A Big Freeze has enveloped much of Scotland over the past week, with much of the north of Scotland also blanketed in deep snow. Many people ask us about snow in Scotland, and it’s honestly not a given - but this is sure to be a big boost to ski resorts across the country.

For those without snow, temperatures have consistently fell to between -5 and -10 celsius in the central belt. This will seem pretty normal for those from North America, but for us it’s about as cold as it gets.

If you’re lucky enough to be in the highlands right now, it’s about as beautiful and raw as you’ll ever see the place. I’ll share images below…

Recommendations:

Every week, I’ll be sharing my top Amazon product recommendations with you. This week, I’m sharing a Scotland football top to get ready for the World Cup, an excellent thermal flask, and totally unironically, an ice maker!

Check them out

Burns Night

January 25th is Burns Night - with millions of people around the world set to celebrate Scotland’s national bard. Where will you be celebrating?

If you’re in Scotland and need some ideas, Prestonfield House is doing its annual Burns Supper on January 22nd in aide of Prostate Scotland. The National Museum of Scotland holds its Burns Night Ceilidh on January 23rd.

New Tartan for 2026

Our friends at USA Kilts have launched a new tartan to celebrate America’s 250 year anniversary, aptly named America 250.

Snowy scenes

Snowfall across the highlands has led to some even calling for help from the army, with some communities in Aberdeenshire entirely cut off. This is unusual, but has let to gorgeous scenes in other parts of the Highlands.

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Here are some images captures on 35mm film (follow our Instagram for more):

@dreamingofscotland

Dreaming of Scotland on Instagram: "A beautiful stag deer in Gl…

That’s it for this week!

Slainte,

Shaun

Friends,

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to get out of my head and simply create more content, including this newsletter - which was entirely parked for much of 2025.

For the year ahead I’m coming back with weekly posts here on Dreaming of Scotland, using it as a place to share the best of Scotland, things I come across I think you’d enjoy, and tips for those visiting.

New Year became important in Scotland because Christmas was once banned. The ban began after Scotland broke from the Roman Catholic Church, with the new Protestant Church of Scotland (the Kirk) viewing Christmas as a “popish” (Catholic) festival with no biblical basis. The ban endured from 1640 to 1712.

Granted, this was a long time ago, but this shaped Hogmanay into being a much more important event for us.

The modern version in the Scottish capital is a 4-day series of events and draws hundreds of thousands of people from all around the world. I’ll share some of the key components below:

Torchlight Procession

The Torchlight Procession is one of Hogmanay’s most visually striking traditions, and when all participants have lit their torches, it leads to a river of fire winding through Edinburgh’s historic streets. While today’s event feels almost theatrical, its roots lie in ancient winter fire festivals, where flame symbolised purification, protection, and the promise of returning light after the darkest days of the year.

Historically, fire rituals marked seasonal change across Scotland and northern Europe. Carrying light through the town was believed to ward off evil spirits and cleanse the old year’s misfortune. In modern Edinburgh, thousands of torchbearers gather at dusk, marching together through the Old Town before climbing Calton Hill, or Hollyrood Park, where the city glows below in a breathtaking finale.

Today, it’s less about superstition and more about shared experience, and a fun moment that sets the tone for Hogmanay: reflective, dramatic, and unmistakably Scottish. This year’s event happened on Monday 29 December.

Ceilidh

At the heart of Hogmanay lies the ceilidh, a Scottish celebration of music, movement, and togetherness that dates back centuries. Traditionally held in homes, village halls, or barns, ceilidhs were social gatherings where neighbours came together to dance, share stories, and welcome the New Year as a community.

The dances themselves, which are lively reels, jigs, and group sets, were designed to include everyone, whether experienced or not. That inclusive spirit remains today. Modern Hogmanay ceilidhs, from grand city halls to outdoor stages, still revolve around live folk bands, energetic callers, and the joyful chaos of people spinning, laughing, and learning steps on the fly.

Today, several ceilidh’s are held in and around Edinburgh during the Hogmanay celebrations.

New Years Street Party

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party has become one of the world’s most iconic New Year celebrations - a modern spectacle framed by centuries of history. While public celebrations of the New Year are relatively recent in Scotland, the scale and drama of Edinburgh’s event feel perfectly at home beneath its skyline.

