Scotland Things to Do Tips by mtncorg

Islay is all about whisky to many. The whisky that comes from here is - and there are a few exceptions - very distinctive. There are eight different distilleries found on the island and you can visit each one if you are so inclined. But the island also has a lot of unique historical and natural wonders to visit as well as the distilleries. From here the Lord of the Isles reigned over much of western Scotland and it is here that thousands of birds flock to in the winter to enjoy the temperate climes. For much more on the attractions, see my Islay pages.

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Arran’s moniker is ‘Scotland in Miniature’ and some might agree. There are mountains (the geological boundary between Lowlands and Highlands cuts Arran in half), glens, sparkling seas, ruined and restored castles, beer and whisky, sheep midges, and a dirth of people (Clearances). Most people tend to congregate around the main ferry port of Brodick or head towards the sea beaches found on the southern edges of the island. I based myself out of the little northern town of Lochranza, one of the prettiest locations on the island. For more on this island see my Arran pages.

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For me, Skye will always be the Black Cuillin. These are some of the most interesting mountains to walk and climb in in all of Scotland. If the weather is good, you are in for a real treat. Weather is the key word here, though, as ‘Skye’ derives from the Norwegian for ‘cloud’. Skye used to be accessible only by ferry, but a bridge gives much quicker entry and also means a lot more visitors (In 2006 when bridge tolls were removed, the number of visitors rose to 1,500,000, up from 480,000 in 1994, when the ferries were still the only way over). For more on this island, see my Skye pages.

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Mull is the heart of the ancient homelands where my paternal clan. Here can be found their castles and legends. The lonely landscape remains a magnificent place where nature can be rediscovered. For more on this island - the southern reaches of Mull, anyway - see my Mull pages.

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A small island off the coast of the western coast of Mull, Iona is one of the most visited tourist destinations in all of Scotland. This was where Columba established his monastically base in the 6th century from where missionaries set out to bring Christianity to Scotland and northern England. The Lord of the Isles established Iona as a place of pilgrimage in the 13th century and Iona has been reestablished as such a site today. For much more on the island’s history and attractions, see my Iona pages.

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New Lanark is one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Scotland. The site is the location of one of the more successful long-running cotton factories in the country, dating back to the late 18th century. Its unique location, deep in the canyon of the River Clyde, its historical significance - both as a surviving relic of the early Industrial Revolution and its link with one Robert Owen - and the site’s magnificent restoration all combine to make a visit very memorable. For much more on the history and attractions, see my New Lanark pages.

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The Falls along the River Clyde have long been attracting visitors to enjoy their beauty. They have been immortalized in word and in paintings by some of Britain’s best known. The power inherent in the fall of the river was what attracted David Dale to create his cotton mill factories at the adjacent site of New Lanark and also attracted Scottish Power to create the country’s first hydropower plant here in 1927. The canyon along the river and the falls have been preserved as a natural reserve. Thousands take advantage of trails that follow both banks of the river. Any visit to the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site of New Lanark should include time for a walk.

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