Scottish panoramas A waterfall, folly and a hermit’s cave on a spellbinding woodland walk

SUSAN SWARBRICK

THIS little nook of Perthshire on the banks of the River Braan is a spellbinding spot with waterfall, folly and hermit’s cave. The Hermitage, near Dunkeld, known for its woodland trails and riverside walks has garnered some high-profile aficionados over the years. The paths here have been traversed by everyone from Queen Victoria to the poet William Wordsworth, artist J M W Turner and composer Felix Mendelssohn.

A must-visit is Ossian’s Hall, a folly with sliding panels, a secret handle and mirrored artwork, that offers magnificent views over the Black Linn Falls where the Braan – a tributary of the Tay – thunders down into deep, effervescent pools below.

The viewing house is named after Ossian, the supposed 3rd-century Scottish bard who wrote heroic verse (actually an 18th-century literary hoax). It was redecorated in 1783 as a shrine with mirrors positioned to make it appear as if there was water approaching from all directions. In 1869, Ossian’s Hall was partly blown up by gunpowder, believed to be in protest of tolls levied by the Duke of Atholl on the bridge at Dunkeld.

A short distance away lies Ossian’s Cave, built around 1760 for the third

Earl of Breadalbane, who curiously (and unsuccessfully) is said to have advertised for a hermit to take up residency.

Perthshire is known as “Big Tree Country” with the 19th-century botanist David Douglas one of its most famous sons. Douglas, who was born in Scone, travelled the world finding new species, including his namesake, the Douglas fir. There is a bench where people can lie back and gaze up into the tree canopy, known as the “Cathedral”, or sometimes the “Temple”, where the towering Douglas firs resemble pillars and a crowning roof.

Sadly, one of Britain’s tallest trees, a Douglas fir that stood on the south side of the Braan, was brought down by high winds in 2017. Beside the small, stone bridge spanning the river stands a cedar of Lebanon – a rare survivor from the 18th-century wilderness garden.

Don’t leave without catching a glimpse of the totem pole, carved by members of the Squamish Nation in Canada, standing proud among the woods, and keep an eye peeled for red squirrels performing graceful acrobatics among the treetops.

What to read: Memorials of a Tour in Scotland, 1814 by William Wordsworth makes reference to Ossian’s Hall (“In The Pleasure-Ground on the Banks of the Bran, near Dunkeld”), describing it as “a gay saloon, with waters dancing”.

WHERE IS IT?

A small strip of beach not far from the village of Mandrem in North Goa. It used to be a very cut-off spot of coastline on the Arabian Sea where there was nothing but palm trees, cows and mosquitos, but now there is a string of huts, beach bars and ramshackle shops, as well as one or two pretty excellent restaurants.

WHY DO YOU GO THERE?

To switch off, literally and figuratively. I don’t use or even look at my phone, do no work, just read Jack Reacher-type novels, drink cold beer and jump in the sea every hour or so. We go in December, when it is 32C and dry every day – I need the Vitamin D or I am basically evil from November until April.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GO?

I would live there if I had my way. But it’s more like two Christmases out of every three.

HOW DID YOU DISCOVER IT?

We have a friend who used to decamp there every December; she was dialled into the hippy trance scene out there.

I was reluctant to go to India, convinced my digestive system couldn’t hack the microbes, or my squeamish constitution deal with the grinding poverty. Wrong on both counts. It was love at first sight.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY?

Last Christmas there was a full solar eclipse one morning, and for about an hour the temperature dropped by about five degrees, the morning sky went gravel-grey and all the monkeys in the trees started screaming like it was the apocalypse. Bizarre but exciting.

SUSAN SWARBRICK

WHO DO YOU TAKE?

My wife and our daughters, who run like wild dogs on the beach for a week, bodyboarding in the waves and making friends.

WHAT DO YOU TAKE?

Books. Shorts. Nothing else.

WHAT DO YOU LEAVE BEHIND?

All my thoughts of the past.

SUM IT UP IN FIVE WORDS.

