Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
upon your stamina and interest, it is worth doing a bit of “island hopping” from the
mainland to
Arran
or
Bute
and then into
Argyll
and onto the
Cowal
and
Kintyre
peninsulas, finally getting as far as the small island of
Gigha,
the most southerly of
Scotland's Hebridean islands. The distances are not great, and the ferry trips cut
down the driving times, as well. Sunsets over the western seas rarely fail to disap-
point on a good evening.
Helensburgh
Hill House
Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for publisher Walter
Blackie, this timeless house on the hill above the town of Helensburgh has been
lovingly restored and opened to the public by the National Trust for Scotland.
Inspired by Scottish Baronial style, Hill House is still pure Mackintosh: The asym-
metrical juxtaposition of windows and clean lines that blend sharp geometry and
gentle curves. Inside, the sumptuous but uncluttered interior has bespoke details by
both the architect and his artist wife Margaret Macdonald, such as glass inlays,
fireplace tiles, and decorative panels. Built at the beginning of the 20th century but
still looking modern today, practically the entire house is open to the public. The
garden, overgrown when the National Trust took over the property in the early
1980s, has been restored to its original state thanks to photography from a German
design magazine published in 1905.
Upper Colquhoun St., Helensburgh; 48km (30 miles) west of Glasgow; off the A814. Half-hourly train
service from Glasgow Queen Street Station.
&
01436/673-900.
www.nts.org.uk/visits. Admission
£8.50 adult; £5.50 students and seniors; £21 family. Apr-Oct daily 1:30-5:30pm. Closed Nov-Mar.
Arran
The Isle of Arran, in the Firth of Forth off the coast of Ayrshire, is often called “Scot-
land in Miniature,” primarily because its geology mimics the country at large. But
increasingly locals involved in tourism (www.visitarran.com) prefer to call it “Arran,
the Island.” Either way, it is a fine place to visit. There's a castle (see below) and
some great hiking up to the top of craggy Goat Fell (874m/2,867 ft.), or in the majes-
tic valley of Glen Rosa, near the main port of Brodick. Along the rugged southern
coastline near Kildonan, you're almost guaranteed to see seals and perhaps even a
dolphin or two and on the west side of the island you can see standing stones at
Machrie Moor. There are also some excellent food producers on Arran, including the
Island Cheese Company and Creelers smoked Scottish seafood. The primary ferry
services depart (5-6 per day) from Ardrossan in Ayrshire to Brodick (50 min. cross-
ing). A single passenger pays about £6 and about £40 for a car. There's a seasonal
ferry from Claonaig near Skipness (on the Kintyre peninsula) to Arran's northern
port of Lochranza. For ferry information, contact
CalMac
(
&
0870/565-0000;
www.calmac.co.uk). Call
&
0870/608-2608
for linking public transportation
information.
Brodick Castle & Country Park
The oldest bit of this proud mansion goes
back to the 13th century, but it has had several additions since then, most of them
from the Victorian era. The home and stronghold of the dukes of Hamilton for cen-
turies, and more recently a retreat for the Duke and Duchess of Montrose, the place
is full of furnishings and artifacts from both families. The 90-odd stag heads in the
main hall are impressive, and the immediate grounds offer lots of trails. From here
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