Scotland
If you've been to the Highlands, you'll understand what people mean when they say Scotland is another country. You could be in Canada or Norway, Alaska, Greenland, or Finland. But, wherever you are, you're certainly not in England. We've come a long way since Culloden, but in many ways Scotland seems as strange, remote—and, yes, magical—to the English as a mystical land on the other side of the world. English people often forget that Scotland makes up a whopping third of mainland Britain. That's thirty thousand square miles (eighty thousand square kilometers) of northern exposure just waiting to be discovered.
Photo: The Scottish Highlands.
Photo by courtesy of Doug Belshaw,
published on Flickr in 2006
under a Creative Commons Licence.
So what can you hope to find in a holiday north of the border?
Heath and heather, pines and conifers, salmon and stags—even the cliches are breathtaking. There are mountains a'plenty and if climbing's your thing (or rambling, hiking, or mountain biking), you need look no further. Apart from well known peaks like Ben Nevis, there are literally dozens of other hills and mountains to explore (with somewhere to suit climbers of every age and ability). If you prefer your scenery horizontal, take your pick of Scotland's famous lochs (lakes). Still on a watery theme, some of the finest rivers in the British Isles make Scotland a destination of choice for the discening angler. If golf, rather than fishing, is your sport, you can't go wrong. From St Andrews and Muirfield to Carnoustie and Troon, Scottish golf courses are legendary; that's why the Open Golf Championship is so often held up here.
If the Scottish mainland's not remote enough for you, what about exploring some of the islands? There are the Orkneys and (much further out) the Shetlands. On the west coast, within reasonably easy reach, you have the Hebrides, Arran, and Bute.
If it's city life you're after, Glasgow and Edinburgh are like a fascinating pair of brothers—intimately linked but miles apart, very alike in some ways, vastly different in others. Once famously industrial, Glasgow is just as well known now for its cultural edge—and for spawning everything from Charles Rennie Mackintosh's architecture to Belle and Sebastian's indie rock. Edinburgh is a more stateley place, elegant in some ways, twee in others, famous for its castle and festival and long Georgian terraces. But the two best-known cities aren't the only places in Scotland—so be sure to explore further afield. (We've covered all the main towns and cities in our links below.)
If you've never been to Scotland, why not give it a go? Eating haggis, drinking malt whisky, and reading Burns are by no means compulsory and most Scottish people even speak English (only joking!). By air, train, coach, boat, or car, it's much easier to holiday in Scotland than you might think.
Links
We've carefully hand-compiled a list of around 300 of the best pages we could find, helping you to plan your perfect summer holiday (vacation) or short break in Scotland, the Highlands, and the islands off the Scottish coast: the Shetlands, the Orkneys, and the Hebrides.
It tooks us several weeks to compile this page. We did the hard work so you don't have to.
And now you've found us, don't lose us! With most web browsers, you can press CTRL and D to bookmark
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General sites
Places to visit in Scotland
Mainland
Islands
General sites
Main tourist sites
Scottish Tourist Board: Official guide to accommodation, activities, events, and holidays. Includes an online accommodation search.- Scotland: A general guide to the country's history, geography, culture, politics, transport, etc.
- Scotland.org: The official gateway to Scotland provides information on living, working, studying, visiting, and doing business in Scotland.
- Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions: A huge guide to places to visit and things to see and do across Scotland.
- BBC News: Scotland: Catch up on all the latest developments in Scotland with the UK's most trusted, independent source of news.
- BBC Weather: Scotland: Watch the animated weather forecast (rain, cloud, wind, and temperature) for the north and south of Scotland.
- The Gateway to Scotland: A good set of introductory links from Edinburgh University's geography department.
- Scottish Executive: The online home of Scotland's government includes a helpful tourism section.
- Scottish Tourist Guides Association: Provides professional, personal tour guides for visitors. Includes details of how to choose and book a guide.
Maps of Scotland
Things to do in Scotland
Historic places
- National Trust for Scotland:
The conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy. Includes lots of ideas for historic houses, castles, and gardens you can visit.
- Scottish Natural Heritage: Details of historic sites you can visit, including historic "Trails through time" walks.
- Historic Scotland: Details of over 300 historic properties you can visit in Scotland.
- Clans and Castles: A commercial travel company offering "carefully tailored touring holidays of Scotland's castles, culture and clan lands".
Fishing
Walking and hiking
- Walk in Scotland: Visit Scotland's minisite helps you plan a walking holiday or long-distance hike in Scotland.
- Walk Scotland:
"An independent, non-profit making website for hillwalkers, backpackers, mountaineers and everyone who loves exploring Scotland's countryside."
- Forest Commission Scotland:
How to "Explore, experience, and enjoy" the woodlands of Scotland.
- Walkabout Scotland:
A commercial travel company offering walking holidays.
- Newton Stewart WalkFest: "Now firmly established as the biggest walking festival in the South of Scotland".
Mountaineering
Cycling
- Cycling Scotland: Official website promoting cycling in Scotland. Covers day-to-day cycling as well as touring.