A million miles from anywhere.

WHAT TRAVEL SPOT IS ON YOUR POST-LOCKDOWN WISH LIST?

Well, I have had to postpone research trips to Istanbul, Aachen, Cordoba and Venice, as well as a holiday to Morocco. So, I already have a list as long as your arm.

native trees with views beginning to open out across Loch Crinan towards the sea. A narrow pass took us to another rest stop. Not a wooden bench this time but a full-blown picnic table. It seemed a little churlish not to use it.

After lunch we carried on over a rise, along a slight descent before reaching another junction. Our descent route went to the right but before that we wanted to climb to the castle viewpoint and were delighted to actually reach the viewpoint by climbing through the ancient dun’s entrance.

There are enough fortifications still in existence at Castle Dounie to give you a pretty good idea of what it must have been like. It was a great spot to linger awhile in the sunshine. I took my boots off, lay back against one of the retaining walls and simply gazed across the vast area of sea towards the island of Scarba. Away to the north the peaks of Cruachan stood proud, but the best of the view was to the northwest towards the high hills of Mull. What a spot.

It took a lot of effort to put my boots back on and begin the descent, back to the last path junction where we simply walked on straight ahead, steeply downhill to another junction

MELROSE ABBEY

Why not use this summer as a chance to explore some of Scotland’s man made wonders – there’s certainly a few bucket list sights here. The first is Melrose Abbey, above, often referred to as one of Scotland’s most beautiful buildings due to its sense of romance and charm. Initially founded by King David I in 1136, the surviving remains of the church date back to the early 15th century and are rumoured to be the burial place of Robert the Bruce’s heart. The Abbey sits in the Tweed Valley in the charming town of Melrose where visitors can admire the exterior’s hand-crafted decoration alongside objects that have been discovered during previous excavations.

Abbey Street, Melrose, Roxburghshire, TD6 9LG

BELL ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

Close to 200 years after it was built, the Bell Rock Lighthouse (also known as Stevenson’s Lighthouse) is still standing. Located off Scotland’s east coast, the lighthouse sits atop a partially submerged reef and the stone tower is the world’s oldest surviving sea washed lighthouse. Even more impressive than that, the lighthouse has not required a single repair or alteration to the stonework or design since the day it was built nearly two centuries ago. Regarded as one of the most outstanding engineering achievements of the 19th century, this lighthouse is definitely one to visit on your post-lockdown staycation. Inchcape, Arbroath

CALEDONIAN CANAL

The Caledonian Canal was masterminded by great Scottish engineer Thomas Telford and is considered to be one of the greatest waterways in the world. The canal stretches just over 60 miles from

Inverness to Corpach (near Fort William) and slices through the length of the majestic Great Glen surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Highlands. Interestingly only one third of the canal is man made, the rest is formed by various lochs.

FALKIRK WHEEL

Connecting the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Union Canal in central Scotland, this rotating boatlift is one of Scotland’s better known attractions and is the only construction of its kind in the world. At one time the canals were essential for transportation, today the Falkirk Wheel stands as an iconic Scottish landmark and a reminder of the historical importance of Scotland’s waterways. Cimb onto a boat and soar gracefully 35m in the air before smoothly landing on the Union Canal where visitors can stop by the recently revamped visitor centre to learn about the workings of the wheel – including interesting facts such as: it only takes the power of about eight toasters for the wheel to complete a full rotation. Lime Road, Falkirk, FK1 4RS

THE KELPIES

The Kelpies, the largest pair of equine sculptures in the world, tower 100 feet above the Forth & Clyde Canal near Falkirk. The sculptures are made of 300 tonnes of shimmering galvanised steel and situated just off the M9, marking the gateway to Scotland’s canals and paying tribute to the horse power heritage that was vital to the early industries of central Scotland. To see something really special, visit at night when they’re lit up – you can even go inside to marvel at the engineering that went into making such fantastic pieces of art.

Visitor Centre, The Helix, FK2 7ZT