Author: Morag Mackenzie

Marmalade Cheesecake

This cheesecake can be made with your favourite flavour of marmalade, and is delicious with lemon, lemon and lime, or lime and ginger marmalade, as well as traditional orange. Homemade is best, of course! Find this recipe and many others using marmalade, in The Three Chimneys’ Marmalade Bible, Shirley Spear, former owner of The Tree Chimneys restaurant on the Isle of Skye, published by Birlinn.

Ingredients

• 1 x 225g packet of digestive biscuits
• 110g Scottish butter, melted
• 225g Scottish crowdie cheese
• 150ml fresh double cream
• Juice of a lemon
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 2 tbsp. Seville orange marmalade
• 2 tsp. powdered gelatine, dissolved in 2 tbsp. warm water

Method

1. Lightly oil a deep, 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
2. Crush the biscuits in a food processor, or place them in a polythene bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
3. Place the biscuit crumbs into a mixing bowl, pour the melted butter over the crumbs and stir well. Cover the base of the tin evenly with the mix and pat down. Set aside in the refrigerator.
4. Place the cheese, cream, lemon juice and egg yolks into a bowl or food processor and mix well until very smooth.
5. Put the gelatine into a small, non-stick saucepan and pour the warm water over it. Stir well on very low heat and add the marmalade, stirring all the time until melted, then mix this into the cheese mixture.
6. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold into the cheese, combining well.
7. Pour the finished mixture into the baking tin to cover the biscuit base, and place in the refrigerator to set.
8. Just before serving, remove the tin from the refrigerator and remove the cheesecake from the tin by pushing it up from the bottom. Decorate with the fruit of your choice. Strawberries are a great combination with the orange flavours, and chocolate curls are lovely too.

From ancient inns offering pub food and myriad whiskies, to acclaimed fine dining experiences, there’s a restaurant to suit every weary traveller on Skye

Seamas’ Bar

Seamas’ Bar is a whisky cathedral. A huge cabin with a vaulter ceiling, there’s a dazzling collection of malts – over 400 bottle in total from every corner of Scotland. We are between the Red and Black Cuillins, mountains shaped 60 million years ago by fire and rice, the remnants of a huge volcano that was sculpted by glaciers. It is a dramatic setting for a dram.

The Black Cuillin ridge contains 11 Munros and 16 other summits, the most challenging mountain range in the country. Climbers have been glad of the informal hospitality at Seamas’ since it opened in 1987, an extension to the Sligachan Hotel that has sat at this crossroads since 1830.

Whisky flights present the easiest way to navigate your way around the packed gantry of bottles. The introduction to malts starts with Auchentoshan and jumps to a Balvenie Doublewood via Cragganmore and Glenkinchie. The island hopper selection goes from Arran to Orkney with Highland Park, then Jura before returning to Skye with a Talisker 10 Year Old. Enjoy with a locally sourced cheese board, oatcakes and chutney.

Scorrybreac

Actor Jack Lowden says Scorrybreac is his favourite restaurant in Scotland. “In came this plate of fish that the maître D’ had caught himself that day and the brilliant chef had done daft with it with oranges and sprinkled Douglas Fir through it. The whole thing just worked” he explained in an interview this summer.

The maître D’ is the quietly charismatic Will Humphries, a Welshman with an enthusiasm for provenance. He does most of the heavy lifting in the dining room, both conveying plates and the story behind the ingredients. Ask him questions about wine and local produce before he glides off to a nearby table.

The brilliant chef is owner Calum Munro, son of Runrig singer Donnie. Brough up on Skye, Calum trained in the kitchens on the mainland before moving to Paris. He returned home and started cooking dishes on the family Aga.

The Stein Inn

It started as a holiday daydream. Charlie Haddock and her partner, chef Paul Rankin, had been to a festival at Mhor 84 in Balquihidder. Feeling a little jaded afterwards they headed off in a campervan to Skye to visit their friend Michael Smith at the Lochbay restaurant and recuperate. They visited the pub next door.

“We joked to each other, “wouldn’t it be great to own a place like this?” Charlie explains. “Then suddenly we were in Catalonia with my son on holiday a couple of years later, and Michael calls to say the pub has come up for sale. We put in an offer, and it became a reality. Since then, the family have embraced island life, adding their own story to the pub with rooms, the oldest inn on Skye.

