Travel Jottings

My wanderings are urban as well as rural, and several have taken me overseas around Europe and to North America. All have needed at least some planning: knowing what to see and where to stay remain ever present needs. That and remaining ever open to new possibilities have contributed to what you find here. Everything builds up over time, and I hope that the horizons continue expanding to mean that I can continue to share new things with you here.

Going Deeper, Going Local

Eilean Musdile, Lismore, Argyll, Scotland

While some undertake itineraries that take in an entire country, most dispense with that necessarily more shallow approach because there is a certain something about getting to know an area more intimately. That there's less dashing around makes the whole experience more relaxing, an added bonus. Of course, the more extensive approach is followed often by those who may only get to pay one visit to a place, but it's always worth returning to get under the skin of a location. You just get so much more by doing just that.

Those who come on that one visit of a lifetime have to cut down on where they can go so the most famous places get seen. The scale of the world-renowned Highlands even means picking and choosing and can take up a week with just skimming through them. Then, there's Edinburgh, with its not unfounded reputation for architecture and festivals. Undoubtedly, that's not even a full sample of what Scotland has to offer, and that may explain how I am drawn back to the place again and again. Well, revisiting locations that have delighted me before might have something to do with it too...

While it feels like the world and his wife have congregated in the best-known parts, there are plenty of others that guarantee some respite from whatever tweeness can erupt in tourist honeypots. My first example is the wild and empty Southern Uplands. Unless open hill country with rounded hills is your thing, you may not go there, but there are unlimited scenic rewards for anyone who does. The overshadowed Scottish Borders are also worth frequenting, and I have found it easy to escape the hordes while exploring them. They are but two suggestions with the Cowal Peninsula and the Western Isles doing sterling duty in the escapist role too and there's more than those again.

So, there's plenty of Scotland there for all, so there's no excuse for all piling into the likes of Lochaber and Skye at once. In fact, it can feel like there is a quiet space for anyone, and they aren't to find either. Just set off on foot into any piece of countryside that isn't known all over the world (much isn't) and your reverie will be undisturbed. To locate those spots without foreknowledge needs a little local inside information, and that's why I collected together what you'll find below. Hopefully, they'll help you find an oasis of your own.

A Few Areas Collected Together

Some websites are localist, though they cover a few areas at once or form part of a network that covers more than one locality. That makes them difficult to file under one region or another. For that reason, I have collected them under their own heading, so do have a look here before looking into one single region or another. After all, you may be surprised by what you find here.

Visit Scotland does not do everything solely on a national level, but it offers regional information as well, so here is the collection of areas that are covered. Scotland may not be the largest of places, but limiting oneself to one place or another does make things easier, since not everyone needs to undertake a grand tour. As ever, there are rewards for uncovering hidden gems that others may miss.

Until the last decade, Scotland was the only nation on mainland Britain that did not have its own national parks. A generally healthy attitude to looking after wild land led some towards antipathy to the suggestion, but recent developments seem to belie that perception.

The controversy surrounding the Beauly-Denny electricity power line is one example, and Donald Trump's golfing development in Aberdeenshire has been another. Both show that the fight for wild land conservation is far from over, as decisions made by the Scottish Government have illustrated only too well.

If anything, it looks as if those national parks need to be more robust than they currently are. for one thing, the world is changing around them, as the fuss about informal camping along the banks of Loch Lomond has proven. That is testing Scotland's enlightened land access legislation, something that depends on enlightened users if it is to work. Maybe greater awareness, understanding and a willingness to engage with those is part of the solution

If the people of Harris ever get their national park, I wonder what questions that might produce. That said, it would be a very good thing if it afforded greater protection for the intoxicating mix of coastal and hill country scenery. As with the other parks, it needs that bit of willingness to make things work smoothly to make the enterprise successful and not to have it challenged from every direction. After all, national parks need to protect stirring visitor destinations and help folk to find their feet in a way that doesn't jeopardise the enjoyment of others, either in the present or into the future.

