Coming up: massive pies, 2 strange roads, 20 years of hard work, much-loved books, many whales and dolphins, the UK’s biggest national park, a big strange pyramid, and 25 secret places in Scotland.
You already know what Scotland is famous for:
Bagpipes, castles, Braveheart, Highland cows, unintelligible accents, the sights and streets of Edinburgh, and deep-frying every meal and morsel its kilt-wearing dwellers can find.
And, spoiler alert: just a few weeks ago, we already covered the 25 Reasons Why You Should Visit Scotland.
But what about its hidden sights, oddities, and under-the-radar adventures?
Well, in this guide, we’ve covered them all. Expect hikes, hills, eats, streets, towns, villages, and some pretty strange islands.
Here we go: it’s 25 secret off-the-beaten places in Scotland!
1. Torridon
Best for: exploring Scotland’s most impressive under-the-radar hiking hub
For underrated hiking, Torridon is the best region in Scotland.
(And any of the nation’s serious hill-walkers will tell you the same).
Sitting in the nation’s northwest, it’s rugged, remote, and pretty inhospitable. It serves up massive hills, beautiful lochs, sandstone mountains, unmarked hikes, and some of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.
Highlights include Loch Torridon (a massive 2-part sea loch), and ascents up both Slioch and Beinn Alligin. For something a bit more accessible, the wander around Shieldaig Peninsula is a great easy adventure.
Here’s a hefty list of many more Torridon hikes.
2. The Cairngorms
Best for: tackling endless hikes in the UK’s biggest national park
Despite being the largest national park in the UK, the Cairngorms is nowhere near as famous as other big Scottish hiking hotspots (like Glencoe, Loch Lomond, and Fort William).
But it should be:
Here, you’ll find almost 30 peaks of over 1,000 meters (that’s 3,281 feet), along with five of the six highest mountains in Scotland (as you probably know, the nation’s highest mountain is Ben Nevis—and it’s the only one of the six not sitting in the Cairngorms).
Here’s a massive list of all your hiking options.
Aside from hiking, other Cairngorm highlights include lochs (including the lovely Loch Avon), welcoming towns (like Pitlochry and Aviemore), lots of winter skiing, the iconic Snow Roads road trip (more on that soon!), and plenty of family-friendly fun (like the much-loved Reindeer Center, and many places to spot stars).
3. Plockton
Best for: falling in love with a cozy coastal village
Right beside the Isle of Skye, the mainland village of Plockton is one of the most cute and cozy places you’ve ever seen.
There’s not a whole load to do here, but that’s sort of the point. You get boats, little cafes, a tiny beach, and friendly locals. Stop for a drink or a meal, wander around the seaside, drive through Duirinish, meet more cows than locals, and see why every Plockton visitor loves the place.
If you’re on the hunt for small romantic coastal villages in Scotland, you won’t find better.
For more, here are the 20 prettiest seaside towns in Scotland. Spoiler alert: that list features colorful houses, rocky harbors, and lots of lovely boat trips.
4. The Shetland Islands
Best for: escaping the mainland, learning about the Vikings, and big natural sights
Sitting far from the rest of the nation, The Shetland Islands are 130 miles (210 km) from the northeastern corner of mainland Scotland.
A few hundred years ago, the Vikings ruled here for over 600 years—so, things here are a little different to mainland Scotland. You get Viking history, Viking festivals (Up Helly Aa is one of the UK’s most unique and interesting festivals), and unusual architecture.
Other highlights include hikes, hills, quiet roads, world-class boat trips, huge bird colonies, and the UK’s best chances of seeing the Northern Lights. Get this: 84 of the Shetland islands are uninhabited.
In summary: yep, the Shetlands are very much Scottish—but they’re almost like a place of their own.
5. The North Coast 500
Best for: driving around one of the world’s best road trips
The best road trip I’ve ever been on, the North Coast 500 runs in a giant loop around the most northern parts of mainland Scotland. Unsurprisingly, it measures in at 500 miles (800km).
It hits the western, northern, and eastern coasts, and has one mainland stretch.
This part of Scotland (especially the northern part of the western coast) is unlike any other part of the nation. Very remote, it’s full of big hikes, hidden lochs, single-track roads, quiet coastal villages, isolated beaches, and very few people. Yep, you’ve probably seen other parts of Scotland—but you’ve never seen anything like this.
