Scotland's Hidden Gems

Explore the Highlands through its lesser-known landmarks, from the Trotternish ridge’s jagged basalt formations to the 170-million-year-old dinosaur footprints at Staffin. This collection features the 18th-century Ruthven Barracks, the deep waters of Loch Morar, and the record-breaking acoustic echo within the Inchindown underground fuel tanks. The list spans from the remote Old Forge pub in Knoydart to the 46-meter drop of Plodda Falls and the dolphin-watching vantage point at Chanonry Point.

Scotland's Hidden Gems — Map

Maddie Messenger / CC-BY-SA

A

Fairy Pools

The Fairy Pools are a series of natural pools and waterfalls in Glen Brittle on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

B

The Old Man of Storr

A large pinnacle of rock on the Trotternish peninsula, created by a massive ancient landslip. It stands as the most prominent feature of the Storr ridge.

maproom / CC BY-SA 3.0

C

Staffin Dinosaur Footprints

Fossilized footprints of ornithopods and theropods dating back 170 million years. These Middle Jurassic tracks are visible on the flat rocks of An Corran beach at low tide.

Shirehorse / CC-BY-SA-3.0

D

Chanonry Point

Chanonry Point lies at the end of Chanonry Ness, a spit of land extending into the Moray Firth between Fortrose and Rosemarkie on the Black…

Bill Henderson / CC BY-SA 2.0

E

Keiss Castle

Keiss Castle is a partially ruined castle in Scotland, which stands on sheer cliffs overlooking Sinclair's Bay less than one mile north of…

Alanbeeb / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

Ruthven Barracks

Ruthven Barracks (), near Ruthven in Badenoch, Scotland, are the best preserved of the four barracks built in 1719 after the 1715 Jacobite…

Jenni Douglas / CC BY 2.0

G

Loch Morar

Loch Morar is a freshwater loch in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is the fifth-largest loch by surface area in Scotland, at 26.7 km2, and…

Moyearo / Public domain

H

Suilven

Suilven is a mountain in Scotland. Lying in a remote area in the west of Sutherland, it rises from a wilderness landscape of moorland, bogs…

Peter Moore / CC BY-SA 2.0

I

Inchindown RN Underground Fuel Tanks

The Inchindown oil tanks is a disused underground oil depot in Invergordon, Ross-shire, Scotland.

Pete White / CC BY-SA 2.0

J

Plodda Falls

Plodda Falls is a waterfall, situated 5 km south-west of the village of Tomich, near Glen Affric, in the Highlands of Scotland.

Astrid Horn / CC BY-SA 2.0

K

Laggan Dam

Laggan Dam is a dam located on the River Spean south west of Loch Laggan in the Scottish Highlands.

Ivan Hall / CC BY-SA 2.0

L

The Old Forge

Located in Inverie on the Knoydart Peninsula, this is the most remote pub on mainland Britain. It is accessible only by a 7-mile boat journey or a multi-day hike over rugged terrain.