Campsites in Scotland

From the islands to the highlands and impressive sturdy cities to remote mountain glens, Scotland is a destination that will blow you away with its incredible natural beauty and fascinating cultural highlights. Forget the kilts, Loch Ness Monster and Irn-Bru, this welcoming country in the north of the UK has strong national identity, a rich history and offers visitors an incredible array of activities and adventures.

Don't Miss

• Glasgow and Edinburgh
• Isle of Mull
• Isle of Skye
• West Highland Railway Line

Classic cities and unmissable islands

Scotland has a huge number of historic buildings to explore and you will find yourself in awe over the amazing architecture on offer in this country. Don't miss iconic heritage buildings like Edinburgh Castle, Glasgow Cathedral and the intriguing Rossalyn Chapel, but there are hundreds more worth exploring.

The country's two fantastic main cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh both offer a wide range of cultural delights. Edinburgh is arguably the prettier of the two cities and hosts a number of festivals, including the world famous Edinburgh Festival. Impressive Glasgow is has an edgier arts and music scene – the first class Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum has one of the best collections of art in Europe.

Scotland has over 790 islands, around a 100 of which are inhabited, and visiting them is a real treat. Stunning scenery, amazing wildlife and fascinating island communities are the draws here. Some islands are easily reached and offer excellent tourist facilities, while some are very remote and off the beaten track. Most islands lie within the four main groups of Shetland, Orkney and the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The islands of Skye and Mull are justifiably popular with visitors.

The Scottish Highlands contain a number of mountain ranges and some absolutely gorgeous scenery, do not miss Glen Coe, a magical landscape of waterfalls, steep mountain peaks and deep river valleys.

Scotland is a heaven for whisky lovers and tours are available of many of the distilleries around the country where you can learn about the manufacturing processes and sample some of the world's finest tipples.

Unbeatable national parks

Scotland has a massive variety of landscapes, including two national parks: the Cairngorms National Park, a truly beautiful range of mountains and surrounding hills in the east highlands, and Loch Lomand and the Trossachs National Park which contains wild mountains and deep mysterious lochs. Add to these thousands of miles of coastline and the possibilities for outdoor pursuits seem limitless.

Walking and hiking are very popular ways to enjoy the views, and there are a good variety of national cycle routes if you would like to explore on two wheels. Mountain biking, climbing and even skiing are popular activities here.

With thousands of beaches of every kind, from remote island coves to wide sweeping bays, it will be no surprise that surfing, windsurfing, sailing, fishing and pretty much any water sport you can imagine can be enjoyed in the country - including coasteering and canyoning.

Scotland is known for golf and there are some world class links courses here including St Andrews, Turnberry and Muirfield.

There is a wealth of wildlife to see in the country. Highlights include sea eagles and whales from the Isle of Mull, ospreys around Loch Garten, puffins on the Isle of May and bottle nosed dolphins in the Moray Firth.

Castles, critters and kiddie adventures

With the all the fantastic landscapes and beautiful sandy beaches on offer, families have loads of options from swimming, cycling, and walking to sightseeing and just relaxing with a picnic.

There are a number of very well managed wildlife centres and parks around the country such as the fantastic Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick or the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie.

Kids love castles and Scotland has many of them, but Stirling Castle in particular makes for a fantastic family day out. This is one of Scotland's most important historical buildings and there is a whole section of exciting exhibitions that help bring history alive for children.

The National Museums of Scotland are all superb quality and will keep people of all ages entertained. These include the excellent National Museum of Scotland, Museum of Flight, Museum of Rural Life and the National War Museum. For more educational fun try the Glasgow Science Centre.

A ride on the Jacobite steam train on the West Highlands Line makes for a fantastic trip. This train line has been voted the world's most scenic rail journey, and takes you over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which many will recognise from the Harry Potter films.