As the bells approach midnight, crowds fill Princes Street, music echoes through the city, and anticipation builds beneath the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. When midnight strikes, fireworks erupt from the castle rock, lighting up the city in a moment that feels both ancient and electric.

It’s a celebration where past and present collide, medieval stone, modern music, and a shared countdown that unites locals and visitors alike in a single, unforgettable moment of fireworks above Edinburgh’s iconic castle. This year’s midnight headline act beneath the castle is Wet Leg.

Loony Dook

Few Hogmanay traditions capture Scotland’s sense of humour quite like the Loony Dook. Held on New Year’s Day in the icy waters of the Firth of Forth, this tradition sees brave - or mad - participants plunge into the sea, often dressed in outlandish costumes.

While the organised event began in the 1980s, the idea behind it is far older. Cold-water bathing has long been associated with cleansing, renewal, and starting the year fresh - both physically and spiritually. The Loony Dook simply adds a distinctly Scottish twist: charity fundraising, fancy dress, and a healthy dose of laughter.

For whatever reason, this event was tied in with Edinburgh’s official Hogmanay celebrations for years, and is now no longer an official event. Today, spontaneous Loony Dooks take place at shorelines all across Scotland, and especially Edinburgh - from South Queensferry, to Portobello and North Berwick.

I just want to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy New Year. I hope you enjoy tonight however you are celebrating, and I wish you and family wealth, health and happiness for the year ahead.

Shaun

In August, we have several festivals at the same time - The Fringe Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Military Tattoo, and many more! - and so the city becomes a riot of energy, noise, colour, and general hustle and bustle.

And it starts today!

I’m challenging myself to do something I’ve never done before.

Daily (okay, not EVERY day), regular live streams from the street on YouTube and on Twitch.

The first one kicks off today. I’d LOVE to see you over on my live chat. This is my ShaunInRealLife channel where I do experimental content, including live streams.

So join me every day in August for my live streams, starting TODAY at around 8PM UK Time (3PM US Eastern).

Slainte,

Shaun

All true words but certainly not complete. Scottish, maybe?

My friend Grant, a Scottish content creator, bagpiper, and member of the band, invited my wife and I along to watch one of their their latest performances at the Stramash bar in Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Festival.

Although I’d seen and heard them play many times online, nothing prepares you for the drama and power of front-man Jamie, as he welcomes the crowd, in a live performance.

Clann An Drumma - which means ‘Children of the Drum,’ incidentally, have built quite a cult following, having recently played high profile gigs including the final friendly of the Scottish national football team at Hamden before they went off to the Euro 2024 tournament. Less said about the football the better!

As an individual creator, Grant has always been popular - with his ‘Munro Bagpiper’ content seen by millions.

One detail I should mention about the video: my main vlogging camera was accidentally set - by me - to slow motion mode, and so all of my footage was not only slow motion, but there was no audio captured. All audio in this video was captured using my iPhone, with the slow motion cleverly edited on top.

It was really great to see Grant and his comrades play. There was so much emotion, power and meaning in their music, and you could tell that their adoring fans felt it too.

Make sure you follow Grant on Instagram and Facebook, as well as the Clann An Drumma account pages.

Oh, and you can watch the full YouTube vlog that this clip belongs to below:

Shaun

Ever since, people have asked what happened.

And here’s the truth:

In short…

Nothing!

Well, not nothing. They have of course never stopped working on it, but progress has been very slow!

I made this video as an update for the many people have asked, and I hope you’ll enjoy the beautiful snowy scenes of the Scottish highlands in winter time.

I appreciate you!

Shaun

Last week, I posted a walking tour video of Edinburgh.

No fancy editing tricks, no talking, just footage of me walking around Edinburgh in the rain. People seemed to like it!

This is known as ‘slow TV’ and is something I watch myself as well. A lot of people use this type of content as white noise to have in the background on their TVs while working, while doing chores, or even while trying to sleep. The simple background noise of city life, or noises from the countryside, help a lot of people to relax.

Not many people know this - i kind of keep it a secret - but I actually have a whole YouTube channel dedicated to this kind of content called ‘Ambient Adventures’. If you also enjoy watching this kind of slow video content, come on over and hit the subscribe button!

In fact, I’m just releasing a new video over there now, and it’s a throwback to the winter / festive markets in Edinburgh. Watch the video below:

So if ASMR is your thing, keep your eyes out for more videos over there at Ambient Adventures.