This is a network of visitor information sites that fall under the heading of West of Scotland in a loose sense. Much of what you find here is dedicated to Ayrshire, though it looks as if those sites need someone to keep them up to date, since the content dates from 2009. The same comment unfortunately also applies to that of the Isle of Skye, though the Ullapool one (which is how I found these) has received attention this year. While I can understand how much work is involved in keeping something like this up to date, things do look better if they are seen to get regular attention. Nevertheless, there should be some useful information in them for anyone needing to learn more about these places. There is also an Edinburgh Castle site in the same mould and with this year's date in there too. Let's hope that keeps getting the attention that it needs while the others get updates too.

All of these are part of the same network and the main hub might have gone on the Starting Out Exploring page but for all the local subsidiary websites. As it happened, it was the Oban one that I found first when seeking out information on the Isle of Luing. Naturally, the full complement of places to stay and things to do get covered, so these are worth a look.

Lonely-Isles

Scotland has more than its share of offshore islands, and some support small populations. Some used to do so, but the communities became non-viable, and they now are deserted. St. Kilda is but one example of these, while Eigg hangs onto its inhabitants, a situation no doubt helped by regular ferry series. Both fall within the sway of this website and first impressions are good, but I'd like to linger longer to get a fuller picture of what's on offer.

North Coast 500

To Irish eyes, this appears to be inspired by what we call the Wild Atlantic Way and that has been a huge success from what I have heard. Until a bank holiday weekend trip to Aberdeen, I had not realised that what Scotland calls its answer to the American Route 66 existed until a guidebook was spotted in the city's branch of Waterstones. There is dramatic scenery to be savoured on this 516-mile round trip from Inverness that takes in parts of Scotland that others could overlook, and I must admit to not having explored as much as other areas. Some of the circuit follows single-track roads, so I am left wondering if it could end up being a victim of its own success, perhaps despoiling some of the sense of isolation that could draw repeat visitors here already. Nevertheless, the locals do need to make a living and the attractions of where they live need to be balanced against that. This will be interesting to watch.

Central Belt

Scotland's Central Belt plays host to two major cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The latter became my home for a few years, and it's a very attractive spot, with a good smattering of festivals that just about make the place a visitor magnet. Glasgow is the larger of the two and possesses a more industrial edge that has left with rougher areas that do not help its reputation, particularly when they become the subject of dramas on television or in a cinema. That's not to say that Glasgow is all unattractive even if it has a grittier side that comes first to the minds of many; amazingly, Edinburgh's equivalents seem not to drown out the rest of its appeal. Beyond those two contrasting conurbations, there are other parts to savour too, and this is my start on building up a compendium of spots on the web that celebrate those overlooked parts. Life continues to be a work in progress.

Edinburgh Spotlight

If you want Edinburghers' views of what their city has to offer visitors and locals alike, then this regularly updated website is a good place to start. Between attractions, eateries and entertainment, there's a lot in here, so I reckon that it's as good a place to look as any.

Discover Inverclyde

It is all too easy to pass through this area to reach other destinations, and it does not help that views of hills are there to lure so many of us beyond the area. This is a charge to which I need to plead guilty, since the Isle of Arran and the Cowal peninsula have been stronger lures. The point of this website, logically enough, is to counteract some of that with information on what the area has to offer visitors as well as informing anyone about the practicalities of exploring the place.

National Galleries

If you visit the Mound in the heart of Edinburgh, then you cannot miss the institution's main buildings at its foot and overlooking the eastern end of Princes Street Gardens. However, that is not all, for the Portrait Gallery is on Queen Street and the Gallery of Modern Art is on Belford Road, beyond Dean Village. Between all of these, there is much to see.

New Lanark

This former industrial complex has become a World Heritage Site that is not far from either Glasgow or Edinburgh. The industry here was cotton spinning and the location next to the Clyde was ideal since the flow of water could be used to power the mills. Conditions here were fairly benevolent for the workers too and there is a community here today in a village where even a hotel is to be found. For lovers of alluring countryside, the riverside location is another attraction alongside the industrial heritage that brought the UNESCO designation in 2001.

