Islay
Three miles from Port Askaig, tumbledown ruins of houses and a chapel on an islet in a shallow loch mark what remains of the stronghold of the Lords of…
Must-see attractions in Southern Highlands & Islands
Oban, Mull & Tiree
Iona's ancient but heavily reconstructed abbey is the spiritual heart of the island. The spectacular nave, dominated by Romanesque and early Gothic vaults…
Southern Highlands & Islands
The family seat of the Stuart Earls of Bute is one of Britain's more magnificent 19th-century stately homes, the first to have a telephone, underfloor…
Southern Highlands & Islands
At the northern end of Loch Awe are the scenic ruins of the strategically situated and much-photographed Kilchurn Castle. Built in 1440, it enjoys one of…
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs
Built in 1902 for Glasgow publisher Walter Blackie, this is perhaps architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh's finest creation – its timeless elegance still…
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park
Loch Lomond
Two areas of great natural beauty, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, became the heart of Scotland's first national park, created in 2002. The park extends…
Southern Highlands & Islands
If the tide is right, don't miss walking across the half-mile of cockleshell-strewn sand linking Colonsay to smaller Oronsay. Here you can explore the…
Southern Highlands & Islands
Bonawe Iron Furnace is one of the region’s most unusual historical sights. Near Taynuilt (not Bonawe), and dating from 1753, it was built by an iron…
Islay
A couple of miles from Port Charlotte, Bruichladdich (brook-lad-dy) is an infectiously fun distillery to visit and produces a mind-boggling range of…
The Trossachs
The Hamilton Toy Collection is a powerhouse of 20th-century juvenile memorabilia, chock-full of dolls houses, puppets and toy soldiers. It's an amazing…
Mull
The ancestral seat of the Maclean clan enjoys a spectacular position on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Sound of Mull. Originally built in the 13th…
Arran
This elegant castle 2 miles north of Brodick evolved from 13th-century origins into a stately home and hunting lodge for the Dukes of Hamilton. You enter…
Oban, Mull & Tiree
On the west coast of Seil island is the pretty conservation village of Ellenabeich, with its whitewashed cottages. It was built to house workers at the…
Southern Highlands & Islands
This museum, in Kilmartin village, is a fascinating interpretive centre that provides a context for the ancient monuments you can go on to explore,…
Southern Highlands & Islands
One of Scotland's most spectacularly sited castles, Castle Stalker perches on a tiny offshore island – Monty Python buffs will recognise it as the castle…
Southern Highlands & Islands
There were once no fewer than 32 distilleries around Campbeltown, but most closed in the 1920s. Today this is one of only three still in operation. It is…
Islay
Likeable Kilchoman, set on a farm, is one of Scotland's smallest distilleries. It grows and malts some of its own barley here and does its own bottling by…
Southern Highlands & Islands
Subtropical plants thrive in Gigha's Achamore Gardens, the island's principal sight. Rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas take advantage of the…
Southern Highlands & Islands
The splendid, ruined 13th-century Rothesay Castle, with seagulls and jackdaws nesting in the walls, was once a favourite residence of the Stuart kings. It…
Arran
The Isle of Arran Distillery produces a light, aromatic single malt. The tour is a good one; it’s a small distillery and the whisky-making process is…
Islay
Ardbeg's iconic peaty whiskies start with their magnificent 10-year-old. The basic tour is good, and it also offers longer tours involving walks, stories…
Arran
Arran is one of several islands that claim the cave where Robert the Bruce had his famous arachnid encounter: the story goes that watching a persistent…
Mull
A long, single-track road leads north for 4 miles from Tobermory to majestic Glengorm Castle, with views across the sea to Ardnamurchan, Rum and the Outer…
Southern Highlands & Islands
Located 10 miles north of Oban on the shores of Loch Creran, Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary provides a haven for orphaned seal pups. As well as seal pools,…
Southern Highlands & Islands
This hill fort, 3.5 miles south of Kilmartin village, was the seat of power of the first kings of Dál Riata, and may have been where the Stone of Destiny…
Southern Highlands & Islands
A narrow winding road, 15 miles long, leads south from Campbeltown to the Mull of Kintyre, passing good sandy beaches near Southend. This remote headland…
Arran
Just off Lamlash, this island is owned by the Samye Ling Tibetan Centre and used as a retreat, but day visits are allowed. A tide-dependent ferry zips…
Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre
Southern Highlands & Islands
This centre houses a fascinating exhibition on Lismore’s history and culture; alongside stands a reconstruction of a crofter’s cottage. It's in the middle…
Southern Highlands & Islands
Beyond Skipness village rise the substantial remains of 13th-century Skipness Castle, a former possession of the Lords of the Isles. It’s a striking…
Islay
Pronounced ‘boona-hah-ven’, this distillery is 4 miles north of Port Askaig down a narrow road. It enjoys a wonderful location with great views across to…
Oban
A pleasant 1-mile stroll north along the coast road leads to Dunollie Castle, built by the MacDougalls of Lorn in the 13th century and unsuccessfully…
Arran
Near Brodick Castle is this popular shop and visitor centre where you can purchase any number of scented items and watch the production line at work (it…
Mull
Run with enthusiasm and vision, this place just back from Calgary beach is an excellent art space, and also has great self-catering accommodation. On-site…
Southern Highlands & Islands
Dunstaffnage, 2 miles west of Connel, looks like a child’s drawing of what a castle should be – square and massive, with towers at the corners, and…
Southern Highlands & Islands
This garden, 7 miles north of Dunoon, contains Scotland's finest collection of flowering trees and shrubs, including impressive displays of rhododendrons…
Oban, Mull & Tiree
This lovely coastal garden cascades down a promontory looking west over Loch Melfort, Luing and other islands. Rhododendrons and azaleas provide plenty of…
Southern Highlands & Islands
This visually stunning castle on the north side of town has been the seat of the Dukes of Argyll – chiefs of Clan Campbell – since the 15th century. The…
Southern Highlands & Islands
At this entertaining interactive tourist attraction you can sit in on a trial, try out a cell and discover the harsh tortures that were meted out to…
Southern Highlands & Islands
The friendly folk here do a great range of craft beers in this attractive modern brewery off the A83 9 miles northeast of Inveraray. There's a lovely bar…
The Trossachs
From the Lake of Menteith (called 'lake' not 'loch' due to a mistranslation from Gaelic), 3 miles east of Aberfoyle, a ferry takes visitors to these…
