Travel: Wild weekend

The highest point, Beacon Crag or, as it is locally known, Willoughby's Craig, rises to 1100 feet. Its ascent, while steep and rough in places despite the Forestry Commission's attempt to create a rough stairway, is not too difficult, although there are one or two points near the summit where youngsters should be warned not to stray too close to the edge.

The Bracklinn Falls is a wonderful spot, a dramatic cleave in the landscape through which the River Keltie roars over a succession of huge sandstone blocks, which form a rough, and gigantic, natural staircase. Sir Walter Scott, never one to miss a good scene, brought the Bracklinn Falls into his great story The Lady Of The Lake: "As Bracklinn's chasm, so black and steep/ Receives her roaring linn/ As the dark caverns of the deep/ Suck the wild whirlpool in/ So did the deep and darksome pass/ Devour the battle's mingled mass."

Map: OS Sheet 57. Distance: about 5 miles. Time: 3-4 hours; Start/Finish: the main car park in Callendar

Route: Leave the car park, turn left onto the main street and follow it to Tulipan Crescent. Turn right into the crescent and see a sign, pointing left, to the Callendar Craigs path. Follow the path over the Craigs, descend into Glen Artney and follow the road to the right, past the sign to the chalybeate spring and down to a car park where a sign points out the Bracklinn Falls. Return the same way. Follow the road to the left into Callendar and along the main street back to the car park. The Lowther Hills Wanlockhead claims to be the highest village in Scotland, so at 468 metres above sea level it's only 264 metres to the summit of Green Lowther at 732 metres. A hill walk to Green Lowther and its near neighbours, East Mount Lowther and Lowther Hill, makes a fine little expedition for Hogmanay with possible views that, in clear weather, extend from the Lakeland Fells to the highlands. Mines in the Wanlockhead and neighbouring Leadhills area have produced lead, silver and gold, including gold that was used in the making of a crown for James V and his queen. Wanlockhead gold also provided a ring for Queen Mary and a brooch for the Queen Mother.

Map: OS Sheet 78. Distance: about 8 miles. Time: 5 hours;

Route: from the road above the visitor centre in Wanlockhead follow the signposts for the Southern Upland Way. Follow the trail for just over a mile, up the slopes of Stake Hill to where the path joins a wider track and then makes a very tight bend to the left. Leave the Southern Upland way here and follow the right of way footpath to the Enterkin Pass. At the head of this pass climb the slopes to the summit of East Mount Lowther. Return to the pass and climb the slopes from there in a NE direction to pick up the track that runs to the summit of Lowther Hill. The actual summit has a fence around it, protecting the radar mast, so walk left to pick up a road on the other side, which runs in a NE direction over an intermediary rise to the summit of Green Lowther. You can descend by the wide NW ridge to the mine workings just south of Leadills, and then follow the B797 back to Wanlockhead but it's probably better to return to Lowther Hill by your outward route and follow the Southern Upland Way back to your starting point.

The Loch of Linlithgow

The busy West Lothian town of Linlithgow is well known for its palace and neighbouring St Michael's Church. A walk round the shores of Linlithgow Loch, set in the grounds of the palace, gives not only great opportunities to appreciate the remarkably varied architecture of the castle and church, and to recall something of their grand history, but also to enjoy the rich bird-life of the loch itself.

Linlithgow castle was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots in 1542. James IV, James V and Mary of Guise all held court here, and in its church James IV was apparently forewarned by an apparition of the forthcoming disaster at Flodden field. A spiral staircase runs up inside the northwest tower to a small room which is known as Queen Margaret's Bower. This is apparently where the Queen watched for the return of her husband, James IV, from Flodden. Charles I was the last king to sleep in the Palace in 1633, at a time when he was considering making Linlithgow the capital of Scotland. From 1651 to 1659 the town was garrisoned by Cromwell. Charles Edward Stuart visited the palace during the 1745 rebellion and the following year, when occupied by government troops, it was accidentally burned.

Map: OS Sheet 65. Distance: about 2.5 miles. Time: 2 hours

Route: Park in the car park near Linlithgow Loch itself, just west of the palace. Head east through the park past the palace. Once past the impressive buildings look out for a path that skirts to the right, back into the town. Follow this path onto the road and turn left, then left again. Go through a gate and cross over a field at the east shore of Linlithgow Loch. Go through another gate, which gives access to a path that veers left and down alongside the north shores of the loch. Follow the shore to the west end of the loch where another path passes in front of houses to return you to the car park.