As for Scotland, we are almost at Easter, which means we are almost at clock-change time, meaning we will be one hour ahead. This is great, because instead of being dark around 5 or 6pm, it’s going to be pushing 7pm, so there will be loads more Scotland adventures to share.

A Guide to Scotland

If you are coming to Scotland, thinking of coming to Scotland, have been to Scotland or just like Scotland, you should check out my Guide to Scotland, which is an online video guide to everything you need to come to Scotland.

It includes over five hours of Scotland content, and if you use the code DREAMING at checkout, you’ll get 20% off!

Learn More

Hope you’re having a great week!

Slainte,

Shaun

It sparkles in a certain way, making the city’s dark, gothic features come to life in new and interesting ways.

Well, we may as well make it sound great - because we certainly get a LOT of the wet stuff in Scotland. Tomorrow’s whisky, you might say.

I recorded a recent walk through Edinburgh’s old town in the rain, recorded in 4k with Binaural Audio. This means, if you use headphones, you’ll hear the pitter-patter of rain falling as if you were there with me.

So join me for the rain walk over on the Dreaming of Scotland YouTube channel:

Hope you like it, and please subscribe to the YouTube channel if you haven’t already!

Shaun

I want this newsletter to deliver great value, as well as fun and interesting things on a regular basis, and that’s what i’ll do.

First, to achieve this, it would be great to know what would be the best day and time of the week to post. Please let me know in the survey box below:

Start Survey

New Scottish road tripping adventures:

With that said, I recently posted a new video over on our Shaun and Teka YouTube Channel that I think you’ll enjoy! It includes 50 minutes of some of the best scenery anywhere in Scotland - the Isle of Skye:

Have you seen our new shop?

We have relaunched our shop! It includes some cute new items for all ages - including baby gifts - for anyone who has ever known or loved Scotland.

View Shop

And, I have a discount for you. Use code ‘SASSENACH’ at checkout for 10% off your entire first order, or code ‘15OFF’ for 15% off orders over £50.

Oh, and shipping is FREE worldwide!

Hope you enjoy some of the items - all profit goes towards making new content.

What NOT to do in Edinburgh

If you’re coming to Edinburgh, you’re probably looking for lists of things to do in the city, which we have covered and will continue to cover.

But what about a list of things NOT to do in the city? We thought this would be an interesting new spin on it and maybe something you’d also find useful. Check our blog post on this subject.

So that’s it for now. More Scotland content coming soon!

Slainte,

Shaun

As we head into the grim month of January, when all the Christmas lights are put away, there’s an opportunity to think ahead.

So I’d like to as you a question or two. Are you thinking of coming to Scotland, or have you booked a trip already?

More specifically, would you consider going on a tour with me as your guide?

Very interesting! 👀

Moving on…

I wanted to share a video I’ve just published from my main video blog channel. It’s a roundup of all the cool things we did over the holidays, including a brand new experience for me. Skiing!

Did you know it’s possible to ski in Scotland?

It’s interesting, because I think not many people do. As well as Glenshee, where we went, there are no less than 5 more ski resorts dotted around Scotland, although Glenshee is known as the most reliable for snow.

I had an absolutely amazing time and I’d love to go again - though it is quite an expensive sport!

I hope you enjoy the video above and, whatever your goals are for the year ahead, let’s go get ‘em!

Slainte,

Shaun

Some of these things might be basic, but they are always curious things that people genuinely want to know.

And our goal with Dreaming of Scotland is to be genuinely helpful. As well as Google questions, I’m also asking the audience for their questions… so ask away!

To start, here we have a go at answering one specific question that is surprisingly common on Google.

Are there bears in Scotland?

The answer is both yes and no.

We have a stab at answering both in this blog post, and our latest video on YouTube. (below):

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Calming scenes from Scotland

For many years, I’ve spoken about anxiety and how it has impacted me. Thankfully, in recent years I’ve had it under control.

Nonetheless, like everyone I still have sleepless nights.

One of the things that helps me is having distracting, calming content that doesn’t require too much emotional investment.

I like watching walking videos - where people go through city or nature scenes. These videos can go on the TV in the background, or on the phone next to my in bed.

They are usually both visually, but also audibly calming.