Visitors to Balmoral are often astonished to discover a series of pointed structures that would look more at home in Egypt

In the heart of Aberdeenshire lies a rather strange and daunting sight: a series of structures that reach high up from the humble surroundings of the Scottish countryside. Located within the Balmoral estate, the pyramids, or cairns, have attracted the attention of walkers and travellers from far and wide. Visible from all over, the Balmoral Cairns were built in the late Nineteenth Century from large stone blocks, creating pyramid-like structures.

The first cairns were built from 1858 onwards to commemorate the marriages of Queen Victoria’s children, including the Princess Royal to Frederick, Crown Prince of Prussia.

The largest and most famous Cairn was erected by Queen Victoria in memory of her husband Prince Albert after his death in 1861.

Later, more Cairns were built and included one dedicated to Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent, with one being built as recently as 2012 for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Most of the Cairns still stand today, although one built to commemorate Victoria’s servant and confidante John Brown after his death was destroyed by Edward VII because of his dislike of the man.

In 2012, a Cairn was built to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with 60 stones (one for each year) being placed).

Learn more about Balmoral and its royal connections with our August Queen’s Highland Home WeeBox, on sale now!

Droughtlander is finally almost over and here at WeeBox HQ, we couldn’t be more excited! 

As June 16th is just round the corner, WeeBox is here with everything you need for the perfect Outlander viewing party! 

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A Drop of Tranquility in a Glass – ‘Small Voice of Calm’ Whisky Cocktail

There wouldn’t be a Fraser party without a wee dram so why not try out this delicious cocktail to celebrate the new season. The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve single malt is a wonderfully easy-going whisky, with the chamomile bringing a gently floral aroma, balanced with the refreshing zip of lemon juice and the spritz of soda. Try this spring-inspired cocktail at home for a taste of Scotland. 

Ingredients 

• 50ml The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve
• 25ml chamomile tea syrup 
• 10ml lemon juice 
• 100ml soda water 
• Lemon wedge for garnish 
• 10g dried chamomile flowers (for the syrup)
• 300g caster sugar (for the syrup)

First make the syrup: 

1. Infuse the dried chamomile flowers for five minutes in 300ml of boiling water to make the tea syrup.
2. Strain and remove the flowers and mix the tisane infusion with the caster sugar. 
3. Stir the mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. 

Method: 

1. Pour the whisky, lemon juice and syrup into a cocktail shaker and lightly shake to mix the ingredients. 
2. Strain over cubed ice in a short glass and top up with chilled soda water. 
3. Garnish with chamomile flowers or a wedge of lemon. 

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Bring the Sound of Scotland with our Outlander WeeSounds Playlist! 

Carefully curated by WeeBox HQ every month, the WeeSounds playlist promises to transport you straight to Fraser’s Ridge. With songs from a variety of Scottish artists, you can discover the sound of Scotland to bring the story to life even more! 

Pour yourself a dram, invite your friends over and put the music on to bring you closer to the Outlander magic and create the perfect atmosphere for all of the adventures to come! 

Listen to the Outlander WeeSounds Playlist here! 

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Take a Virtual Tour of Outlander Scotland with Andy the Highlander

Visit some of the show’s most iconic locations and hear some of their real history too with internet sensation, Andy the Highlander! 

Sit back, relax and join Andy as you go ‘through the stones’ with your WeeBox exclusive virtual tour! 

Join Andy on your journey to Scotland here! 

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Shop All Things Outlander on our Emporium! 

We’ve opened the doors of our exclusive Outlander Emporium with lots of Scottish delights to make your home feel just as cosy as Fraser’s Ridge and all the accessories you need to fit right in amongst the Frasers and their settlers! 

Here are just some of the items you can get your hands on now: 

Fraser Tartan Sixpenny Glass Charm

Own a piece of Scottish and Outlander history! Complete with a replica 1700s ‘lucky sixpence’ this bonnie wine charm is perfect for setting the scene. A swatch of Clan Fraser Hunting Weathered tartan attached your very own unique charm, charge your goblet with a dram and drink to your good health – Slàinte Mhath!

Lallybroch Keyholder 

The perfect addition to your home to make it feel like a real Scottish castle.

Claire’s Replica Wedding Ring 

This beautiful recreation of Claire’s iconic wedding ring from Jamie is silver-plated and adjustable so you can enjoy wearing in comfort.

Dinnae Fash Bag

Carry a wee bit of Scottish wisdom with you everywhere you go with this handy tote bag! 

Our Outlander Emporium is only open for a limited time so make sure you don’t miss out! 

