Scotland

The North-east corner of Scotland - from the Firth of Forth in the south to the Moray Firth in the north - is quintessentially Scottish. There's historic castles, lush glens, crystal clear lochs and rivers, breathtaking mountains, quaint fishing villages, world famous whisky, Highland gatherings, and even an indigenous dialect known as Doric!

Walkers will love the region's two main mountain ranges the Cairngorms and the Grampian mountains - but there's also hundreds of smaller hills to be enjoyed too. Long distance paths include the 42-mile Speyside Way, from Spey Bay on the coast to Ballindalloch and then inland to Tomintoul, and the 40-mile Formantine and Buchan Way from Aberdeen to either Fraserburgh or Peterhead. Wildlife such as puffins, grey seals, basking sharks and dolphins can all be spotted along the Fife Coastal Path which runs from the Forth Bridges to Crail.

The North-east is particularly well-known for its skiing, fishing and golf activities. The UK's largest ski area is at Glenshee in Perthshire and the Lecht ski centre is just up the road in Aberdeenshire. Some of the best salmon fishing in the UK can be found in the Rivers Spey and Tay and there are over 150 golf courses in the north-east - including the famous courses of St Andrews, Carnoustie and Gleneagles.

With some of Scotland's most breathtaking highland and coastal scenery the north-east is a mecca for both adventure seekers and people wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

To the south the Kingdom of Fife juts out into the North Sea. It's famous for its pretty coastal villages and of course golf! Dunfermline was Scotland's ancient capital. It has a Benedictine abbey with a 12th century nave and St Margaret's Cave - where the 11th century Queen of Scotland would pray. The cave is now situated 86 steps below a car park!

Along the coast at Burntisland is the 35-acre Stenhouse Loch which has great walking and good fishing for brown trout. At Kirkcaldy there's Ravenscraig Castle which was built in 1460 to keep the English at bay! Inland at Glenrothes you can visit 16th century Falkland Palace which was home to no less than eight Stuart monarchs!

The ancient windmill at St Monans was used for extracting salt and at Pittenweem you can visit Kellie Castle, parts of which date back to the 14th century. The charming coastal villages of Anstruther and Crail are typical of Fife's quaint fishing communities. Inland at Cupar you can explore the 55-acre Scottish Deer Centre which has trails, walks, lots of bird life and nine species of deer.

But the jewel in Fife's crown is St Andrews - the university town with the world famous golf course. The town also has a glorious cathedral with commanding views of the city and a majestic castle overlooking the dramatic North Sea.

Perthshire marks the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. Loch Leven, near Kinross, has great walking, including the Tetley Tea Trail, as well as a nature reserve and good fishing. The town of Auchterarder is famous for its antique shops and it's also the nearest town to the famous Gleneagles Hotel and the Monarch's golf course. The nearby Ochil Hills are good for serious rambling. To the west of Crieff there's some beautiful scenery around Comrie and Loch Earn. The Glen Lednock Circular walk is good for views of the area.

The city of Perth sits astride the River Tay and has rows of beautiful, Georgian terraces. Good views of the town and the surrounding highlands can be enjoyed from nearby Kinnoull Hill. Just outside Perth is Scone - Scotland's ancient capital where 42 Kings of Scotland were crowned on the famous Stone of Destiny.

Set in woods further up Strathtay is the ancient cathedral town of Dunkeld. There's good walking and cycling in the nearby forests and in the Loch of Lowes nature reserve otters and osprey can be spotted. A walk up Birnam Hill, just outside the picturesque Victorian village of Birnam, is rewarding for its superb views over the Perthshire Highlands.

Schiehallion from Loch Tay
(picture courtesy of Perthshire Tourist Board)

Aberfeldy also has stunning scenery including the spectacular Birks of Aberfeldy waterfalls, Glenlyon and Loch Tay. The mountains of Schiehallion (1080m) and Ben Lawers at (1215m) provide good walking, horse riding and mountain biking. The Victorian town of Pitlochry is similarly surrounded by glorious mountain scenery. To the west lie Rannoch Moor, Loch Rannoch and Loch Tummel - some of the most romantic areas of Scotland.

Blairgowrie is a good base for skiing. The slopes of Glenshee to the north are the largest skiing area in Britain. You can hire all your equipment and take lessons in skiing or snowboarding. The 60-mile Cateran walking trail also starts from Blairgowrie and there's also some relatively flat cycling trails along the Strathmore Valley.

