Best Scotland Day Trips & Things to Do

While part of the UK, Scotland possesses a fierce, independent spirit and a landscape so dramatic it feels mythical. Edinburgh, the "Athens of the North," is a city of two halves: the medieval Old Town with its towering Edinburgh Castle and the elegant Georgian New Town. Heading north, the Scottish Highlands reveal a world of misty glens, deep lochs like Loch Ness, and the soaring peak of Ben Nevis. The Isle of Skye is a photographer’s dream with its jagged "Old Man of Storr" rock formation and Fairy Pools, while the Isle of Islay draws whisky aficionados to its peaty, seaside distilleries. Whether you are tracing the "North Coast 500" driving route, listening to the pipes on a Glasgow street, or exploring the prehistoric village of Skara Brae in Orkney, Scotland is a land of epic scale and legendary hospitality.