I started recording my very own calming scenes a few years ago on my Ambient Adventures channel. I record these scenes in 4k, but also using Binaural audio devices.

That means it’s recorded in a way that allows the viewer/listener to hear as if they were in the scene in person… especially if they listen using headphones.

My latest video on this channel is out now, and is a walk along my local beach.

And many of the videos on the Ambient Adventures channel will be recorded in and around my home in Scotland.

Is this type of content you watch to help you relax?

Thanks for reading.

Shaun

Indeed, due to the variety of geological features, wildlife and things to do, it is known as ‘Scotland in Miniature’.

It has everything from fertile and flat farmland to mountainous terrain that looks much like anywhere in the Scottish Highlands. Meanwhile, as discussed in our new blog post, there is a lot to do there.

For me, my favourite of those things was visiting Machrie Moor, a neolithic site complete with standing stones, and also doing a tour of the Arran whisky distillery.

Both of these are documented in the video on the Dreaming of Scotland YouTube channel bellow:

Enjoying Dreaming of Scotland? Please share this post with your friends, online communities on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.

Long-term viewers may remember some of the footage in the above video from a trip series I did with Rabbie’s, the Scottish tour guide company, a few years back. It was part of a 3-day Isle of Arran trip I did.

I enjoyed Arran and would like to go back. I’d love to know from you: have you been to Arran, or if not, has it appeared on your radar as you plan your trips?

Read our latest Scotland blogs:

• 10 Scottish words you NEED to know

• Is Edinburgh Castle build on a volcano?

• Visiting Balmoral Castle

• Checking out the Mòr Bakehouse

It’s Christmas Season in Edinburgh

Y’know, I used to baulk a little at the Edinburgh Christmas markets and related festivities. I always thought of them as mere tourist traps with little of value to offer locals.

Bah Humbug!

But I’ve actually had a change of heart. I’ve been around the world to see Christmas markets, and Edinburgh’s is actually up there among the best.

Sure, it had a rough few years during the pandemic, but as I discovered during my walk through of the market, it’s back with a bang! And, it’s great.

To be fair, it’s still very expensive, but it is authentic enough to say it’s worthwhile for anyone to visit - even locals.

And let’s face facts: Edinburgh is dark during winter time. All the sparkle and lights of the various Edinburgh Christmas events bring some much-needed light and a warm, joyous glow to the city during winter.

So I’m going to embrace it. Make sure you’re subscribed to the Dreaming of Scotland YouTube channel - with notifications turned on - to make sure you don’t miss any live streams I may be able to film in the city in the coming days ;)

Thanks for reading,

Shaun

Subscribe now

A very quick message from me tonight - I’m going live on the Dreaming of Scotland YouTube channel for the Edinburgh Christmas Market opening.

Join me within the hour over on YouTube. See you there (link below)!

We are right back into it with some great new Scottish content coming your way, starting with a trip to the land of Queens and Kings… the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire.

And in this post, I have two new videos to share with you: the fist of which is already live on the Dreaming of Scotland YouTube channel, and the second is available to members of this newsletter as an early access benefit. See below!

You may wonder why I write ‘Queens and Kings’ rather than the other way around, and that’s because Balmoral is definitely most associated with the Queens who owned the place, rather than Kings. Notably, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in 2022 while staying at Balmoral Castle, which was her favourite home.

Staying at Balmoral

To kick things off, I wanted to share a fantastic experience we had staying at the Balmoral Arms in the town of Ballater in Aberdeenshire. Ballater is a place that was well known to Queen Elizabeth, and she was often seen wandering the local shops, speaking to locals, and even praying in the local church.

We stayed in the Balmoral Arms’ fantastic River Dee suite, which as I explain in the review on the Dreaming of Scotland blog, was really REALLY nice, while dinner in the 1852 restaurant was one of the finest meals I’ve had in my entire life.

While doing Scottish hotel reviews, the Crerar Group of hotels has consistently provided some of my best experiences, and I’m excited to share these with you as you consider places to stay during your own Scottish adventures.

Watch my review below:

Visiting the Balmoral Castle and Estate

It can be very hard to plan ahead while considering visits to Balmoral Castle, because it is a royal residence and, as such, is often closed to the public. Your best bet for active opening times and restrictions is to visit this page on their website.

On the day we visited, King Charles had literally vacated the day before, so it had only just re-opened following weeks of closure.

