There are some of the best places to visit in Scotland that will be familiar to anyone who has ever looked at a bottle of booze. Think of mountains, glens, tartan and haggis.

Scotland's big sights are as amazing as you'd think. There are prehistoric villages, wild clubs, rich seafood and ruined abbeys in this nation.

Where should we begin? You have to decide on the best places to go while you're there once you've decided on the best time for your visit. The best destinations in Scotland can be found in this list.

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Enjoy Scotland's biggest landscapes on the West Highland Way

Best place for hiking

Walking the landscapes of Scotland is the best way to see them. There are peaks over the Lochs and sea cliffs that look over the sea. The West Highland Way is a 96-mile walk through some of the country's finest scenery, finishing in the shadow of Ben Nevis.

The summit of Ben Nevis can be reached by anyone who is fit and can see magnificent views that can stretch as far as Northern Ireland. It's possible to do just a day's hike along part of the trail if you don't have time for a long-distance trek.

You can return to your starting point using the Loch Lomond waterbus. Pack waterproofs if you take on any of the sections. If you want to leave after a walk, you can take a train from Fort William to London.

The Isle of Skye packs in some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery

Best place for photographers

The Isle of Skye is famous for its scenery. From the craggy peaks of the Cuillins to the stunning sea cliffs of Neist Point, there's a photo opportunity waiting for you.

It is one of the best places in Scotland to see golden eagles and you can find top seafood restaurants there. One of the most popular destinations in Scotland is Skye.

It is almost always possible to find peace and quiet in the island's further- flung corners, as the crowds tend to stick to Portree, Dunvegan and Trotternish. When it's fine, it's very fine, but all too often it isn't.

Group of people walking along cliff edge looking over Edinburgh
Edinburgh serves up history, culture and dramatic landscapes in equal measures © Andrew Merry / Getty Images

Come to Edinburgh for one of Europe's best city breaks

Best place for year-round entertainment

Scotland's capital is well known for its festivals, but there is more to the city than that. In the spring you can see the Old Town silhouetted against a blue sky and a yellow haze of daffodils, while in the winter you can see the Royal Mile shrouded in fog and a warm glow.

Arthur's Seat is an extinct volcano that gives a panoramic view of Edinburgh. There's a world-class modern art gallery, top museums, spooky historic sites, and a majestic 12th-century castle to keep you entertained.

Loch Lomond is the perfect day trip on the west coast

Best place for a lakeside walk

One of the most scenic parts of the country can be found within an hour's drive of Glasgow.

The Loch begins as a broad, island-peppered lake in the south, its shores covered in bluebell-sprinkled woods, before narrowing in the north to a fjord-like trench. You can take a 7-mile round-trip on the Tourist Route if you follow the well-maintained path.

Take a pilgrimage to the spiritual home of golf at St Andrews

Best place for golfers

The game of golf was invented in Scotland and the city of St Andrew is still considered the spiritual home of the game by many. Links courses are known for their rough coastal affairs where the wind can make a disaster of a promising round in an instant.

St Andrew's is golf's headquarters and an irresistible destination for anyone who loves the sport. Impressive medieval ruins, stately university buildings, idyllic white sands, and excellent guesthouses and restaurants are just some of the things the city has to offer.

People on a night out in Ashton Lane, a sidestreet in Glasgow full of bars and restaurants
Glasgow shines brightest after dark © georgeclerk / Getty Images

Head to Glasgow to sample great Scottish pub culture

Best place for live music

Scotland's biggest city doesn't have Edinburgh's stunning setting, but it still has a lot to offer and visitors are impressed. It's a great place to check out art galleries and museums, as well as discover the works of local design hero Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

One of the world's great live music scenes can be found in Glasgow's lively pubs and nightclubs. You can check out upcoming alt-rock acts at the Barrowland, a legendary former ballroom, or the Sub Club for house and techno.