If I’m being honest, this trip is no longer ‘secret’… and no longer off the beaten path. But most of Scotland’s tourists still haven’t heard of it.
6. North Berwick
Best for: family-friendly fun, loads of nature, and a weekend from Edinburgh
Sitting only a 30-minute train ride east of Edinburgh, North Berwick is one of Scotland’s most underrated places for a family trip.
Highlights include:
- The Scottish Seabird Center: these guys serve up live webcams, wildlife-spotting boat trips, and info on the birds who live in (and visit) the area.
- Yellowcraig Beach: a mega-popular family-friendly beach, it offers swimming, rock pools, and places for kids to eat and play.
- Tantallon Castle: a castle ruin perched over some scenic low-hanging cliffs.
- Bass Rock: home to one of the northern hemisphere’s largest gannet colonies, the legendary David Attenborough described this place as one of the 12 wildlife wonders of the world!
- Many charming cafes and restaurants: Steampunk Coffee is a big local favorite, while Rocketeer Restaurant serves up excellent seafood.
Relatively nearby, you’ll also find Eyemouth. Offering similar fun (but a much busier vibe!), it’s another of the best day trips from Edinburgh.
For more nearby shores and sands, here are the 19 best beaches on the east coast of Scotland.
7. The Five Sisters of Kintail
Best for: five peaks over a full day
A long and challenging ridge walk, this is one of my favorite Scottish hikes.
Located beside the lovely Loch Duich (and the super-scenic A87 road that runs along its shores), The Five Sisters of Kintail is a five-peak hike measuring in at around 9.5 miles (15.5km).
It takes 8-10 hours, and it’s very steep and scrambly. In total, you’ll tackle 1,385 meters (4,5,44 feet) of ascent. And like any other ridge walk, you get incredible views the entire way (and some especially good views of the long Loch Duich).
If you’re looking for a genuine challenge, I can’t recommend it enough.
8. Dean Village
Best for: exploring a lesser-known part of Edinburgh
Although Dean Village is part of central (or centralish) Edinburgh, not too many tourists head here.
Once a water-milling town, it’s now home to old millstones, stone-built houses, cobbled streets, and big fat pockets of charm—it feels like you’re walking through a postcard. And as you might have guessed from its name, this place feels like a little village of its own. Go for a wander, take some photos, eat some food, then head back to central Edinburgh.
For more adventures in and around Edinburgh, check out our guides on:
9. The Bealach Na Ba
Best for: one of the most exciting rides of your life
The Bealach Na Ba is Scotland’s most notorious road. The southwestern corner of the North Coast 500, it’s a narrow and vertiginous mountain pass with many tight curves and sudden turns.
Highlights include endless views, occasional cows, challenging maneuvers, and a palpable sense of relief when it’s all said and done.
In total, the Bealach Na Ba covers an ascent of more than 600 meters (1,968 feet) over a small distance of only 6 miles (10km).
10. Calum’s Road
Best for: exploring 20 years of historic determination
Less of a tourist attraction, more an impressive testament to the patience and persistence of the Scottish spirit.
Sitting between the Isle of Skye and the mainland (and accessible by ferry from the Isle of Skye), tiny Raasay has an even-tinier population of around 160 people.
One of those island dwellers was a man named Calum MacLeod.
Born in 1911, he lived in Arnish, a tiny village in the north of Raasay. There was no road from here to southern Raasay—and the area’s government wouldn’t build one.
So, Calum MacLeod spent 20 years building a two-mile (3.2km) road all on his own. Later, in 1982, it was surfaced by the local council. And now, it’s accessible to everyone. To reach it, head north, around 7 miles (11km) from the island’s Brochel ferry terminal.
11. The Moray Firth
Best for: dolphins, whales, and porpoises
Look at Scotland on a map, and you’ll see its northeastern part is home to a big triangular section of the north sea.
Basically stretching out from Inverness, this big triangular section of the North Sea is the Moray Firth, and it’s one of the nation’s top wildlife spots (and one of Europe’s best places to get your eyes around sea life).
Around 200 bottlenose dolphins live here year-round, while visitors can also see both porpoises (often) and minke whales (rarely). A huge area, it would take you almost 6 hours to drive from the most northern point of the Moray Firth to its most eastern point.
