Scotland Off The Beaten Path

  Rest & Be Thankful
by JessieLang
 
  • Rest & Be Thankful
      Rest & Be Thankful
    by JessieLang
  • Distant view of the 'Coral sands'.
      Distant view of the 'Coral sands'.
    by LesHamilton
  • Callum in Pittencrief Park
      Callum in Pittencrief Park
    by clivedinburgh
  • Easter Clett, Drum Hollistan coast
      Easter Clett, Drum Hollistan coast
    by nani80
  • Freswick Bay and House.
      Freswick Bay and House.
    by nickandchris
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Scotland

1.

Many Miles From Edinburgh...   Edinburgh

Many Miles From Edinburgh..., Edinburgh

 58 Reviews  There were several bonny sections of gorse, as pictured, near where we started, at Flotterstone. This is about 7 miles/11km south from the centre of Edinburgh. There is a small visitor centre here,... 

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2.

Loch Lomond   Glasgow

Loch Lomond, Glasgow

 11 Reviews  If you plan to travel from Glasgow to Loch Lomond then consider taking the A81 via Killearn. On the road you can visit the small an beautiful distillery GLENGOYNE. They arrange tours, there is a shop... 

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3.

Surroundings   Edinburgh

Surroundings, Edinburgh

 34 Reviews  A self guided audio tour in 15 languages is offered on the Royal Yacht Britannia. Adult price is £9.00 children £5.00 Over 60's £7.00. Opening times are April - October 9.30 - 4.30 November - March... 

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4.

Stirling...   Glasgow

Stirling..., Glasgow

 6 Reviews  Stirling- one of Scotlands former capitals, is one of its most historic cities as well, with a lot of tales of battles and struggles for Scottish independence centred around the region. Its was also... 

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5.

Arthur's Seat   Edinburgh

Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

 24 Reviews  This is Arthur's Seat, the highest protrusion rising above Edinburgh in Holyrood Park, as seen from my son's kitchen window on South Oxford Street. For some more views, please see my Views of... 

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6.

Ayrshire   Glasgow

Ayrshire, Glasgow

 7 Reviews  On the West Coast of Scotland about five miles south of Ayr and beautifully perched on a craggy cliff top knoll stands the ruins of Dunure Castle. It was originally built for the Kennedy family. The... 

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7.

South Queensferry   Edinburgh

South Queensferry, Edinburgh

 10 Reviews  One of the most spectacular man-made landmarks in Scotland is the Forth Rail Bridge. The bridge is 2.5 km long and the world’s first major steel bridge, with its gigantic girder spans of 521 m. It... 

 See All 324 Off The Beaten Path in Edinburgh

8.

Gretna Green   Glasgow

Gretna Green, Glasgow

 2 Reviews  Gretna Green was our first stop on the way up to Kilmarnock to get to our house and we stopped there for lunch. Although the Blacksmiths shop is very much a tourist trap I think (you pay 80 pence to... 

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9.

Miscellaneous   Edinburgh

Miscellaneous, Edinburgh

 16 Reviews  In the United Kingdom, a police box is a telephone kiosk or "callbox" located in a public place for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police. They have... 

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10.

The Zoo   Glasgow

The Zoo, Glasgow

 2 Reviews  One thing , since it was a weekday and we were there alone.. There is a gentlemen at Glasgow zoo who comes there with his own Bird off prey. He normally gives a show. Not my kind of thing. But he is... 

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11.

Old Town - General   Edinburgh

Old Town - General, Edinburgh

 13 Reviews  Edinburgh is a beautiful city with an enticing, yet often very dark history. Just as most old European cities, every street corner tells a story of murder, intrigue, execution, plague & poverty,... 

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12.

Linlithgow   Glasgow

Linlithgow, Glasgow

 1 Review  This is a really beautiful ruin of a royal palace which is set in its own park on the shore of Linlithgow loch and it is one of the countries most visited ruins. Most of the ruins are buildings... 

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13.

Greyfriars   Edinburgh

Greyfriars, Edinburgh

 9 Reviews  In order to locate the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, locate the Greyfriars Bobby Pub, turn your back to it and you should see the statue. It was much smaller than I thought it would be, I walked right... 

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14.

Cairnpapple Hill   Glasgow

Cairnpapple Hill, Glasgow

 1 Review  Visit Cairnpapple Hill On a clear day you have beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. The holes you can see in the photo would have had thick wooden poles in them making up part of the... 

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15.

Art & Culture   Edinburgh

Art & Culture, Edinburgh

 10 Reviews  Be sure to visit the new Parliament Building at Holyrood. Its not obvious that the public are allowed in, and once inside it is easy to miss the debating chamber which is a model of what modern... 

