The origins of standing stones, such as these at Kilmartin Glen, in Argyll & The Isles, are lost in time
Argyll & The Isles – winter drives and bracing walks
The Atlantic looms large in this beguiling land of sea lochs and scattered isles. There’s endless wild coastline, from the Firth of Clyde in the east to the waters off Oban in the west. Go exploring along the Argyll Coastal Route with its exhilarating winter drives and bracing walks. Just wrap up warm and don’t forget your waterproofs.
There are also forests aplenty, with woodland covering nearly a third of Argyll. Around Loch Awe, Scotland’s longest freshwater loch, you’ll find ancient oak woodlands, dramatically stripped down to their winter bones. Stop off for a tour of Cruachan Power Station – it is hidden deep in a mountain on the shores of the loch but has a cafe with wonderful views across the waters, so leave time to sit and stare.
To get up close with award-winning Highland cattle, head out on a farm tour at Cladich Estate, 10 miles north of Inveraray. And don’t miss Kilmartin Glen, located between Oban and Lochgilphead, where you can discover Scotland’s most extensive range of neolithic and bronze age remains.
If you want to reach for the stars, the place to visit is the Hebridean island of Coll, a designated Dark Sky Island and one of Scotland’s best places to see the stars, even the Milky Way on occasion. Be prepared for a spellbinding, out-of-this-world experience.
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Millport, in Great Cumbrae, can trace its origins to efforts to thwart smugglers in the 1700s. Photograph: Kenny Lam/VisitScotland
The Isles of Arran & Cumbrae – culture and coffee
Arran has it all – including the Highland Boundary fault, a geological line that divides lowland from highland and gives this drop-shaped island scenery typical of each. To the south, there are vast sandy beaches, while the north is everything you expect highland to be, its brooding slopes dotted with deer.
To dig deeper into the island’s social history, archaeology and geology, visit the Isle of Arran Heritage Museum. After taking in the farmhouse school room, stables, coach house and smiddy (forge), you can enjoy the homemade delights of Cafe Rosaburn.
For more fascinating history, head to Cumbrae, where its main town, Millport, dates back to the 1700s, when the authorities were trying to stop smugglers bringing contraband into the Clyde. Garrison House, once home to the captain in charge of pursuing the wrongdoers, is a landmark building that was remodelled into an outstanding example of early 19th-century gothic battlement architecture. Having been restored in recent years, it now houses the Museum of the Cumbraes, where artefacts, diaries and displays trace thousands of years of history.
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Go exploring at Loch Fleet, a remote sea loch on the North Sea coast. Photograph: Luigi Di Pasquale/VisitScotland
The Highlands – ceilidhs and towering cliffs
There’s simply nowhere like the Highlands, a jaw-dropping landscape of towering mountains and glassy lochs. To shake off the crowds, head east, to spot otters and osprey at Loch Fleet on the North Sea coast, or go down the ancient flagstone Whaligoe Steps in Caithness, once used by “herring lasses’’ to bring the daily haul to market. Caithness also has more brochs – iron age drystone structures – than anywhere else in Scotland and the country’s only example of a locked sea stack, one surrounded by towering cliffs, at Wifie’s Geo.
Further north, visit Dunnet Head, the mainland’s northernmost point and home to thousands of wheeling seabirds, and get out on the water, perhaps coasteering with North Coast Wet n Wild or surfing with North Coast Watersports.
Finally, don’t miss a visit to what is believed to be Britain’s least accessible pub, the Old Forge in Inverie, on the Knoydart peninsula. Now community-owned, it can only be reached by an 18-mile hike or seven-mile sea crossing, so it’s probably worth an overnight stay at the nearby Wee Hooses. The community hall here also runs regular ceilidhs, where you can join in traditional Scottish dances.
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Covesea Lighthouse sits on a rocky headland at Lossiemouth. Photograph: Kenny Lam/VisitScotland
Moray Speyside – great hotels and whiskies galore
Many of Scotland’s whisky distilleries are found in Speyside, including, at Strathisla, one of the oldest still working. Arrive by train on the Keith & Dufftown Railway, an 11-mile jaunt past fields of barley and through glens and forests. The station in Keith is about 10 minutes’ walk from the distillery, which was founded in 1786.