- Mountain Bike Trails:
A guide to mountain-bike trails in Scotland's forests from the Forestry Commission.
- CTC Maps:
Find cycle routes and maps with help from the Cyclists' Touring Campaign.
- Sustrans: Cycle routes in Scotland:
Download details and maps of the National Cycle Network in Scotland, including on-road and off-road routes and forest tracks.
Wildlife
- Visit Scotland: Wildlife: All about Scotland's unique wildlife areas, wildlife species, and when to see them. Includes details of where to stay, including wildlife activities and bird watching (birding) holidays. Features six of the best Scottish species: atlantic salmon, bottlenose dolphin, osprey, puffin, red deer, and red squirrel.
- Scottish Wildlife Trust: Find out about the SWT wildlife centres and reserves dotted around Scotland.
- RSPB Scotland:
Lots of info about Scottish birds and where to see them.
- Scotland the Wild:
A BBC guide to the delights of natural Scotland.
- Highland Wildlife Park:
"Experience Scottish wildlife as well as international endangered animals of mountains and tundra in the spectacular setting of the Highland Wildlife Park".
Places to visit in Scotland
Aberdeen
Important city on the north-west of Scotland. Gateway to the Grampian mountains region.
- Google maps: Aberdeen
- Aberdeen and Grampian Highlands: Official tourist board information site. Includes details of events and "what's on" guide.
- Visit Scotland: Aberdeen and Grampian: A clickable map guide to the Aberdeen area, including the Speyside Malt Whisky Trail and the Deeside Tourist Route.
- Aberdeen City Council: Click on "Leisure and culture", then "Tourism and travel" to find details of local attractions, tourist accommodation, and a list of tourist information centres.
- Aberdeen: Quite a long and detailed Wikipedia guide to the city's history, geography, economy, culture, infrastructure, and politics.
- Aberdeen Airport: Main airport website, includes details of how to get to the airport, shopping and eating facilities, and more.
Ayr
Port town in the south-west of Scotland, not far from Glasgow, and convenient for the Isle of Arran.
Banff and Macduff
Two neighboring coastal towns on the north-west of Scotland, north of Aberdeen.
Blair Atholl
A small town at the confluence of the rivers Tilt and Garry in the Grampian mountains of Perthshire.
Callander
A small town just north of Glasgow and Edinburgh that serves as a gateway to the Highlands.
Coldstream
A small border town where the River Tweed forms the boundary between Scotland and England.
Crianlarich
A small village in Stirling on one of the main routes from the Lowlands to the north-west Highlands.
- Google maps: Crianlarich
- Ben More: A page of maps, photos, and handy information about Ben More mountain near Crianlarich. Includes a useful list of local accommodation and comments from people who've climbed.
- Crianlarich: A useful page on Undiscovered Scotland includes photos of local buildings .
Crieff
A large town in Perthshire.
Cromarty
A historic harbour town in the north west Highlands.
Dingwall
The ancient capital of Ross and Cromarty in the north-west Highlands, just north of Inverness.
Dumfries
Town in south-west Scotland just across the English border from Carlisle.
- Google maps: Dumfries
- Dumfries and Galloway Tourist Board: Official site includes details of where to stay and go, how to get to Galloway by public transportation, and activities such as walking, cycling, and golf.
- Dumfries: This fairly detailed article on Wikipedia has quite a bit of useful tourist information and covers festivals, famous people, etc.
- Dumfries and Galloway Museums: Information aout the history of Dumfries, including a section on Robert Burns.
- Dumfries photos: A selection of one person's holiday snaps during a three-week visit to Dumfries.
Dunbar
Town on the east coast of Scotland, not far from Edinburgh, in East Lothian.
Dundee
University city on the east coast of Scotland, north east of Edinburgh.
- Google maps: Dundee
- Angus and Dundee Tourist Board: The official tourist guide. You can find out about the region, send virtual postcards, and search for special accommodation offers.
- Dundee: A comprehensive article from Wikipedia, covering the history, geography, economy, and culture of Dundee.
- Dundee.com: A comprehensive information guide from Dundee City Council.
- Dundee City Council: The main council site is clearly designed for local residents, but also contains a certain amount of visitor information, including a what's on guide, local history, etc.
Dunfermline
The ancient capital of Scotland, just across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh.
Durness
A small village on the extreme north-west coast of Scotland, with its famous Smoo Cave (the largest open limestone cave in Britain).
Edinburgh
The historic capital of Scotland.
Elgin
A former cathedral city on the River Lossie in north-east Scotland near the Moray Firth.
Eyemouth
A fishing/harbour town on the south-east coast, just over the border from England.
Forres
Ancient town in the Highlands, near the Moray Firth.
Fort William
The capital of the West Highlands, with good access to Ben Nevis mountain and Glencoe.
Fraserburgh
The capital of the West Highlands, with good access to Ben Nevis mountain and Glencoe.
Gairloch
The capital of the West Highlands, with good access to Ben Nevis mountain and Glencoe.
