The Scottish Highlands attractions

Separated from the northern tip of mainland Scotland by the choppy waters of the Pentland Firth strait, the Orkney Islands are an archaeological wonderland. Comprised of about 20 inhabited islands and many more uninhabited ones, Orkney is littered with prehistoric ruins and Viking remnants. The islands’ interiors, a patchwork of heather-clad moors and fertile grasslands, are encircled by superb sandy beaches and sheer coastal cliffs.

Complete with turrets and battlements, this Gothic Revival-style castle is revered for its storybook good looks. Inveraray Castle has been the seat of the Clan Campbell since the 15th century and has more recently served as a filming location for Downton Abbey. The castle houses collections of weapons and art, and is surrounded by manicured gardens.

The standing stones that form Orkney’s Ring of Brodgar rise out of the tall green grass and purple heather between Loch Harray and Loch Stenness. Twenty of the original 60 stones survive, and at 340 feet (104 meters) in diameter, this is the third-biggest stone circle in Britain. Thought to have been built around 2000-2500 BC, it is even older than Stonehenge.

Perched amid rolling mountains in the highlands of Cairngorms National Park, the Dalwhinnie Distillery is Scotland’s highest whisky distillery. Its copper pot stills produce a light, fresh, fruity single malt that’s known as “the gentle spirit.” The visitor center offers a range of distillery tours alongside a shop and a stylish whisky bar.

Founded in 1838, Glen Ord is the only remaining single malt whisky distillery on the Scottish Highlands’ Black Isle peninsula. Visitors can go on a behind-the-scenes tour to see and understand the process of making a single malt from start to finish; you’ll check out the barley maltings as well as fermentation and distillation methods.

Explore Orkney’s Neolithic heritage at the Standing Stones of Stenness. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Heart of Neolithic Orkney, only four massive megaliths remain of the original 12. With a history that potentially dates back 5,000 years, these might be the oldest stone circles on the British Isles.

Overlooking Loch Roag and the hills of Great Bernera, the Callanish Standing Stones—also known as the Calanais Standing Stones—comprise 13 large stones set around a Celtic cross–shaped monolith, with some 40 smaller stones radiating out from the center. Built between 3,800 and 5,000 years ago, this stone circle was erected at around the same time as the pyramids of Egypt.

Dating to 3,000 BC, this Neolithic village predates the Egyptian pyramids. The Skara Brae settlement—hidden underground until a storm uncovered it in 1850—includes Stone Age dwellings complete with stone beds and furniture. A visitor center hosts exhibits including a reconstruction of one of the ancient houses.

With its imposing pink sandstone turrets presiding over the River Ness, Inverness Cathedral (St. Andrew's Cathedral or, less commonly, the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew) is one of the most striking of the city’s many churches. The 19th-century Gothic-style structure is conspicuously spire-free. Though architect Alexander Ross put them in his original design, they had to be scrapped due to lack of funds.

Maeshowe Chambered Cairn is a chambered tomb in northern Scotland that is more than 5,000 years old. It’s considered the finest Neolithic building in northwest Europe due to its design, stonework construction, and use of massive individual stones. At least 3,000 years after it was closed up, Norsemen broke into the chamber, leaving behind runic inscriptions on the walls—it’s one of the largest collections outside Scandinavia.

One of Orkney’s most poignant sites, the Italian Chapel is a testament to the human spirit. The chapel was built by Italian World War II prisoners who had been taken to Orkney to construct the Churchill Barriers. Created from two Nissen huts and scrap material, the ornately decorated chapel and its moving back story make it an Orkney highlight.

Pleasure boats float along Caledonian Canal, a scenic 60-mile (97-kilometer) waterway that runs through Scotland's Great Glen, connecting Fort William in the southwest to Inverness in the northeast. The canal, which links Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, Loch Dochfour, and Loch Ness, is popular with walkers and cyclists, who follow towpath trails.

Made famous in the final scene of the classic film Braveheart, the Battle of Bannockburn was where King Robert the Bruce led the greatly outnumbered Scottish forces to victory over the English in 1314. To this day, the victory is hugely celebrated in Scottish history, and the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre is one of the most popular tourist destinations in central Scotland.

Carving its way coast to coast between Fort William and Inverness, Scotland’s Great Glen is a vast valley that’s home to lakes including Loch Ness—and can even be seen from space. Tracing its path, the Great Glen Way offers 79 miles (127 kilometers) of track, path, canal, and loch to discover on foot, on mountain bike, by kayak, by canoe, or by boat.

