10 MUST-SEE places in Scotland

Ohh Scotland… those lush green trees, vivid flowers, enormous mountains, countless lakes and breathtaking views of the ocean. These are the things that first comes to my mind when thinking about Scotland. And haggis of course, and bagpipes, and the monster of Loch Ness. Oh and rain. Lots of rain.

The sun might not be always shining but regardless the weather Scotland is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

Here are the top 10 must-see places that I love in Scotland. Get you camera (and raincoat) ready, these are all what I call #nofilterneeded locations.

1. Loch Ness

Of course that I had to start with Nessie’s home. Doesn’t matter if you are a believer or not this place will absolutely enchant you.

If you are looking for a busy town vibe with museums, pubs and coffee shops, I would recommend Inverness which is the biggest town around the loch. On the other hand if you prefer a less busier location, I would recommend Fort Augustus which is a lovely wee town by the left corner of the lake.

2. Loch Lomond

Less famous but equally beautiful (if not even more) than Loch Ness. The loch is in a handy location as it is already on your way if you are driving up to Loch Ness from Glasgow. Loch Lomond is ideal for sailing or for other water sports located in a perfectly romantic setting surrounded by beautiful hills and charming villages.

3. Isle of Skye

There is so much to do and see on this beautiful island — I could not possibly fit them all in here so I dedicated a whole other post for Skye. Check it out here.

4. Silver Sands of Morar

The sand on Morar’s beach are, indeed, silver. Funny enough I only realized that after we left the beach (where of course I had to walk barefoot so I could feel the silky sand between my toes) we got into the car and later that day I was thinking : — where all the silver glitter came from?? Of course they were tiny silver grains of sand.

The beach itself looks like someone exported a piece of tropical paradise to Scotland. Turquoise clear water, fine sand surrounded by the so familiar hills and white country houses. This unrealistic view which makes this beach so beautiful — a piece of tropical Eden in the middle of the Scottish highlands.

5. Glenfinnan Viaduct

If you are a Harry Potter fan it’s a must-see. The railway viaduct located on the West Highland Line in Glenfinnan.

It’s a short walk form the visitor centre in Glenfinnan. From here, you should follow the marked track for 15–20 minutes (depending how fast you walk really) then you will find a stunning view of the viaduct — perfect for photographing the Hogwarts Express!

6.Loch Nan Uamh Viaduct

This viaduct is for the lazy — as you don’t have to walk at all to enjoy the sensational view. Again, less popular than the Glenfinnan Viaduct but in my humble opinion even prettier as here you have the impressive views of the Irish Sea too. The Viaduct located on the A830 road from Glenfinnan towards Mallaig. On the road you can find several allocated car parks where you can pull off and admire the view.

7. Sandwood Bay Beach

This lovely white sand bay (located on the far north-west coast) is famous for its vertical rock formation called Am Buachaille. Legend has it that a local farmer spotted a mermaid on this rock around a hundred years ago. ( But maybe he just had too much Scotch the night before :) )

8. Ben Nevis

If you are in Scotland the highest point of the British Isles is a must-see. Ben Nevis with it’s 4,414 ft ( 1346 meters) height proudly stands amongst the Scottish hills and mountains.

9.Eilean Donan Castle

There are so many magical castles in Scotland but one my favorite is the Eilean Donan Castle. Located on an island where three lochs meet. The best views of the castle is from the other side of the loch across the A87 bridge where you can find a lovely wee coffee shop — perfect place to warm up and enjoy the view.

10. Scottish islands

It would be a quite long post to write about all of them as Scotland has over 790 offshore islands.

So instead, I will just mention some of the most beautiful ones: Isle of Canna, Isle of Islay, Isle of Skye, Isle of Rum, Isle of Jura and the Orkney Islands.

It’s hard to describe how it feels to step onto one of these mystic islands. It’s a sense of calmness, quietness, clearness that you can’t experience elsewhere in the UK. Like it’s only you and the nature.

There are so much more to do in Scotland, these are only my favourite 10 places.

Have you been to Scotland? Can you recommend any other amazing places?

If you have any questions about addresses, places to eat, dog friendly pubs ( basically about anything but my pin code :) ) please leave a comment below and I will answer as soon as possible!

Come and sail away with me!

Love,

Andrea