Visit West Lothian

It may lie in the shadow of nearby Edinburgh, it also sounds like a place to escape from a bustling city, too. There are plenty of places for enjoying a quiet stroll, it seems, as well as historic houses and castles too. After all, Linlithgow Palace can be found here and that's an impressive ruin.

Borders & Galloway

While I lived in Edinburgh, I never got the notion of exploring the Pentland Hills, let alone the Scottish Borders. Now, I find that staggering when I consider how much the area has to offer the visitor and there is the emptiness of Galloway if even quieter spots are sought. It may have taken a move away from Scotland for me to start exploring various localities in these parts, and the truth is that I scarcely scratched the surface of what the area has to offer. There is plenty to savour here, especially when so many are racing to reach better-known delights further north.

Scotland Starts Here

On the evidence of this website, it now looks as if I have not been the only one to get the idea of bundling all the south of Scotland together. There used to be separate walking and cycling websites for the Scottish Borders and these have been replaced by equivalent sections of this website, which is how I came across it in the first place. It is not all about activities, though, since practicalities like accommodation also gain coverage. This might be all you need to plan a trip to Scotland's southern reaches.

Visit South West Scotland

It may not be in the name, but this website covers the delights and the practicalities of visiting Dumfries and Galloway. So much of the area extends west of the main thoroughfares between England and Scotland's Central Belt that it would be no wonder if it started to feel a little like an island. There are hills around Newton Stewart, Sanquhar and Moffat that await exploration, and the Southern Upland Way goes through its most remote country in these parts. The sections between towns and villages are lengthy, so you are guaranteed rewards for being self-reliant. Of course, there are other more accessible attractions like Caverlock Castle and this is Rabbie Burns country. There should be plenty here to keep you busy for a good while.

Jedburgh

This is more visitor-oriented than the previous entry in the list, and it certainly sells the place. Not having visited the town myself before, it might be an idea to make good use of the visitor information on offer while planning a trip.

Welcome to Langholm

My only recollection of going anywhere near Langholm was passing through the place en route to Selkirk in May 2010. Looking at this website, that feels like something of a slight, so the walks that can be undertaken would form an excuse to remain longer in the area. If that is ever going to happen, a website like this will be useful for addressing the various practicalities.

Mull of Galloway

Scotland's most southerly point can be seen from the Isle of Man on clear days, and is further south than a few notable spots in the north of England. Here is a website celebrating the place. The lighthouse isn't the only thing to see around there, either, and a good walk should keep some of us busy.

Visit Moffat

It has been a long time since I last visited Moffat (a September weekend in 2006) but it is worth revisiting for its nearby hills. As it happens, they remain a major attraction here, with the Southern Upland Way passing nearby. It is a place that is oft-overlooked too by those heading for Scotland's Highlands, so you can be sure of some soothing solitude if that is what you need and there is wildlife around too to add to any strolls you do.

Royal Borough of Peebles

Peebles has been subject to my attention at times over the years, so the sight of a website dedicated to promoting its attractions does not surprise me, especially with all that alluring hill country nearby.

Yetholm Online

This is a community website for the Scottish terminus for the Pennine Way, rather than an out-and-out visitor resource. Nevertheless, that's not to say that knowing a little more about a place isn't worthwhile.

Southern Highlands

Both of these introduce a part of Scotland that may be passed by many en route to other delights, but it is worth lingering here too. The name Breadalbane comes from the Scots Gaelic Bràghad Albainn, meaning the high ground of Scotland. This area includes parts of Highland Perthshire and the area governed by Stirling Council. It contains delights like Ben Lawers and Loch Tay and summer trips to the University of Edinburgh's Firbush Field Centre for internal research meetings were the cause of introducing me to the area, and to the Scottish Highlands too. With quiet roads, this is good cycling country, and I found that when I once cycled all around Loch Tay. Even so, I still fancy sampling more of its hill country on foot because there only has been one such incursion to date, and that was in 2006.