We were able to walk around the stunning grounds of the castle, but not enter in the castle itself.

The video below will be made public over the coming weeks, but I am sharing it with you now as a member of this newsletter:

Thank you for joining me on this Dreaming of Scotland journey. I am so happy and proud to be sharing more of Scotland with you right here on these pages.

I’d hugely appreciate if you’d share it with your friends and family who may also enjoy Scotland, or post it on Facebook groups about Scotland you may be a part of.

Share

Furthermore, make sure you are subscribed to our YouTube channel, are following us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for all our latest Scotland content.

Thanks again and speak soon,

Shaun

If you have, you’ll have noticed that it’s getting super expensive. It’s expensive to stay, eat out or go to any of the tourist sites.

It’s becoming one of the most popular destinations in Europe, so I guess this was inevitable.

As a local though, it’s the free things I enjoy most, and I wanted to share this with you, or your friends, who may be considering coming to Edinburgh in the near future. Please share this with anyone who might find it useful.

So I put together the below video and this blog post to give you a breakdown of some of my favourite free things to do in the city.

» P.S. - The Ultimate Guide to Scotland is now available «

The best things about Edinburgh have always been the free things: the people, the scenery, the nature and the weather.

That last part was a joke.

But seriously, you can spend hours walking around the Royal Mile, enjoying the historic closes and buildings, or take a wander down to Princes Street Gardens, or even Greyfrier’s Kirkyard if that’s your thing.

Meanwhile, we have a bunch of world-class museums in the city, and they are all totally free!

I hope you’re enjoying the Scotland content - I’ve got a lot more to share here in this newsletter, the Dreaming of Scotland website, and on the YouTube channel.

Speak soon,

Shaun

It had been a while coming - in my YouTube stats, something stuck out to me. In the tab that shows me ‘channels my viewers also watch’, Scotland History Tours, hosted by Bruce Fummey, was top of the list.

So we got chatting. Turns out I was at the top of his list of channels his viewers also watches.

So it made total sense for us to get together and shoot some videos, and also a great change for me to get to know Bruce better.

While we’ve been poor at turning this in to a full-blown series, we perhaps will do - but I wanted to share our first ever get together, which was at Craigmillar Castle in Edinburgh.

This is on my Dreaming of Scotland YouTube channel, and I’d love if you’d head over there and subscribe.

As I’m sure you already know, Bruce is hilarious, and he tells tales of Scottish history in a way that few others do - after all, he’s a seasoned comedian.

While history is not really my thing, I am interested in it, so I’m glad we have someone like Bruce to tell us these stories in such an engaging way.

Find out more about Bruce in this blog post.

Best Ice Cream in Edinburgh?

There are several claims to the best ice cream in Edinburgh, so I wrote a post to document one of the more recent popular shops, which is Mary’s Milk Bar. I hope this will be useful if you or someone you know is planning a trip to the city.

Trip to the USA

One last thing for this week’s newsletter - I am planning a new trip to the USA in 2024, but this will be a group trip, meaning my viewers will be able to join in as well. I am doing it with a company called Trovatrip, and in order for it to go ahead, I need 200 responses to my survey, so we can work out the most popular destinations and start planning. Please fill out the survey on the link below:

Take My Survey

Slainte,
Shaun

The Honours of Scotland are being presented to the King at a ceremony at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, before a procession takes place on the Royal Mile, and then a Royal Air Force flypast.

This is NOT a post about the benefits, or therein lack-of, the monarchy, but merely a presentation of fact that this is happening today - right now in fact, and we hope to cover some of the spectacle in a live YouTube video. Watch below:

That’s kind of impossible to answer though - a bit like asking what the best whisky is. There are many possible answers depending on what you like.

But I do have a contender though: Craigmillar Castle in Edinburgh.

It doesn’t get all the fame like Edinburgh Castle does, but it’s well worth a visit.

It has something for everyone: both Outlander and Outlaw King were filmed there; it looks amazing from the inside and out; it’s within Edinburgh’s city limits, so easy to get to; it has some fascinating real-life history relating to Mary Queen of Scots, and; for me (perhaps I’m biased), I grew up and lived right next to it.

So i’m releasing a video tonight that gives you a flavour of why it’s awesome - watch below. If you’ve watched my main channel before, you may have seen some of this footage, though I’ve given it a spruce:

Would you like to learn more about Craigmillar Castle? As well as the video above, you can also read my guide on the Dreaming of Scotland website.

