#19 best destination in the world

Edinburgh Castle

Best time to travel: June-Aug
Walk difficulty: Easy
Ease of travel: Easy
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Historic castle in Edinburgh, it stands on Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear
  • There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until 1633
  • From the 15th century, the castle’s residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison
  • Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1,100-year history, giving it a claim to having been “the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world”

Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands

Best time to travel: June-Aug
Walk difficulty: Easy
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands, it is best known for alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as “Nessie”
  • It is one of a series of interconnected, murky bodies of water in Scotland; its water visibility is exceptionally low due to a high peat content in the surrounding soil
  • There are nine villages around the loch, as well as Urquhart Castle; the village of Drumnadrochit contains a “Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition”

National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh

Best time to travel: June-Aug
Ease of travel: Easy
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Museum formed in 2006 with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, and the adjacent Royal Scottish Museum
  • It contains international collections covering science and technology, natural history, and world cultures
  • The museum contains artifacts from around the world, encompassing geology, archaeology, natural history, science, technology, art, and world cultures
  • One of the more notable exhibits is the stuffed body of Dolly the sheep, the first successful cloning of a mammal from an adult cell

Loch Lomond

Best time to travel: June-Aug
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Freshwater Scottish loch often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands
  • It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area

Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh

Best time to travel: June-Aug
Walk difficulty: Moderate
Ease of travel: Easy
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Ancient volcano which is the main peak of the group of hills in Edinburgh
  • The hill rises above the city, and provides panoramic views of the city and beyond

Ben Nevis, Lochaber

Best time to travel: July-Aug
Walk difficulty: Hard
Ease of travel: Moderate
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $$

  • Highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom and the British Isles
  • Ben Nevis stands in the Highland region of Lochaber
  • The summit, which is the collapsed dome of an ancient volcano, features the ruins of an observatory which was continuously staffed between 1883 and 1904
  • The meteorological data collected during this period is still important for understanding Scottish mountain weather

Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh

Best time to travel: June-Aug
Walk difficulty: Easy
Ease of travel: Easy
Cost ($-$$-$$$): $

  • Holyroodhouse has served as the principal royal residence in Scotland since the 16th century, and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining
  • Queen Elizabeth II spends one week in residence at Holyroodhouse at the beginning of each summer, where she carries out a range of official engagements and ceremonies
  • The 16th-century historic apartments of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the State Apartments, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public throughout the year, except when members of the Royal Family are in residence