Great Trossachs Forest Natural Nature Reserve

That much of the Trossachs is forested is not new to me, even if I have yet to explore much of it. However, these more enlightened times mean that there is more emphasis on having a more natural woodland than coniferous afforestation. Thus, a number of organisations like Forestry and Lands Scotland and the Woodland Trust are coming together to make this more of a reality. This website is evidence of that, and there even is a long-distance trail threaded through it all.

Loch Katrine

For me, this is a rare thing: an unvisited part of the Trossachs. For all its romantic associations and the possibility of regular sailings aboard its steamship during its operating season, my attentions have gone elsewhere, and that is as much due to what else is offered by the region to hill wanderers but also its relative inaccessibility by public transport. This could make a good place to visit on a cycling tour.

Western Highlands & Islands

This is one of my favourite haunts when I manage to get away for a few days, and I need to say a few words about how I define the area for this collection of visitor websites. In the south, I start in Argyll before continuing up through Lochaber and getting to Lochalsh to Ross and Cromarty in the northwest of Scotland. Along the way, islands along Scotland's western seaboard and even the area around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs would be included too. What you find below may feature a taste of what is dramatic countryside, but I would be surprised if these are all the websites that are out there promoting their little corner of what is a stirring part of the world.

Arisaig

This is a small website for a small place on Scotland's west coast. There may be but one page here, but it does a lot for this stop on the West Highland railway line to Mallaig. It looks like a quiet spot, too, and we need plenty of them for when the world exacts too much from us. Having summer day trips to the Small Isles (Rum, Eigg & Muck) is a bonus that has drawn the place to my attention.

Ardnamurchan

It took coincident features in two magazines, Scotland Outdoors and Scottish Islands Explorer, to remind me of this alluring part of Scotland. So far, I only got to probe its northern reaches near Glenfinnan and glimpsed it on a ferry ride between Lochboisdale and Oban. The intoxicating mix of rugged countryside and proximity to the sea sends heavenly thoughts to my mind, and this website could have a part to play should I get to deepen my explorations of the area with all the information that is needed for such a venture. Visions of island views of the likes of Mull, Eigg and Rum only add to the sense of enticement.

There are fabulously wild, empty and ancient parts of the world hereabouts, but these are places that I have yet to visit. The drama of northern Scottish landscapes should be enough for me to pay a visit sometime, so these are places on the web that I should be consulting beforehand, along with any books that have fallen into my possession already. Who knows what could come of my brainwave.

The Isle of Bute is at the southernmost extent of this listing and remains somewhere that I have yet to visit. Mount Stuart is the ancestral house of the Marquess of Bute and shows all the signs of the wealth and consequent architectural ambitions of the second Marquess. There are more natural delights too, given the island's setting in the Clyde, and it has its own long-distance hiking trail, the West Island Way. Though Bute is a small place, that is not all, and it is remarkable how so much variety is packed in there.

Visit Coll

My own encounter would have been a distant glimpse from a CalMac ferry returning me from South Uist to Oban some years ago. Even then, that sight would have been a fuzzy one, since the island largely is flat and the day on which I was doing my scouting wasn't the sort that I imagined. Blue skies and sunshine had been my hope, but grey skies and dampness were all that I got.

To the minds of some, this website does the island a disservice in highlighting how little it has to offer the visitor. Accommodation is in short supply, for instance, so planning is of the essence unless you fancy camping. However, the lack of any semblance of being a leisure resort is no bad thing since the island plays host to a vibrant area of machair and the lack of height doesn't diminish the possibility of there being any vistas to savour as the gallery of computer wallpapers should attest.

Corrour

Anyone who has travelled on the West Highland railway between Bridge of Orchy and Roy Bridge will have passed Corrour train station and savoured the remote, unpeopled landscape surrounding it. The place has appeared in Trainspotting too, so that extends the audience somewhat. This website though is about the surrounding estate with its provision of accommodation for those wishing to leave the strains of modern life after them for a while. There are organised activities in which you can partake and there always are the self-organised ones like going for a long walk in the empty scenic countryside.

These are sister sites, and they feature useful information for planning a visit to Fort William and Lochaber. Places to stay and enjoy are all part of the mix, and a Ben Nevis webcam is on offer too. Fort William Online is primarily a visitor site, while Lochaber.com takes things further and is a more general business search resource. Both are worth a visit.

