
Issue Thirteen · Page 112Autumn and Winter 2026–27 · page 112The Art of Staying Put.
Places to stay in Scotland you won't need to leave
WordsEmma Gibbs
Photograph · Christian Watson

If you’re anything like me, you’ll spend days (maybe even months) deciding on the perfect place to stay on holiday, only to get there and end up spending very little time inside. In truth, when Scotland’s your destination this can be hard to avoid; the outside world – be it hills, moors, coast or city – is always singing its siren song. But sometimes we can spend so much time rushing about to see things that we fail to really connect with the place we’re visiting, reducing it instead to a series of hastily shot photos en route to our next destination.
Scotland is a place that really lends itself to slow travel, which prioritises not just a slower pace but smaller-scale explorations that help to forge a deeper connection with both the landscape and its people. Removing the pressure to tick off a list of sights frees up both valuable headspace and time to really experience and enjoy your surroundings; which in turn provides a greater opportunity to truly unwind and disconnect from regular life.
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Creative Nature.
Morvern Graham is a Scottish creative whose work centres on folklore. The Ffern Storyteller in Residence and star of BBC Scotland’s Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel tells Rosie Steer about her creative inspirations and new book, Seasonal Folktales.
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