You can visit the Emporium here! 

Do you have a dream of visiting Scotland? With 12 inhabited islands in the Outer Hebrides archipelago, each with their own character and story, you can travel through Scotland’s island culture with an island hopping trip. With WeeBox, you can do this all from the comfort of your own home! 

Island hopping in Scotland is the ultimate relaxing getaway and the perfect chance to reset and connect with nature. Surrounded by water and swept by winds, there aren’t many places as connected to the elements as the Scottish islands. Many who visit are struck by the inspiring landscape of moors, mountains and machair-covered beaches that host the very best of Gaelic culture, wildlife, arts and cuisine. The experience can be summed up in a sense of Ciùineas (pronounced kyu-nyas) a Gaelic expression of tranquillity, calm and peacefulness. 

For those who can’t make it to Scotland just yet, WeeBox is here to bring this to you and help you to create a Scottish Island experience without having to travel at all. With five gifts from Island makers, a virtual tour and a WeeSounds playlist, WeeBox can give you everything you need to discover a Scottish moment to remember. 

Here are just some of the best things to see and do on your Scottish Island adventure! 

Mangarstadh Sea Stacks, Lewis

As well as breathtaking white beaches, Lewis is home to marvels of the rocky kind. Washed by the wild Atlantic, this area is a true spectacle and highlights just how powerful and astounding the elements can be. As writer Peter Irvine mentions in his book Scotland the Best: The Islands, “You might marvel at the grandeur of these timeless pinnacles or just at the indomitable endurance of Lewiston gneiss.” 

WeeBox is so excited to be able to feature a selection of Island makers in their July Island Hopping WeeBox, who have been crafting all year to create glorious gifts that convey the sense of wonder that the Mangarstadh Sea Stacks do. One of these is a Lewisian stone necklace from Two Skies Scotland – your own wee piece of ancient Scottish Island land and history to wear and treasure forever. 

Another maker featured in next month’s WeeBox is Coinneach MacLeod, also known as the Hebridean Baker, who offers a true taste of the Outer Hebrides through his cookbooks and stories of life growing up on the island of Lewis. In conjunction with Stag Bakeries, the oldest bakery in the Outer Hebrides, Coinneach has released a selection of Hebridean Baker shortbread and oatie biscuits. The delicately flavoured Heather Honey Shortbread appears in this month’s WeeBox. “It is amazing that my shortbread is being whisked across the world directly from the island of Lewis,” says Coinneach.  

Fingals Cave, Staffa

Discovered in 1772, Staffa is an uninhabited island off the West Coast of Scotland. It might only be a wee place (1/2 mile long and 1/4 mile wide) but its volcanic landscape has been inspired its visitors for centuries. Fingal’s Cave is a sea cave had that was a well-known wonder of the ancient Irish and Scottish Celtic people and was an important site in the legends. Its visually astounding structures have lured many famous visitors, including Queen Victoria, to its unique and dramatic architecture. 

With WeeBox, you don’t have to be royalty to explore Scotland’s glorious sights and experiences. Each month, internet sensation Andy the Highlander takes the WeeBox Clan on an exclusive virtual tour, celebrating that month’s theme and taking you on an adventure through the most iconic and exciting parts of Scotland!  

Isle of Tiree

The Isle of Tiree is the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides. With its mild climate, clean air and white sand beaches, it’s easy to understand why Tiree is sometimes referred to as the Hawaii of the North. CNN Travel included this Scottish paradise in their list of the best places in Europe ‘for getting away from almost everyone”. Known for its uncrowded beaches, it would be easy to be fooled into thinking you’re the only person in the world. 

However, it’s not always quiet on Tiree’s stunning shores. Every July, up to 2000 visitors flock to the Tiree Music Festival. Music is one of Scotland’s unique features and this festival is the perfect promotion of Gaelic and Scottish traditional culture. It’s support of traditional bands and musicians helps to keep the Gaelic and Scottish culture alive, and so does WeeBox! 

Each month, as part of the WeeBox experience, you receive an exclusive and carefully curated WeeSounds playlist to transport you to Scotland.  With songs from indigenous Scottish artists that you may never have heard of, you can discover the sounds of Scotland which brings the theme alive.   From Hogmanay to Hallowe’en, WeeBox has a WeeSounds playlist to bring Scotland to your home! 

