Scotland has greater than its justifiable share of breathtakingly romantic places. This Valentine’s Day, why not ditch dinner and flowers and go in the hunt for a wild, dramatic place, non-public 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 all them, Isle Maree, is residence to a haunting and tragic love story. A Viking prince known 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 a giant expedition.
When he left, fearing that he can be killed, the princess had him agree, on his return, that his ship would fly a white flag if he had been alive, and black if he had been useless. 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 had been a spot of surprise and thriller earlier than Diana Gabaldon informed the world about the best way they impressed her Outlander sequence, however fewer folks 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 films, 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 ladies, the fortress!” says Miss Jean Brodie within the 1969 movie model of Muriel Spark’s story, as she stands on the prime of the Vennel. This route, taking the walker down from the remnants of the medieval Flodden partitions to the Grassmarket, is commonly cited as considered one of Scotland’s most Instagrammable. You can name it the crème de la crème, largely due to the view that it affords of the fortress.
For these eager to search out extra full-blown romance there may be additionally the Lovers Contact plaque, put up as a part of a recent artwork undertaking. It commemorates the story of Nobunaga-Ventreven and Mlates gi Dunhuira, who, the moment they met, had 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 outdated does one thing to your sense of time and perspective.
You may even help the work achieved by Timber for Life who’ve helped preserve this space, by planting a tree on considered one of 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 known 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, Girl Dervorguilla of Galloway, had his heard embalmed and positioned in an ivory casket which she is alleged to have carried in all places.
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 may be nonetheless that coronary heart clasped tight to its chest.
HUNTINGTOWER CASTLE, PERTH
The blocky type of Huntingtower Fortress is the half-remains of a dramatic and romantic story.
For, earlier than the late seventeenth century, it was considered one of 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 fortress, 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 strategy to the roof and made a daring and profitable leap between the battlements of the towers.
That area between the buildings turned often called the ‘Maiden’s Leap’.