Gigha

A journey down to the Mull of Kintyre will pass this island, and there is a ferry to it from Tayinloan. It is yet another Scottish island that has been taken into community ownership after years of neglect. There has been much work to do and they need visitors to help their economy. Luckily, they have an alluring place to visit too.

Glen Affric is one of Scotland's wilder corners, and many a visitor approaches it by coming along Strathglass. It was recently that I was reminded of the place by an article in The Great Outdoors that was written by one-time editor Cameron McNeish. It always feels a little isolated for a public transport user like me, but there are buses from Inverness that get you nearby. Some even extend into the glen itself during the Scottish school summer holidays. In addition, the listed websites should give you what you need to plan your own trip there. For backpackers, there is the Affric Kintail Trail to be followed on a multi-day trip through remote and mountainous countryside.

Discover Glencoe

Glencoe is one of those iconic places in Scotland, and for many good reasons. Though there is an element of grizzly human history, it is the scenery that is the main attraction, and I will never forget the first time that I saw the mountains rising straight out of the flat ground at the edge of Rannoch Moor. This is a hill walker's paradise and some decry the passage of the A82 through the glen, but it makes for great accessibility. Other activities abound here too, and the website collects all the information you need for planning a visit or a stay. The effort will be rewarded.

Explore Mull

The Isle of Mull is a place that I have visited on four occasions yet there is so much remaining that I have not explored yet. This independent website could help with extending those, since it features the usual mixture of places to stay and things to do. Mull's own offshore islands also get a mention, as do a number of its villages, together with its wildlife.

Glenelg & Arnisdale

These are two villages near the end of a long single-track road leading from the A87. Though the former is a calling point for the seasonal service to the Isle of Skye and Knoydart is near at hand, the lack of a regular bus service has meant that I have yet to savour the delights that surround these. Maybe, the carriage of a folding bicycle on a Citylink coach followed by a cycle might remedy the situation, as making use of the services of MacRae Kintail when their service runs. It is the quality of landscape like this that justifies a longer backpacking trip.

Islay History

While this is a history blog more than anything else, it never hurts to know a little about the history of an area before you go there. That Scottish island history is that of the people and not all about the great and the good is a bonus too.

Isle of Eigg

This is an island that I have only ever viewed from other vantage points; Morar, Skye and the ferry from Lochboisdale to Oban are some that come to mind. In fact, I have been known to play with the idea of visiting this along with the other members of what is known as the Small Isles (Rum, Muck and Canna are others). Should I ever manage to turn that daydream into reality, this website should be helpful. After all, it provides all the information that any visitor should need.

Isle of Iona

It is the association with Columba (or Colmcille as he is known in Ireland) that draws many to Iona, an island off the shore of Mull. There is a multi-denominational Christian community that has restored the old abbey, one from a later era than that when the island's most famous resident arrived and lived here. Day trips come here from Oban by ferry and coach during the summer, and it is possible to stay longer to enjoy the peace and to walk around the place.

Isle of Luing

This is one of the Slate Islands and is not that far from Oban. During the summer, the bus timetable allows for day trips, so I might be lured here yet. After all, views are the Paps of Jura are a possibility and there are sure to be other sights too, given the weather.

Isle of Rum

This is one of the Small Isles that can be accessed from Mallaig year-round and Arisaig during summer. It has its own Cuillin, so there is some hill wandering here to go along with other delights such as northward views of nearby Skye.

Isle of Tiree

This is one of the further flung Scottish islands and gets on here without having any really high hills. Its position makes it a surprisingly sunny place, and there is all that coastline to be surveyed. The website gets you informed about all the practicalities like getting there and finding a place to stay, along with figuring out what to do. At the time of adding this entry, a global pandemic remains ongoing, so the expectations of disease control fill the home page; a small island community is not so resilient to such things.

Knoydart is a very wild area that has next to no road connectivity with the rest of Scotland. Its ruggedness attracts many a connoisseur of empty mountainous countryside, so it is a haven for any backpacker wanting to leave modern life after them for a while. Any of these websites should help with planning a visit and the last of them takes on a broader view takes in the countryside between Fort William and Mallaig.

