7 of the Best Destinations in Scotland That Are Worth the Hype

This is the follow-up to my post 7 of the Best Destinations in Scotland You’ve Probably Never Heard Of. This time we’re talking about seven places in Scotland you’ve probably heard of if you’ve ever looked into visiting. Honestly, there are some places in Scotland that I think are a bit overrated. But these places are famous for a reason!

1. Glencoe

The first places on the list is Glencoe. This is probably my favorite place in all of Scotland. That’s partially because it’s visually stunning. The mountains are just particularly cool in this area. It also has some historical significance. But I think the real reason this is my favorite spot is because when I first moved to Scotland, we immediately went up to Inverness. On the first morning I woke up in Scotland, we rented a car and drove down to Glencoe. We didn’t actually make it to the Three Sisters, which is the main spot in Glencoe, but the surrounding area was still incredible. I didn’t have any expectations and I was completely blown away.

Where to go: Like I said, the main spot is The Three Sisters. There are some other cool places nearby that I would also recommend. There’s Blackrock Cottage, which has an incredible view of Buachaille Etive Mòr (that really cool mountain behind the cottage).

There’s also the view at Loch Achtriochtan, where there’s another adorable cottage nestled at the foot of the mountains.

2. Iona

The second destination on the list is the Isle of Iona, which is a tiny little island off the west coast of the much larger Isle of Mull. The island has a lot of religious significance, and many Christians make a pilgrimage there every year. Unfortunately, we only got to stay a few hours because of the ferry schedule, but I tried to soak it up as much as I could. The town is so adorable and the surroundings were so idyllic. We lucked out with the weather and got to see the place in the Sunshine

Where to go: I really encourage you to go to the abbey and learn about the significance of Iona. I also really wanted to climb the hill, Dun I, and explore the other parts of the island. On the north part, there’s a beautiful white beach.

3. Glenfinnan

Glenfinnan is most famous because the viaduct is where they shot the flying car scene in the second Harry Potter movie, and the lake was used as the Black Lake throughout the movie series. If you visit, you have a chance to see the steam train crossing the viaduct — incredible!

What to see: You can see the steam train by consulting the train timetable. The train will pass Glenfinnan about half an hour after leaving Fort William for Mallaig. So usually this means you can see the train at 10:45am or 3:00pm.

While you’re in the area, you can stop at the cafe next to the train station, visit the Glenfinnan Monument, which looks over Loch Shiel. It’s also very enjoyable to do the hike up the hill to the viewpoint of the viaduct, even if you are going to miss the steam train.

4. Skye

It kind of feels like cheating to count Skye as one place. Even though it’s one island there’s so much incredible nature to see there. You can see incredible rock formations like the Quiraing. There are multiple castles, a white-sand beach, a whisky distillery, and much more.

Where to go: Some of my favorite spots are the Fairy Pools, the Faerie Glen, and Neist Point. I’ve written several blog posts on my personal blog which you can read here, here, here, and here to get a better sense of which places you’d want to visit.

5. Kelvingrove

Kelvingrove is an art museum in Glasgow, which was built for the World’s Fair in 1901. The art inside the museum is incredible, with a range of time periods and styles. Aside from the art on display, the architecture of the building is worth looking at on its own. I always go out of my way to visit when I’m in Glasgow.

6. Pitlochry

I love visiting Pitlochry. If you want to venture a bit further north, but you don’t have a car, this is a pretty great place to visit. It’s got amazing scenery around (which you can see on the train up from Edinburgh) and lots of attractions. In the town there are lots of traditional shops selling tartan and shortbread. During the summer, the local Highland Games are pretty famous. It’s one of the most famous Highland Games. I also found the local manor, Blair Atholl, to be worth a visit. The grounds are incredibly well maintained and nice to walk around.

If you do have a car, it’s worth driving to the Queen’s View, which overlooks Loch Tummel and Schiehallion.

7. Edinburgh

Last but not least is Edinburgh. I don’t think it’s really possible to miss Edinburgh. If you’re flying into the country or training up from London, you will most likely go through Edinburgh. It’s the capital of Scotland and one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to. No matter where you look, there is always something ancient and/or beautiful.

It has everythining you could want: castles, extinct volcanoes, pubs, cafes, beaches, and much, much more. I recently just made a guide of some of the most scenic and photogenic places to go in Edinburgh, which I recommend you check out.

So those are seven places in Scotland that I can personally say are worth their great reputations.

I’m a Linguist writing about travel, language, and society & culture. If you enjoyed this article you can support me by becoming a member and reading my other work. You can read more about my year without social media on my personal blog.