Read Guide

That’s it for now - I have loads more content coming on the Dreaming of Scotland YouTube channel, including many live streams planned throughout the Fringe Festival in August, so make sure you’re subscribed with the notification bell turned on!

Slainte,

Shaun

In fact, there’s a good chance you watched that video and found my content because of it.

But when I look back at it, I cringe, for several reasons.

So I’ve decided to remake it, updating for 2023, providing more relevant information for anyone who might be interested in, or coming to Scotland in future. Come on over to my new Dreaming of Scotland channel and watch it:

Something I discussed in the video is really true, and worth re-emphasising.

Throughout my childhood, it was reinforced to me that I would never be taken seriously by decision makers, nor considered for job opportunities in the real world, unless I changed my accent to be more palatable.

This is sad, but true, and it led to an entire generation of Scots from my era, who went on to achieve success in the professional world, who now speak with a weird accent.

For example, I know many Scots who went south for work, or were hired as speakers, TV presenters, executives, educators, journalists and more, who altered their Scottish accents to become ‘softer’.

Some of them (probably myself included) are like chameleons, and change our accent to be softer or stronger depending on who we are speaking to.

Then there are others, like Fraser Nelson (editor of the Spectator in London), who permanently morphed their accent into some bizarro-world toff accent that makes my head want to explode every time I hear it.

Bottom line is the Scottish accent is a popular topic, both for those who have Scottish ancestry and want to understand more, and for those who want to visit here and wonder if they’ll be able to understand everyone.

Head on over to the video and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Slainte,

Shaun

A new Dreaming of Scotland video is landing on my channel in the next few minutes - a walking tour through the streets of Edinburgh. Come and join me and say hello:

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Once you’ve watched it, you may also like to read my recent blog post about visiting the Royal Mile. If you are planning on visiting the Scottish capital, the Royal Mile really is the top place to visit.

Although busy with tourists, it has everything.

Hope to see you in Scotland soon! If you know any friends, family members or internet followers who might be visiting Scotland, please share this post with them.

My hope with Dreaming of Scotland is to help as many people as possible who may be visiting Scotland, or who may just enjoy seeing more of it online.

Slainte,

Shaun

Among them are a group of Islands on the west coast, not far from Oban.

When I was younger, I spent a lot of time fishing in the area around the Sound of Mull, and today my parents live on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula. Through my many trips to the year, we have visited the Isles of Mull and Iona many times.

They appear to have everything, and in recent Dreaming of Scotland blog posts, I created a cluster of articles and videos to share some of the many reasons to go there.

The Isle of Mull is actually quite large. It includes the fabulously colourful Tobermory, has a number of great beaches, as well as mountains, with plenty of outdoor activities to stick your teeth in to.

The Isle of Iona, meanwhile, is totally enchanting, with a long and fascinating history going all the way back to St Columbus. Meanwhile, its turquoise waters could quite easily be compared to the Carribean.

Both places (which are right next to each other) are full of the charm of the Scottish highlands, which includes good humour, good scenery, good food and good drink. The only thing that isn’t often good is the weather.

My question for you is - have you ever been to Mull or Iona? I’d love to know YOUR thoughts of visiting.

If you haven’t been, but are planning a trip to Scotland, I’d highly recommend you consider putting them on your itinerary - or share this post with friends or family who are making a start on planning their trip.

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Staying on the Isle of Mull

There are many good places to stay on the Isle of Mull, but I recommend the Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa. I’ve stayed there maybe half a dozen times, and always enjoy it - while its recent renovation is fabulous!

Read my full review

Visiting the Isle of Iona

If you are staying on Mull, you can’t not visit Iona. It’s only a 10-minute ferry ride, after all - and once on the island, you can walk everywhere (no cars allowed except locals).

Why you should visit Iona

So those are my recommendations for this week. Dreaming of Scotland - whether here in this newsletter, on our website or YouTube channel, is going to be dedicated to showing you the very best of Scotland, as recommended by me - a local - and team of writers.

Speaking of which, I am looking for those who are passionate about Scotland to contribute to our new website - so if you’ve been to Scotland, have a story and photos to share, I want to hear from you. Drop me your comments below!

Slainte,

Shaun