The Land of the Leal

The ‘Land of the Leal’ is a very old fashioned and somewhat romantic term for heaven and the notion of the Promised Land. I’ve seen it applied to Scotland before in poem and legend and it does have a certain ring about it, akin to the Gaelic: Tir nan Og – the land of forever young.  We Scots know that there is a magic about our own country and that is runs much deeper than breathtaking scenery or a rich and colourful history. It’s about the people and the nature of our deep cultural psyche which acts as the tread weaving the tartan of our nation together. It is the emotive as well as the scenic that mesmerises those who first visit, or draws countless thousands more back each year.

Living in the States, one of the things I hear most often when people figure out that the lilt in my accent isn’t Irish, is: “I’d love to go to Scotland – it’s a dream of mine”. To some it’s a land of castles, tartan, and handsome, blue-faced warriors (generally the ladies); to others it’s the home of golf and whisky (generally the men); but this is the trick. There are many ‘Scotlands’, and from the temporal to the abstract it means a thousand different things to each and every visitor to our shores – and we must be on hand to live up to those expectations and prove them right.

The one part of the recipe that doesn’t need much in the way of a hard-sell is Scotland’s natural beauty. From the rugged, almost lunar landscapes of Sutherland, to the soft dunes of Aberdeenshire; the great forests of Speyside and Perthshire to the endless beaches of Islay and Harris – Scotland is not only a land of great scenery, but a wealth of different scenery: all of it world class. For a small country of 30,000 miles², the diversity of Scotland’s countryside is staggering, her geological complexity brain-hurting and the nature of her biodiversity utterly fascinating.  This is what we should be shouting from the rooftops. To me there are five top areas and themes that deserve special mention in our quest to explain and promote Scotland as a unique destination:

1) The Caledonian Pine Forest (including Glen Affric and the Forest of Mar)

2) The Isle of Skye

3) Wester Ross and Assynt

4) The Hebridean coastline (e.g. the beaches of Islay, Harris and Colonsay)

5) Highland Perthshire

Add to this the drama of St Kilda, the cliffs of Orkney, the rolling hills of Galloway and Tweedale and the bleak plateau of the Cairngorms and there is something for everyone. These are my picks, but there are many more – please add to the list. Of course it’s not just the scenery – but access to it that makes for the perfect travel destination. Also, amenities and activities further enhance the experience – Skye is stunning, but a boat trip into Loch Coruisk past seals and perhaps even whales turns amazing into world beating.

There is a tendency to think only of the Highlands and Islands when we talk of Scottish scenery; but the range is so complex and varied that there are hidden gems everywhere – I love the walk out to St Abb’s Head in Berwickshire; Scott’s View over the Tweed near Melrose; the Ayrshire coast looking over to Arran and Ailsa Craig and even the full sweep of the Lothians from the standing stones of Cairnpapple Hill all command a majestic vision of our beautiful country.

This blog is very much an introduction to the notion of scenery as one of the five pillars* that makes Scotland one of the best places on earth to visit; with the next blog I’ll look at a specific area and the businesses offering a high quality of service, helping to make the place even more attractive to visitors. Any suggestions or recommendations are very welcome.

* My Five Pillars of Scottish Travel are –

1) Scenic

2) Cultural Heritage

3) Historical

4) Delivery of Service

5) Iconic Totems