an online guide to Scotland

There is no shortage of things to do in Scotland. Perhaps you want to visit stately homes and castles, battlefields or wildlife sanctuaries. Perhaps you want to play golf, go mountain biking, walk and climb in the hills or indulge in some watersports. Scotland offers a wide range of activities for all ages and interests.

Whether you want to stay in a castle, a country cottage, an award-winning hotel or a simple bed and breakfast, Scotland has a wide range of quality accommodation.

The turbulent nature of Scotland’s past means that there are battlefields all over the place. As well as the famous sites such as the Battle of Culloden and the Battle of Bannockburn, there are also numerous other locations of less well known skirmishes and full-scale battles.

Also as a result of Scotland’s turbulent past are the huge number of castles. From the grand defended palaces of Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle to smaller fortifications and picturesque ruins, wherever you are in Scotland you’re never far from a castle.

Climbing in Scotland is good in summer and winter. The mountainous topography lends itself well to rock climbing, and Scotland is widely regarded as the birthplace of ice and mixed climbing. As well as outdoor climbs, there is also world class indoor facilities such as The Adventure Centre at Ratho, near Edinburgh, and The Ice Factor at Kinlochleven, near Fort William.

An abundance of forest tracks, old drove roads, quiet country roads and mountain trails make Scotland ideal for cycling, and there are also dedicated mountain bike trails at places such as Glentress Forest in The Borders, and the World Cup downhill course at Fort William.

Scotland has over six thousand freshwater and sea lochs, over one hundred quality salmon and trout rivers and over seven thousand miles of coastline offering a wide variety of fishing experiences to both experienced and inexperienced anglers.

Scotland is of course the home of golf, and has over five hundred golf courses, many of them world-class like Royal Troonand Turnberry. Golf most probably originated in the east of Scotland and has been played for over 500 years.

Scotland is blessed with a plethora of museums, from the massively impressive Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, to the numerous smaller local museums offering an insight into Scotland’s past.

Scotland has 5 ski centres - Cairngorm, Glencoe, Glenshee, The Lecht and Nevis Range. The ski-ing in Scotland is nowhere near as good on the continent - you wouldn’t come to Scotland for a ski-ing holiday - but if you’re here and you want to go ski-ing, it’s still great fun.

Scotland may not have the tallest mountains in the world - our highest, Ben Nevis, is 1334m. There are 284 Munros (mountains over 3000ft / 914m) in Scotland, offering a wide variety of walking for all ages and abilities. To search stravaiging.com’s walks database, click here

Scotland has several dedicated watersports centres, including Loch Lomond and Loch Earn. Whether you want to go sailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, diving, surfing, wind-surfing, kayaking, white-water rafting, and even gorge walking, Scotland is the place to do it!

Scotland is of course world famous for whisky, and boasts over a hundred distilleries. The Glenturret is Scotland’s oldest distillery, while Edradour is the smallest, both in Perthshire.

Scotland has a vast array of flora and fauna. From rare Alpine plants on Ben Lawers to the hardy pines of the ancient Caledonian forest, the oldest tree in Europe at Fortingall to the tallest hedge in the world at Meikleour. Deer, wildcats, squirrels, dolphins, whales, and magnificent birds of prey make Scotland a nature lover’s delight.