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16.

Argyle/Further north   Glasgow

Argyle/Further north, Glasgow

 4 Reviews  Try going further north and into Argyle and Bute. The countryside is beautiful and there is lots to see. The most famous area is probably Loch Lommond. The village of Luss is on the banks of the Loch... 

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17.

Royal Mile   Edinburgh

Royal Mile, Edinburgh

 11 Reviews  The statue of Charles II astride a horse that stands in between St. Giles and Parliament Hall (now the law courts) appears to be of a Roman Emperor, if you've ever seen a portrait of Charles II with... 

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18.

Blackness Castle   Glasgow

Blackness Castle, Glasgow

 1 Review  This was built in the 14h century and then strengthened as an artillery fortress in the 16th century. In the 1870s it became an ammunition depot before being restored in the 1920s. It was used as the... 

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19.

Dean / Stockbridge   Edinburgh

Dean / Stockbridge, Edinburgh

 6 Reviews  The walk normally follows the river from |Belarno to Leith. We began our walk at Stockbridge and followed it to the Gallery of Modern Art. The walk takes you under the Dene, under Dean Bridge and... 

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20.

Auchindroin   Glasgow

Auchindroin, Glasgow

 5 Reviews  the museum is situated on the mainroad down to the Mull of Kintyre - to be seen from the street and you may also take pics from outsidfe if you are in a hurry - but I guess it is worth a visit ! 

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21.

Tours etc.   Edinburgh

Tours etc., Edinburgh

 6 Reviews  We took friends who were visiting from the States on the Hairy Coo tour as part of their holiday in Scotland. Not having visited the Highlands yet ourselves, it was also a great chance for us to see... 

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22.

Aberdour   Glasgow

Aberdour, Glasgow

 1 Review  This is a fortified residence from the 13th century, which was extended in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. It has splendid living areas and a terraced garden with bowling green. There is also a... 

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23.

Princes Street   Edinburgh

Princes Street, Edinburgh

 7 Reviews  Arthur's Seat is an extinct volcano within the grounds of Holyrood Park, and makes up one of the 7 hills of Edinburgh. From certain viewing angles, Arthur's Seat also resembles a crouching lion. This... 

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24.

Edinburgh Castle   Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh

 9 Reviews  Instead of taking a walk up the street (which is rather steep anyway), take one of the paths up the hill in front of the Castle. It provides a beautiful panorama of Edinburgh, and is suprisingly... 

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25.

Calton Hill   Edinburgh

Calton Hill, Edinburgh

 5 Reviews  No disrespect intended to the citizens of the Ukraine. The plaque in the photograph commemorates a 1000 years of Christianity in the Ukraine. 988 - 1988 Saint Wolodymyr the Great - Ruler of... 

 See All 324 Off The Beaten Path in Edinburgh

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Stop, Stretch your Legs & Snap some Pictures

by JessH

When visiting the Highlands we are usually based in Inverness or on the Black Isle. When driving across to the West Coast (or further to the Isle of Skye) we discovered Loch Cluanie, a lovely place to stop and really take-in the stunning scenery around you!Loch Cluanie (pronounced like George "Clooney") is a man-made loch in the North-West Highlands, surrounded by the "Five Sisters" in Glen Shiel, not too far from Fort Augustus.The dam that formed Loch Cluanie was built in 1950s as part of the Glenmoriston hydroelectric project implemented by the the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board. The Cluanie dam is 675m (2214 feet) long and over 40m (131 feet) high. Water is discharged into the River Moriston which continues to flow east along Glen Moriston finally emptying into the southern part Loch Ness at Invermoriston.The Loch is located along the A87, and just a few miles after the dam...

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neolithic ascotland

by ndahl

If you want to see historic remains you should visit the orkney isles which are a short hop from the northern scottish mainland.There you will find standing stone circles that pre-date stonehenge; neolithic villages dating from 3200 years BC; castles and cathedrals dating from Viking times.There are miles of beautiful sheltered white, sandy beaches around the islands, most within easy travelling distance and most empty of other people.Unlike England where the roads are horrendous with traffic, scotlands' roads are less stressful although in the north some can be single lanes with passing places.I would agree that edinburgh at that time of the year can be very busy with tourists visiting the festival but there are towns and villages nearby where accommodation is cheaper and more easil;y obtained.public transport into Edinburgh from outlying towns is cheap and regular and the festival is...