Barra 

Known for its beauty, Barra is a special place to visit and has many interesting facts and stories just waiting to be discovered. From the moment you arrive, especially by plane, Barra promises exciting and unusual experiences at every turn. Their airport is like no other, with flights landing on the beach at Cockle Strand in between tides. At high tide, the runway disappears beneath the waves. 

The discoveries don’t stop there; Barra is the ancestral stronghold of Clan MacNeil and a five-minute boat away from Castle Bay is the medieval Kisimul Castle. Also known as the ‘Castle in the Sea’, which sits dramatically on a rock islet in the sea. This was the ancient home of Clan MacNeil and is just one of the fascinating features to be found on Barra. 

Scotland has a rich history and culture and there is so much to learn and uncover. WeeBox helps you do just that from the comfort of your home. With each WeeBox delivery, you also receive the WeeBlether magazine, filled with exclusive Scottish content, including photos, and articles all about Scottish history, tradition, and contemporary life. As well as this, it contains puzzle pages, Scottish Gaelic lessons and the monthly #wheresWeeBox competition winner – giving subscribers the chance to win special gifts for sharing their WeeBox experience online! 

These are only a few of the attractions waiting for you in the Scottish Islands. If you’re dreaming of visiting, let WeeBox bring you a wee bit of the island magic to the comfort of your home. If you’re planning your Scottish summer vacation now, WeeBox is the perfect way to prepare and also the best way to remember your trip of a lifetime forever. 

Order the July Island Hopping WeeBox now, on sale until midnight on June 30th! https://www.weebox.co.uk/subscribe/

Join our founder, Amy, in her first monthly column inside the Best of Scotland Magazine with The Herald Scotland.

“Amy McCusker, the founder of WeeBox Scotland’s global subscription box, has gathered an inspiring community of makers who supply gifts for her thriving business – and each month, she will tell the story of these marvellous Scottish creators.

When I founded WeeBox back in 2016, I quickly realised a truly special part of my job was meeting our glorious Scottish makers. Their thoughtfulness, creativity and innovation are a constant source of inspiration to this day.

Hearing their stories, what inspires them and how they express their love of Scotland is fundamental to the Scottish happiness we wrap up inside WeeBox.

As we begin to share these gifts with our global subscribers, affectionately known as the ‘WeeBox Clan’, we began to witness an incredible phenomenon – our makers and our subscribers were building their own relationships online. They were bonding over a shared love for Scotland, supporting each other through Covid and sharing joy in each other’s lives. This phenomenon has been the inspiration of this monthly feature.

Jackie Selcraig, founder of Gracie J Jewellery, and I hit it off very early in my WeeBox journey. A jewellery designer living in the beautiful rolling hills of the Scottish Borders with her husband Charlie and best friend Ted (her dog!).

She has strong connections to the natural world and spends a lot of time outdoors, often photographing and recording what she sees and hears around her. Jackie is a self-taught creative dabbler and has been making her own jewellery for as long as she can remember.

Her ‘Scottish Skies’ Collection is a reflection of our ever-changing weather, and her quirky ‘Flock’ Range of sheep-shaped jewellery was entirely inspired by many of her WeeBox customers who always engage so endearingly with her many sheep photos and social media!

Jackie told me: “It’s always such a joy to be able to make something you know is going to be appreciated and cherished all over the globe. My business has grown so much since my first introduction to WeeBox and now almost half of all my website sales are from across the pond. Some of these customers have even become firm friends!”

One very special connection Jackie made was with WeeBox subscriber, Cambrey from Utah, USA. After receiving one of her jewellery gifts in a WeeBox, they started following each other on Instagram. Shortly after connecting, Jackie noticed Cambrey was training for the New York Marathon, something she had also done years before. She knew how gruelling and relentless it was so started to send messages of encouragement and, finally, congratulations.

As a survivor of domestic violence, Cambrey was told she would never walk again, so this achievement meant everything to her.

Cambrey recalls: “The support and love I felt from Jackie was overwhelming. After my race, she sent me pictures from when she ran the marathon herself and was excited because we both ran in tartans. Our long-distance friendship has continued for over a year and my life is so much better for it.”

“In the spring of 2022, I received a tartan pendant which she had made in my WeeBox and I carried that with me as I ran the New York Marathon again in November 2022!”

Cambrey’s. great-grandfather, Walter Calwell, wore his great-grandfather’s (David Caldwell) tartan and David Caldwell and his wife Mary immigrated from Scotland as part of a program that sent weavers to Canada. Cambrey lives with her husband Andy and two boys in South Jordan, Utah. Her message to our Scottish makers? “Here’s to Scotland’s small and micro businesses, and those bold and kind people who lead them! Here’s to the light you bring, the strength you have, and how you uplift people every day with your products, talents and ideas.”

