Wednesday, August 5, 2026

SCOTLAND

ABBOTSFORD 

ABELOUR
Speyside Cooperage Visitor Centre

ABERFELDY
Dewer's Aberfeldy Distillery, Aberfeldy PH15 2EB

ADERLADY
The Ducks Bar, W Main St, Aberlady, Longniddry EH32 0RE
 • Most Memorable Golf Bars in the British Isles by Shaun Tolson, LINKS Magazine

ALEXANDRIA
Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre, Ben Lomond Way, Balloch, Alexandria G83 8QL
 • Featured on Secret Scotland with Susan Calman

ARDERSIER
Fort George

ARRAN ISLAND
Arran Heritage Museum, Brodick
Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran, KA27 8HY
Machrie Moor Stone Circles
The Corrie Hotel, Shore Road, Corrie KA27 8JB
  • TC stayed here during the 2024 Open at Troon

BORDER ABBEYS
  1. Floors Castle
  2. Kelso Abbey
  3. Jedburgh Abbey
  4. Dryburgh Abbey
  5. Melrose Abbey
CARRON
Duncarron Medieval Village, Clanranald Trust for Scotland, Carron Valley FK6 5JL
 • Featured on Secret Scotland with Susan Calman
 • Robert the Bruce was filmed here

CUMNOCK
Dumfries House
 • Home of the Prince Foundation

CUPAR
Falkland Palace & Garden, East Port, Falkland, Cupar KY15 7BY
  • Recommended by Andy from Dalwhinnie
  • Home of the oldest tennis courts in the UK

DORNOCH
Highland Larder, The Links Beach car park, Dornoch IV25 3LX
  • Food truck on the beach in Dornoch
  • Serves seafood favorites like fish & chips, lobster rolls, and langoustines just steps from the shoreline.
 • Located on the first tee at Royal Dornoch
 • Most Memorable Golf Bars in the British Isles by Shaun Tolson, LINKS Magazine

DUMFRIES
Caerlaverock Castle
 • Has a moat
Robert Burns House

DUNDEE
Wallace Family Bakers, 12 Holding Castle Huntly, Dundee DD2 5HJ
 • Recommended by Marjory
CAMRA's Tayside Real Ale Pubs:
  • Bank Bar
  • Counting House
  • Frews
  • Market
  • Pillars
  • Phoenix
  • Speedwell
  • Star & Garter

DUNNICHEN
Battle of Dunnichen Hill memorial cairn
Pictish battle

 EDINBURGH
The Adam Smith Walking Tour in Edinburgh by Amanda France & Kent Lassman, Reason Magazine, August/September 2025
36 Hours in Edinburgh by Graeme Virtue, New York Times, Oct. 3, 2024
Greyfriars Bobby, 30-34 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh EH1 2QE
  • Pub where Freddie Tait's dog ate
Kyloe Steak Restaurant and Grill: "fantastic Scottish steak"
Ondine Restaurant: "stunning seafood restaurant"
The Beer Kitchen by Innis and Gunn: "Fantastic Sunday pub"
The Georgian House: "recreates what a house would look like in the late 1800s"
John Knox House
Pickering's Gin: "Worth the trip"
National Museum of Scotland
Palace of Holyroodhouse 
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scottish National Gallery
• Visited in 2019
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Museum of Edinburgh
Writer's Museum, Lawnmarket, Lady Stair's Cl, Edinburgh EH1 2PA
The Conan Doyle, 71-73 York Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3J
Read Your Way Through Edinburgh by Maggie O’Farrell, New York Times, December 21, 2022
The Golf Tavern,30 - 31 Wright's Houses, Edinburgh EH10 4HR

EIGG


FORRES
The House of Automata, 32 High St, Forres IV36 1DB
  • As seen on The Repair Shop
  • 10 miles east of Nairn
FORT WILLIAM
The Jacobite
 • Featured on Secret Scotland with Susan Calman

FORTROSE
Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club, Ness Rd E, Fortrose IV10 8SE
  • "This course is a lot of fun. For me, it’s the Ardglass of Scotland. The sea is in view every step of the way." - Mike Walters, H&B