Castle Moil (Kyleakin, Isle of Skye)

by JessH

The ruins of this castle sit in Kyleakin Harbour, charmingly overlooking the village and the Kyle of Lochalsh (a "kyle" is a narrow straight of water between the mainland and an island), just a few minutes' drive from the famous Eilean Donan Castle. There was a fortress here since the 10th century, serving as a lookout post and fortress. This castle was famously the home of a Norwegian princess called "Saucy Mary" who married a Mackinnon chief. Legend has it that Mary ordered a chain to be hung from the castle to the mainland so that no boat could pass without paying a tax. It's more likely that she ordered a "chain of boats" to block the pass rather than a real chain, but this may have been one of those stories that typically got exaggerated over the centuries. You know: the more often a tale is told, the grander it gets :-)So why was she called "Saucy"? Well, apparently, when her...

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Kyleakin Village & Harbour (Isle of Skye)

by JessH

The Isle of Skye, or in Scots Gaelic 'Eilean A Cheo' meaning Misty Isle, is located on the north western coast of Scotland.The village of Kyleakin is located across from Kyle of Lochalsh (a "kyle" is a narrow straight of water between the mainland and an island), just a few minutes' drive from the famous Eilean Donan Castle. It's basically the first village you'll pass once you cross the bridge onto the Isle of Skye.There used to be a ferry service operating since 1841, but when the new Isle of Skye Bridge was opened in October 1995 the ferry service was stopped the say day. It may not be so obvious today, but until fairly recent times the only way to get around in the Highlands and Islands was by sea. And if you wished to pass up or down the country's western coast it was a much shorter and safer option to do so by passing between the Isle of Skye and the mainland rather than taking...

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The beautiful ruins of Fortrose Cathedral / Abbey

by JessH

Fortrose / Rosemarkie are two small but historically interesting villages on the Black Isle, just across the bridge from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.The cathedral was built in the first half of the 13th century, though it was extended and altered in the 14th and 15th centuries. At the Reformation of the 1560s, the cathedral was used as the town's church, although lead from its roof was granted to Lord Ruthven in 1572. Charles 1st later tried to encourage repairs in 1626 as part of his attempts to restructure the Church of Scotland on the same lines as the Anglican or English church. Traditionally, Oliver Cromwell used stone from Fortrose Cathedral for building the new fort in Inverness. The sacristy and chapter-house, those parts of the cathedral still standing in the 18th century were used for meetings of the town council and as a court-house. Unfortunately, these parts of the...

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Walk to magnificent Sandwood Bay

by Niekie

Sandwood Bay is a magnificent golden beach; many say it’s the best one in Britain. The beach is two kilometers long and enclosed by cliffs to the north and south. Years of erosion have caused a seastack, Am Buachaille, to form at the southern end of the bay. It is a testament to the unyielding elements that pound the Atlantic coast in the far northwest of Scotland. To the east dunes rise from the sandy beach and give some protection from the wind. Behind them lies Loch Sandwood with sheep grazing round its shores.Sandwood Bay may sound like the perfect beauty spot to spend an afternoon sunbathing or walking along the shore, but there is a catch. To get there you have to walk about 8 kilometers through uninspiring peat covered moorland. Though the track (an old peat-cutters road) winds its way past a few lochs and lochans (tiny lochs) the bleak landscape quickly looses its appeal and the...

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Just off the motorway

by GillianMcLaughlin

So there you are. Having hired your car, or packed up kids and dog you head for the hills... up the long M6 until at least you hit some lovely scenery in the North West of England. On you go, the kids have asked for the 80th time if we're nearly there yet, and expressed their thirst, hunger and boredom for the umpteenth time. So what do you do? Stop in at one of those corporate overpriced motorway service stations? Noooo!A few miles north of the border you pull off at Moffat. Only 1 minute from the M74 you find yourself amidst the charms of a fine example of a Scottish border town. Not only will you find lots of choice for eating and drinking amongh the many hotels and cafes, the kids can wear themselves out in the park that offers mini golf, boating and a swing park and there's lots of free parking!Moffat also offers much for the historian, the avid shopper and the hillwalker. It is...

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Come and Explore the Real Scotland !

by scotlandscotour

There is a very real difference between the Scotland packaged for tourists and represented by the Tourist Board (VisitScotland.com), and REALITY.As most visitors (whether budget backpacker on a tour or wealthy golfer staying in castles) seem to remain within a "bubble", seeing only what is presented and what meets preconceived notions of "Scottish", I have decided to take you on a tour, away from the crowds, off the beaten path, into the Scotland I see living here: This is a country more vibrant, beautiful and wonderful than you can ever expect. The truth is far better than the myth, so, if you are interested, come and explore, through my pages. This will grow over time. I hope you enjoy. Write to me for help.