I don’t think I could say it better myself.”

The Scottish flavours really pop in this delicious fish salad that takes inspiration and replaces tuna with poached Chalkstream Trout

Ingredients

• 4 small trout fillets (skinned and pin boned)
• 3 baby gem lettuce
• 3 large vine tomatoes
• 24 olives
• 12 new potatoes
• 200g green beans
• 4 boiled eggs

For the vinaigrette

• 1 dessert spoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 dessert spoon of white wine vinegar
• 150ml of extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Boil potatoes in salted water. When nearly cooked ad the green beans and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain and cool the potatoes and green beans under cold running water.
2. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and cut the tomatoes into wedges.
3. Put eggs into boiling water for 6 minutes then cool under running water.
4. Bring a pan of salted water to a simmer. Add the trout, remove pan from the heat and leave the trout in the water for 4 minutes.
5. Remove the trout from the water and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
6. Make the vinaigrette by placing all of the ingredients into a small container with a lid and shake thoroughly until mixed.
7. Shell the eggs and slice in half. Assemble the salad in a large serving dish with all of the ingredients, placing the trout fillets on top.

Apart from wildlife, many picturesque Scottish islands now lie uninhabited – but many once hosted thriving communities.

SCOTLAND has a host of windswept and stunningly beautiful islands now long since abandoned by their residents.

Once home to small yet resilient communities, these often-remote locations now only provide homes to vast numbers of animals and birds.

St Kilda is among the best known, evacuated in 1930 after life became too challenging for the islanders. Now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, their row of homes on Hirta are a monument to a now lost and unique way of life.

In the Outer Hebrides, Mingulay, Pabbay and Berneray, south of Barra, with their dramatic landscape, vibrant wildlife, and sandy beaches, are now left to nature.

Having been occupied for 2,000 years, islanders left Mingualy and Pabbay in 1912, after the combined impact of absentee landlords and dwindling population made life unviable. Berneray’s islanders clung on until 1980.

The treacherous Corryvechan whirlpool separates Scarba from Jura.

Unoccupied since the 1960s, it was once known for its hardy residents: one islander is said to have lived until she was 140. Kilmory Lodge on the island is sometimes used by shooting parties stalking its population of red deer.

Handa, off the Sutherland coast is a haven for puffins, razorbills, and guillemots, with a grim history: it was once used as a burial ground, safe from scavenging wolves that once prowled the north of Scotland.

Just two miles long, the Orkney isle of Fara in Scapa Flow was home to 76 residents in 1805, with its own school and lush sheep pasture for crofters’ flocks

Passionate about Scotland and its varied geology, serial adventurer and gem hunter Adam McIntosh of jewellery specialists Two Skies sources beautiful yet sustainable native Scottish gemstones to use in his bespoke creations.

It has been used to construct the mysterious standing stones of Callanish on Scotland’s Western Isles as well as the historic abbey of Iona and now Lewisian gneiss has been made into stunning jewellery.

Treasured for many centuries by the clans of Scotland, the semi-precious gemstone has been turned into beautiful pendants by the 20-year-old Two Skies company.

The business was set up by Adam McIntosh, a member of the Scottish Gemmological Association, and whose family originate from the Outer Hebrides.

From a young age, he was intrigued by the landscape around him on the Island of Lewis, especially Lewisian gneiss, which is up to three billion years old and one of the oldest rocks in the world. It is a unique composition of many minerals including feldspar, epidote, and quartz, all of which are part of the Lewisian gneiss complex.

“It is a very unique rock that you don’t see anywhere else in Scotland and is quite intriguing,” says McIntosh. “It is a very durable and hard rock – castles are built out of it – and has been traded, treasured and used for something like 5000 years.”

However, to find gneiss of gem cutting quality takes a lot of time and hard work. “You can’t just walk around Scotland whacking away at rocks,” laughs Adam.

The pendants he makes from Lewisian gneiss are wing-shaped with a high hand polish on a cotton cord with an adjustable knot so the length can be changed. “They come with a wee storybook as well that tells you all about them,” Adam explains.

It is just one of the Scottish gemstones that the company turns into stylish jewellery, designed by Adam who often gives a modern twist to centuries-old Celtic designs.

“We are proud of our provenance and the guarantee on our gems,” says Adam.