Scottish Lowlands

The 26 council areas south and east of the Highland boundary, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews and Aberdeen.

This region is defined administratively and covers the 26 Scottish council areas other than Highland, Moray, Argyll and Bute, and the three island groups: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, Stirling, Perth and Kinross, Dundee, Angus, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, the Lothians, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, and more. The north and west form the companion region, "Scottish Highlands and Islands". Note that the Cairngorms in northern Perth and Kinross and in Aberdeenshire are Highland in terrain but are included here for administrative reasons. Highlights: Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town (a World Heritage Site), Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and Arthur's Seat; Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Mackintosh architecture; Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument; the Old Course and university at St Andrews; Scone Palace and Pitlochry in Perthshire; the Castle Trail and Royal Deeside, with Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire; the abbey ruins of the Borders; and the southern section of Loch Lomond National Park, which is also nearby. Allow 5–7 days: 3 days in Edinburgh, 1–2 in Glasgow, plus day trips to Stirling and St Andrews. Edinburgh and Glasgow are about 1 hour apart by train, and London to Edinburgh takes about 4.5 hours by train. Book accommodation very early for the August festival period.

Destinations

• Glasgow
• St Andrews
• Edinburgh
• Aberdeen
• Isle of Arran
• Pitlochry & Aberfeldy
• Scottish Borders
• Royal Deeside

Itineraries

• Eastern Scotland: Fife to the Cairngorms – Travel from the fishing villages of Fife to Dunnottar Castle, then cross Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms, returning vi…
• Classic Highlands and Isle of Skye Loop – Depart from Edinburgh and loop clockwise through the Highlands via Glencoe, the Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, and Pitlochry.
• Arran and Islay Whisky Island Hopping – Loop from Glasgow using two island ferries to see Arran's standing stones and castles, and Islay's peaty distilleries.
• London to the Highlands: 10-Day Rail Journey – Take the train north from London to York and Edinburgh, ride the West Highland Line to Skye, and finish in Inverness.
• Great Britain Classic Loop: England & Scotland – A classic British road trip from London, looping through Bath, the Lake District, Edinburgh, and York.
• Shetland and Orkney: Northern Isles – Take the overnight ferry from Aberdeen north to Shetland, then head south to Orkney to explore brochs, seabirds, and Ne…