Where to Go in Scotland

Glasgow has evolved significantly in the last couple of decades. Not only does it have impressive architecture with grand Victorian mansions and buildings but a booming culinary scene. A fine dining capital, you’ll be able to enjoy much more than traditional haggis and tatties, with a vibrant yet inexpensive, cool, and unpretentious array of offerings. This is also where Scotland shops, with the city drawing everyone from Edinburgh and the Highlands to the islands to visit malls and shopping centers with local and global brands. There are some outstanding museums and galleries, like Kelvingrove with a focus on natural history, an excellent art collection, and diverse objects from across the globe. The nightlife is hopping, with a legendary music scene found everywhere from pubs to iconic venues hosting big-name bands. There are some famous dance floors for clubbing and LGBT-friendly options too.

The ‘gateway to the Highlands,’ Pitlochry boasts a picturesque setting along the banks of the River Tummel, overlooked by Ben Vrackie mountain with its summit easily reached via a direct path from the town. In the late 19th century it was a popular Victorian spa town, attracting many with its lovely surroundings and mild microclimate. Today, most use it as a convenient base for hiking the mountains and exploring the hills and valleys, while enjoying many tourist facilities, including gift and souvenir shops, cozy pubs, stylish cafes, hotels, and B&Bs. It’s enjoyable just to wander through the pretty, Victorian-style shopping areas splashed with color, thanks to the many hanging baskets that overflow with flowers. There are also two whisky distilleries, Blair Athol, founded in 1798, and Edradour, which dates back to 1825 as Scotland’s smallest traditional distillery. Despite its small size, it produces more whiskies than most of the other distilleries in the country.

Skye is the largest of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides while the Western Isles, or Outer Hebrides which lie off the extreme northwest coast include the isles of Harris, Lewis, Barra, the Uists, and Benbecula. This region was first settled around 4000 BC by Neolithic farming peoples and there are scores of remains, from stone circles to passage graves. The Outer Hebrides are known for their tranquility, ideal for those who want to avoid the crowds, with breathtaking landscapes that include white sandy, Caribbean-like beaches as well as unique culture. Skye has become one of the most popular destinations in Scotland, with surreal scenery that includes a dramatic coastline with waterfalls that plunge to the sea, craggy mountain ranges and endless trails to hike, brooding castles to explore, a whisky distillery to tour, prehistoric sites, and abundant wildlife.

Cairngorms National Park, which features the Cairngorms Mountains in the northeast of Scotland, offers the ultimate wilderness. It’s home to five of the country’s six highest mountain peaks, and nearly half of the highest in all of Britain. There are sparkling lochs and rushing rivers, native forests, moorland, and farmland, with miles of scenic trails for exploring it all. Along the way, watch for wildlife, including deer, pine marten, wildcat, badger, reindeer, and golden eagle. One of the top treks is a walk around Loch Muick and you’ll be well-rewarded by hiking to the top of the nearly 4,300-foot-high Ben Macdui. With gently rising slopes that lead to the Munro summits, it’s relatively easy in the summer. When you reach the peak, you’ll enjoy an incredible panorama that includes giants on the west side of Carn Toul, Braeriach, and Lairig Ghru.