Scotland · City Guide
Highlands
The Scottish Highlands are one of Europe's last great wildernesses, a dramatic landscape of ancient mountains, deep lochs, rugged coastline and a culture of whisky distilleries, Highland Games and ancient castles that makes Scotland's northern region one of the most distinctive and rewarding destinations in Britain. From the Cairngorms National Park and Loch Ness to the NC500 coastal route and the remote far northwest, the Highlands rewards every kind of traveller.
Elect's take
"The Scottish Highlands have a quality of emptiness and dramatic beauty that I find deeply restorative. The combination of the mountains, the lochs, the whisky culture and the sense of genuine remoteness creates something that feels increasingly rare in European travel."
The Cairngorms National Park is the largest national park in Britain, a remarkable high-altitude plateau of ancient Caledonian pine forest, osprey and red squirrel, exceptional skiing at Aviemore and outstanding hiking including the Ben Macdui summit. Loch Ness provides beautiful loch scenery with the magnificent Urquhart Castle ruins and the legendary promise of the monster. The North Coast 500, Scotland's most celebrated road trip, circles the northern Highlands through extraordinary coastal and mountain scenery via Torridon, Duncansby Head and the limestone caves of Smoo. The Speyside and Islay whisky trails provide world class distillery experiences. Eilean Donan Castle is among the most photographed in Scotland.
Best time to visit
How to get there
What to expect
Cairngorms National Park
Britain's largest national park with outstanding hiking, wildlife and skiing.
Loch Ness
Scotland's most famous loch with the beautiful Urquhart Castle ruins on the shore.
North Coast 500
Scotland's most celebrated road trip through extraordinary coastal and mountain scenery.
Speyside Whisky Trail
The heartland of Scotch whisky production with outstanding distillery experiences.
Eilean Donan Castle
Scotland's most photographed castle in a spectacular loch and mountain setting.
Highland Wildlife
Red deer, golden eagles, ospreys, red squirrels and the chance of encountering dolphins.
