The Central Highlands: Places to Explore

The most dramatic thing about Aberfeldy is the high hump-backed bridge into the town, built by William Adam in 1733 and commissioned by General Wade, who marched through Scotland suppressing local resistance... Read more

This small tourist town has a somewhat faded air, and several of its souvenir shops seem to have closed their doors. But the surrounding hills (some snowcapped) and the green slopes that surround the town... Read more

Famous for the Gleneagles Hotel and nearby golf courses, Auchterarder also has a flock of tiny antiques shops to amuse Gleneagles's golf widows and widowers.... Read more

A traditional Highland-edge resort, the little town of Callander bustles throughout the year, even during off-peak times, simply because it's a gateway to Highland scenery, and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs... Read more

A spa and market town in the foothills of the Grampians, Crieff still retains the prosperous air of its Victorian heyday. Its central square, where local farmers may once have gathered to trade, is still... Read more

Drymen is a respectable and cozy town in the Lowland fields, with stores, tea shops, and pubs catering to the well-to-do Scots who have moved here from Glasgow.... Read more

The small, quiet town of Dunblane, just 4 mi from Stirling, has long been an important religious center; it is dominated by its Cathedral, which dates mainly from the 13th century. The town also boasts... Read more

The ruined cathedral above the town of Dunkeld marks its historic beginnings. The present town grew up around the main square, built by the Atholl family in the wake of the 1689 defeat of the Jacobite... Read more

Killin's setting near the Breadalbane Mountains at the end of Loch Tay (where the Falls of Dochart rush into the lake) gives the village an almost alpine flavor. You'll find a surprisingly diverse selection... Read more

For the most outstanding Loch Lomond view from the south end, take the A831 to Balmaha and climb Conic Hill that rises behind it. Alternatively hire a boat and row (or you could take a motorboat) around... Read more

For many years, Perth was Scotland's capital, and central to its history. One king (James I) was killed here, and the Protestant reformer John Knox preached in St John's Kirk, where his rhetoric moved... Read more

In the late 19th century, Pitlochry was an elegant Victorian spa town, famous for its mild microclimate and beautiful setting. Today it is a busy tourist town, with wall-to-wall gift shops, cafes and B&Bs... Read more

Stirling is one of Britain's great historic towns. An impressive proportion of the Old Town walls remain and can be seen from Dumbarton Road, as soon as you step outside the tourist information center... Read more

With its harmonious scenery of hill, loch, and wooded slopes, the Trossachs has been a popular touring region since the late 18th century, at the dawn of the age of the Romantic poets. Influenced by the... Read more