Outer Islands

The islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides share a rugged natural beauty, with unspoilt beaches, plentiful wildlife and a unique culture and traditions.
The northern archipelagos of Orkney and Shetland share many of these qualities and supplement them with some of the most fascinating and, at times, awesome archaeological sites in Europe, found in the burial mounds, stones circles and settlements of the earliest peoples.
Highlands of Scotland

The Scottish Highlands have so much to offer - spectacular mountains, majestic glens and mirror-like lochs form the perfect backdrop to picturesque towns, isolated crofts, towering castles and pagoda-topped distilleries. A startling variety of wildlife also makes its home in the sea-lochs and glens where an unbroken thread of human history reaches back into the mists of time. History, legend, romance and the great outdoors combine seamlessly here to guarantee visitors a warm Highland welcome and a truly memorable holiday. Whether you are looking for an action-packed adventure, a taste of the local culture and history, or just complete peace and quiet, the Highlands of Scotland is the place to come.
Aberdeen and Grampian Highlands

This region of Scotland is blessed with outstanding scenery - the majestic Grampian Mountains dominate the skyline to the West whilst miles of unspoiled and often dramatic coastline frame the area in the East. The capital of the Grampian Highlands is even more unique thanks to the treasures on its doorstep. Sample the "water of life" and visit the eight distilleries and cooperage on the world's only Malt Whisky trail. Or head to the coast where vast empty beaches, interspersed with picturesque fishing villages and dramatic cliff top scenery waiting to be explored. Hit the ski slopes, play on championship golf courses or follow in Queen Victoria's footsteps.
Perthshire, Angus, Dundee and the Kingdom of Fife

From the red-roofed villages of East Fife to the glens of Perthshire and Angus, this area displays many of the contrasts of Scotland: a superb coastline, lochs, mountains and, set in the rolling country between, some of Scotland's most attractive towns and cities.

Argyll, the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and the Trossachs
This is the birthplace of Scotland, the cradle of its Christianity and nationhood and the focal point of much of its dramatic history. Here you can savour the atmosphere of Hebridean islands, the charm of rural villages and the natural frontier which separates the rugged grandeur of the West Highlands from the gentler beauty of the Lowlands. Here too, you can trace the footsteps of heroes like St Columba, Sir William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and Mary, Queen of Scots, Rob Roy. These are lands where you can glimpse an eagle, an osprey, a wildcat, a fine antlered stag or even whales and dolphins. And if the fancy takes you, you can enjoy the spectacle of a Highland Games, the warmth of a traditional folk night or the flavour of a local food festival.

Edinburgh and Lothians
'Edinburgh,' said the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, 'is what Paris ought to be'. Its magnificent architecture shifts from the lofty tenements and narrow closes of its medieval Old Town as they tumble down the spine of the Royal Mile, to the grace and geometric precision of the Georgian New Town. Above it all, in its towering splendour, stands the Castle. Every step is a revelation - an alleyway which reveals an ancient courtyard, or a wynd which opens up a new panorama. And yet within this sweeping elegance is a compact city, a bustling city, above all a city which rewards every visitor.
Beyond the city, the Lothian countryside provides a beautiful setting for the rich gems of the capital. This is an area steeped in history, filled with castles, great houses and battle sites. It's also the ancient home of the game of golf and you can find some of the great links and parkland courses of the world here. In fact, the trails and parkland and miles of glorious coastline in the Lothians open up the countryside for everyone - from picnickers on the fine golden beaches, to walkers high in the Pentland Hills.

Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley
Glasgow was also the UK's City of Architecture and Design in 1999 and its architecture is certainly an attraction in itself. Central Glasgow's Manhattan-style town planning affords many sweeping vistas of the city's impressive Victorian buildings, dotted with little gems from the medieval to the present day. But it’s the Art Nouveau 'Glasgow Style' for which the city has become famous, and no one should miss the work of Glasgow's most celebrated sons, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Surrounding the city is some of the best of Scotland's scenery, from the rolling hills of the Clyde Valley to the beautiful walking country of East Dunbartonshire that borders the south-west Highlands. Exploring further, you'll find that many of the towns and villages in the area such as Paisley, Hamilton, Biggar, Greenock, and Gourock.

The Munros
Scotland's highest mountains are known as Munros, named after Sir Hugh T. Munro who in 1891 surveyed all the country's mountains above 3000 feet (914.4 metres). Currently, there are 284 Munros and a further 511 'Tops' (those peaks above 3000 feet which are part of a range or ridge but which are judged not to be a separate mountain).
The Corbetts
The Corbetts is the collective name given to the 221 distinct mountains in Scotland which are between 2500 (762 m) feet and 2999 (914 m) feet, and which have a re-ascent of 500 feet on all sides. They are named after John Rooke Corbett who in 1930 became the first person to climb all the 2000-feet-high peaks in Scotland.
The Grahams
The Grahams are those mountains in Scotland with heights between 2000 m (610 m) and 2499 m (761 m). Originally known as Elsies ('LCs' or Lower Corbetts), the 224 peaks were renamed in memory of Fiona Torbet.

Aurora Borealis
The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights are natures own gigantic light show. The phenomenon occurs when electrically charged particles from the Sun are driven against the Earth by solar winds at roughly 11-year intervals. When the particles enter the Earth's upper atmosphere, they are drawn by the Earth's magnetic field to the polar region in the northern hemisphere. Here the particles react with gases in the atmosphere and begin to glow in bands of various colours - red, green, blue and violet - thus creating a beautiful aerial blaze. As the Aurora Borealis are now at the end of their current 11-year cycle, the next best time to view the 'Northern Lights' will be during 2012/2013.

Weather

Scotland's position on the edge of the European continent with sea on three sides means that the weather is very varied. Records show that May and June are usually drier than July and August. Edinburgh's annual rainfall is only slightly greater than London's and many of the east coast towns have less annual rainfall than Rome. Generally speaking, the east coast tends to be cool and dry, the west coast milder and wetter. July and August are normally the warmest months, average temperature of 15-19oC/60-68oF.