By Clyde's Bonnie Banks

Adjoining Robert Owen's model village of New Lanark is the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve. A footpath runs along both banks of the River Clyde offering some dramatic views of the three main falls, Dundaff Linn, Bonnington Linn and Corra Linn, the Clyde's "most majestic daughter".

The reserve is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust which is gradually replacing the foreign conifers with native deciduous trees like birch, oak and ash and the woods are managed with conservation strictly in mind. Warblers, tits and wrens are common and on the water you could see dippers. Otters are common and the open areas of the woodland are popular with badgers, deer and fox.

Map: OS Sheet 72. Distance: About 6 miles. Time: 3-4 hours.

Route: Start at the stone steps near the Wildlife Centre. Climb the steps into the nature reserve above Dundaff Linn, the smallest of the Falls of Clyde. Follow the boardwalk past the Mill Dam, then turn right at a junction to pass Bonnington power station. Climb steps to the Corra Linn viewpoint. From here the path climbs through woodland and continues past Bonnington Linn. Cross the bridge above the weir and follow the footpath on the west bank of the river to the 500 year old ruins of Corra Castle. A waymarked path continues past the castle and round the Corehouse Estate, past the Corehouse Burn and waterfall, before meeting up with the outward path again just south of Corra Castle. From here follow your outward route back over the Bonnington Bridge and back to the start.

QUICK GETAWAY

Bunchrew House Hotel, Inverness. Meaning "the root of the tree" in old Gaelic, Bunchrew House Hotel sprung up from its 16th-century foundation by the bonnie banks of the Beauly Firth. A stately residence for successive branches of a Scottish dynasty, it has blossomed in modern times to become an award-winning luxury hotel.

Our room, the Lovat suite, is understandably favoured by newlyweds. Plush, comfortable and spacious with a four-poster bed, flatscreen TV and ample en-suite facilities, our stay was a satisfying and elegant experience.

Walter Walker, the hotel's resident culinary genius, currently holds two AA rosettes and has crafted a sumptuous menu from an array of locally sourced produce.

A five-minute drive from Inverness, the hotel is nestled within enough forest and field to offer rural seclusion, with stunning views of the Black Isle and Ben Wyvis beyond.

Bunchrew House Hotel, Inverness, IV3 8TA; 01463 234 917, fax: 01463 710 620; www.bunchrew-inverness.co.uk

Damian Shields

TRAVEL NEWS

Canadian Affair is having a big January sale, with savings on all flights and holidays. Book from tomorrow until January 31 and save £20 on every seat, on every flight. Prices start from £139 per person, one way, including taxes. Discounts of 10% are available on hotels and selected fly-drives. A three-night city break for two, travelling from Glasgow to Toronto in May 2009, staying at the Days Hotel, is reduced by £59 and costs from £599 for two people. Canadian Affair is offering up to 12 non-stop flights a week from Glasgow in summer 2009 with services to three Canadian cities - Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver; and a weekly direct service from Edinburgh to Toronto. Flights are operated by Air Transat and Thomas Cook Airlines. For more information and bookings, check www.canadianaffair.com or call 0141 248 6777.

Flyglobespan is to start a second weekly flight to Dalaman, Turkey, from Edinburgh. Since its inception in August, the once-a-week Saturday flight has proved so popular that a second flight will run every Sunday. Flights from Aberdeen will continue, operating from May 2009 to November 2009. Flights can be booked online with prices starting from £99.99 one way, including taxes. For more information and bookings, check www.flyglobespan.com or call 08719 871 689.

TRAVEL DEALS

ESCAPE Three nights in Monaco, staying B&B at the three-star Hotel Wyspianski, departing Edinburgh on January 23, from £255.

Info: www.crestaholidays.co.uk or 0844 800 7020

Seven nights in Cuba, staying all-inclusive at the four-star Breezes Jibacoa Hotel in Varadero, departing Edinburgh with Air France on September 13 2009, from £949.

Info: www.thomascook.com or 0844 871 6650

ADVENTURE A challenging ski tour on a dramatic ski-mountaineering trip on off-piste touring from Chamonix to Zermatt. Trips depart March 18; or April 1 or 22, from £1095.

Info: www.wildernessjourneys.com or 0131 625 6635

ACTIVITIES Thursday, January 1, 10am The Edinburgh Bicycle New Year's Day Triathlon takes place at the Royal Commonwealth Pool and Holyrood Park. Entrants will take part in a 400m swim, 11 mile cycle and a 3.5 mile run. (The race is fully booked but there are Kids' Duathlon places.) Info: www.edinburghtri.org