn waterfall.  I also love sitting in the wildlife hide and watching the red squirrels scurry around the forest floor just a few meters in front of me.  Ben A'an is one of my favourite walks in the Trossachs and although it's only one mile from the car park to the top, it may have been the steepest mile I've ever walked! :) It was worth it though...the view from the rocky top was spectacular.  If your  looking to explore your more spiritual side, Tir na nOg is a holistic centre where you indulge in some alternative treatments and therapies....I fancy the fire walk which looks pretty awesome.   The Soup Dragon Cafe is also pretty cool (it also has lots of veggie options on the menu) and there's a short woodland trail behind the centre which has some mysterious sculptures and carved wooden spoons hanging from the trees!  :o


One of the mystical carvings at Tir na nOg

What's your favourite magical and mystical place in Scotland and what makes it magical or mystical for you?
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Comments

  • spootsspoots Member ✭✭
    edited October 2017
    The Ring of Brodgar in Orkney.  A mysterious, enchanting circle of twelve stone monoliths, sandwiched between two great lochs with the incredibly imposing hills of Hoy in the distance. Once, there were around sixty standing stones in the Ring, which is over four thousand years old. What purpose did the stones serve? Why were they erected this way? Are they religious? Did they signify belief in a life beyond our own? Some of these questions may never be answered conclusively, but there is still no more mystic place to be than on a summer night when the simmer dim keeps the day a-going into the small hours, or in winter when constellations sparkle on the Loch of Stenness and the Mirrie Dancers spill across the sky above. 

    I may have said before that nowhere else in Scotland - or even the world - has such an environment like Orkney has in its UNESCO World Heritage Sites (and the hinterland within), and, on the winter solstice, the cairn of Maeshowe is illuminated by the orange sun, casting light on a world lost in the mists of time.  The county is steeped in nature, history and legend in roughly equal measures, and its folklore is dominated by malevolent trows, wistful selkies and fearsome beasts. The isles themselves are reputedly the teeth of the Stoorworm, a vicious sea monster. Cubbie Roo Castle on Wyre was built by a giant, while another of his kind created the Lochs of Harry and Stenness and two of the islands while trying to create a kale farm. On Hogmanay, the Watch Stone bends down and drinks at the loch - though if you see it happen you'll surely die before the year is up. Some of this legend has spilled into some unique customs that still take place to this day. It really is a unique place to be. 
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  • johnmurrayjnrjohnmurrayjnr Member ✭✭✭
    Standing Stones of Lundin at Sunset. A long exposure to give a sense of time travelling (if only there was a show about time travelling through standing stones :D ;) ) through them. They stand on the second fairway of Lundin Ladies golf course in Lundin Links, Fife but their height and stunning backdrops give you a real sense of being back a couple of millennia.

    Ask at the starter hut for permission to view if golf in play. 

  • Samantha_GrantSamantha_Grant VisitScotland Ambassador ✭✭✭✭
    Ooh so many to choose from.  I also love the Trossachs and Doon Hill in Aberfoyle is a favourite walk.  The clootie tree on the top has a real mysterious feel.

    The Clootie Well at Munlochy on the Black Isle is another stange and atmospheric site. 

    I love the magical Fairy Glen at Uig too.
    I'm a Scottish travel blogger and freelance writer with an extensive knowledge of travelling in Scotland.  I'm always on the road exploring my wonderful country.  I love remote places, history and the great outdoors. 




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