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A magnificent sea loch that is reminiscent of a Norwegian fjord. The wall of red sandstone mountains to its north attracts hill walkers by the score, and from the summits you can see all the way from Cape Wrath to Ardnamurchan. A lovely one-way walk takes you from Diabeg to Inveralligin, with a series of refreshing lochans (small lochs) in which to swim if the weather’s hot.

An enchanting loch within a forest, in a very much overlooked corner of Scotland, characterized by its stunning wilderness. The loch is bordered by walks, which form part of the long-distance Southern Upland Way (see Southern Upland Way) . At the eastern end there’s a memorial to King Robert the Bruce.

Huge fairground fun centre with everything that gravitational and centrifugal forces can do to you. Big wheel, free-fall machine, flying carpet, kamikaze whirlygigs and the giant “500 tons of twisted fun” roller-coaster. For the younger ages there are gentler water chutes and merry-go-rounds.

This magnificent burial chamber, built c.2700 BC, is a World Heritage Site. Stoop low and walk through the entrance tunnel, carefully aligned with the solstice sun, and enter the greatest concentration of Viking graffiti ever discovered. Norsemen plundered the treasure but left the walls with a wealth of runes describing the kind of boasts and grumbles that men still make today. The torchlit tour is absolutely spellbinding!

Around 500 BC the Iron Age people began building defensive forts called brochs. Masterfully designed, these double-skinned walls of dry stones were raised into circular towers, with an elegant taper at their waists. Remains of brochs are scattered across northern Scotland but Mousa is the best preserved. You can only reach it by boat, and then must climb 13 m (43 ft) to the open parapet.

Matching Skye for beauty if not for size, Mull is the second largest of the Inner Hebrides. Don’t miss the prize gardens at Torosay Castle (which can be reached by miniature railway from Craignure), while the imperious Duart Castle is a more austere proposition. A tour of the island must include side trips to Iona and Staffa, and Calgary Beach will stop you in your tracks. Tobermory is the place to unwind – its colourful seafront is a classic postcard scene. The Misnish Bar there often has live music.

Scotland’s leading gallery includes masterpieces by the great Scottish artists, such as Raeburn and Ramsay, but is best known for its 15th- to 18th-century British and European paintings. In these collections, you’ll find works by Botticelli, Velazquez, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian and many more besides (see National Gallery of Scotland) .