Kilchurn Castle
Argyll and Bute
On the far north-eastern shore of Loch Awe you will find a small hummock cradled by mountains. On the hummock stands ruined Kilchurn Castle, an ancient and ramshackle tower that wonderfully complements the natural beauty of its surroundings.
Originally built on a very small isle, the castle served as the headquarters of the Campbells of Glenorchy from the mid1400s to the close of the 16th century. The island was joined to the shore just a couple of hundred years ago, when adjustments to the loch's outflow led to a drop in the water level.
This means you can now stroll out to the castle while enjoying views down one of Scotland's most scenic freshwater lochs.
Kilchurn fell out of use soon after the Second Jacobite Rebellion, its demise hastened by a lightning strike in 1769 that took out its roof. Today, the castle opens from April to September. Visit at either end of that period and there'll be fewer midges about, which may help with any air of romance you might wish to cultivate.
Do look for a lintel dated 1693 and bearing the initials of power couple the First Earl of Breadalbane and Countess Mary Campbell. The Earl was known as 'Slippery John' for his political chicanery and was said to own the finest wig in Scotland.
How could Mary resist? historicenvironment.scot
Ynys Llanddwyn
Ynys Môn
Those outside Wales may not realise that St Valentine isn't the only kid on the block when it comes to affairs of the heart; the Welsh have their own holy being in charge of romantic love, St Dwynwen, whose day is 25 January. And Ynys Llanddwyn ('the island of the church of Dwynwen') off the coast of Anglesey is the isle she made her home back in the fifth century, following a love affair that didn't work out.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2024 من BBC Countryfile Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2024 من BBC Countryfile Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Guilt-Free Meat? - Should the world stop eating meat to tackle the climate crisis? Chris Baraniuk meets an experimental farmer who says we don't all have to become vegetarians
Should the world stop eating meat to tackle the climate crisis? Chris Baraniuk meets an experimental farmer who says we don't all have to become vegetarians. Livestock farming around the world is facing scrutiny because of its greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, the sector contributes somewhere between 11.1% and 19.6% of total emissions. Meat production is roughly twice as bad as the production of plant-based food, according to some analyses. And beef is the worst of all. Study after study has suggested that, in order to curtail the devastating effects of climate change, we ought to shift to a diet containing less meat - or even go vegetarian or vegan.
Discover Cider Country - Explore mellow golden countryside, pedalling between medieval villages, historic inns and fruitful orchards, on a delightful Herefordshire Cider Circuit adventure with Julie Brominicks
Explore mellow golden countryside, pedalling between medieval villages, historic inns and fruitful orchards, on a delightful Herefordshire Cider Circuit adventure with Julie Brominicks. I'm cycling Porter's Perfection, one of three cider circuits developed for Visit Herefordshire over the past few years. Each showcases a section of this bucolic county's loveliest villages, pubs, orchards and cidermakers via lanes suited to bicycles - e-bikes for hill-averse cyclists like me. The idea is to allow you to appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of cider country while traversing roads never meant for modern cars. If you have dodgy knees, or are keen to indulge in the local adult apple juice as you go (remember, it's illegal to cycle while under the influence), Visit Herefordshire also promotes cider bus routes.
TOP 10 WILD AUTUMN FOODS
Make the most of seasonal abundance with foraging tips and recipe ideas from wild food expert Liz Knight
The taste of England
Amid pastures farmed by her family for more than four centuries, Mary Quicke is reviving forgotten dairy traditions to produce delicious Devon cheeses
How to eat 30 plants a week
As science proves the many health-boosting benefits of eating at least 30 different plants each week, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall shares recipes to help you meet the magic target
RARE RAFT SPIDER MAKES A COMEBACK
Thanks to dedicated conservation work, this impressive but vulnerable arachnid is resurgent in East Anglia
SPECTACULAR STONEHENGE FINDS
Following the latest astonishing revelation about the Stonehenge Altar Stone's Scottish origins, Dixe Wills looks at recent discoveries that have changed the way we view this impressive and enigmatic Neolithic monument
GALLOWAY NATIONAL PARK DEBATE
Would this protected status bring welcome recognition and attention - or overcrowding and problems for farmers?
Farmers are valued, so why do they feel we don't care?
For farmers out in their fields in all seasons, worried about the future as dramatic levels of rainfall blamed on climate change damage their crops, inflation and uncertainty push up their costs and what they see as unfair imports threaten their livelihoods, here's a spot of unexpectedly good news: the rest of us think you are doing a good job.
Pumpkin patches
Find the perfect jack-o'-lantern for Halloween at a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Some are simple affairs in tranquil countryside; others offer activities ranging from ghost trains to spooky mazes.
