Perhaps you have never been someone that likes to visit cities when you are on holiday. Indeed, sometimes, you do not get a real impression of a country when you go to busy places. Instead, staying rural allows you to experience what a country is really like, as well as to enjoy outdoor pursuits.
Well, if you are going on holiday to Scotland, there are a lot of beautiful rural areas that you are going to want to visit. This will allow you to enjoy the scenery, outdoor activities, as well as meet friendly locals that can tell you about the history. So, here are five rural places you must visit when you are heading to Scotland.
Isle of Islay
First of all, let’s start with the Isle of Islay. This is a place if you want to explore and experiment with infamous Scottish whiskey. There are eight distilleries here where you can try single malts and see how everything is made. What’s more, you can enjoy the outdoors and the beauty that the Isle of Islay has to offer. If you are lucky, there is plenty of wildlife you can watch. This includes puffins and red deer. So, bring a glass, as well as your hiking boots!
Loch Ness
There is one place you have probably heard of before on this list and it is definitely worth visiting. We are talking about Loch Ness. You are going to head to the Scottish Highlands and be able to enjoy hiking, as well as beautiful views. Of course, you also have the opportunity to see if you can find the Loch Ness monster. You never know, and you might be lucky. Just bring your camera with you or people might not believe what you see here! You should also look carefully at motorhome hire Scotland so that you have a big enough home on wheels for all the family to join in the fun and enjoy the roaming roads around this iconic part of the country.
Fort William
If you are someone that loves to explore the outdoors and go hiking, then there is another place you have to add to your road trip schedule. This is Fort William. Here, you are going to find Ben Nevis, which is the highest mountain in Scotland, as well as the British Isles. While it used to be an active volcano, it is now a huge challenge for outdoor enthusiasts and one that you are going to feel proud to tackle. The views on the way up are stunning and it will be such an achievement to get to the top. There are also other fascinating things you can do in Fort William during your stay. This includes heading to the West Highland Museum, as well as seeing the Jacobite Steam Train.
Orkney
There is a lot you can do when you head to Orkney. But, there is one thing you should do in particular if you are a fan of history and love to learn new things. We are talking about heading to the Ring of Brodgar. This is a fascinating site and the third-largest stone circle in the UK. It is believed that they have been there since around 2000 BC. Of course, there is not a lot known about the Ring of Brodgar, which makes it interesting and mysterious. There are 27 stones remaining at the site, although it is thought that there were originally 60. Once you are done learning about this site, you can explore the rest of what Orkney has to offer. Trust us; you are never going to get bored here.
Glencoe
For naturally beautiful landscapes, make sure that you head to Glencoe. This is a tourist destination that has become popular after movies such as James Bond’s Skyfall. Plus, it is thought that some scenes from Harry Potter were even shot in Glencoe. Here, you can explore the land and scenery, going on hikes. The valley is one that you can peacefully drive through and you can learn about the Glencoe massacre.
Therefore, this is a destination for people that like the outdoors. There are plenty of different trails to explore here and you can spend all day getting to know Glencoe. But you will want to keep an eye on the weather. It can experience its own weather conditions here, which can make it cold and rainy. Of course, you do not have to let this ruin your visit. Make sure that you pack some warm clothing for the trip.
