24 Viewpoints to Explore in Scotland

Checkout places to visit in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Mainland Scotland has a 96 mile (154 km) border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast, and the Irish Sea to the south. Scotland includes more than 790 islands.

Activities Around

Viewpoints to Explore in Scotland

Aonach Eagach Ridge

The Aonach Eagach is a rocky ridge lying to the north of Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands. The full ridge continues for 10 km from the Pap of Glencoe at the west to the eastern end at the Devil's Staircase. The central section, some 2 km in length, is very rocky and the route along it requires scrambling ability. The slopes to each side are extremely dangerous, with steep grass and scree slopes hiding even steeper slopes which end in cliffs on both north and south sides of the ridge.

Ardvreck Castle

Ardvreck Castle is a ruined castle dating from the 16th century which stands on a rocky promontory jutting out into lake Assynt in Sutherland, Scotland. The castle was built in about 1590, Ardvreck is famous as the place where Montrose- viceroy and captain general of Scotland was handed over in 1650 to the Covenanter forces by MacLeod, Laird of Assynt.

Bealach na Ba (Pass of the Cattle)

Bealach na Bà is a winding single track road through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula, in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. The historic mountain pass was built in 1822 and is engineered similarly to roads through the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends that switch back and forth up the hillside and gradients that approach 20%. The name is Scottish Gaelic for Pass of the Cattle, as it was historically used as a drovers' road.

Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles, the United Kingdom, Great Britain, Scotland. The summit is 1,345 meters (4,413 ft) above sea level and is the highest land in any direction for 459 miles (739 km). The mountain is a popular destination, attracting an estimated 100,000 ascents a year. The summit, which is the collapsed dome of an ancient volcano, features the ruins of an observatory which was operational between 1883 and 1904.

Calton Hill

Calton Hill is one of Edinburgh's main hills, set right in the city centre. It is unmistakable with its Athenian acropolis poking above the skyline. It was situated beyond the east end of Princes Street and included in the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Views of, and from, the hill are often used in photographs and paintings of the city. Calton Hill is also the location of several monuments and buildings: the National Monument, the Nelson Monument,the Dugald Stewart Monument, the old Royal H

Cape Wrath

Cape Wrath is the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain. The cape is separated from the rest of the mainland by the Kyle of Durness inlet and consists of 107 square miles (280 square kilometres) of moorland wilderness known as the Parph. The first road was built in 1828 by the lighthouse commission across the Parph/Durness. This road connects a passenger ferry that crosses the Kyle of Durness with the buildings on the peninsula.

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is located about 3 miles north of Wick on the east coast of Caithness, Scotland. It is considered to be one of the earliest seats of Clan Sinclair. It comprises the ruins of two castles: the 15th-century Castle Girnigoe; and the early 17th-century Castle Sinclair. The ruins sits upon a rocky promontory jutting out into Sinclair Bay.

Cathkin Braes

Rising over 200 meters, Cathkin Braes is an area of hills and includes the highest point of city of Glasgow. Cathkin Braes is ideal for hiking and mountain biking.

Chanonry Point

Chanonry Point lies at the end of Chanonry Ness, a spit of land extending into the Moray Firth. It is one of the best spots in the UK to view bottlenose dolphins from the land. The dolphins are often visible off Chanonry point, particularly on an incoming tide when they play and fish in the strong currents. An active lighthouse is also situated at the tip of the point.

Crookston Castle

Crookston Castle is the only surviving medieval castle in Glasgow. This ruined castle was built around 1400 A.D, by the Stewarts of Darnley and it is located on a hill overlooking the small river "Lavern Water". The castle is surrounded by a defensice ring-ditch.

Duncansby Head

Duncansby Head is the most northeasterly part of the British mainland. The point is marked by Duncansby Head Lighthouse, and Duncansby Stacks, prominent sea stacks just off the coast.

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress dominating the skyline of Edinburgh. It is located on top of Castle Rock, a volcanic lava rock formed 350 million years ago. Edinburgh Castle is Scotland's most and the United Kingdom's second most-visited paid attraction. The castle has undergone 26 sieges in its 1,100 year history. It is beleived to be the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world.

Glen Nevis

Glen Nevis is a valley in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, with Fort William at its foot. It is bordered to the south by the Mamore range, and to the north by the highest mountains in the British Isles: Ben Nevis, Càrn Mor Dearg, Aonach Mòr, and Aonach Beag. It is home to one of the three highest waterfalls in Scotland, Steall Falls. Several films have been shot in Glen Nevis, most notably in the Harry Potter movies, Highlander, Highlander III: The Sorcerer, Braveheart and Rob Roy.

Glenfinnan Viaduct

A railway viaduct on the West Highland Line. The viaduct is built from mass concrete, and has 21 semicircular spans of 50 feet (15 m). It is the longest concrete railway bridge in Scotland at 416 yards (380 m). Glenfinnan Viaduct has been used as a location in several films and television series, most natably in four of the Harry Potter films.

Inverness Castle

Inverness Castle sits on a cliff overlooking the River Ness in Inverness, Scotland. The red sandstone structure, displaying an early castellated style, is the work of a few nineteenth-century architects. There has been a castle on this site for many centuries. Until the 30th of March 2020 it housed Inverness Sheriff Court. In April 2017 the north tower of the castle was opened to the public as a view point. At present, only the castle grounds and the north tower are open to the public.

Kinpurney Hill

Kinpurnie Hill is one of the most famous hills of the Sidlaw range in south-east Perthshire. Kinpurnie Hill is located near Newtyle and is popular with hillwalkers. Atop the hill is Kinpurnie Tower, designed by Alexander Bryce, Minister of Kirknewton and East Calder and built by amateur astronomer James Stuart-Mackenzie in 1766 to be used as an observatory. It is 12 metres tall and is visible from the roadside.

Meall a'Choire Leith

Meall a' Choire Leith is an uncomplicated mountain with a single ridge running N where it terminates in rocky buttress of Sron Eich. S of the summit a col between Coire Liath and Coire Gorm leads to Meal Corrranaich. The slopes are moderate and ascents are possible from Glen Lyon on track by Allt a' Chobhair, or from the road to the SW near Meall nan Eun across boggy ground, but by far the most usual ascent is from Meall Corranaich.

Muck Island

Muck is the smallest of four main islands in the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The larger part of the island is formed from olivine-phyric basalt flows erupted during the Palaeocene.

Neist Point

Neist Point is a viewpoint on the most westerly point of Isle of Skye. Neist Point Lighthouse has been located there since 1909. Whales, dolphins, porpoises, and basking shark can be seen from the point.

Pentland Hills Regional Park

The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale. One of the iconic location for a trek and also a beautiful view point.

Map of Viewpoints to explore in Scotland