It has never been a more exciting time to visit this beautiful region of the British isles. Check out the ETG list of 8 great destinations to visit.
Scotland travel guide
Scotland travel guide
You can now download eBook versions Lonely Planet as individual chapters for a few euros, and read them on your tablet, smartphone, eBook reader or laptop.
ETG Tip: Visit Edinburgh for the annual Comedy Festival or Hogmany (New Year's Eve). The Highlands are breathtaking, hire a car and explore.
8 Reasons to Visit Scotland
Scotland - Lonely Planet (PDF) >
1. Inverness & The Central Highlands - Scotland (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
The central mountain ranges of the Scottish Highlands are testimony to the sculpting power of ice and weather. Here the landscape is at its grandest, with soaring hills of rock and heather bounded by wooded glens and rushing waterfalls.
2. Central Scotland (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
The country's historic roots are deeply embedded in central Scotland. Significant ruins and castles from the region's history pepper the landscape; key battles around Stirling shaped Scotland's fortunes; and Perth, the former capital, is where kings were crowned.
3. Southern Highlands & Islands (Chapter)
From the rasping spout of a minke whale as it breaks the surface, to the ‘krek-krek' of a corncrake, the coast and islands of southwest Scotland are filled with unusual wildlife experiences.
4. Northern Highlands & Islands (Chapter)
Scotland's vast and melancholy soul is here: an epic land with a stark beauty that leaves an indelible imprint on the hearts of those who journey through it. Mist and mountains, rock and heather, and long, sun-blessed summer evenings are the payoff for so many days of horizontal rain. It's simply magical.
5. Southern Scotland (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
Though wise folk are well aware of its charms, for many southern Scotland is just something to drive through on the way to northern Scotland. Big mistake. But it does mean there's breathing room here in summer, and peaceful corners.
6. Orkney & Shetland Islands - Scotland (PDF Chapter) Lonely Planet
Up here at Britain's top end it can feel more Scandinavian than Scottish, and no wonder. For the Vikings, the jaunt across the North Sea from Norway was as easy as a stroll down to the local mead hall and they soon controlled these windswept, treeless archipelagos, laying down longhouses alongside stony remains of ancient prehistoric settlements.
7. Edinburgh - Scotland (Chapter) Lonely Planet
Edinburgh is a city that begs to be explored. From the vaults and lanes that riddle the Old Town to the urban villages of Stockbridge and Cramond, it's filled with quirky, come-hither nooks that tempt you to walk just a little further.
8. Glasgow - Scotland (Chapter)
Displaying a disarming blend of sophistication and earthiness, Scotland's biggest city has evolved over the last couple of decades to become one of Britain's most intriguing metropolises.
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