So… since you probably don’t have time for it all, top spots include lighthouse-hosting Chanonry Point, the town of Burghead, the charming village of Hopeman, the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre, the region’s many boat trips, and Spey Bay (Scotland’s biggest shingle beach!).
Chanonry Point in particular is very good—here, the water is so narrow that you can’t not see any dolphins that swim through it.
12. Leakey’s Bookshop
Best for: buying pre-loved reads
If you like books, you’ll love this place.
(… and if you don’t, feel free to move on)
Sitting in central Inverness, Leakey’s is one of Scotland’s most charming and alluring second-hand bookshops (and its biggest second-hand bookshop!). A miscellany-filled bunch of semi-organized chaos, it’s home to standard fiction offerings, along with lots more niche and unusual stuff (including many local-interest books).
For much more fun in and around Inverness, here are 15 top Inverness tours with local experts, and 11 top road trips from Inverness.
13. Suilven
Best for: a lonely wander along one of Scotland’s most unique and unusual hikes
One of the nation’s strangest walks, Suilven itself isn’t particularly weird. But getting there is.
The mountain’s nearest car park lies 5.5 miles (9 km) from its peak… which means you have a very long walk before you even start the ‘actual’ hike.
So: although the peak measures in at only 731 meters (2,400 feet), the entire walk lasts between 8 and 10 hours. Full of peaty bogs, distant mountain ranges, and some of the most lonely views you’ve ever seen, it’s unlike any hike you’ve ever hit.
Among frequent hikers, this is one of Scotland’s most legendary walks.
For way more, here are our favorite hikes in Scotland.
14. Lochinver Larder
Best for: the tastiest pies you’ve ever put your mouth around
Among in-the-know far-northern Scottish locals, Lochinver Larder is a legendary chow-down spot. It sits on the far north of the nation’s west coast.
Basically just a shop with a small seating area attached to it, these are some of the best pies you’ve ever eaten. Since opening in 1986, it’s won many awards, and many people regularly take long drives just to give their lips a little treat here.
(they even became so popular that the pies can be mailed to any UK address!).
Lochinver Larder has more than 15 flavors (and sometimes some specials!), but their two most popular are their chicken, leek and mushroom, and their venison and cranberry.
If it’s a nice day, sit outside—they have a sunny terrace with riverside views.
15. The Scottish Borders
Best for: easily accessing a remote and unexplored area
Not only underrated but also one of the easiest-to-access underrated Scottish areas.
Unsurprisingly, the Scottish Borders is the region bordering England to the north. A site with lots of religious and war-related history, this place is packed with stories and heritage.
Highlights include ancient abbeys, lesser-known long-distance walks (the 4-day St. Cuthbert’s Way is one of the UK’s most underrated hikes), accessible bike rides, lots of historic market towns, a great-but-small chunk of seaside, small populations, popular golf courses, unique and esoteric museums, super-friendly locals, and very few tourists.
Best of all, you don’t need to head far north to get it all—from both Newcastle and Edinburgh, you can be here within around an hour.
16. Galloway Forest Park
Best for: scenic quiet hikes, without heading too far north
If you’re looking for accessible but underrated hiking, Galloway Forest Park is for you.
Yep, the scenery here isn’t as dramatic as the stuff you find in northern Scotland. But it’s massive (this is the biggest forest in the UK*), it’s home to around 60 roaming red deer, and you get waterfalls, lochs, and a Dark Sky Observatory (sitting inside one of the UK’s biggest areas of officially-designated dark sky).
Two of its best hikes are the Loch Trool Circuit (taking you around the entire perimeter of one of southern Scotland’s most underrated lochs), and the ascent up to Merrick (measuring in at a height of 843 meters/2,766 feet, it’s the tallest mountain in southern Scotland).
As a nice bonus, the nearby seaside region here is also excellent. Highlights include Stranraer (an underrated town with hyper-friendly locals), Portpatrick (a homely harbor village with colorful houses), and the unique and unusual Ailsa Craig (a small uninhabited island with some of Europe’s most important bird colonies).
17. Ullapool
Best for: a big(ish) shoreside town with easy access to outdoor adventures
Alright, Ullapool is relatively famous. So, I’ve sorta lied to you.
Woopsy.
But if it makes you feel any better, it’s not as famous as it deserves to be.
