Scotland travel guide

Aberdeen is known as the City of Granite. It's a working class city with a bustling harbour. The oil rigs offshore is still the reason why many people come here, but Aberdeen has also a thriving student population, who bring life to town in the weekends. There are of course plenty of fine granite houses like Tolbooth near Castlegate (picture), but the smaller streets of Union Street are equal nice to explore. For something less grey, head east to the Beach Esplanade and the old fishing village of Aberdeen Footdee. Here you find (more) charming granite cottages and wicked colourfull sheds decorated with seafaring relics.

The old fishing village at the eastern end of Aberdeen harbour is a true charmer. Fine old granite cottages and townhouses cluster around three small squares, which are split into garden allotments, and there is even a church too. The characters of the residents are reflected in the decoration of their gardens and sheds. Some are just ramshackle huts, but most are imaginative and adorned with maritime memorabilia - but you can find garden gnomes, Buddha statues, kissing benches and even alpine skis too. The first row of houses lie so close to the sea, that they get wash in stormy weather. The neighbourhood was original built during the early 19th-centuries as a housing project for Aberdeen's fishing community, but today it's home to a more diverse crowd from old folks to artists and rich, who need to park their Jaguar or Porsche in the alley.

Britain's highest peak is Ben Nevis (1,344 m). It can be trekked by well-equipped hikers (it can get seriously cold and wet up here), but you don't need to go to the top to enjoy this magnificent area. There are lots of trails and shorter walks to keep any nature lover happy. Even the road (A82) that passes by offers amazing views of the Ben Nevis massif. In wintertime, the Nevis Range turns into a full blown ski resort with pistes and lifts on the northern slopes of Aonach Mor (1,221 m), Ben Nevis' little sister.

You might never have heard of William Wallace, but what about Braveheart? Though the Mel Gibson featured Hollywood movie about the Scottish freedom fighter is not historical correct, the storyline is fairly accurate. Scotland was oppressed under harsh English ruling, but in 1297 a united Scottish army under the leadership of William Wallance beat the crap out the English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. After a devasting defeat at Falkirk, William Wallance was turned over to the English by a traitor in 1305. He was tried and then punished. He was dragged in his heels by a horse, then strangled but not to death, castrated, had his stomach cut open and his bowels burnt while still alive, before he was finally beheaded. His head was placed on top of London Bridge and his body was cut into four pieces and displayed, separately, in four corners of the English kingdom. Afterwards he became a martyr and symbol of Scotland fight for independence. A bit outside Stirling stands the National Wallace Monument (well, it's more like a castle). The views over the Scottish lowland are particular splendid and includes a few famous battlegrounds between the English and the Scots.

These stone rings are prehistoric burial chambers from the late 3rd millenium BC. There are about fifty of those, so-called clava cairns, in this part of Scotland. Probably the most well known is the Balnuaran of Clava (picture) not far from Inverness. Here, you will find three chambers, two with chamber-passages and one without, each encircled by big standing stones - a bit like Stonehenge. Cremated bones have been found inside the chambers, but else not much is known about these mysterious Bronze Age cemeteries.

Edinburgh is soaked in history. It has been the royal seat for both English and Scottish kings throughout history. For protection, medieval Edinburgh had a city wall built, meaning that when the town grew bigger, it could only expand one way, up, creating the world's first skyscrapers, some 12 storeys high. The centre of attention in the Old Town is of course Edinburgh Castle, perched on an extinct volcano. From here the exquisite Royal Mile (the main street) runs down the ridge flanked by the impressive 'skyscrapers' and ending at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's Scottish residence. Narrow lanes and winding streets twist down the sides leading to squares or hidden courtyards. Pubs are everywhere, many named after historical criminals. In general, Edinburgh's history is filled with murders, executions and killings - it seems every place has a bloody history. But Edinburgh is far from being dead. Tourists and locals fill the pubs, nightlife is pumping (Edinburgh is a popular university town) and the city hosts a never-ending range of festivals. Edinburgh is certainly everyone's favourite.

A nice Scottish town at the mouth of river Ness, which functions as transport and shopping hub for the area. There is not much in terms of sights besides the nice river front, but Inverness makes a fine base to explore the region. It's also here the Great Glen Way starts and winds 117 km through some of the best bits of the Scottish Highland, including Loch Ness. Inverness is infamous for its own monsters, but contrary to the Lock Ness monster, the Inverness ones are very much alive and prey on young men at night time - so be careful at the pubs, boys.

Loch Ness is more famous for its mythical monster than its natural beauty, which is a bit of a shame for the lake is really pretty, monster or not. Loch Ness is the deepest lake in Britain (max depth 230 m) and 37 km long. Wooded mountains flank the lake, creating the perfect lakeside setting for picnicking, sailing, fishing... and, of course, monster spotting. For a place that is that famous for something that cryptic, you would think they would compensate with tacky Nessie stuff everywhere, but you hardly see any. Maybe the Scotsmen are too proud to fully take commercial advantages of the Nessie madness.

Before you venture into the Scottish Highlands for the first time, you might wonder what all the fuss is about. But then you get there... and man, it's pretty. Staggering mountains, cold rivers, dark lakes with perfect reflection, heathered ranges and fields with fury Scottish highland cattle. It's wild, untamed and raw - a bit like the Scots themselves. It is possible to take in a fair bit from the comfort of a car or a bus, but as with most places you need to get out there to really experience the Scottish Highlands. There are plenty of walks, from short hikes to weeklong treks, while cycling, mountain biking, kayaking and skiing are other options. But no matter where you choose to go, you will be rewarded with some splendid scenery.