Using projections and special effects, this immersive exhibition focuses on the ecology of Loch Ness and the mysterious monster that supposedly swims its waters. Curious visitors find out about the lake habitat and the likelihood of a monster surviving here, as well as learning about previous monster hunts, research missions, and hoaxes.

Dating back to 1897, Old High Church (or Old High St. Stephen’s) is the oldest church and congregation in the Scottish Highlands capital of Inverness. The church is noteworthy for its Arts and Crafts/Gothic-style architecture, Ballantine stained glass, 1902 organ, and adjacent cemetery overlooking the Ness river.

Located on the shores of Loch Shiel, Glenfinnan Monument—constructed in 1815 and completed in the 1830s—is a tribute to all who fought for and lost their lives during the 1745 Jacobite Rising. The 59-foot (18-meter)-high column is crowned by the figure of a kilt-wearing Highlander, and visitors can ascend to the top for remarkable views.

Scotland’s Isle of Islay is a land of dramatic coastal scenery, vibrant bid life, and fine seafood, but it’s Islay’s distinctive smoky whiskies that really draws the visitors. Home to nearly a dozen working distilleries, including Lagavulin and Bowmore, Islay’s distinctive single malt makes it a bucket list destination for whisky lovers from across the world.

Standing steady against the fearsome storms that ravage the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis is the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse. Made from red brick, which is highly unusual for Scottish lighthouses, it was designed by Scottish engineer David Stevenson in 1862. It was one of the last Scottish lighthouses to be automated in 1998.

Created by glacial meltwater, the tree-lined Corrieshalloch Gorge is punctuated by a series of waterfalls. From an observation deck and swaying suspension bridge, you can look down upon the rushing River Droma, which courses through the ravine and drops over the 150-foot (46-meter) Falls of Measach.

Built without bricks or mortar—just stone placed next to stone—on an exposed Lewis hilltop nearly 2,000 years ago, Dun Carloway (Dùn Chàrlabhaigh) roundhouse has stood tall against the Isle of Lewis’s raging Atlantic storms since the Iron Age. It is one of the best-preserved brochs in Scotland.

One of the most scenic ridge traverses in the U.K., the Trotternish Ridge is a challenging but rewarding walk. Covering almost the entire Trotternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye, the route leads hikers 22.75 miles (36.5 kilometers) through an otherworldly landscape of cliffs, pinnacles, and needles.

A cultural hub in the capital of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness’ Eden Court Theatre and Cinema hosts a variety of events from a broad range of disciplines, including music, theater, dance, comedy, and film. A visit to the venue is a great way for travelers to take the pulse of the local cultural scene.

Built by George II in the mid-18th century to defend against Jacobite attacks following the Battle of Culloden, this vast military fort functions as a working army base and as a tourist attraction. View collections of arms, browse exhibitions on Scottish army regiments, and make the 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) walk around its ramparts.

Located off the northern coast of Scotland, Scapa Flow is a strategically located, sheltered natural harbor. In use since Viking times, it was the location of several key events during World War I and II. Today, it’s a point of interest in the Orkney Islands, offering a rich maritime history, and spectacular seascapes.

The red and yellow sandstone walls of St. Magnus, Britain’s most northerly cathedral, tower over the narrow streets of Kirkwall, Orkney. Commissioned in 1137 by the Norse Earl Rognvald, the Romanesque cathedral took 300 years to construct and has long been the spiritual heart of Orkney and its most-visited attraction.

Rannoch Moor is a remote outdoor space in the Scottish Highlands that covers around 50 square miles (130 square kilometers). Often referred to as one of Europe’s last remaining unspoiled wildernesses, this uninhabitable land offers diversions, including the West Highland Railway, Outlander filming locations, hiking, and local wildlife, such as red deer and grouse.

At six miles (10 kilometers long, the River Ness is a relatively minor waterway, though it connects several major attractions in the Scottish Highlands. Beginning at the north end of Loch Ness—home to the mythical monster Nessie—it runs alongside part of the Caledonian Canal and cuts through Inverness before emptying into Beauly Firth.

Foaming water tumbles over a series of zig-zagging ledges at this waterfall on the Black Water River in the Scottish Highlands. A suspension bridge over the falls provides a wonderful viewpoint from which to watch the water cascading over the rocks. Depending on when you visit you may even see Atlantic salmon leaping up the falls.

On the Bealach na Bà Pass in the Scottish Highlands, you can drive along the steepest road ascent in Britain. Full of twists and turns, the historic single-track road runs from the pretty coastal village of Applecross right through the mountains up to 2,054 feet (626 meters) and offers a challenging but unforgettable driving experience.