Sitting along the North Coast 500, west-coast Ullapool only has a little population of 1,500 people. But compared to the minuscule villages surrounding it, it feels like New York (it even has a supermarket!).
A semi-touristy town, it features a harbor, great seaside cafes, and lots of lovely seafood… and it’s comfy, cozy, and somehow very homely. There’s not a huge amount to ‘do’ in the town, but that doesn’t matter—it’s surrounded by endless hikes, lochs, and bike rides.
It’s great for outdoorsy couples who want to combine eating, hiking, and other outdoor adventuring. And if you want a west-coast hiking base that isn’t a tiny village, Ullapool is perfect.
18. The Montrose to Lossiemouth Coastline
Best for: endless coastal fun in a massive area
Alright, I’m aware this is a pretty unspecific recommendation (cos this coastline area stretches in at a length of around 140 miles/220km). Soz.
But this area has everything.
Highlights include:
- The north coast: as we said earlier, this part of the coastline is home to some of the Moray Firth. Expect dolphins, porpoises, and whales.
- Unique and unusual attractions: like the Museum Of Scottish Lighthouses, RSPB Scotland Troup Head (a clifftop funfest with Scotland’s only mainland gannet colony!), the WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre (which we’ve already mentioned elsewhere!), the clifftop remains of Dunnottar Castle, and Crovie (a strange secluded town located down a narrow single-track road).
- Some of east-coast Scotland’s best beaches: including Aberdour Beach, the wetland-backed Balmedie Beach, and Newburgh Seal Beach (where, unsurprisingly, you’ll find a HUGE bunch of seals).
- Excellent shoreside towns with lots of family-friendly fun: like Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Stonehaven, and Lossiemouth and Montrose themselves.
On top of all that, you get LOADS of scenic villages… and the underrated city of Aberdeen.
If you have time, hire a car, and follow the coast for its entirety. You’ll find dozens of places where you’ll want to stop.
Overall, if you want a huge coastline with a great combo of beaches, busy-ness, great family-friendly fun and not too many tourists, this is the region for you.
19. The Pap of Glencoe
Best for: a half-day hiking challenge
One of my favorite Scottish walks, The Pap of Glencoe lies close to many much-more-famous hikes (like the massive Ben Nevis!).
… so many people overlook this one.
But they shouldn’t: the views from the summit are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Although the peak measures in at only 742 meters (2,434 feet), you get panoramic views of Loch Leven, the Mamores range, and plenty more peaks. The walk is a total of 4.5 miles (7 km), and it’ll take you around 4 hours.
It’s pretty unique: although you can tackle it in half a day, it’s quite tricky and challenging. The final part is super-steep, and basically a spooky treacherous scramble over some slippy rocks.
Even better, it rarely gets busy. If you’re looking for an underrated Glencoe option, you’ve found it!
20. The Snow Roads Scenic Route
Best for: seeing mountains without using your feet
Another road trip!
This time through the Cairngorms (again—the UK’s biggest national park), between the towns of Blairgowrie and Grantown-on-Spey.
This route rides through some of the nation’s most mountainous areas, including the highest public road in Britain. The highest point is Cairnwell Pass, at 670 meters (2,200 feet). It’s brimming with massive switchbacks and tight turns, and you see loads of peaks and passes.
Highlights include many towns and villages (including Braemar and its castle), heather-covered moors, distant and close-by peaks, the strange whitewashed Corgarff Castle, many viewpoints, and loads of photo opportunities.
If you’re looking for Scotland’s most challenging and adventurous road trip, you’ve found it. And because it only measures in at 90 miles (145 km) you can tackle it in a weekend. Although, obviously, more time is better—people usually spend 3 to 7 days on the route.
For more driving, here are the 18 best road trips in Scotland.
21. The Heart 200
Best for: a unique way to combine some of Scotland’s most well-known regions with a bunch of hidden gems
The Heart 200 is a road trip loop through the most central parts of mainland Scotland.
Now, I know what you’re thinking:
“But Paul, that area is close to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Cairngorms National Park, Perth, Stirling, Loch Tay, and Loch Leven.”
Well, maybe you weren’t thinking exactly that, but you get the point:
Yes, this area is popular and well-known. But the road trip itself (cos it’s pretty new!) is underrated… and because the labyrinth-like route weaves in and out of many little places here, you also hit lots of hidden gems. Expect tiny villages, big castles, an unusual tearoom, photography tours, rafting, and much more.
