United Kingdom Scotland

A major tourist center, Fort William is one of the largest towns in Scotland's Highlands. Glen Coe is just to the south, Aonach Mor to the east and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles. Fort William, as its name suggests, was an army fort built by the English forces on the banks of Loch Linnhe, reason being that they could control the local Scottish clans. The town is boasts to have the highest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis 1,345 meters, making it very popular resort for many year-round activities. In the winter the town is a center for ski and snow activities on the slopes of Ben Nevis and in the summer the same slopes become biking and hiking trails. 

Inverness, meaning "Mouth of the River Ness" is the capital of the Scottish Highlands. The river Ness which flows from Loch Ness into the Beauly Firth divides this city. The city is the largest in the area and is dominated by the 19th century red-stone Inverness Castle (listed as a Category A building) which was built on the site of an older castle. Immortalized by Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Inverness was a fortress but served as a government building in the last few decades. However, the castle is closed due to renovations and hopefully the castle will reopen to the public sometime in 2025.

Edinburgh, although not the largest, actually the second largest city in Scotland, is the capital city. It is on the eastern side of the country not far from the Firth of Forth (the forth being a river and firth is an estuary). It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. A moniker for Edinburgh is “The Auld Reekie” which means “Old Smokey“ (from the days when black smoke draped the city in a gray fog).

The founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow was Kentigern (better known as Mungo,) who was a missionary in the in the late sixth century. He was made a patron saint because he performed four miracles. The symbols of the four miracles were included in Glasgow’s coat of arms. 

Off the mainland of the west coast of Scotland are the Hebrides, an archipelago with two groups of islands - those that are close to the mainland, the Inner Hebrides and those that are further away, the Outer Hebrides. The Isle of Skye is the biggest island of the Inner Hebrides and has a bridge connecting the island to mainland Scotland with no toll fees. The Isle of Skye is a perfect getaway for nature lovers.

Aviemore, once a small settlement in the Scottish Highlands, became a major tourist destination with the development of the rail line at the end of the 19th century and the development of winter sports attractions in the mid 60's.

On the east coast of Scotland, north of Edinburgh, is a small town, St. Andrews, named after the Apostle Saint Andrew, who is also the patron saint of Scotland. According to legend, his remains are kept in the St. Andrews Cathedral.  

Once a major wool and textile export port, the city today is recognized as the UK's first UNESCO City of Design for its diverse contributions to fields including medical research, comics and video games.

Stirling is the largest city in Central Scotland. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town. The city is located at the mouth of the River Forth. Historically it was strategically important as the "Gateway to the Highlands", with its position near the Highland Boundary Fault between the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands, indeed, it has been described as the brooch which clasps the Highlands and the Lowlands together. Once the capital of Scotland, Stirling contains the Great Hall, and the Renaissance Palace within the Castle. Stirling also has its medieval parish church, The Church of the Holy Rude, where King James VI was crowned King of Scots on 29 July 1567.

Orkney is an archipelago off the north coast of Scotland, with more than 70 islands of which only 16 are permanently inhabited. Kirkwall, which is situated on the largest island called Mainland, is the biggest settlement and capital of the Orkney Islands. It is accessible from Aberdeen or several other locations either by ferry or by plane. 

Linlithgow is a royal burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal. The chief historic attraction of Linlithgow is the remains of Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots, and probably Scotland's finest surviving late medieval secular building. The present Palace was started (on an older site) in 1424 by James I of Scotland. It was burnt in 1746, and, whilst unroofed, it is still largely complete in terms of its apartments.

Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city. The area around Aberdeen has been settled since at least 8,000 years ago, when prehistoric villages lay around the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don. The city has a long, sandy coastline and a wide range of cultural activities, amenities and museums, like the Aberdeen Maritime Museum and the King's Museum.