Moidart

This website is about more than the delights of Moidart itself, with nearby areas such as Ardnamurchan and Morar also seeing inclusion. The area is part of the Rough Bounds that also includes Knoydart, North Morar and Arisaig, so it is a wilder, rougher and more isolated part of Lochaber. Walking and wildlife are among the website's subjects, as is accommodation, so it looks a pleasing port of call when planning an incursion into this part of Scotland's Highlands.

Moidart Local History Group

Moidart may be remote, but it is not without its share of history, and that is the preserve of the website of this historical society. Highland life has been far less gentle than it is today, and that needs not to be forgotten.

Morvern Undiscovered

The coastline of Morvern is what you see lining the mainland shore of the Sound of Mull. On the approach to Craignure on the Isle of Mull, the coast consists of steep hillsides without any cliffs, so it is tempting to think that this is an uninhabited part of Scotland, but that is not the case. The website covers walking opportunities as well as noting observations of nature too. It is not purely a visitor information website, and is no less valuable for that.

Nevis Range

This centre on the slopes of Aonach Mor may be better known for snow sports during the winter, but the gondola operates all year round and there are mountain biking trails as well as roped climbing opportunities. In line with the Scottish hillwalking tradition, there are opportunities here too.

Plockton

It took me until a recent weekend trip to Scotland to get to spend a few hours around Plockton, and it is well located. Across Loch Carron, there is the Applecross peninsula, so the views from any prominences near the village are stunning. While there is plenty of scope for hillwalking around these parts, there are boat trips available for wildlife watchers too. It is a place to which I plan to return, and there are plenty of places to stay or to eat if you do some advance planning.

Slate Islands Heritage Trust

The Argyll Slate islands are Luing, Belnahua, Seil and Easdale. They are so-called because they once hosted the Scottish slate industry. That means that there is an industrial heritage to be conserved, and it is difficult to believe that Belnahua once had a population of 200. It is hardly a large place, and is no longer inhabited like the others, which incidentally are easier to access from the Scottish mainland. Their surroundings could be a draw too, with Mull and Jura not being far away from them either.

Visit Sleat

This looks like a very nice part of Skye, through which I have only ever passed on all of my travels around the island. The slide show on the website does the very best it can to show the most alluring sights that abound around the area, and it's enough to start me thinking about stationing myself here for a few days is in order for a quiet retreat from the stresses and strains of everyday life. That sounds very appealing, and this website should provide me with all the information that I need for planning exactly that. It really helps that all the usual details such as places to stay and things to see are featured on this part of the web.

Southern Hebrides

It was the magazine Scottish Islands Explorer that drew my attention to this website. Out of all the islands that it introduces, only Iona, Kerrera and Mull have seen my footfall and are among the northernmost members of its collection. There are plenty of others from which to choose and some are near the Scottish mainland too, so I hope to catch up with these sometime.

The Summer Isles

These are near Ullapool, so that makes them quite a distance from the centre of everything, never a bad thing. Only one of the islands, Tanera Mòr, is inhabited, and this website serves to advertise the island's charms and to get folk to stay in cottages on the island for their holidays.

Ullapool

Much of the northwest of Scotland is wonderfully empty, but that does mean that bases for visitors are harder to come by, and Ullapool is one of the biggest places around those parts. The countryside is a pleasing mix of old geology, a myriad of lochans and hills of much renown like An Teallach. Handily, the village is also the mainland ferry hub for Lewis, so explorations of the Western Isles can begin from there. There is much that is of interest, so it is beyond time that I went to have a look.

Visit Waternish

Here's another part of Skye promoting its wares on the web, the northeastern corner this time. There's a photo gallery with pictures taken during the winter, an interesting choice to make. All the usual visitor needs are informed, with some ideas for walks included too. A nice touch is that much of it is done like a slide show, and it works very well in introducing you to it all, too.

