Latest news with #Hebrides
The Independent
12-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Idyllic home on remote Scottish island open to visitors again after 9 years
A tranquil island home has reopened to visitors after shutting its doors for nine years as essential restoration work was carried out. Canna House, located in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, is now open for people to visit. The National Trust for Scotland has completed extensive repairs to the former home of Gaelic scholars John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw. The conservation work aimed to preserve the house and its contents, including an internationally significant archive of Gaelic music, folklore, and culture. The repairs included the building's roof and windows, which were reinforced to withstand the Hebridean weather. Visitors can experience the atmosphere of the mid-20th century, with Gaelic song and language filling the air through audio devices. The house is designed to evoke a sense that "someone has just left the room", offering a warm, lived-in feel. Philip Long, chief executive at the National Trust for Scotland, said: 'All of us who have a love for Canna and an appreciation of the important stories this house holds will be delighted to see the incredible condition Canna House is now in. 'Caring for these places is not an easy task, but it is an important one and our charity is privileged to play a part alongside the creative residents, skilled contractors and many others who make projects like this possible. 'I hope everyone, whether they live here, visit often or, after reading this, come for the first time, enjoy the nature, beauty and heritage of this special place.' Mr Campbell bought the Isle of Canna and neighbouring Sanday in 1938, embracing the role of laird and farmer. Alongside his wife, an accomplished photographer and folklorist, they created an extensive archive of Gaelic songs, stories and linguistic material. Mr Campbell and Ms Fay Shaw lived in Canna House until their respective deaths in 1996 and 2004. In 1981, Campbell gifted Canna to the National Trust for Scotland (supported with an endowment from the National Heritage Memorial Fund), along with the couple's vast library, archives and sound recordings. This includes some 1,500 Gaelic folk songs and 350 folk tales, the first recordings of members of the Mi'kmaq nation and more than 5,000 photographic negatives and 25 reels of film spanning 50 years of Gaelic culture on the islands of Canna, Barra, the Uists and Mingulay. Highlights of the collection are a Dictaphone recording machine, which Mr Campbell used to capture Gaelic speakers in the Western Isles and Cape Breton; his wife's favourite Graflex camera and the Book of Pooni, dedicated to their favourite cat. The house recently reopened for pre-booked guided tours and the team is now looking forward to welcoming more visitors. Operations manager Angus Murray said: 'We've worked hard to create an atmosphere that reflects Canna House in its prime — a home full of music stories, and Gaelic, just as John and Margaret would have had it. 'As a team, we are excited to share this experience with a new generation of visitors to Canna.' The project to fully repair and refurbish Canna House cost £3.6 million. Costs were met by the support of the National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, a number of reserved funds held by the National Trust for Scotland intended for conservation projects of this nature, with the balance covered through funds generated by the charity's supporters, fundraising activities and commercial profits. Geraldine MacKinnon, speaking on behalf of the Isle of Canna Community Development Trust, said: 'The Isle of Canna Community Development Trust is pleased that Canna House has now reopened, enabling the public to access Canna House through guided tours and share the wealth of Gaelic culture it holds, along with the local historical and environmental heritage of Canna.'
Times
11-06-2025
- Times
All flipper, no flop — the best places to see whales in Scotland
With humpbacks and orcas, minkes and even sperm whales, Scotland is one of the best places to see these majestic creatures this side of a flight to southern California — with basking sharks, porpoises and the world's largest bottlenose dolphins a spectacular bonus. Lisa Drewe, the author of Islandeering, picks out five of her favourite places to see them from land. At the tip of the Eye peninsula, near Stornoway, Tiumpan Head Lighthouse offers front-row views across the Minch. Below it, the strait's deep waters attract whales, dolphins and porpoises, making it one of the UK's best land-based locations for spotting them. Look out for distinctive grey-and-white Risso's dolphins and fin whales, or join the Whale and Dolphin Conservation's Shorewatch team for expert-led sightings. Coll's wild waters are a summer hotspot for basking sharks, the world's second-largest fish; they're often spotted gliding through the shallows with gaping mouths. From the ferry port at Arinagour you can enjoy stunning views over Mull and the Treshnish Isles, while coastal walks reveal harbour porpoises and bottlenose dolphins. Keep watch from the shore or ferry — minke whales and common dolphins thrive around this quiet, wildlife-rich island. On Mull's rugged north coast, the Glengorm estate enjoys sweeping views across the Hebridean Sea, where minke whales, bottlenose dolphins and basking sharks ply the waters. The castle at the estate's heart watches over wonderfully wild landscapes, while the shoreline is a prime spot for marine life. Join the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust rangers every Thursday for a guided whale watch before warming up in the café, or exploring the coastal trails. • Never