The February 2022 Scottish Field is out now

Scottish Field’s first issue of 2022 is now in shops and available digitally.

We dangle from Scotland’s sea cliffs with rock climbing enthusiast Guy Robertson, and we meet one of the hardest working women on Tiree, local crofter Rhoda Meek, who has taken on Airbnb

We chat with Perthshire’s Michael Yellowlees, who, with his four-legged friend Luna, completed a 5000-mile trek across Canada, and ask if the real Macbeth would please stand up. Having been made out to be a villainous, tyrannical king, there was much more to Macbeth than meets the eye.

Brother and sister duo James and Irene Thompson were ready to tackle the challenge of a wild garden in Fife, and we look at transforming a former church officer’s house in Glasgow, and find it was worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears.

Underwater photographer Gill Williams reveals the otherworldly wonders that lie beneath the waves on the Isle of Skye, while the A-listed Balbirnie House Hotel in Fife is a fine dining destination and an extraordinary wedding venue investigated by the Mystery Diner.

We also meet Glasgow-based artist Lily Macrae, who has created unique works inspired by the old masters.

Editor Richard Bath said: ‘There has been a lively debate in the Scottish Field offices about what constitutes a perfect family member.

‘As we’re food-obsessed and easily pleased, the consensus seems to be that this idealised spouse, sibling, parent or child is simply one whose preference is to eat the unpopular sweets that get left over from the Christmas box. You know, the coffee Revels, mini Milky Way bars from Celebrations and the annoyingly
chewy, filling-removing Toffee Penny sweets from Quality Street.

‘We are all familiar with the stresses and strains that different food habits bring at this hedonistic time of year, not least because every family now seems to possess at least one pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan member, with a fair chance of a sprinkling of gluten or lactose intolerance for good measure (one good Francophile friend found, to her horror, that catching Covid has left her with an allergy to onion and garlic).

‘If the SF office is any guide, the end of year festivities and deepest winter are combining to ensure we’re all food fixated. Apparently the super power most requested by my colleagues would be the ability to compel crisp companies to make curious varieties of crisps (scallop, black pudding and pea purée was one proposal; mango chutney and chilli, or chorizo and manchego two others). ‘

In our Credo column, Graham McTavish, The Hobbit and Outlander actor, talks roadtrip playlists, thankless jobs and Shakespearean tragedies.

This month also features Scottish Field’s Independent Schools Guide.

In our regular columns, we mere mortals may not agree on everything, but Alexander McCall Smith believes kindness goes a long way; the recent snow storm reminds Guy Grieve of an Arctic adventure many moons ago; travelling during Covid is worrying, and Fiona Armstrong has a tale to tell about the chief’s recent escapades; motoring expert Neil Lyndon has a hard time choosing between the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Skoda Enyaq; amd Michael Wigan’s fascination with salmon continues as they migrate from the ocean to inland waters.

The February edition priced £4.75 is now available in shops and online, and can be purchased from HERE.

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