Stirling in summer is a must for fortress fans

Best place for castles

With an impregnable position atop a mighty wooded crag, the Old Town is a treasure trove of historic buildings and cobbled streets. The fortress was bombarded by the Warwolf, a giant 14th-century English siege engine, and was besieged during the 1745 Jacobite rising, as well as sending troops to the Battle of Bannockburn.

The views that stretch to the Highlands, tapestries and juicy history make this Scotland's best castle. It's a good idea to visit in the afternoon since many tourists come on day trips.

Drive the unforgettable North Coast 500

Best place for a scenic road trip

There are awe-inspiring views in the Highlands, but the far north is even better. The best place in Scotland to visit by car is here, with some of the best scenery in Europe.

The North Coast 500 begins and ends in the charming city of Inverness and goes past the sand dunes and golf courses of the east coast before taking in the rugged peaks of Assynt and Torridon. The sights of the region's classic rural pubs and outlying villages make for an unforgettable weeklong tour.

The stone ruins of Skara Brae on the coast of Mainland Orkney
Skara Brae is the most intact and atmospheric of Scotland's many neolithic settlements © Pecold / Shutterstock

Orkney’s Skara Brae is a prehistoric wonder

Best place for lovers of ancient history

Scotland's superb prehistoric remains have an immediate impact, even though it can be hard to bridge the gulf of years when visiting ancient sites. Skara Brae in Orkney is one of the best places in the world to see Stone Age life.

The Neolithic village was buried in the sand for hundreds of years. It can feel like the inhabitants have just left to go fishing and could come back at any time.

Walk through the dramatic scenery of Glen Coe

Best place for clan history

Dramatic scenery and a deep sense of history are important qualities of the Highlands. Glen Coe was the site of a 17th-century massacre in which the MacDonalds were murdered by soldiers of theCampbell clan.

The Lost Valley is one of the glen's best walks because it follows the routes taken by fleeing clanspeople. The Visitor Centre is a good place to start learning about the place.

Experience the whole Scottish package in Perthshire

Best place to enjoy nature's bounty

In the heart of Scotland, there are picturesque towns with flowers, distilleries and sheep. No other place in Scotland can match the bounty of nature in this area.

Blue-gray Lochs shimmer, reflecting the changing moods of the weather, while majestic glens scythe their way into remote wildernesses, and salmon leap upriver to the place of their birth.

A group of black-and-white birds with colourful beaks stand together on a clifftop on a misty day
The Shetlands are home to vast colonies of birds, including characterful puffins © jacquesvandinteren / Getty Images

Go off the travel map in the Shetland Islands, Scotland's most dramatic outpost

Best place for birdwatching

The Shetland Islands are Britain's most northerly outpost. The setting is sombre that it still feels like it's from Scotland, with deep, naked glens flanked by steep hills, twinkling sky-blue Lochs and, of course, wandering sheep on the little-trafficked roads. Visitors like the birdlife here.

The colonies of gannets, guillemots, skua, puffins and kittiwakes at Hermaness, Noss, Sumburgh Head and Fair Isle have been around for a long time. The Northern Lights and killer whales can be seen in Shetland.

Follow the River Spey on a Speyside whisky tour

Best place for whisky tasting

This fiery spirit has been distilled here for more than 500 years and is the national drink of Scotland. In Scotland's most famous whisky area, known for its fruity, lightly spicy flavors, there are more than 50 distilleries to choose from.

The heart of the region is Dufftown, which is home to the annual Speyside Spirit of Whiskey Festival. There is a self-guided tour around the local distilleries. The Balvenie Distillery still uses a traditional malting floor, so if you have time, it's a good place to go.

See another side to Scotland in the Borders

Best place for a country ramble

The Scottish Borders are not included in the itineraries of many visitors to Scotland. They lost that. The Borders region is rich in history and has great hiking and cycling routes.

Gothic Melrose Abbey, which once hid Catholic priests, is one of the best ruined abbeys in the world. The mountain bike trails at Glentress and Innerleithen can be used by more active people.

The article was published about 8 hours ago.