mind the Med, I'm longing to be back on Mull Shetland's southernmost point is a prime spot for orca-watching, thanks to the semi-resident orca pods. From the towering cliffs here are panoramic views over seas where minke whales and porpoises also hunt. The lighthouse above has a welcome café, and a base to explore one of the most accessible seabird and puffin colonies in Britain. Expert advice is available from the on-site Whale and Dolphin Conservation Shorewatch team, or check the Shetland Orca & Cetacean Sightings Facebook page. • Sumburgh Head lighthouse review — like stepping into Springwatch The Deerness peninsula, on mainland Orkney's wild eastern edge, is a prime spot to watch dolphins and porpoises. Harbour porpoises are often seen gliding through the waves, while white-beaked, white-sided and Risso's dolphins also patrol these rich waters. Dramatic cliffs offer sweeping views of the North Sea, and there is a fabulous coast walk to the Brough of Deerness, a rocky outcrop that was once home to a Viking settlement. Taken from Islandeering by Lisa Drewe ( £16.99). To order a copy go to Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
Times
05-06-2025
- Climate
- Times
A UK heatwave is coming — here's where to make a weekend of it
As we shiver our way into June, it's hard to believe that the Met Office thinks we're going to have a scorcher of a summer this year. Where the beaches of the Hebrides not only look like the Caribbean but you don't have to brace yourself not to be blown over. Where using a hotel's outdoor swimming pool can actually be followed by a stint on a sunlounger. We British are hardy types. We can swim in the rain, we can sip aperitifs in stiff winds, but this year it would be really nice to have some better weather in the peak summer months. One bonus for those wanting to go with the Met Office's forecast is that after two disappointing UK summers, at the moment there's plenty of availability — and even some special offers — in place for July and August bookings at hotels around Britain. • Revealed: 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2025 This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue If the heatwave arrives at the very end of June, the coolest people in the UK will be those who have signed up to Swimquest's trip to the Isles of Scilly. Between June 27 and July 3, participants (who should, of course, be strong swimmers already) will crawl their way between St Mary's and its off-islands, including Tresco, Bryher and St Agnes. The trip is based at the Mincarlo hotel and comes with qualified guides and safety boat back-up. Details Six nights' half-board from £1,769pp ( • 15 of the most beautiful places in England Fritton Lake is part rewilding project, part (whisper it) posh holiday camp where humans share the surroundings with free-roaming cattle, deer and water buffaloes. Accommodation ranges from hotel rooms to Scandi-style cabins. There's a heated 22m swimming pool, while the lake, which is available for both swimming and water sports, offers a more refreshing experience. There's a restaurant serving locally sourced food, but Fritton can also provide hampers and the beaches of Great Yarmouth are a 15-minute drive away. Details Three nights' self-catering for six from £1,665 ( Spread out across 20,000 acres of the Yorkshire Dales, Swinton may be best known for its smart hotel, but there are also cottages and glamping stays dotted about the estate. The latter are the best value, sleeping between four and seven people in cabins, yurts and a loft. All guests get free access to the Swinton Country Club. As well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools, over the summer the estate runs raft-making courses on the lake, where you can also enjoy supervised swimming, with tow floats provided for safety. Fishing is available on the estate too. Details Three nights' self-catering for six (two adults and four children) from £440 ( • Read our guide to England Every year, Dru regulars give a sigh of relief when they return to find that this hotel continues to defy the urge to glam up. Instead, the same charming 1970s ethos remains, complete with hearty homemade meals, superb sunsets and regular 'feasts' and events. Not all the bedrooms are en suite, none of them have televisions, whether in the main house or one of the five cottages. On top of a cliff, where there's nearly always a breeze, take the winding path down to the sea (about five minutes down, slightly longer coming back) and you'll arrive at the rock pools and caves of Druidstone beach. Details B&B doubles from £180 ( Parched Londoners can board a train at St Pancras, check in and be on the beach in just under two hours. Cabü's 20 design-minded cabins have heating, proper plumbing and kitchens. To make socialising easy, there's also an open-air but roofed communal kitchen with a pizza oven and 'sitooterie' with a bar. An on-site shop stocks essentials, including Aperol, artisanal gelato and chorizo and there's direct access to the pebble beach. Fussy kids? There's also a heated outdoor swimming pool and it's all surrounded by the elemental landscape of Romney Marsh. Details Two nights' self-catering for two from £544 ( • 12 of the best places to visit in Cornwall and where to stay Yes, during a heatwave the capital's buses become barely moving saunas and the Underground will feel as if you're descending into Dante's Inferno, but nowhere in Britain has a better provision of outdoor swimming pools, many of them run by local councils. Options include the Hampstead Bathing Ponds, fed by spring water, and properly Olympic-sized lidos, including at Tooting Bec and London Fields. If you want something a bit more exclusive, the Soho House group popularised rooftop hotel swimming pools here. One of the