Scotland has greater than its fair proportion of breathtakingly romantic places. This Valentine’s Day, why not ditch dinner and flowers and go in the hunt for a wild, dramatic place, personal hideaway or web site with a narrative? Tread within the footsteps of previous lovers and permit historical past to stir new passions.
ISLE MAREE
Breathtaking Loch Maree, the 2km strip of water that runs between the foot of the hump of Slioch and the Beinn Eighe nature reserve, is dotted with small, tree-covered islands. One in every of them, Isle Maree, is residence to a haunting and tragic love story. A Viking prince referred to as Olaf fell in love and constructed a tower on the Isle of Maree so he might be close to his princess. They lived collectively fortunately till Olaf needed to go on an enormous expedition.
When he left, fearing that he could be killed, the princess had him agree, on his return, that his ship would fly a white flag if he have been alive, and black if he have been lifeless. Nevertheless, when Olaf did return, his white flag flying, the princess plagued by his absence, determined to check his love and lay on her personal boat flying a black flag.
When Olaf noticed this, he was devastated and plunged his personal blade into his breast. Stricken, she took the knife and ended her personal life. It’s believed the stone slab graves on the island mark these lovers.
CLAVA CAIRNS, INVERNESS
These cairns have been a spot of surprise and thriller earlier than Diana Gabaldon informed the world about the best way they impressed her Outlander collection, however fewer individuals visited.
Now the 4,000-year-old complicated is on the vacationer path, and Gabaldon’s story of Claire Randall being transported again to 1743 lures lovers and followers to its mysterious rings.
DUNNOTTAR CASTLE, ABERDEENSHIRE
Perched on a craggy outcrop of rock simply south of Stonehaven, stark Dunnottar is among the most photographed castles in Scotland.
Few places are extra broodingly dramatic, which might be why it has featured in lots of motion pictures, from Hamlet to Victor Frankenstein.
However a part of the romance is its historical past, the truth that this place has seen all of it – Viking assaults, storming by William Wallace and cannon bombardment by Oliver Cromwell in a bid to take the Honours of Scotland, and daring rescue of the jewels – and it’s nonetheless standing.
THE VENNEL, EDINBURGH
“Observe, little women, the citadel!” says Miss Jean Brodie within the 1969 movie model of Muriel Spark’s story, as she stands on the high of the Vennel. This route, taking the walker down from the remnants of the medieval Flodden partitions to the Grassmarket, is usually cited as one in all Scotland’s most Instagrammable. You possibly can name it the crème de la crème, principally due to the view that it affords of the citadel.
For these eager to seek out extra full-blown romance there’s additionally the Lovers Contact plaque, put up as a part of a up to date artwork venture. It commemorates the story of Nobunaga-Ventreven and Mlates gi Dunhuira, who, the moment they met, have been Losana, or soulmates.
GLEN AFFRIC, HIGHLANDS
Glen Affric, residence to the third largest space of historical Caledonian pinewoods in Scotland, is a spot the place time appears to have stopped, the place the human presence is much less felt. So, what higher place to go if you wish to really feel awe at nature, and that there’s solely you and your lover in all of the world?
That is the setting of Landseer’s portray Monarch of The Glen. Standing within the presence of a forest this previous does one thing to your sense of time and perspective.
You possibly can even assist the work completed by Bushes for Life who’ve helped preserve this space, by planting a tree on one in all their websites, in honour of your love.
SWEETHEART ABBEY, DUMFRIES
Sweetheart Abbey within the village of New Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, a part of the South West Coastal 300 route.
An abbey referred to as Sweetheart is certain to have a narrative, and that is one to twang the heartstrings. In 1268, after her husband Lord John Balliol died, Woman Dervorguilla of Galloway, had his heard embalmed and positioned in an ivory casket which she is claimed to have carried in every single place.
She additionally arrange the Cistercian abbey of Dulce Cor (sweetheart in Latin) in his reminiscence. After her loss of life in 1289, she was laid to relaxation in entrance of the abbey’s altar, clutching her husband’s coronary heart.
A sixteenth-century effigy of her stays – and although its head is now gone, there’s nonetheless that coronary heart clasped tight to its chest.
HUNTINGTOWER CASTLE, PERTH
The blocky type of Huntingtower Fort is the half-remains of a dramatic and romantic story.
For, earlier than the late seventeenth century, it was one in all two towers, standing lower than three metres aside.
The story informed is that Dorothea, the daughter of the first Earl, had been in love with a servant on the citadel, and would meet him in secret within the japanese tower the place the servants slept.
One night time, her mom, having found what was taking place, tried to catch the couple, and somewhat than face her, she made her approach to the roof and made a daring and profitable leap between the battlements of the towers.
That house between the buildings grew to become referred to as the ‘Maiden’s Leap’.