GLASGOW
36 Hours in Glasgow by Natalie Whittle, New York Times, October 19, 2023
Burrell Collection, Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Rd, Bellahouston, Glasgow G43 1AT
Glasgow Botanic Gardens, 730 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 0UE
Glasgow Cathedral, Castle St, Glasgow G4 0QZ
  • Parish church of the Church of Scotland 
  • Oldest cathedral in mainland Scotland
  • Oldest building in Glasgow
Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, 82 Hillhead St, Glasgow G12 8QQ
  • Complex of museums located in and operated by the University of Glasgow
  • Oldest museum in Scotland.
• Visited in 2019
Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Stadium, Glasgow G42 9BA
  • Europe's first ever national football museum
  • Confirm opening hours

GLEN SHIEL

GULLANE
Greywalls Hotel, Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian, EH31 2EG
• Caddies Closet perfect for single travellers
• Right beside Muirfield
• Access to many great courses
Jack White, 37 Main St, Gullane EH31 2AA
• Featured in a DP World Tour video

HARRIS 
  • Gin distillery
INVERNESS
Clava Cairns
• Visited in 2019
Things to Do In Inverness by Laurence Norah, May 27, 2026

INVERARY
Loch Fyne Whiskies, Main Street, Inveraray, Argyll, PA32 8UD


ISLAY
Museum of Islay Life, Port Charlotte
Kildolton Cross
Stone Circle
Octomore

Located close to Port Charlotte and operated 1816-1852. If you take a dirt road from the center of PC into the Rhinns (so away from Loch Indaal) you pass a few farms and then hit upon a cluster of ruins of a farm (couple of walls still standing) after a mile or so. That's were Octomore distillery is said to have operated. I saw the ruins, walked around and took a photo (of course), but didn't see any evidence for myself that the ruins housed a still or distillery. So I'd like to know more; if indeed it was a farm distillery it would have a licence for a small still, but not be
designed as a proper distillery, so there may not be traces left of its distilling past.

JURA
Jura Distllery
Lussa Gin Distillery

KENMORE
The Scottish Crannog Centre, Kenmore, Dalerb PH15 2NX
  • On the banks of Lake Tay
  • Eight miles from the Aberfeldy distillery

KILMARTIN
Kilmartin Museum, Kilmartin, Lochgilphead PA31 8RQ
  • One of the New York Times 52 places to visit in 2023
  • Standing stones nearby

LEWIS
  • Single Malt Distillery
The Stones of Lewis, Portals in Time
Callanish Standing Stones
c5,000 year old stone circle
 • Seen on Coast TV show
 • Read Scotland's Hidden History by Ian Armit

MELROSE
Abbotsford
  • The Home of Sir Walter Scott
  • Featured on Secret Scotland with Susan Calman and BBC's In Search of Walter Scott
  • Looks AMAZING

Melrose Abbey, Abbey St, Melrose TD6 9LG
• Start of St. Cuthbert's Way
Scott's View, B6356, Melrose TD6 9DW

NEWBURGH, FIFE
Lindores Abbey Distillery, Abbey Rd, Newburgh, Cupar KY14 6HH

NEWTONMORE
Highland Folk Musuem, Aultlarie Croft, Kingussie Rd, Newtonmore PH20 1AY
• Recommended in the Guardian
• Visited in 2019

NORTH BERWICK
The Lobster Shack, Harbour, North Berwick EH39 4SS
• Recommended by Shotgun Start
North Berwick Fry, 11-17 Quality Street, North Berwick EH39 4HJ
• Featured in a DP World Tour video

NORTH COAST 500
DUNNET
 Dunnet Bay Distillers

ORKNEY ISLANDS
  • Tom Muir: Orcadian storyteller and historian.

