Susan Welsh rounds up some more top places to explore on your adventures around Scotland
Time to go slow
Internationally renowned actor Jimmy Yuill, who hails from the village of Golspie, is backing a new campaign to encourage responsible and sustainable tourism in the north Highlands.
In his debut role for the North Highland Initiative (NHI), Jimmy is delivering a more personal performance by sharing his passion for the region.
As the face and voice of NHI’s “Highland Time” campaign, he encourages slow, responsible and sustainable tourism, the benefits of spending more time in the area, while respecting the fragile landscape and local communities.
The north Highlands has 10,000 square miles of wild, wide-open countryside, rugged coastlines, breathtaking lochs and majestic mountains, is a place of tranquillity to enjoy and ideal for slowing down and taking stock.
Jimmy said: “Getting off the beaten track and taking time to explore the regions of the north Highlands by land, river and sea will help us all take care of our wellbeing.
“Whether walking, hiking, swimming, appreciating our history and heritage or getting a taste for our world-renowned Highland food and drink, we must all be mindful of the environmental impact on this fragile landscape.
“As we take safe, measured steps to slowly emerge from lockdown, taking a more responsible and sustainable approach to travel and local community life will be key to helping us all enjoy Highland beauty once again.”
Whisky connoisseurs welcomed back
One of Scotland’s oldest licensed distilleries, The GlenDronach, at Forgue near Huntly, has not only reopened its doors, but has a recently renovated visitor centre to show off.
The new retail experience includes a selection of two distillery-exclusive Hand Fills which give GlenDronach connoisseurs a rare opportunity to personally fill, seal, label and sign their own cask-strength bottle of The GlenDronach from a choice of two sherry casks.
And from September 11, the distillery will offer a new 90-minute sherry masterclass tasting experience, designed for the whisky curious and experienced connoisseurs alike.
Jennifer Proctor, from the distillery, said: “Our goal is to carry forth The GlenDronach founder James Allardice’s entrepreneurial vision of a warm and welcoming space to share a dram of his ‘guid GlenDronach’ with friends and neighbours.
“We hope we have done this by bringing the distillery’s craft and sherry mastery to life.”
Temporary visitor centre opening hours are Friday to Sunday, 10.30am-4.30pm.
Booking is not required for the gift shop or tasting bar, but access may be limited in order to adhere to social distancing requirements.
Production tours are currently suspended and visitors will be asked to wear face coverings inside the centre, except during tastings.
There will be temperature checks for all guests on arrival and a provision of hand-sanitising stations throughout the space which visitors are encouraged to make use of.
Booking is required for the sherry masterclass, and this can be done online at glendronachdistillery.com
Getting back on two wheels
Recent figures released have shown a big rise in the number of people in Scotland cycling compared to the same period last year.
Cycling is a great way to see this country, and Cycling Scotland and other organisations have worked hard to support people to get on their bikes again, and discover the lasting benefits of riding bicycles.
In addition, the nation’s cycling organisation has been piloting a new Essential Cycling Skills course to help families build the skills and confidence to cycle safely.
The two-and-a-half-hour sessions, which are free until the end of August, are delivered by experienced instructors who can tailor the course contents to the specific needs of the family.
The courses are for families who want to cycle on traffic-free routes and quieter roads and provide the skills to negotiate road journeys safely.
Readers interested in taking part in a course can visit the website
cycling.scot/family
and complete the form by the end of August, which should then enable them to take part in a course, for example, in September, free of charge.
Celebrating Mary Quant
An iconic photograph of fashion designer Mary Quant, taken in 1966, has been recreated by V&A Dundee, to celebrate its first major fashion exhibition celebrating the influential designer, which opened this week.
Mary Quant changed the fashion system, overturning the dominance of Paris couturiers, and transformed young women like her into the new leaders of style.
The new images shot on location inside and outside Scotland’s first design museum feature new textiles created by five emerging designers inspired by the work of Mary Quant.
They were asked to create textiles inspired by Quant’s 1960s rebellion, but also that responded to the big issues facing today’s fashion world.
Detailed research and experimentation led them to explore urgent themes such as climate change, consumerism and racism.
The 21st Century Quant garments can be seen at V&A Dundee during the opening week of Mary Quant, on show outside the exhibition entrance.
The exhibition, which focuses on the years between 1955 and 1975, will also feature the stories of women who made outfits from Mary Quant’s dressmaking patterns and features a new film looking at contemporary female designers who, like Mary Quant, are forging their own way through today’s rapidly shifting fashion industry. The exhibition can be seen until January 17 2021.
Visit vam.ac.uk/dundee/maryquant
Visit the Neighbourhood
Planning a visit to Edinburgh this summer?
If so, there’s still time to visit Neighbourhood, an open-air marketplace on top of Waverley Station’s iconic rooftop, selling authentic street food and drink.
Visitors can enjoy Mexican-inspired street food, gourmet kebabs, pizza, cocktails and mocktails to name but a few, all created by local businesses, from 11am-7pm, Wednesday-Sunday until the end of August and at the same times, Thurday-Sunday until the end of September.
