Glens, Lochs and Munros galore. Lads and lassies famed for their heart-warming hospitality across the globe. A bloody history, bagpipes, kilts, golf and Scotch. Welcome to Scotland, where the present shakes hands with the past.

Not to be missed

• Edinburgh Castle
• Attacked thirteen times over, the Edinburgh Castle rises majestically, with its feet planted firmly on dead volcanic rock. The crown, sceptre and sword of Scotland sit proud here, right to this day.
• Stirling Castle
• Think William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Stirling Castle stands quiet, like a wise old man who has seen it all. Once, it bristled with the revolution against the English, and reverberated with the gaiety of Queen Mary’s coronation.
• Eilean Donan Castle
• As you set sight on Eilean Donan, you are sure to have a feeling of déjà vu, for the castle has made cameo appearances in many films. Rising beautifully where the three sea lochs, Loch Long, Loch Duich and Loch Alsh meet, Eilean Donan Castle houses a fine repertoire of time worn relics.

Must Dos

• See theatre, comedy, dance, circus, cabaret, children's shows, physical theatre, musicals, opera, music, exhibitions and events, in the world’s largest arts festival – the Fringe festival, held every August in Edinburgh. Thousands of new and veteran artists turn the city into one big stage.
• Watch the famous "One O' Clock" Gun firing off from a gleaming WWII machine at Edinburgh Castle.
• Step into the Royal Yacht Britannia, once the royal family’s floating holiday home.
• Visit a Burns Supper and participate in the traditional toast to the Haggis.
• Feel all the horrors of being hanged in a simulation at Edinburgh dungeon.
• Get a real woollen kilt from an Edinburgh tailor.
• Raise a toast to this captivating country at one of its oldest pubs - the Sheep Heid Inn, said to have been visited by Mary Queen of Scots and her son, James VI.
• Don’t miss culturally rich Glasgow for its museums, galleries and splendid architecture.
• Hop on a propeller plane and fly over the sands of Traigh Mhor on the remote Hebridean isle of Barra, considered one of the most scenic flights in the world.
• There’s a big five in Scotland too - Red Deer (the UK’s largest land mammal), Golden Eagles, Otters, Red Squirrels and Harbour Seals. All of which can be spotted on highland tours and cruises.
• Join the Scots to celebrate their Pagan past on Hogmanay, basically an excuse to party long after New Year! Edinburgh is where the action is.
• Get behind the wheel. Scotland has the world’s most spectacular drives, past rugged coastlines, highlands and forests, unusual sounding towns, quiet churches and popular distilleries.
• Soak in a hot tub with a ‘wee dram’ to beat the cold.
• Drive from Inverness to the infamous Loch Ness.
• Board the Jacobite Express, better known as the Harry Potter train!