West Highland Peninsulas

The hills may not be as high as other places, but this is wilder, emptier countryside that has much to offer the discerning visitor. Quietude and solitude are plentiful across Ardnamurchan, Moidart, Morvern, Sunart and Ardgour. This website has all you need for planning a visit, and you should not be short of things to do and places to see, though the vicissitudes of the weather may need to be tolerated with patience. Still, if the weather plays ball, you should have memories to cherish.

Wild About Lochaber

The inclusion of Glencoe, Loch Leven, Ardnamurchan, Moidart and Arisaig caused me to raise my eyebrows until I learned that the Lochaber region was redefined at the same as local government got reorganised. All of these are featured, along with the more usual Lochaber walking areas around Fort William and Glen Nevis. Even North Argyll gets a mention too, though I am unsure if this relates to other northern reaches of the former county and not the present-day Argyll & Bute. Aside from those area changes, there is a lot of information here that will help with trip planning, and listings of places to stay and things to do are among those. Wildlife watching is among the latter, and the prospect of organised Ramblers Scotland walks gets a mention too.

Eastern Highlands

During the time that I have been exploring Scotland's Highlands and Islands, most of my attention has drifted to the west. However, that's never to say that their eastern reaches have remained beyond my footfall, with visits to Highland Perthshire, the Cairngorms and even Loch Ness featuring on excursions from time to time. Much remains unexplored, but that can be good in its own way too.

Majestic Aberdeenshire

My last visit to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire was in May 2017 and its predecessor was in August 2010, so I am an infrequent visitor to these parts. It is not as if there is nothing to see either, and this website will provide plenty of evidence towards proving that. After all, there is a heady mix of dramatic coastline, brooding hills, a sizeable collection of castles and Royal connections in a part of the world that needs extra commitment to get there. It is the latter consideration that has curtailed the number of my visits.

Aberfeldy

Not only does this website cover the delights of the place with a waterfall of renown, but the nearby area also sees recognition. That it includes the likes of Loch Tay, Glen Lyon and the mountains around Ben Lawers is an advantage that many places just do not have. There is much of use here for exploring any of these.

The Atholl Glens

To be honest, I have passed this way more often en route between Edinburgh and Inverness without calling than is fair to the area. Even so, there have been times when I lingered in the vicinity during stays in Pitlochry. One saw me go up part of Glen Tilt on the weekend celebrating Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee of here coronation as queen, while another in July 2006 has me doing a circuit that featured both Ben Vrackie and Killiecrankie. There is more here than all of those, so a website like this has to help in taking things further when opportunities offer.

Visit Aviemore

Aviemore saw its share of me in 2009 and 2010 when I took up several chances to explore Rothiemurchus, Glen More and some of the surrounding hills. It remains a place worthy of a return, so this online guide is useful. Well, this is part of the Cairngorms National Park so anything providing a mix of information on places to stay, places to see and things to do that is focused on one local area has to be a help.

Blair Castle

Having passed it so many times, June 2012 finally saw me stop off at Blair Atholl to explore the countryside around Blair Castle. Glen Tilt was a big hit with me, but some time was spent awaiting a spell of sunshine for photographing the castle too, for it is painted white, a striking sight in its hilly setting. Aside from the countryside, you also can spend some time in the castle and its gardens, though entry is not free of charge. Nevertheless, time is needed for such explorations, and that was not something that I was willing to spend on my visit. However, it sounds like a suitable option for a dreich day when exploring hill country may not be so pleasant.

Visit Cairngorms

Though best known for its flat-topped mountains, you'll find images on this website that show another side of this part of Scotland too. As you'd expect of a visitor website, it contains all the usual information needed for planning a trip there. The site is that of a local business group and is not alone, as you might find if you cared to look at that of Cairngorms Connect, which largely concerns itself with rewilding efforts in the area.

Royal Deeside

During a summer stay in Pitlochry, I was tempted by the idea of visiting these parts, though time and a lack of public transport options stymied any such ambitions. It took a weekend based in Aberdeen for a first visit to happen. Though it was showery and none too warm around Braemar, it was no disappointment, so I hope to return. Hopefully, this website should give you a sense as to why I feel that way.

