A visit to the ruins of Suisnish, one of the most haunting of all the Clearance villages, involves a five-mile walk from the beach at Camas Malag, past waterfalls and old marble quarries.
In a glorious setting, with roofless cottages and views over Loch Slapin, it is incredibly moving, particularly as we know hundreds of villagers traipsed through snow, their homes razed, and many died.
Visiting geologist Archibald Geikie described the scene in 1853: ‘A strange wailing sound reached my ears. I could see a long and motley procession winding along the road... A cry of grief went up to Heaven, the long plaintive wail, like a funeral coronach. The sound re-echoed through the wide valley of Strath in one long prolonged note of desolation.’
Spar Cave: The cathedral-like hiding place on the Isle of Skye, accessed via a cliff face and a ravine
Spar Cave on the Strathaird peninsula was recommended my no less a figure than Walter Scott, yet remains quiet and
Falls of Glomach, Ross and Cromarty: Britain's most isolated, and perhaps most spectacular waterfall
Annunciata Elwes's Secret Britain series looks at Falls of Glomach, one of the highest waterfalls in the UK.
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The real name of a 'ghost' rainbow, the first ever omnishambles, and golf on the moon: Country Life Quiz of the Day 20 February 2025Some real brainteasers for you in our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
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Tom Parker Bowles's favourite recipe: French onion soupThis dish is no mere Gallic broth, rather pure bonhomie in a bowl — a boozy, beefy, allium-scented masterpiece that cries out for the chill depths of winter
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St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, Heysham: The mythical Lancashire ruins with a heavenly viewAnnunciata Elwes takes a look at St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, a Morecambe Bay landmark.
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Covehithe beach, Suffolk, where the cliffs crumble like cakeThe most eroded beach in Britain has a post-apocalyptic feel.
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Clydach Ironworks, Monmouthshire: Ruins in the gorge that inspired ShakespeareAn oasis of quiet now stands where the steam hammers thudded at this Welsh ironworks, in a river valley that may have moved Shakespeare to write A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
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Royston Cave, Hertfordshire: A mysterious site full of sacred energyOur Secret Britain series continues with a Hertofrdshire cave whose true nature remains unknown.
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John Bunting War Memorial Chapel, Scotch Corner: The painstaking transformation of rubble to War MemorialAnnunciata Elwes celebrates the effort that turned a derelict house into a memorial.
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The Garden of Cosmic Speculation: The surreal space where Lewis Carroll and Willy Wonka meet Capability BrownSurrealism, philosophy, nature and gardening come together at the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, as Annunciata Elwes explains.
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The Airman’s Grave, Ashdown Forest: A touching and little-known memorial to victims of war and fateA wartime tragedy in East Sussex's Ashdown Forest is among our Secret Britain picks, as chosen by Annunciata Elwes.
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St Lythans chambered long barrow, Vale of Glamorgan: A place to make a Halloween wishAnnunciata Elwes looks at the myths and legends surrounding St Lythans chambered long barrow.
