Historic Castles and the Epic Highlands

Explore Scotland's beautiful capital, winding your way through the cobbled streets of the old town; delving into its history at Edinburgh Castle; exploring the Walter Scott monument; and heading down to the waterside at Leith.

Head to Calton Hill or climb Arthur's Seat for the best views of the city.

Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital city and nicknamed the Athens of the North for its grand Georgian architecture. It’s the New Town that earned the city this sobriquet: its elegant neoclassical terraces were inspired by the buildings of Ancient Greece and though it’s called the New Town, this neighbourhood is already nearly 300 years old.

Edinburgh’s Old Town dominates the city from atop a volcanic outcrop and Edinburgh Castle balances perilously on the edge. The Royal Mile runs down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen in Scotland. The Windsor connections can be seen at a hidden location in the district of Leith, where the Queen’s Royal Yacht Britannia is now docked. Explore Edinburgh’s highlights with your expert guide and discover what makes this city perennially popular.

Scotland’s deserved reputation as a foodie destination is testament to its unique local dishes and delicious fresh produce. Join an expert guide on a private tour around some of Edinburgh’s top eateries to sample a series of tasting plates that showcase the best of Scottish gastronomy.

St. Andrews is the world’s premier destination for golfers, with the earliest documented evidence of golf in the town dating from 1553. It is also the spiritual and administrative home of the sport: the R&A is based here and Thomas Mitchell Morris Sr was born here. He is known as Old Tom Morris and worked as an apprentice and helped establish the first ever professional tournament. The legendary Old Course is located in the town and completing it is the ultimate achievement for the serious golfer. St. Andrews is also a university town, where Prince William and Kate Middleton both received their education. The cathedral and castle are two further historic landmarks in this picturesque coastal town.

Fife is a little-visited corner of Scotland, but has some of its most interesting sites. Falkland Castle was a residence of the Stuart monarchs and its majestic state rooms can be appreciated in full today. The quirky tennis court is the oldest royal tennis court in Britain and was built for King James V. The area of East Neuk has some of the prettiest fishing villages in Scotland, nestled along the coast of the North Sea.

The Lowlands encompass the southern half of Scotland between the Highlands and the English border, along with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. This string of towns and cities along what’s known as the Central Belt between the Firth of Forth and the Clyde are home to most of Scotland’s population and is a region rich with history, culture and grand old architecture. Alongside traditional country pursuits such as fishing and grouse shooting, to which vast estates and stately homes are dedicated to, walking, rock climbing and mountain biking are increasingly popular in the area, the latter thanks to a fabulous network of forest trails across the region. Some of the most famous golf courses in the world can also be found here.

Doune Castle is an imposing 14th-century courtyard castle with well-preserved domestic quarters housed in the 100ft high gatehouse. It has many claims to fame, having featured in Ivanhoe (both the 1952 film and 1997 BBC adaptation), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (standing in for almost all the castle settings), in Game of Thrones as the original Winterfell, and in Outlander as Castle Leoch.

Blair Castle is unlike any other castle in Scotland. Its baronial architecture and beautiful setting in wooded grounds with mountainous backdrop are typical enough, but a couple of accidents of history have set Blair Castle apart. In 1844 Queen Victoria spent three weeks at Blair and during her stay granted the Duke a private army, the Atholl Highlanders, today the only private army in Europe. In more recent times, the castle passed to a branch of the family currently residing in South Africa.

The Cairngorms are blessed with some of Scotland’s best scenery. Over 55 Munros (mountains over 3,000 feet), incredible wildlife and native woodland, such as the Abernethy Forest with its original Caledonian pines, are just some of the reasons it is widely considered one of the UK’s best national parks.

Whisky is one of Scotland’s most successful exports and with good reason: this famous beverage evokes the spirit of Scotland and nowhere is more intrinsically linked to it than the region of Speyside. Barley is distilled in fresh Highland water, and the region in which it is grown gives a different taste to the final product. In Speyside the whiskies have either a light and grassy or rich and sweet palette and the region has no shortage of producers with largest concentration of distilleries in Scotland based here. Join your guide to learn more about one of Scotland’s finest products.

The West Coast is one of the most inaccessible parts of Scotland. Its isolated and northerly geography bely the microclimate that allow gardeners to plant sub-tropical plants in a region lying at a higher latitude than Moscow. Just north of the picturesque town of Poolewe, Inverewe Garden is a perfect example of such a garden and lies at the heart of an estate managed for conservation.

Applecross is widely considered to be one of the most picturesque locations on the West Coast. Located on a peninsula looking out towards the Isle of Raasay and Isle of Skye, the Applecross Peninsula is home to just a couple of hundred people. A place of peace and tranquility, but also of drama and power in the huge landscapes and variable weather, this is one of Scotland’s most evocative places.

Attadale Gardens sit tucked along the side of a wooded valley, overlooking a picturesque inlet. The gardens are an extraordinary series of rooms, reflecting the creative talents of its succession of owners. The gardens now belong to a local branch of the Macpherson clan from nearby Skye. Explore the gardens on a private tour and discover how the varied planting scheme thrives in the climate of Scotland’s West Coast.

Skye’s rugged landscapes and dramatic mountain scenery are unrivalled among the islands of the West Coast. There are only a few roads crossing the island and its isolated position has ensured it retains a strong and proud Gaelic identity. There is a thriving art and crafts tradition on the island and photographers from far and wide are attracted not only for the peaks and valleys but for the extraordinary abundance of wildlife, both on dry land and in the sea, that Skye is famous for.

Glencoe is undoubtedly one of the most awe-inspiring sights in the whole of Scotland. Site of the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe, today it is a hauntingly beautiful Highland glen which evokes the spirit of the clans who ruled this land for centuries.

The Gothic Revival mansion of Inveraray Castle is one of Scotland’s grandest stately homes. Ancestral seat of the Dukes of Argyll since the 18th century, it featured as Duneagle Castle in the television series Downton Abbey. The Castle contains an impressive collection of swords, muskets and other weapons.

Made famous by the song The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond, this freshwater loch is one of Scotland’s most evocative sites. The loch marks the beginning of the Highlands and the magnificent scenery of the Trossachs forms the backdrop to this spectacular location.

Scotland's largest city is a thriving metropolis renowned for its culture and style. It is home to world-class museums and galleries, a vibrant arts scene and some of Scotland's best shopping and nightlife. The city itself has a rich and diverse history, reflected in its architecture which ranges from the 18th-century warehouses of Merchant City to the red sandstone Victorian buildings that line its squares and crescents. Then there are the silver space-age constructions of the Glasgow Science Centre and the Clyde Auditorium, affectionately known as the Armadillo.

Glasgow is the beating heart of modern Scotland. The country’s sporting, music and financial capital, Glasgow is a hard-working and thriving city. The city packs in a fair amount of culture too, from the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to Glasgow Cathedral and the historic Provand’s Lordship, the oldest house in the city. The creations of Glasgow’s most famous son, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, can be seen all over the city from the Willow Tea Rooms to the Mackintosh House at the Hunterian Museum.