biggest in London is at White City and rates are a relative bargain in July and August, plus you may not have to fight for a sunlounger. Details Room-only doubles from £260 ( On the reed-fringed banks of Lough Erne is this superb adults-only hot weather escape, where woodland paths lead through to spas, saunas and jetties with steps into the water. A 90-minute drive from Belfast, this low-impact resort sees guests bed down in 21 PVC bubbles or forest lodges. There's a full spa but also saunas that lead into the lough. On sunny days the Bay café is a scenic spot for toasties and burgers. Details B&B doubles from £303 ( Tucked away on a country lane near the Helford River is an estate that's been owned by the same family for 600 years. The latest generation have opened it up with holiday cottages ranging from 16th-century thatched beauties to 21st-century sustainability-minded billets. The houses all share a huge open-air (and heated) swimming pool, which is surrounded by lawns and sunloungers. The grounds include woodlands to explore, a folly and Iron Age fort, a tennis court and — should you not want to slave over a stove in soaring temperatures — Flora, a boho posh restaurant that uses estate-grown vegetables and fruit. Details Seven nights' self-catering for six from £2,250 ( Edwardian enough to still do afternoon tea in a big way — including a traditional high tea for children — and modern enough to be genuinely family-friendly, Watersmeet, to one side of Woolacombe Bay, has 29 rooms, two restaurants and views (on a good day) onto Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel (as well as a bit of a breeze during heatwaves). There's an outdoor swimming pool and best of all, the hotel has steps that lead onto Combesgate Beach, a small, sandy cove that's fantastic for rock-pooling and is usually quieter than B&B doubles from £360 ( This American-inspired, wilderness-style camp amid glorious Highland scenery will bring a sense of cool to any temperatures. With cabins and B&B rooms and a shop selling posh ready meals and snacks, there's a BYOB bar, jukeboxes and wood-fired saunas, plus axe-throwing and bushcraft as well as hikes to local swimming spots. This summer, weekends will also see the Seed Store providing restaurant-quality food, including trout smoked over birchwood and venison from the estate. Details B&B doubles from £200 ( Country house hotels that have outdoor swimming pools and lovely deep sunloungers to sink into tend to be eye-wateringly expensive but the Retreat, 40 minutes by train from Paddington, manages to make it a more affordable extravagance, especially if you can slope off midweek. Alongside the hot tub, there are also cold-plunge tubs, a tennis court and outdoor yoga in summer. The Retreat's two restaurants and Stores café spill out into the countryside, shaded by red striped awnings. Details B&B doubles from £160 ( • The Retreat at Elcot Park hotel review: playful design and fun food in the North Wessex Downs Grown-up Swallows and Amazons pleasures abound at this hotel on the banks of Ullswater. A thorough renovation of a stern Victorian hotel has put its Lake District setting at centre stage. Many of the activities, including kayaking, sailing and stand-up paddleboarding, start from the hotel's own jetty. Like its sibling in Cornwall, Watergate Bay, this is very much a place where you can pad back to your treehouse — or other accommodation — while still towelling off. Another Place even has its own open-water swimming guide who runs courses and excursions. Details B&B doubles from £295 ( An outdoor swimming pool has been at the centre of this town's life since 1936. The water at Hathersage is kept at about 27C and there are regular evening swimming sessions with live music (£8; But basing yourself here also allows you to dip into the other Peak District watery pursuits, including paddling down the River Derwent at Matlock (from £75; and a collection of hikes that let you cool off with dips in pools and waterfalls. The George, an old coaching inn with 24 rooms, is a five-minute walk from Hathersage's swimming pool. Details B&B doubles from £120 (
Times
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Times
Can Scots be convinced to turn off the taps?
The warnings, each more serious than the last, have been sounding all spring. Scotland is facing its driest start to the year in six decades. Water levels are under threat across the whole country, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa). Even the Hebrides, often ranked among the the rainiest places in Europe, are on an early warning for drought. The entire west of the country is on 'alert'. It's no revelation that Scotland's climate is changing. Now experts say that Scots' liberal attitude to water consumption has to as well. Scots consume far too much — data suggests far more than other countries — and as dry seasons become more frequent, there is a risk of further shortages. Can the public be convinced
Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Swinney sails into trouble over ferries fiasco
In the circumstances, it was brave of John Swinney to mount a robust defence of the SNP's record on ferries for the Clyde and Hebridean service at first minister's questions this week. Brave and, indeed, bold. Brave because this week the state-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine confirmed there would be a further delay in delivering the MV Glen Rosa to the state-owned ferry company on behalf of the state-owned commissioning agency. The cursed Glen Rosa will not sail this year and the cost of its construction has increased by up to another £35 million. All in, it will have taken a decade and £460 million to build it and its sister ferry, the MV Glen Sannox. A bargain at any price. And bold as well because,
