Scotland is a destination that has long lured holidaymakers to explore its rich history and stunning landscape. Tonight, new ITV show For The Love of Britain delves into four amazing places in Scotland: the West Highland Way, the Isle of Skye, Edinburgh Castle and the Isle of Mull. This is what you need to know.
The West Highland Way is well-waymarked and is within the capabilities of most walkers.
The route has eight stages, each of which varies from between a four and seven-hour long walk.
The Way offers a broad range of accommodation for walkers throughout.
Those who wish to add an extra day’s walking could begin in the heart of Glasgow, reaching Milngavie by following the Kelvin Walkway.
DON’T MISS
Isle of Skye
The Island of Skye is 50 miles long and the largest of the Inner Hebrides.
It is famous for its breathtaking scenery and landscapes and boasts a wealth of history, from prehistoric sites to brooding castles.
The Isle is also popular with wildlife watchers, with the White Tailed Sea Eagle at the top of bird watchers’ lists.
Otters, seals, whales, dolphins and red deer can also be seen on and around the Isle of Skye.
It’s also great for walkers and climbers, with The Cuillin Range and The Trotternish Ridge offering challenging climbs and interesting scrambles.
Visit Scotland recommends walking through iconic landscapes such as the dramatic Waternish peninsula, drinking drams of the finest malt whisky, exploring the fabled ‘Garden of Skye’ on the Sleat peninsula and enjoying days of action-packed fun on Raasay.
Edinburgh Castle
This is Scotland’s most famous castle and is the country’s number one paid-for tourist attraction.
It was also recently voted top UK Heritage Attraction in the British Travel Awards.
It has been both a royal residence and a military stronghold.
The oldest part of Edinburgh Castle, St Margaret’s Chapel, dates back to the 12th century.
From 1745 until the 1920s, the castle served as the British army’s main base in Scotland.
The castle houses the Honours (Crown Jewels) of Scotland, the Stone of Destiny (said to have originated in the Holy Land), the famous 15th-century gun Mons Meg (a giant 15th-century siege gun built at Mons, in what is now Belgium, in 1449), the One O’ Clock Gun (a WW2 25lb gun which fires at 1pm daily) and the National War Museum of Scotland.
Entry price starts from £9.30 per ticket.
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull is found off the west coast of mainland Scotland and is the second largest of a group of islands that make up the Inner Hebrides.
The island is an ideal place for sea life spotting.
Puffins can be sighted in the summer months while you might see thousands of breeding seabirds on the nearby Treshnish Isles.
Visit Scotland recommends combining a trip to Mull with a visit to Glasgow – there’s just half a day’s journey by sail and rail between them.
Nearby is also the tiny, enchanting Isle of Iona.
You can also discover one of Scotland’s geological wonders on a boat trip to Staffa.