Place of interest Archive

Castle of Mey – The Old Lady and the Sea

Castle of Mey, on Scotland’s rugged north coast, was the Queen Mother’s summer residence. A visit to the castle offers a glimpse into the life of this charming elderly lady – the former Queen of Great Britain. Here of all places in northern Scotland, where the North Sea and the Atlantic roar as they battle […]

John o’ Groats – From an Unattractive Town to a Tourist Attraction

“Most Desolate Place of the Year 2010″—there are certainly more desirable awards that John o’ Groats would have preferred to win. But the town has changed since then. When it rains – and that’s certainly not uncommon in Scotland – there are actually few places that seem more desolate. Lower John o’ Groats, by the […]

Rest and Be Thankful – a pass like a poem

Blick auf das einschneidende, lange Tal Glen Croe. Das Wetter ist regnerisch.

Built for the military, feared for its ruggedness, admired for its beauty. The Rest and Be Thankful Pass is one of the most memorable experiences on a tour of Scotland.

Callanish Stones – Mythical Stone Circle

Eine große Ansammlung an Monolithen auf einer Wiese mit blauem Himmel und Wolken

There are many magnificent stone circles in the Highlands, but Callanish on the Isle of Lewis is different—much more complex and wild. Unlike other stone circles, the Stones of Callanish—or “Calanais” in Gaelic—on the Isle of Lewis are not uniformly hewn, which gives each stone its own unique character. Furthermore, Callanish consists not just of […]

Footdee – a picturesque fishing village near Aberdeen

Häuser mit bunten Türen und Fenstern im Ortsteil Footdee in Aberdeen.

To the east of the Scottish port city of Aberdeen lies a truly picturesque fishing village. Here’s what visitors can expect on a trip to Footdee. Footdee was actually a village designed from the drawing board: two rectangular layouts with carefully arranged little houses. But over time, the residents have given the buildings their own […]

Tarlair Swimming Pool – Art Deco Swimming Pool with Café

Bathing culture once dominated Scotland’s recreational scene. Today, only a few of those former seaside resorts remain. The Tarlair Swimming Pool is one of them. At first, it was about hygiene; then it was about fitness; and finally, public baths became social gathering places. The boundaries between the former social classes blurred noticeably here. The […]

Govan Stones – A Journey Through the Stones to the Middle Ages

Celtic knots, mysterious mythical creatures, and a sarcophagus that once held a king. The Govan Stones in Glasgow transport visitors back to the mysterious Middle Ages. Where the River Kelvin flows into the great River Clyde, there was once a ford across the water. It was an ideal location for a settlement and a church. […]

Calgary Bay – White Sand on the Isle of Mull

Find out here why a major city in Canada is named after a small bay, and what makes this bay so special. James Farquharson MacLeod, a lieutenant colonel in the Canadian Mounted Police, had survived the harsh winter of 1874, when his uniform had been reduced to rags, his unit was no longer receiving pay, […]

Broch of Clickimin – an Iron Age fort

Once upon a time, the tower stood up to ten metres tall on an island in Loch Clickimin in Shetland. And to this day, it remains a mystery.

Jacobite Steam Train – the Harry Potter train

Der Jakobite Steam Train auf dem Viadukt von Glenfinnan

A journey by steam train through a magical landscape – so magical that it appears several times as a backdrop in the Harry Potter films. The Hogwarts Express travelled along the route to Mallaig.