GB - Scotland

Territories and tourist destinations
Map divided by regions
      Southwestern Scotland – Also including Dumfries and Galloway (Dumfries and Galloway) and the beautiful Isle of Arran.
      Scottish Borders – Land with a rural flavor, without large urban centers with a short stretch of coastline on the North Sea. There are castles and abbeys built on a land that for hundreds of years has been the battlefield of numerous wars.
      Central Belt – The Stirling region, an ancient village and a magnificent castle, and Lothian, the region of Edinburgh. It also corresponds to the most urbanized area.
      Scottish Highlands – Sparsely populated mountainous land sprinkled with “loch”, a term that in Scottish indicates both glacial lakes that occupy the deep and narrow valleys and the fjords that deeply affect the west coast. The most famous of the loches is the Ness in whose depths would dwell a mythical monster affectionately called “Nessie” or “Beastie” by the Scots. Inverness is the main center from which to discover the Highlands. Numerous archipelagos dot its coasts. To the west the Hebrides, to the north Orkney and Shetland.
      North East Scotland – Focused on the cities of Aberdeen and Dundee, this beautiful region also extends to cover the Grampian Mountains in the heart of Scotland to the sensational east coast. It is also home to two major Scottish industries: North Sea oil and whiskey. The Grampian Mountains region includes magnificent castles located in the valleys of the Don and Deen rivers. Aberdeen is its largest city.
      Hebrides – Archipelago in the northwest of the Scottish coast, divided into two groups: Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. The well-known islands such as: Skye, Mull, Islay, and Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides and Lewis, North Uist, South Uist and Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides are just some of the spectacular islands that can be visited. With the Scottish Highlands they share both the language (Scottish Gaelic) and much of their culture.
      Orkney Islands – Group of islands immediately north of Scotland. The largest of the Orkney islands is known by the name of Mainland. Inhabited for over 8,000 years, they host some of the best preserved Neolithic sites in Europe protected by UNESCO.
      Shetland Islands – Group of islands north of the Orkney Islands, the most remote inhabited land in the United Kingdom. Like Orkney, clashes between Scotland and Scandinavia have in fact absorbed important cultural aspects from both.
Urban centers
Edinburgh (Edinburgh. Gaelic: Dùn Èideann) – Capital of Scotland, Edinburgh has a historic center which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. During the year there are a series of cultural festivals which culminate with the International Theater Festival and the Fringe, among the most important for theater and world-wide resonance.
Aberdeen – Third city in Scotland (despite having just over 200,000 inhabitants), Aberdeen is an important oil center.
Dumfries – Center of Southern Scotland.
Dundee – University city, very lively.
Glasgow – Greater city of Scotland with approximately 620,000 inhabitants in its metropolitan area.
Inverness – Main center of the “Highlands”.
Stirling – Famous for its mighty fortress overlooking the course of the River Forth from above, Stirling officially acquired the title of city in 2002.
Other destinations
Scotland is famous for its natural beauty, as well as for its cities. Below is a collection of interesting destinations; both the main ones but also those that are not normally part of the paths beaten by tourists.

Black Cuillin – On the Isle of Skye it lends itself to be climbed.
Inverkip, John O ‘Groats, Bettyhill and Langbank – Names of traditional Scottish villages with the prerogative of beautiful beaches.
Islay – Known as “the Queen of Hebrides”, Islay boasts eight whiskey distilleries.
Isle of Arran – Another tourist island.
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs – Scotland’s oldest established national park.
Loch Ness – The most famous lake in Scotland, inhabited by a phantom monster that dwells in its abysses.
Cairngorms National Park – Cairngorms is the largest park in Scotland. It was established in 2002 to protect the mountain chain of the same name. The village of Aviemore forms the base for excursions to the park.
Lochaber Region – Glencoe is located there and the highest peak in the country, Ben Nevis.
The Torridon and Wester Ross – Favorite destinations for those who practice outdoor sports.
Off the beaten path

An Sgurr – A hill on the Isle of Eigg in the Hebrides group. An Sgurr was formed about 60,000,000 years ago following the eruption of a volcano which today forms the nearby island of Rùm.
Carsaig Bay – Solitary and rocky it opens on the coast of the island of Mull, not far from the village of Tayvallich.
It is surrounded by heavily eroded rocks.
Lora Falls (Falls of Lora)
Measach Falls (Falls of Measach)
Fingal’s Cave (Fingal’s Cave) – Formed following a volcanic eruption, Fingal’s sea cave is similar in composition and geological history to the Giant’s Causeway in not far Northern Ireland. It is located on the uninhabited island of Staffa in the Hebrides group. It is accessed from the sea through an imposing arch that seems to be produced by man’s hand, so perfect. Some tourist agencies offer boat trips to the island. The interior of the cave is large and solemn. Its particular acoustics contribute to the suggestion with the roar of the waves and other barely perceptible sounds that reproduce in delicate echoes. Its name in Gaelic is Uamh-Binn which means Melody Cave. Fingal’s Cave inspired artists and writers who had the opportunity to visit it, from the composer Felix Mendelssohn to the novelist Giulio Verne.
Corryvreckan Whirlpool (Corryvreckan Whirlpool) – A narrow stretch of sea between the islands of Jura and Scarba, off the west coast of Scotland. Strong Atlantic currents together with the high tide contribute to produce in the strait a marine eddy of exceptional proportions. The Corryvreckan reel is formed around a pyramidal basaltic spike emerging from the marine abysses. The reel produces 9 m high waves. which crash on the shore producing an audible roar up to 16 km away. The writer George Orwell who lived in the nearby village of Barnhill risked his life by venturing with his boat into the Corryvreckan strait.
Old Man of Hoy – A red sandstone rock that emerges from the sea reaching 137 meters in height. It is located on the west coast of the island of Hoy, in the Orkney group and many climb it. Nearby is another natural curiosity, the Dwarfie Stane.
Smoo Cave
Stac Pollaidh
The Quiraing