Issue 8

We’re delighted to share the eighth edition of Hidden Scotland magazine. Welcome to our Spring/Summer 2024 issue.

It’s now been four years since our first issue appeared, back in the fateful early months of 2020, and it’s a source of real pride that the magazine continues to find a growing audience. But while four years can be seen as a long time in some contexts, in the case of Orkney – captured beautifully by seasoned National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson on pages 10-17 – such a timescale is a mere grain of sand in the hourglass of history.

As Jim explains, the distant past is still very much in evidence on the Orkney archipelago, and its islands now showcase a unique blend of tradition, modernity and prehistory. The concepts of ‘Auld and New’ also underpin another guest article in this issue – on pages 148- 153 – in which interior designer and online personality Banjo Beale discusses his love of collecting beautiful things.

Between these two absorbing features you’ll find pages packed with all manner of Scottish tales and topics, from whisky, folklore and regenerative farming to a focus on some of our most impressive botanic gardens. We also look at the reintroduction of wild beavers, take a deep-dive into the wonders of Fife and spotlight the remarkable Ploterre, a creative business inspired by nature.

Elsewhere you’ll find a fantastic recipe for foraged kelp miso ramen from Café Canna in the Inner Hebrides, as well as an overview of Scotland’s Little Free Libraries and a tour of the remarkable Royal Deeside – you’ll even learn more about our own Hidden Scotland Shop, set in an old farmhouse on the Deeside Way. And as ever, there’s more to discover too.

Above all, we hope the following pages bring you warmth and inspiration, wherever you’re reading them. Happy reading, and enjoy the journey.

Slàinte mhath.