John o’ Groats Scotland 

John o’ Groats

Perhaps one of the most famous areas in Scotland, John O’Groats is a site of pilgrimage for those who want to feel as though they are standing on the edge of the world as they know it, looking out at the wide expanse of the sea that lays before them as this is the very top of mainland Scotland.  Though not necessarily the most northerly point, it is recognised as being the very top of the United Kingdom. Once there you will find a sign that states that you are…

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Isle of Arran Scotland 

Isle of Arran

Arran is the most southerly of all of the Scottish islands.  Just as the landscape of Scotland changes between the low hills of the lowlands and the mountains of the highlands, so too the landscape of the Isle of Arran mirrors these different landscapes, so much so that it has been coined ‘Little Scotland’. The mountains are located on the northern side of the island; the landscape here means that this part of the island is very sparsely populated unlike the southern half, where the more gentle landscape is home…

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Perth Scotland 

Perth

Perth was finally granted city status in 2012. At one time almost any journey across the east of the country would have seen you arrive in Perth, though these days the changing infrastructure of the country has seen the motorways bypass the city. Despite the fact that the city is no longer on many of the main routes through the country it is never short of visitors. The city owes its origins to the Romans who built a fort at what they called ‘Bertha’ in AD83. Today’s modern city is…

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Scotland Stirling 

Stirling

Stirling was granted city status in 2002, and although it is only a new city it has been of great strategic importance for Scotland for centuries, sitting as it does at the lowest of the ancient crossing points of the great River Forth. Evidence has been found to suggest that this has been the site some form of fortification since prehistoric times, guarding the passage from the lowland regions to the highlands, making this one of the prime spots for controlling the entire country. Stirling has been the site of…

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Glasgow Scotland 

Glasgow

By the 1800’s Glasgow had become the world’s major centre of ship building and the second most important city in the whole of the British Empire. The city of Glasgow owes its origins to St Mungo who established his church here in 600AD. He was the Archbishop for Strathclyde and it is believed that the name of the city was taken from his description of the community that lived here at that time ‘Clas-gu’ which translates to ‘Dear Family’. It became a city that was based upon the church and…

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Aberdeen Scotland 

Aberdeen

Referred to as the ‘Granite City’ because of the wide use of the stone as a building material, Aberdeen sits where the Rivers Don and Dee flow into the North Sea. The city developed quickly and had its own castle by the 1100’s, as well as a leper house, a market and a friary, closely followed by a school and a hospital. Like many other cities in Scotland it has had something of a turbulent history, with fires and invasions as well as the Black Death, yet the city always…

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Edinburgh Scotland 

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a stunningly beautiful city small enough to be explored on foot and yet big enough to inspire the imagination. The city itself is generally built up around the Royal Mile, which is the original main street of the city leading down from the castle, and leads all the way to Holyrood Palace, and the Scottish Parliament building. Unlike other cities it is quite difficult to get lost in Edinburgh as the city is quite compact with the majority of streets in the new town laid out in a…

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Inverness Scotland 

Inverness

Regarded as the Capital City of the Highland region, the city of Inverness is situated at the northern end of the Great Glen, at the point where the River Ness meets and flows away into the Moray Firth. This city has been the gateway to the highland regions for centuries. It was an ancient fortress located on the western side of the city that was the home and defensive base of the Pictish Kings as far back as the 400’s. It is believed that this ancient fortress met destruction in…

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Dundee Scotland 

Dundee

The city of Dundee is situated on the banks of the Tay Estuary; it has been through much upheaval in the past having to totally rebuild and subsequently reinvent itself three times over in the last three and a half centuries and is now set for all of the opportunities that the twenty first century may bring. It is believed that during the time of the Roman occupation of Britain, that the Romans used Dundee as a supply base and port, so the area has a long tradition of being…

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