Top 10 Places to Visit in Scotland

Scotland is a beautiful country. There are many tourist attractions such as big mountains, castles, and valleys where you can spend weeks or even months but if you want to come to Scotland for a short period, you’ve to shortlist the things to get the best experience.

Scotland can be visited at any time, but each season has its charm. From our recommendation, the best time to visit is Autumn. We have listed the top 10 places to visit in Scotland, so you don’t have to!

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is among the most beautiful city to visit and it has well-preserved culture and history, and you can explore their culture by visiting medieval Old Town and Georgian grace-filled New Town.

Edinburgh is a popular cultural destination, and numerous cultural events occur throughout the year, and one of the most popular ones is Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Edinburgh Castle and the beautiful Holyrood Palace frame the famed Royal Mile, surrounded by seven hills. The 11th-century castle sits atop an extinct volcano and is a world-renowned Scottish monument. It has witnessed royal rites, extravagant feasts, the birth of a king, violent conflicts, cutthroat politics, and the deaths of queens.

Glen Coe

If we have only one place to suggest you visit in Scotland, Glen Coe is the one. It is one of the most beautiful destinations in Scotland and will leave you surprised by the beauty of nature.

Glen Coe is full of breathtaking scenery of mountains, lakes, and landscapes. There are many things to do in Glen Coe, such as visiting Glen Coe mountain resort and Rannoch Moorview point.

Fort William

Fort Willian is one of the most popular places to visit in Scotland. It is one of the biggest towns of Fort William and is a tourist attraction because it is home to the largest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis.

If you visit Scotland in the summers or Autumn, you can even attempt to climb the mountain. Apart from the mountains, there are many beautiful views and scenery to explore. Fort William is also the starting place for the Jacobite, one of the world’s most famous train trips.

Glasgow

Glasgow, located on Scotland’s west coast on the River Clyde, has remade itself as a major European cultural hub in recent decades. Nowadays, its numerous superb museums, art galleries, and festivals draw people all year. It’s a wonderful city to explore on foot due to its many attractive parks and pedestrian-friendly streets, especially if you include the famed Glasgow School of Art.

After exploring the city centre, make your way down to the shore and the Riverside Museum. This wonderful contemporary facility, one of the top free things to do in Glasgow, concentrates on the history of transportation in the city with its enormous collections of historic steam engines, trams, buses, carriages, vehicles, and maritime boats.

Loch Ness

Loch Ness is definitely among the most popular places when in Scotland. It is a popular tourist destination because of the Lake. This 30 kilometres long Lake, located in the Highlands between Inverness in the north and Fort Augustus in the south, is Scotland’s second-largest.

When in Loch Ness, you can visit Dores, a beautiful little village located south of Inverness. You can explore amazing beaches and lakes there. In the summer, Fort Augustus, a lovely town on the Loch’s southern point, attracts many visitors. Five gorgeous locks are used to transport ships from Loch Nochy to Loch Ness through the Caledonian Canal.

Cairngorms National Park

Cairngorms national park is one of the largest national parks in the UK, and that’s why it is the park must visit when in Scotland. There are many things to do here, such as interacting with reindeer moss and skiing.

The must-do activity is to visit Cairngorm Mountain for skiing or take the funicular to the summit for amazing views – it’s scheduled to reopen in late 2022, which means it’s been closed for around four years. You can also visit the Queen’s residence at Balmoral Castle.

Inverness

Travel north from Glasgow via the breathtaking highlands to the most northern city of Inverness.

This lovely city is the start of the North Coast 500, one of Scotland’s most popular tourist attractions in recent years.

You can explore Inverness by visiting and touring around Inverness Castle. Head to the Victorian market to do some shopping. One of the most interesting things to do is to visit Culloden Battlefield, where one of the most important battles in the history of Scotland took place.

Hebrides

If you enjoy Scottish Gaelic literature and music, the Hebrides Islands are the place to be. The Hebrides, an archipelago off Scotland’s west coast, are well-known for their culture. The windswept islands have a serene charm.

The Inner and Outer Hebrides comprises more than 50 islands, including the Isle of Skye. The beaches on the islands are beautiful, and you’re likely to spot seals and seagulls. Pack your hiking boots since the Hebrides are all about getting out in nature.

Galloways

If you want to explore a less-touristy part of Scotland, a road trip to the South West Coast should be at the top of your list.

The Scottish Tourism Board established a road trip dubbed the Southwest Coastal 300, which is a 300-mile road journey around Scotland’s southwest coast!

The Galloways National Park serves as the area’s focal point, although this part of Scotland is stunning. There are several castles and tea shops in this area.

Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is not among the most popular places to visit in Scotland, and you don’t see many people suggesting it on the internet, and it’s a shame. Aberdeenshire has so much to offer.

It is home to several castles, some of which are ruined, and some of them are perfectly preserved as they were built yesterday. There are over 300 castles in this area.

If you want to visit some old and ruined castles, you must visit the slain castle.

And if you want to visit some well-preserved castles, then visit Craigievar castle.