The city of Dundee on the banks of the River Tay, has a rich association with the sea and the textile industry. There are lots of museums charting the city's history and you can even visit Captain Scott's ship, The Discovery. The active fishing port of Arbroath is famous for its "Arbroath Smokies" a local smoked fish delicacy. There's good coastal walking here too.

Auchmithie Harbour
(picture courtesy of Angus and Dundee Tourist Board)

Inland, near the prosperous market town of Forfar you can visit the childhood home of HM Elizabeth the Queen Mother at Glamis Castle. The castle is also the legendary setting of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Nearby at Kirriemuir there's an RSPB nature reserve and back on the coast at Montrose there's a wildlife sanctuary at the mouth of a spectacular tidal lagoon. You can often spot rare birds, seals and ospreys.

To the north of Angus lie the Angus Glens - an area of magnificent natural beauty, heather-clad moorland and rolling hills opening out onto the Cairngorm Mountains. Glen Isla has a wildlife reserve and the breathtaking Reekie Linn Falls and Glen Esk has the majestic Mount Keen rising up to the north. Glen Cova and Glen Posen are linked by the Ministers Path, which provides fine moorland views of the area.

To the north again lie Aberdeenshire and Moray - known as castle and whisky country. One of the first castles you'll encounter is romantic Dunottar Castle at Stonehaven. Joined by a narrow strand of rock to the land, the castle is surrounded by great cliff top and woodland walking.

Dunnottar Castle
(picture courtesy of Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist Board)

But undoubtedly the most famous castle in the area is Balmoral Castle at Braemar. Queen Victoria fell in love with Deeside 150 years ago and the area is still a favourite retreat for the Royal Family today. Nestled at the foot of the Cairgorm Mountains you can see why! Good walks inlcude nearby Lochnagar on the Royal Estate and the 538m high Creag Choinnich with its great views of Upper Deeside.

The majestic Cairngorm Mountain range has four summits more than 1200m high including Ben Macdui and Cairn Gorm. The Lecht ski centre is just south of Tomintoul. The Glenlivet estate to the north provides good walking with great views of the Ladder and Cromdale Hills as well as the mighty Cairngorms to the south.

The lush Dee Valley runs from Braemar to Aberdeen - a disused railway line provides a great walking and cycling path much of the way. At Ballater you'll notice Royal Warrant signs on the local shops and at Banchory you can climb Scolty Hill for panoramic views of the surrounding area.

The granite city, Aberdeen, is a prosperous, cosmopolitan city with a historical old town of ancient cobbled, winding streets. Granite buildings such as His Majesty's theatre and Marischal College shimmer in the sunlight and hundreds of rose bushes line the roadsides. The fishing village of Footdee, down near the glorious two mile beachfront, has an air of time gone by. From here you can also spot the hallowed Pittodrie Stadium, home to Aberdeen football club!

Just outside Aberdeen lie the sweeping golden sands of Balmedie and the Sands of Forvie - a bird reserve on the Ythan River estuary. At Inverurue lies the mysterious Easter Aquhorthies Stone Circle and nearby is Bennachie, the highest peak around at 528m. For a bird's eye view of Aberdeenshire climb up to Mither Tap, just below the summit.

Along the coastal road north is Cruden Bay, home to Slains castle, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. The spectacular cliffs at the Bullers of Buchan are a haven for thousands of seabirds including puffins. Further north lie the bustling white fish ports of Peterhead and Fraserburgh and inland there are castles, forests and parks to explore.

Turning west towards the Moray Firth there's a string of pretty fishing villages including Crovie and Pennan with their single rows of quaint fishing cottages and tiny rock harbours. The Moray coast is a haven for dolphins, seals and seabirds - on the craggy cliffs at Troup Head near Crovie up to 100,000 sea birds can be found at any one time!

The fast flowing waters of the River Spey provide great fishing and the purest water for whisky making! More than half of Scotland's distilleries are located in Speyside and the town of Keith is home to the oldest working distillery in the highlands.

The market town of Huntly has a castle and some pleasant walking along the River Deveron. To the south is the 563m Tap O' Noth, which once had an extensive fort on its summit, and is well worth the climb. Dufftown is home to Glenfiddich whisky and the 13th century Balvenie Castle. From the 841m summit of Ben Rinnes to the south-west you can see much of the lower Spey Valley, the Cairngorms and the Moray Firth. Elgin is a medieval town with a glorious cathedral. Quarry Wood on its outskirts provides great walking. Nearby is the community of Findhorn - a spiritual and environmental centre where the houses have turf roofs and solar panels!