Highlands And Islands Mist-shrouded mountains, mysterious lochs, snow-capped peaks, ancient castles, and picturesque glens with gushing rivers, adorable cows, tumbling waterfalls.

Covering the northern two-thirds of the country, the spectacular Highlands are everything you could imagine Scotland to be. With some of the most unspoilt wilderness in Europe, expect to see mist-shrouded mountains, mysterious lochs, snow-capped peaks, ancient castles, and picturesque glens with gushing rivers, adorable cows, tumbling waterfalls down rolling hills and off craggy cliffs, vast peat bogs, never-ending fields of pretty purple heather and plenty of spots to enjoy a dram of whisky.

Experience the most dramatic of Scotland’s glens at Glencoe, at the base of the Highlands. This impossibly beautiful mountain scenery is the backdrop for the infamous massacre of the MacDonald clan that occurred in 1692 by 130 of King William III’s soldiers. Admire the sheer size of the imposing Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, overshadowing the Highland town of Fort William. Join the masses looking for Nessie in Fort Augustus from the shores of Loch Ness. Travel through the breath-taking Cairngorms National Park where you’ll be in awe of wild mountain landscapes of granite and heather, native woodland, abundant wildlife and scenic glens.

A sea full of magical islands awaits exploration. See the enigmatic Standing Stones of Callanish on the Isle of Lewis. Neolithic in age, they date back more than 4,000 years. The Islands of Orkney have more archaeological ruins in one area than anywhere else in Europe. See the Stone Age village of Skara Brae, inhabited between 3200 and 2200 BC; it’s one of the best-preserved prehistoric villages in the world. It was hidden under sand dunes until it was exposed after a storm in 1850. Made up of eight dwellings, you’ll find some even contain the original furniture. See the stone Ring o’ Brodgar, erected between 2500 and 2000 BC. Not for the claustrophobic, crawl through the 5,000 year old Tomb of the Eagles and see the amazing collection of human and eagle bones and other artefacts that were discovered in the tomb.

Marvel at the remote beauty of the Shetland Islands. Made up of 100 windswept islands, there’s plenty of wildlife to discover in the rugged, heather-covered hills. Spend some time exploring the beautiful Isle of Skye with its landscape of jagged mountain peaks, velvety moors, shimmering lochs, quaint coastal villages, charming local pubs and majestic castles.