8 June 5, 2022The Sunday TimesTravel Focus on Scotland
F
orty miles and countless civic
stereotypes apart, Edinburgh
and Glasgow are the twin stars
of Scotland’s central belt, the
historic capital and biggest city
respectively. Escape their gravitational
pull and it won’t be long before you’re
amid Caledonian beauties of purpling
heather and still loch shores, battlefields
and beaches, ruined palaces and ruckled
golf courses. Hire a car or stick with public
transport, then take your pick from one
of the following day trips to find yourself
a world apart.MAKE A
Discover the most memorable day trips
from Scotland’s big cities, from art galleries
to whisky distilleries. By Mike MacEacheran
FOR IT
BREAK
apse and altar, a truckload of Knights
Templar lore, and a crypt that has been
speculatively associated with the lost
Ark of the Covenant and Holy Grail.
Cue “oohs” and “aahs” aplenty.
Details Adult £9.50, child free
(rosslynchapel.com)SEEK OUT WALTER SCOTT’S
BORDERLANDS
Walter Scott, the author of Rob Roy and
Ivanhoe, was more than just a historical
novelist, poet, playwright and treasure
hunter — he was an early flag-waver for
Scottish tourism. He inspired 19th-century
travellers to tour his home region,
Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, and
today the landscape’s appeal is as strong as
ever. Start at his stately home, Abbotsford
(£12.50/£5.50, scottsabbotsford.com) on
the banks of the River Tweed, then hike
the rolling Eildon Hills to see Scott’s View,
the writer’s favourite panorama. Bookend
your trip with visits to Melrose, his beloved
Borders town, and the grounds of
Dryburgh Abbey, where he is buried.
Details Tweedbank, next to Melrose, is
one hour by train from Edinburgh on the
Borders Railway, from £12.70 return
(scotrail.co.uk)STROLL JUPITER ARTLAND
Art is ever-present in Edinburgh, but most
visitors neglect this secret sculpture park
half an hour west of the city, with a terrific
café and shop in the grounds of nearby
Bonnington House. It’s a wellspring of
contemporary art and a garden of
discovery for families: there is a fathomless
cage installation by Anish Kapoor in aFROM EDINBURGH
PUZZLE OVER ROSSLYN CHAPEL
A sanctuary for the faithful since 1446, the
mysterious Rosslyn Chapel, 30 minutes’
drive south of the city, has taken on a
second life as a celebrity church after its
role in Dan Brown’s bestselling page-
turner The Da Vinci Code. The author
described it as the most mysterious and
magical chapel on Earth and it’s easy to
agree: consider 200-plus majestic
keystone carvings covering the nave,