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KILMARTIN GLEN

by hevbell

This area in Argyle, south of Oban and north of Lochgilphead, has one of the highest concentrations of ancient sites in Scotland. There are numerous cairns, stone circles and standing stones in the area although one of the first places you come across driving south from Oban is 16th century Carnasserie Castle. This is one of the cairns which were ancient burial chambers covered in stones. To gain a better understanding of the sites in the area you can visit the museum in Kilmartin village There are more pictures of this area on my Oban page.

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Inverewe Gardens

by tvor

On the northwest coat of Scotland, near Ullapool, seemingly in the middle of nowhere is an exotic garden. It overlooks Loch Ewe and contains acres of wooded land and gardens full of flowers and exotic plants and trees, even palm trees! Yes, northern Scotland has palm trees on a latitude farther north than Moscow! Blame the Gulf Stream. There's a nice gift shop and cafeteria as well. Of course if gardens aren't your thing, this isn't for you. Gardens aren't *really* my thing either but i enjoyed this stop on our tour. It was a sunny day and even in early October there were many many flowers in bloom in the walled garden. We walked a little while in the cool wooded area as well where there are many footpaths to explore. It was created in the mid 19th century by Osgood MacKenzie. Here's a bit of history http://www.aboutscotland.com/land/inverewe.html

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Unique Places in Scotland

Top 3 Hotels in Scotland

The Balmoral Hotel  Edinburgh

 5 Reviews and 770 Opinions  Two men wearing kilts (or trews) welcome you at the door and an open fire welcomes you in the lobby,... 

 Hotels in Edinburgh

Hotel du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens  Glasgow

 1 Review and 352 Opinions  One Devonshire Gardens is a class of its own.Fabulous rooms with four poster beds,tubs you could... 

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Skene House Rosemont Hotel  Aberdeen

 1 Review and 247 Opinions  Skene House Apartments was so nice, an impressive layout , nice bedrooms !, Fantastic and modernised... 

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Scotland
  1. Edinburgh Off The Beaten Path
  2. Glasgow Off The Beaten Path
  3. Aberdeen Off The Beaten Path
  4. Inverness Off The Beaten Path
  5. Isle of Skye Off The Beaten Path
  6. Fort William Off The Beaten Path
  7. Ayr Off The Beaten Path
  8. Oban Off The Beaten Path
  9. Stirling Off The Beaten Path
  10. Dunfermline Off The Beaten Path
  11. Aviemore Off The Beaten Path
  12. Pitlochry Off The Beaten Path
  13. Dundee Off The Beaten Path
  14. Perth Off The Beaten Path
  15. Dumfries Off The Beaten Path
  16. Ullapool Off The Beaten Path
  17. Island of Mull Off The Beaten Path
  18. Saint Andrews Off The Beaten Path
  19. Stornoway Off The Beaten Path
  20. Leith Off The Beaten Path
  21. Falkirk Off The Beaten Path
  22. Lerwick Off The Beaten Path
  23. Islay Off The Beaten Path
  24. Loch Ness Off The Beaten Path
  25. Loch Lomond Off The Beaten Path
  26. North Berwick Off The Beaten Path
  27. Inveraray Off The Beaten Path
  28. Fair Isle Off The Beaten Path
  29. Durness Off The Beaten Path
  30. Applecross Off The Beaten Path
  31. Stonehaven Off The Beaten Path
  32. John O'Groats Off The Beaten Path
  33. Falkland Off The Beaten Path
  34. South Uist Off The Beaten Path
  35. Iona Off The Beaten Path
  36. Kilmartin Off The Beaten Path
  37. Plockton Off The Beaten Path
  38. Kilmarnock Off The Beaten Path
  39. Banff Off The Beaten Path
  40. Langholm Off The Beaten Path
  41. Stromness Off The Beaten Path
  42. Penicuik Off The Beaten Path

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Popular Regions in Scotland

Lothian Off The Beaten Path  Strathclyde Off The Beaten Path  Highland Off The Beaten Path  Grampian Off The Beaten Path  Tayside Off The Beaten Path  Central Off The Beaten Path  Dumfries and Galloway Off The Beaten Path  Fife Off The Beaten Path  Shetland Off The Beaten Path  Western Isles Off The Beaten Path  Orkney Off The Beaten Path  Borders Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

zchatila profile photo

Q:  Hello Lovely site indeed. Great resource. I plan on spending 11 days in Scotland and just wanted some advice. FYI: I have... 

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A: I can't address all your questions, but wonder if you want a full day on Loch Lomond unless you plan on boating, fishing, etc. One of the ways we dealt with not having a... 

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