PERTH
Margaret Morrison, Unit 7 Ruthvenfield Grove, Perth, PH1 3FN
  • Highly skilled artisan sporran makers, we craft a range of sporrans for all occasions
  • As seen on TV


PLOCKTON

PRESTWICK
Red Lion Inn, 9 The Cross, Prestwick KA9 1AJ
• Birthplace of the Open

ROSEMARKIE
Black Isle Yurts

ROSLYN
The Rosslyn Templar by Ashley Lambie Cowie


SKYE
Highlights 
Isle of Skye Distillers: Gin only
Torabhaig Distillery
Talisker Distillery
Hike the Skye Trail over seven days between March and October
Skye Museum of Island Life
• Recommended in the Guardian 
• Visited in 2019

ST. ANDREWS
McIntosh Hall, Abbotsford Cres, St Andrews KY16 9HT
• Recommended by Lawrence Donegan
Take Guided walk of the Old Course
Cromars, 1 Union St, St Andrews KY16 9PQ
 • Best fish and chips in Scotland -- twice!
 • Featured on Secret Scotland with Susan Calman
The Hickory Golf Shop, 8 Golf Place, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JA
Lounge Bar at Dunvegan Hotel, 7, Pilmour Place, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9HZ
 • Recommended by Matt Ginella
 • Visited there in 2019
 • Most Memorable Golf Bars in the British Isles by Shaun Tolson, LINKS Magazine
St. Andrews Brewing Company, 177 South Street St Andrews KY16 9EE
The Jigger Inn, Old Station Rd, St Andrews KY16 9SP
The Keys, 87 Market St, St Andrews KY16 9NX
Topping & Company Booksellers of St Andrews, 7 Greyfriars Garden, St Andrews KY16 9HG
• Recommended by Marjory & Geoff
Molly Malone's, 5 Alexandra Place, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9XD
  • Home of the Blue Stane
  • Chain Pub
  • Very young crowd, so I skipped it in 2023
Munch, 209C South St, St Andrews KY16 9EF
• Famous for its bacon roll
• I had a panini in 2023
The Arran, Murray Park, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AW 
• Where the Fried Egg stays
Doune House, 5 Murray Place, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9AP
• Where the Fried Egg stays
Fisher & Donaldson, 13 Church Street
  • For the love of baking since 1919
  • Supplier for the 2024 AIG Women's Open
The Old Vic, 1 St. Mary’s Place, St Andrews, KY16 9UY
  • Recommended by Rick Shiels


ST. KILDA
St. Kilda Work Party
 • Spend two weeks working on this remote island
 • Seen on Coast TV show

STIRLING
The National Wallace Monument, Abbey Craig, Hillfoots Rd, Stirling FK9 5LF
 • Featured on Secret Scotland with Susan Calman

TROON
The Jar, 33 Ayr St, Troon KA10 6EB
  • Recommended by Brandle Chamlee
Lido Troon, 11-17 W Portland St, Troon KA10 6AB
  • Recommended by KVV
  • Open late

Marine Troon, Royal Troon Golf Club, 8 Crosbie Rd, Troon KA10 6HE

The Wee Hurrie, Harbour Rd, Troon KA10 6DH
  • Fish & Chips shop

  • People typically spend up to 3 hours here

WEMYSS
Wemyss Cave
 • As seen on Time Team, Picts and Hermits (S12E08)

WHITHORN
 • Site of the earliest Christian community in Scotland

WIGTOWN
 • It’s Scotland’s National Book Town, with 20 book businesses, yet it only has a population of 1000
 • A Critic Sells Books Down by the Seashore


ULLAPOOL
The Seafood Shack




Scottish Battlefields

Scenic Train Rides
Famous Scots
  • William Wallace
  • Robert the Bruce
  • John Knox
  • Sir Walter Scott
  • David Hume
  • Adam Smith
  • Robert Burns
ISLAY & JURA DISTILLERIES

 The complete list of islands that Samuel Johnson visited during his 1773 journey to the Western Islands of Scotland:

  1. Skye
  2. Raasay
  3. Coll
  4. Mull
  5. Inch Kenneth
  6. Iona


A 500-Mile Road Trip Through Scotland Taught Me to Love Whisky in a New Way by Sebastian Modak, Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2026
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