This section of the ThereArePlaces Destination Guide for the United Kingdom
(UK) provides you with our choices for the best destinations to visit
in Scotland. If you are already sure you want to visit Scotland,
simply choose one of the links in the box to the right to begin exploring
Scotland's regions.If you have not yet decided to visit Scotland,
consider reading the short section below that describes why Scotland should
be on your list of places to visit.
Why
choose Scotland for a vacation? We think there are several good
reasons. First, Scotland and its inhabitants have made a mark on the
world far exceeding the size or status of their country. We think that
Scots have created a unique culture that is worth knowing
and understanding. Second, the country's history is interesting, provocative
and to some degree familiar to all travelers. Mary, Queen of Scots, Bonnie
Prince Charlie, Clan McDonald and the Stuarts are names familiar to all and
their stories are on display over the Scottish countryside. Finally, Scotland,
filled with glens, lochs and greenery, is just plain beautiful. It is one of
those unique places where the landscapes and the people seem to merge
together. Scotland offers some of the
most beautiful vistas in the United Kingdom.
Unlike England, Scotland is
countryside occasionally interrupted by villages, and infrequently interrupted
by cities. Tourists thinking about visiting Scotland need to be mentally
prepared for a trip to a country whose natural beauty and interesting
people outweigh the quality of its cultural attractions.
The Scottish countryside consists of mountains, moors, lochs and coastal
plains with numerous attractive islands thrown in for good measure.
The landscape is rugged in both the Highlands and the northeast and more gently
rolling along the border with England. The coastal areas are cool and
damp most of the year and uncomfortably so in winter. The
highlands are often windy and rainy during the summer and snow-filled in
winter.
During spring and early summer, the country is alive with impressive
flora and the rhododendrons will
startle you with their size and dramatic color, particularly in the
Highlands. For many tourists, the west of the country, including its
islands, is a great place to walk, hike, and climb. The east and south
of Scotland lend themselves to touring, stopping, shopping, eating and
relaxing. Scotland is a country with a million things see.
Most of them are interesting and uniquely represent Scotland, but the
leading attraction of Scotland is its extraordinary landscapes.
Scotland is a place to pace yourself. Often it is hard to stop the day's
touring because there will always be a historic abbey, a castle
visited by Mary, Queen of Scots or something that you would like to see,
just over the next hill.
Eilean Donan Castle - in the Highlands on the road to the Isle of Skye,
near Dornie. Parts of the movie "The Highlander" were filmed here.
Much of the country is sparsely populated and village life is a dominant
feature in the rich quilt of Scottish heritage. Scotland's
culture is unique and its people are hardy and, often, serious. There are a number
of regions in the country and each is uniquely different,
though all are enjoyable. We think that the "Highlands" will leave its mark
on you if you choose to visit, but Edinburgh, the Borders, and the Grampians
are equally attractive.
Touring Scotland will familiarize you with Robert the Bruce (14th
century), Mary Queen of Scots (16th century), Bonnie Prince Charlie - The
Young Pretender (18th century) and the country's recurrent attempts to
throw-off the rule of the Britons. Although Scotland won many battles in the
fight for independence, the effort sapped the
country's strength while forming its history and influencing the nature of
its culture.
Many tours of Scotland start in Edinburgh or Glasgow (the country's major
airports) and proceed northwest to the Highlands, eventually looping east
and down the east coast before returning to Edinburgh or Glasgow. We have
followed the circle route model in creating our Scotland Guide and start you
in Edinburgh and the Borders, proceed to the Highlands and, then, pass into
the Grampians and the northeast.
We have created new road maps of Scotland based on routable Google maps to
show the location of the Best Places to Visit in Scotland.
In each of our five section on Scotland, we present a map showing only the
attractions in
that region of Scotland. If you prefer examine all of Best Places to
Visit on one map, we provide them
here.
So, click one of the links below to start your tour of Scotland.
is shown, click it to see photographs of the attraction.