22. The Kintyre Way
Best for: lesser-known seaside adventures on a long-distance hiking epic
Scotland’s most famous long-distance hike is (of course!) the West Highland Way.
…. but the nation is home to many long-distance jaunts (some signposted, some not signposted). Named ‘Great Trails,’ they’re a big network running across the entire nation.
Of them all, the Kintyre Way is one of the least-known and most impressive.
Running in a zig-zag across the length of the Kintyre Peninsula (a part of the mainland that—weirdly!—lies west of the Isle of Arran), it has both coastal and inland sections.
Established in 2006, it runs for 100.5 miles (161 km), and features forests, beaches, hills, moors, Skipness Castle, the distant mountains of both Jura and Arran, the island of Gigha, lots of seals, and even views of mainland Ireland.
It’s an especially good choice for completionists, because it feels like you’ve ‘done’ one entire area of Scotland. The Kintyre Peninsula? Completed it, mate.
23. The Cape Wrath Trail
Best for: experienced hikers who want world-class scenes on a genuinely-difficult challenge
Another long-distance Scottish adventure.
Most people haven’t heard of the Cape Wrath Trail…
… but amongst those who have, it’s notorious for being the nation’s most remote and challenging hike.
It runs all the way from Fort William to Cape Wrath (the most northwesterly point of mainland Scotland).
Because it’s not waymarked, it’s not an official ‘Great Trail.’ Add this to the unforgiving and remote landscape here, and you get one of Scotland’s most rough and rugged adventures.
From point to point in a straight line, the distance is 109 miles (175 km)… though the usual mileage of the actual hike is around 230 miles (370 km).
Pretty much everyone will tell you that northwestern Scotland is the most scenic part of the nation. And this route runs through the entire region. If you want incredible views on a massive challenge, you won’t find anything better.
Here’s one way to tackle the route (but there are of course infinite others).
24. The Coasts and Castles
Best for: cycling between England and Scotland
One of my favorite long-distance cycle routes, the Coast and Castles is partially in England and partially in Scotland.
Running between Newcastle and Edinburgh, there are two options for the route:
- The 160-mile (257 km) version follows the coast for pretty much its entirety.
- The 200-mile (320 km) version is both inland and on the coast, and hits some inland parts of the Scottish borders
Unsurprisingly, the routes feature lots of coasts… and lots of castles.
Other highlights include tiny villages, quiet roads, endless fish and chips, and lots of friendly locals. And because it’s a relatively easy ride, it’s a good choice for anyone who’s relatively fit (and who’s comfortable on a bike).
Yep, there are many great long-distance bike rides in Scotland. But of them all, this is the most accessible (both Newcastle and Edinburgh have train stations, and places where you can hire good bicycles).
For more two-wheeled wanders, here are our favorite 13 Scottish bike rides.
25. The Isle of Rum
Best for: 40 people, and thousands of birds
One of Scotland’s least-known inhabited islands, only 40 people live on the little Isle of Rum.
Located halfway between the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Mull, it’s a strange diamond-shaped place, measuring in at only 8.5 miles by 8 miles (14 km by 13 km).
Make sure you tackle an ascent of Askival, the island’s biggest peak (with a highest point of 810 meters/2,659 feet).
Other highlights include the Rum Cuillin (one of Scotland’s most difficult hill circuits), kayaking and canoeing, and loads of creatures. Animal inhabitants here include seals, golden eagles, otters, red deer, and around 30%!(!) of the world’s population of Manx Shearwater (a black and white seabird).
Most people get here via ferry from Mallaig, a west-coast seaside mainland town which is also worth a visit.
Before You Go
And we’re done—they’re our 25 favorite secret places in Scotland (and they’re all off the beaten path).
To sum up, our top three picks are:
- Ullapool: a great-base outdoor-adventure coastal town for families, couples, solo travelers, and everyone in between
- The Cape Wrath Trail: for rugged hikers on the hunt for a massive challenge
- Calum’s Road: a unusual island adventure for people seeking something really unique
Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and enjoying Scotland’s tucked-away wonders. Bye for now.
Oh, and for more Scottish secrets, here’s the secret Scottish pyramid you never knew existed. See ya!