Dunnottar Castle

Though this iconic ruined castle is situated on the Aberdeenshire coast not far south of Stonehaven, I am sneaking it in here because of its relative proximity to the Cairngorms. In fact, I have pondered the idea of giving it a visit during putative trips to Aberdeen that never came to pass. Given that this area is full of castles and baronial houses, it possibly could be one of a number that you could fit in on a visit to the area. After all, the location is as dramatic as the ruins themselves.

Glenlivet Estate

Much of this part of the Crown Estate is in the Cairngorms National Park and the name is associated with Scotch Whisky too. The Speyside Way passes here and there is more walking to be had along with other activities like mountain biking. For those reasons alone, the place merits a mention here.

Visit Loch Ness and Inverness

This website is the result of efforts by an association of tourism businesses and is none the worse for that. While Loch Ness is best known for its mythical monster, there is more to the area than that, and this is the place where horizons can be expanded. Things to see and do (it was a new walking trail along the southern banks of the loch that brought the site's existence to my attention) together with places to stay are part of the offer, as you'd expect.

Visit East Perthshire

This is home to a circular long-distance hiking trail called the Cateran Trail. That may be enough to draw the likes of me, but there's more to the area around Blairgowrie than that, with Glamis Castle being another attraction in a part of the world that doesn't seem short of them.

Highland Perthshire

This is where I first got my experience of Scotland's Highlands during annual research meetings while a student at the University of Edinburgh. Then, our base was on the shores of Loch Tay and Pitlochry has taken over for any visits that I have made to the area since then. Other bases in the area include Aberfeldy, Dunkeld, Blair Atholl and Kinloch Rannoch. All that surrounds these should give you plenty to be doing with plenty of walking, cycling and other activities on offer.

Visit Tarland & Cromar

Though both places are found in the lowlands to the east of the Grampian Mountains, it still makes sense to have the website listed here because of their proximity to the Cairngorms. Walking possibilities are listed, as are other practicalities like places to stay and eat. These communities have their share of folk history as well as events like the annual country show that is held every August.

Orkney & Shetland

Geographically, the only reason for bundling together the Orkney and Shetland islands is that they lie off the northeastern corner of Scotland. Of the two, the Orkney archipelago is by far the nearer, with only a ferry ride of around an hour in duration needed to make the crossing of the Pentland Firth. In contrast, getting to Shetland needs a long and expensive overnight ferry journey from Aberdeen or a scheduled flight. In fact, it has been said that Kirkwall is nearer to Norway than it is to Scotland. That makes it sound isolated, though that is a lure for the long-distance traveller and makes it sound that little bit more exotic too, though that is not a word that many would associate with the weather of the North Atlantic.

Orkneyjar

So far, these have escaped my footfall, but there's plenty of coastal walking and a good scattering of antiquities to keep the wanderer busy. Regarding visitor information, there was a time when the Orkney Islands Council had a Heritage Website, but that is no more and there only remains this survivor. Fittingly, it is packed full of content letting you in on the islands' heritage.

Visit Shetland

There might have been a time when a website like this would have been part of the Visit Scotland network, but whatever Shetland had before seems to have become part of the main national website, so something more distinct is in order. So, we have this instead, and it's maintained by a small team from the Shetland Amenity Trust too. That means a sense of independence as well as a local focus. Apart from that, the website does exactly what you'd want it to do when planning a trip to a seemingly unique and far-flung spot like Shetland.

Sumburgh Head

This is a Shetland lighthouse installation that you'll often hear mentioned in the shipping forecast, and a visitor attraction has been developed at the southern extremity of the Shetland mainland. The lighthouse was designed by Robert Stevenson, the first of a family of lighthouse builders whose legacy is to be seen all around the Scottish coastline. There is plenty of sea birdlife to be seen, so the allure of nature is to be found here too.

Unst

This is the most northerly of Shetland's islands and holds its own festival every year. Of course, it is also where Britain's most northerly point can be found, so that must draw a good few visitors too. This website gives exactly the type of detail needed for planning a stay, too.