Scotland country guide: Everything you need to know before you go

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Glasgow open image in gallery The St Mungo mural in Glasgow The reputation of Scotland’s largest city hasn’t always been pure, but it’s now the place to find a weirdly comforting mix of Gothic-meets-Gotham architecture, working-class and well-heeled neighbourhoods, and a scrum of scuzzy pubs, music venues and riverside parks. West Highlands open image in gallery The Glenfinnan railway viaduct in Scotland From Glen Coe to the Great Glen, and bookended by two of Scotland’s finest mountains – Buachaille Etive Mor and Ben Nevis – this region is crammed with many of the country’s must-see destinations. Best Scottish Highlands hotels The Cairngorms open image in gallery Loch Einich, Cairngorms The largest national park in Britain, the Cairngorms, together with its surrounding towns, offers up the Highland fantasy that so many fevered-looking visitors chase, with heathery hilltops, salmon-stocked rivers, country house estates, smoke-stained distilleries, and the best wildlife-watching possibilities in Scotland. Island-hop open image in gallery St Ninian’s Isle tombolo, Shetland Unfold a map of Scotland and you’ll find more than 900 islands, of which only 94 are inhabited.