The Scottish Isles

Glasgow is a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western Lowlands. It’s famed for its Victorian and art nouveau architecture, a rich legacy of the city’s 18th–20th-century prosperity due to trade and shipbuilding. Today it’s a national cultural hub, home to institutions including the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and National Theatre of Scotland, as well as acclaimed museums and a thriving music scene.

Belfast is Northern Ireland’s capital. It was the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, which famously struck an iceberg and sunk in 1912. This legacy is recalled in the renovated dockyards’ Titanic Quarter, which includes the Titanic Belfast, an aluminium-clad museum reminiscent of a ship’s hull, as well as shipbuilder Harland & Wolff’s Drawing Offices and the Titanic Slipways, which now host open-air concerts.

Peel is a seaside town and small fishing port in the Isle of Man, in the historic parish of German but administered separately. Peel is the third largest town in the island after Douglas and Ramsey but the fourth largest settlement, as Onchan has the second largest population but is classified as a village.

Islay is the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides islands, off the west coast of Scotland. Along with the neighbouring island of Jura, it’s known for its whisky. Numerous distilleries produce the island’s characteristically peaty single malts. In the northeast, 2 islands on Loch Finlaggan are dotted with the remains of an ancient settlement, including a prehistoric fort and medieval tombstones

Oban is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, the town can play host to up to 25,000 people. Oban occupies a setting in the Firth of Lorn.

Isle of Iona (Scotland)

St Kilda is an isolated archipelago situated 40 miles west-northwest of North Uist in the North Atlantic Ocean. It contains the westernmost islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The largest island is Hirta, whose sea cliffs are the highest in the United Kingdom.

Stornoway is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town’s population is around 5,000, making it by far the largest town in the Hebrides, as well as the second largest island town in Scotland after Kirkwall in Orkney

Kirkwall is the largest town of Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name Kirkjuvágr, which later changed to Kirkvoe, Kirkwaa and Kirkwal

Fair Isle is an island in Shetland, in northern Scotland. It lies about halfway between mainland Shetland and Orkney. It is known for its bird observatory and a traditional style of knitting. The island has been owned by the National Trust for Scotland since 1954.

Lerwick is the main town and port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Shetland’s only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010.

Bergen is surrounded by seven mountains, and one of the most popular attractions of the world: the fjords. The city offers the ideal combination of nature, culture, history and exhilarating city life. What has made Bergen famous is its unique charm, which is something you have to experience for yourself. Enjoy strolling around the old streets and alleyways where people have lived for centuries. Walking through UNESCO-listed Bryggen’s narrow alleyways, made even darker and more mysterious by overhanging balconies, feels like stepping back in time. Bryggen is not a museum but part of the cultural heritage that is still in use – a living historical area of the city. The Fløibanen Funicular is a very popular attraction, running from the city centre to the top of Mount Fløyen in about 7 minutes. From the viewing platform you can admire spectacular views of the city, mountains and fjords. In addition to the wide range of hikes, you’ll find a restaurant, café, souvenir shop and playground.