THE END OF THE WILDCAT?
With Scottish wildcat numbers down to just hundreds, conservationists worry these cats' nine lives are about to run out.

PEACEFULLY LOST IN TIME
Just a few miles from the Skye bridge, Glenelg is remote and wonderful: a simple settlement along the bay, the scent of peat smoke in the air and the fingerprints of history everywhere.

AN ISLAND TO CALL YOUR OWN
The single cottage on Eilean Bàn near Skye, once the home of the writer and conservationist Gavin Maxwell and now a wildlife sanctuary, is a getaway you won't soon forget.

SEEDS OF GOLD
The story of Scotland's intrepid 19th-century plant collectors, who risked everything to bring the world the gentle blooms we take for granted today, reads like a piece of incredible fiction.

DRUMLANRIG CASTLE
Its cost nearly ruined the first Duke of Queensferry, but with eye-popping interiors, internationally acclaimed art and 40-acres of gardens, many would say it was well worth it.

Scottish wildcat photo © Peter Cairns/Scottish Viewpoint