Strathisla is part of the glorious Malt Whisky Trail, which follows the River Spey from sea to source and includes some of Scotland’s most inviting country hotels (Craigellachie, Knockomie) and most famous distilleries (Glenlivet, Glenfiddich).
And allow time to take in Moray Speyside’s stunning coastline with spellbinding views, such as those near Covesea Lighthouse at Lossiemouth.
Carvings on Sueno’s Stone, at Forres, tell the tale of an ancient battle. Photograph: Paul Tomkins/VisitScotland
East of Inverness, Moray’s coastline is often overlooked. Journey along the Moray Coast Trail and you’ll find postcard-perfect fishing villages, atmospheric ruined castles, and sweeping sandy beaches. Start at Forres, checking out the gigantic Pictish Sueno’s Stone, a seven-metre high carving depicting a battle, before walking through the pines to Roseisle beach to see the remnants of world war two coastal defences. Make time for the vast beaches of Lossiemouth, wonderful for awe-inspiring walking, then finish in Cullen for a bowl of Cullen Skink (a fish soup speciality).
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The path back to Rackwick from the Old Man Of Hoy has breathtaking views in every direction. Photograph: Colin Keldie/VisitScotland
Orkney – brochs, lochs and kirks
You might be able to see the Scottish mainland from Orkney, but it feels a world away – and most locals think of themselves as Orcadians first, Scottish second. Get a feel for Mainland Orkney (the largest island) on the St Magnus Way, a 58-mile pilgrimage that follows the story of the eponymous saint and takes in brochs, lochs and kirks as well as moorland and rare Orkney woodland. Alternatively, sail to neighbouring Hoy to hike from Rackwick to the Old Man of Hoy sea stack – and back again. You’ll also find the breathtaking Cantick Head Lighthouse Cottage here, a remote and very cosy place for a winter escape.
Orkney is packed with fascinating stories, not least that of the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow in 1919, told in the newly refurbished Scapa Flow Museum.
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Otter alert on the causeway between Eriskay and South Uist. Photograph: John Turp/Getty
Outer Hebrides – soul-stirring scenery
Island hopping along the very edge of Scotland – where you’ll find some 200 islands – is a true adventure. The Hebridean Way runs from Vatersay in the south to Lewis in the north and rewards those who walk or cycle it with soul-stirring scenery at every turn of its 200-odd miles. For a shorter walk, the 2.5-mile Beinn Langais trail on North Uist takes in a landscape that appears to be more water than solid ground and reveals a stone circle near-immersed in heather.
The beauty and tranquility of Lochboisdale, in South Uist, is typical of the Outer Hebrides. Photograph: Getty
It’s also worth taking a sandy stroll along some of the islands’ remote beaches. Seek out Prince’s Beach on the Isle of Eriskay – said to be where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on Scottish soil – and don’t miss Traigh Mhor on Barra, a sweep of glorious sand so large it’s used as the island’s airport runway.
If wildlife is what you’re after, otter spotting is popular all year round on North and South Uist, and Eriskay. Watch for them in lochs, bays and channels, particularly before high tide.
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A hot cuppa and a dream-like location – Peerie Spiggie, Shetland. Photograph: Euan Myles/PromoteShetland
Shetland – find your true north
Dark skies and northern lights bring visitors to Shetland, an archipelago in Scotland’s far north that has its own dialect and plenty in common with Scandinavia. Don’t miss hearing traditional fiddle music in the Lounge Bar in Lerwick, or at a concert at Mareel, the UK’s most northerly cinema and arts centre.
With its dark skies and northern location, Shetland offers visitors the chance to see magical night-time displays. Photograph: www.airbornelens.com/Liam Anderstrem
Explore the coast at a slower pace by heading out on two wheels (bring your own bike on the ferry or hire one from Shetland Community Bike Project in Lerwick) and hole up in a lighthouse at Sumburgh or Eshaness for a romantic stay.
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Where will your next Scottish adventure take you? Discover the Highlands and islands this winter
