Places to Visit in Scotland

Are you on the lookout for places to visit in Scotland?

As one of the most welcoming and beautiful nations in the world, Scotland is a world-class tourist destination.

People from all over the world love to come to Scotland to see that beauty for themselves.

As famed for their gallows humor as they are for their gorgeous glens and stunning lochs, Scotland is a place that people love to come and visit.

Places to Visit in Scotland

People come to the UK tend to find Scotland makes a better choice than other parts of the Union to visit.

Its rural layout, natural beauty, and tourist-friendly culture make it a great place to begin.

Where is Scotland?

Based to the north of England, Scotland is the northernmost nation within the United Kingdom. It lies to the North Sea, and can easily be reached from major cities in England and Wales.

You can easily travel via rail or air, or you can take the motorway up through Carlisle and into Scotland that way.

The choice is yours entirely, but arriving in Scotland is easy from the rest of the United Kingdom.

Once you reach Newcastle upon Tyne and move towards Carlisle, you are only a few miles away from reaching the Scottish border!

Places to Visit in Scotland

Without further ado let’s take a look at our recommendations on places to go in Scotland which includes activities you can do. If you’re after more off-beaten-path places to visit in Scotland we’ve covered those too.

Edinburgh

If you want to change things up, head not for Glasgow but for Edinburgh. Home to the famous Edinburgh Castle as well as home to some of the finest architecture in Britain, Edinburgh is a classic old-style city.

From a trip to the famous dungeons within the Old Town to trips to the various Georgian architecture, you can enjoy a wonderful day in Edinburgh with ease.

You might even want to look at heading along Princes Street if you fancy doing a bit of shopping.

It’s a great place to visit, for sure.

Be sure to visit the Old Town and Edinburgh Castle for some history.
Hit-up the Number 1 restaurant, a Michelin-star restaurant.
See this skip the line tour for VIP access to Edinburgh Castle.
Trek up the Calton Hill.

Loch Ness

Of course, what trip to Scotland would be complete without seeing if you can spot Nessie yourself? This is what Scotland is famous for after all!

Loch Ness is a natural wonder. It’s a special place, a location that gives you the chance to see the Scottish landscape at its most gorgeous.

It’s a fine place where you can enjoy a trip to some of the cities nearby, such as taking a trip to Inverness. An easy, enjoyable place to spend your time.

Enjoy a boat cruise in Loch Ness and visit the Urquhart Castle with this lake and highlands tour in the local area.
Visit the famous Urquhart Castle and the Falls of Foyers; man-made and natural wonders.
Take a trip to the Loch Ness viewpoint for some truly special postcard-worthy sights to see.

Dundee

As the City of Discovery, Dundee is home to some pretty special things that are a major part of Scottish history.

Lovers of architecture might wish to start out with the vintage St. Paul’s Cathedral and the McManus Galleries, while you might also wish to go ahead and visit places like the V&A Museum.

It’s a tremendous place to visit for those with a love of video games, too, as Dundee is home to many major Scottish games development sites.

Visit the Dundee Law, an extinct volcano that gives you an amazing panoramic city view.
Head to the home of some of the most famous Scottish comics, including Oor Wullie.
Visit the RRS Discovery for a look at Scotland’s nautical history.

Ben Nevis

As one of the most famous parts of Scotland, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain on the British Isles.

It’s a whopping 1,345m above sea level and marks an interesting challenge for anyone trying to really push themselves to their physical limit. Be sure to follow our sustainable travel tips in this area.

There is much to do here, but the main thing is to climb Nevis itself. You might also wish to start off with some lunch at Fort William before beginning your expedition.

A great choice for hikers who want some photos that will last a lifetime.

Hike to the top and get some amazing photos to bring home with you.
Start off at Fort William and begin the day with some Scottish grub.
Take a hiking trip around the other main Grampian Mountains.

The Shetland Islands

If you want to get out of the mainland for a while, take a wee ferry to the Shetland Islands and you will not regret it whatsoever.

This is a great part of the Scottish culture, and one of the many popular areas to come and visit.

A good choice; a classic sub-arctic archipelago that makes a great stopping point between Scotland and the Faroe Islands. Accessible via plane or ferry.

It’s a great thing to do here if you want to get away from culture and technology.

Simply enjoy some amazing walks, some natural landscape, and amazing wildlife.

Take a walk over to see the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse.
Visit the Fair Isle and the Mavis Grind for cultural insight.
Head to the Noss National Nature Reserve for a special experience.

Fort William

Lastly, it might be worth your time to make space for a trip to the quite special Fort William.

Fort William is a fine tourist destination; the kind of location that allows for you to see the Scottish Highlands at their most wonderful.

Take a trip to the Nevis Range Mountain Resort for some skiing and some forest hiking, or take a trip to the famous Ben Nevis as noted above. Definitely a place for railway enthusiasts.

You might also wish to look at Fort William itself as a town; it’s loaded up with things like old-school Jacobite steam train journeys from Fort William to Mallaig!

Take the West Highland Line, which was part of the Harry Potter movies.
Visit the Glenfinnan Viaduct and see a special railway journey.
RidE the Jacobite steam train as it crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct with a steam train and highlands tour from Inverness.
Take a steam train journey to see what waits between FW and Mallaig.

Places to Visit in Scotland

As you can imagine, there is much to do in this part of the world.

This, though, is just the start; there are many things to do in Scotland that might excite you.

From a wee pub crawl around its most famous whiskey distilleries to heading to its gorgeous castles through to all of the above, you’ve got some amazing things to do in Scotland.

Whether it be a trip to Glasgow where you can see the city offerings through a hop-on hop-off bus tour, or a visit to the Highlands.

Either way, Scotland is waiting to welcome you! Either way, Scotland is waiting to welcome you!

For many, traveling to Scotland is an inevitable step to make after exploring the cities of northern England when thirsty for a new adventure.