Girvan
Small fishing town in Ayrshire on the south-west of Scotland.
Glasgow
Scotland's industrial (and increasingly cultural) capital.
- Google maps: Glasgow.
- Glasgow: Scotland with style: The official tourist site and online guidebook.
- Glasgow City Council: Visitors: More official information, including what's on guide, information on local architecture, how to trace your Scottish family tree, shopping, tourism, and museums.
- Glasgow Museums: Lots of information about all of Glasgow's museums and art galleries collected into one handy place.
Covers the Burrell Collection, Fossil Grove, Gallery of Modern Art, Museums Resource Centre, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum,
Martyrs' School, McLellan Galleries, Museum of Transport, Open Museum, People's Palace and Winter Gardens, Pollok House, Provand's Lordship, St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, and Scotland Street School Museum. Plenty to be going on with there!
- Glasgow's Leading Attractions: A nicely illustrated guide to the best of Glasgow's tourist attractions.
- Glasgow Guide: An unofficial visitors' website.
- Culture and Sport Glasgow: Includes details of children's summer holiday activities in Glasgow.
- Glasgow Airport: You can search immediately for available flights and find out useful travelling and security information here.
- Virtourist: Glasgow: This interesting little photo tour has 44 pictures of Glasgow.
- Glasgow: Useful background information about Glasgow from Wikipedia.
Glen Coe
Famously attractive, mountainous Highland region not far from Fort William.
Inverness
City in the northern Highlands on the Moray firth, at the tip of Loch Ness.
- Google maps: Inverness.
- Welcome Inverness: Official tourist guide (available in several major languages).
- Inverness: Capital of the Scottish Highlands: A helpful commercial guide to the city.
- About Inverness: An alternative commercial guide. Includes interesting information about castles, Loch Ness, highland games, and whisky!
- Inverness: This Wikipedia page covers the history, politics, and geography of the area.
- Visit Inverness: This site, from the Inverness & District bed and breakfast (B&B) association, is a good place to start for accommodation on a budget.
- Inverness: Things to do, places to stay, and other attractions rated by fellow travellers at Trip Advisor.
- Scottish Highlands, tours, and attractions: A variety of attractions around Inverness.
- Loch Ness
Jedburgh
A town on the Scotland/England border.
John O'Groats
The famous north-east tip of Scotland and gateway to the Orkneys.
Kelso
Historic border town in beautiful countryside on the confluence of the rivers Tweed and Teviot.
- Google maps: Kelso.
- Kelso Online: General commercial guide to Kelso.
- Kelso: Brief introduction and details of attractions and events.
- Kelso: Short introduction and photos from Wikipedia.
- Kelso Golf Club: An attractive golf club in the heart of border country.
- Kelso Angling Association: Founded in 1859, the Association has the right to fish for trout and grayling in ten miles of the best water on the River Tweed and Teviot.
Kircudbright
The St Ives of Scotland—a fishing town in the South East where artists have found inspiration.
Kyle of Lochalsh
The gateway to Skye in the north-west Highlands.
Lochinver
A village in the north-west Highlands.
Lossiemouth
A coastal town on the Moray Firth in the north-east Highlands.
Montrose
A town on the west coast just north of Dundee.
Nairn
A coastal town on the Moray Firth in the north-east Highlands.
Newton Stewart
A small town in the south-west corner of Dumfries and Galloway.
Oban
A spectacular coastal town and gateway to the western isles.
Paisley
A town west of Glasgow in Renfrewshire.
Pitlochry
A popular Victorian Highland town surrounded by stunning scenery—mountains, rivers, and woodland.
Scourie and Badcall Bay
A small village in the Highlands between Ullapool and Durness.
Selkirk
An historic town in the Scottish border country.
St Andrews
Historic university town on the west coast.
Stirling
Medieval city roughly equidistant from Edinburgh and Glasgow and a little further north.
Thurso
Small town on the northern-most tip of the Scottish Highlands.
- Google maps: Thurso.
- Thurso: Quite a decent little introductory article on Wikipedia.
- Thurso Fisheries: "...one Scotland's finest 'fly-only' salmon rivers, with both spring and autumn runs, and an often prolific run of summer grilse in July."
- Thurso Surfing: Pictures, surf forecasts, and webcams. Thurso has been rated one of the fastest barrelling waves in the world and one of the top 10 waves in Europe).
Troon
Seaside town in south-west Scotland and home to a famous links golf course.
Ullapool
A coastal village in the north-west Highlands.
Wick
A harbour town in the north-west Highlands, just south of John O'Groats.
Islands
Did you know that Scotland has over 790 islands?.
Orkneys
A group of islands off north-east Scotland.
Shetlands
A more remote group of islands, much further from the Scottish mainlands.
Hebrides
A group of islands just off north-west Scotland. The Inner Hebrides include Skye, Mull, Islay, Jura, Staffa and the Small Isles; the Outer Hebrides include Lewis and Harris, Berneray, North Uist, South Uist, Barra and St Kilda.
