How can one not be addicted to the elemental beauty and dramatic seascapes of the windswept archipelago of Scotland's Western Isles? Words cannot begin to describe the subtle shades that permeate as the light unfolds at break of day ...

1] isolated strands of luminescent coral sand
2] swiftly beating wings of comical Atlantic Puffins; preening iridescent Shags; raucous breeding Kittiwakes, Razorbills, and aerobatic Terns call me hither
3] a lonely Hebridean calm and the pervasive smell of peat smoke wafting from Islay's seven Whisky distilleries
4] shimmering gold and silver Celtic jewelery entices - Shetland crosses; Ortak and Sheila Fleet, Orkney
5] the gregarious, welcoming nature of the Gaelic people

These are my primary reasons for visiting Scotland, but the list goes on ...

TOP 50 REASONS THAT I LOVE SCOTLAND:

A] SCENERY:
1] EshaNess Basalt Lava Cliffs, Shetland
2] Five Sisters of Kintail & Loch Duich
3] North Applecross Road to Sheildaig
4] Bealach Na Bo [Pass of the Cattle]
5] Torridon Mountains & Loch Torridon
6] Elgol, Skye - views to the small Isles
7] Knoydart, Loch Quoich, and Kinloch Hourn
8] Sheil Bridge to Glenelg
9] Cuillin Mountains, Skye

ISLANDS & BEACHES:
10] BARRA - isolated Tangasdale beach & Kisimul Castle in the bay
11] HARRIS - Seilebost & Luskentyre beaches
12] IONA - beaches, Benedictine Abbey, and beautiful Celtic Crosses
13] ISLAY & JURA - Birds, peaty Whisky, and windswept Machir beach
14] COLONSAY - deserted Kiloran beach
15] HOY - blustery Rackwick beach riddled with boulders; Old Man of Hoy

HISTORY:
16] Skara Brae, Orkney - seen in driving rain and/or suffused in sunlight
17] Ring of Brodgar - the contrast of pink heather against the ominous grey skies and brooding slate grey stones - haunting!
18] Calanais Standing Stones, Lewis
19] Carloway Broch & the incumbent sheep, Lewis
20] Mousa Broch, Shetland - outstanding views!
21] Jarlshof, Shetland
22] Finlaggan, Islay - tranquil, brooding, serenity [A. Jefford "Islay's quiet soul"]
23] Culloden - early morning before it is really open to experience the solitude
24] Dwarfie Stane, Isle of Hoy

RELIGIOUS / ARCHITECTURAL SITES:
25] Dryburgh Abbey - serene, tranquil location along the Tweed River
26] Melrose Abbey - exquisite stone sculptures
27] Jedburgh Abbey - amidst a turbulent history this amazing architecture survives in majestic glory
28] St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall [Arctic Explorer - John Rae's effigy]
29] Italian Chapel - beautiful, dramatic artwork by prisoners of war
30] Sweetheart Abbey
31] Salvidor Dali - Christ of St John on the Cross, Museum of Religious Life, Glasgow - mesmerizing!
32] St.Kentigren Cathedral [St. Mungo's, Glasgow
33] Paisley Abbey - in the floral bounty of Spring!
34] Augustinian Priory ruins, Beauly

FAVOURITE COASTAL VILLAGES & SCOTTISH TOWNS:
35] East Neuk - coastal trail between Crail, Anstruther, Pittenweem, and St Monans
36] Sheildaig - beautiful white-washed houses
37] Plockton - of Hamish MacBeth fame
38] Applecross - very scenic walk past gnarly trees to the church
39] Glenelg - beautiful Inn and village
40] Port Charlotte, Islay
41] Portree, Skye - picturesque harbour
42] Tobemory, Mull - great bookstore
43] Melrose, Borders - beautiful in spring
44]Portpatrick - stunning views from the South Upland Way
45] Stonehaven - maybe Dunnotar Castle won't be obscured by fog next time
46] Gairloch
47] Scourie

MISCELLANEOUS:
48] Dunrobin Castle - Falconry & Gardens
49] Threave Gardens
50] Abbotsford House - Walter Scott's den and library

Friends in Canada think that I must have seen all there is to see, after touring Scotland for the past four years, but a true addict is never satisfied ... I have a list of at least 28 other places and sites that I must see gt

abbey, I am going to look up all those places you mentioned. Scotland is on our short list of places to visit, and you make it sound beautiful! Thanks.

Abbey- You are very thorough!! I love your list!
I went to University in Stirling for one year. Fell in love with Scotland.

Just went back with my family this past March. It was amazing.
I loved the Trossachs and breadalbane
http://www.visitscottishheartlands.c...achs/index.com

I cannot wait to go back!!

Hi abbey

What a great list. I am ashamed as a Scotsman that I haven't been to so many of the places mentioned.

Just for your own information, a few weeks ago Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum re-opened after a few years closed for renovation. Dali's Christ of St John on the Cross has been returned there. In my mind, that masterpiece is one of the best purchases Glasgow Museum's department ever made.

bill

Interesting thought Bill. Let's see

Not visited
SCENERY:
1] EshaNess Basalt Lava Cliffs, Shetland


Never been to Shetland but it's on the wish list

Not been to
10] BARRA - isolated Tangasdale beach & Kisimul Castle in the bay
11] HARRIS - Seilebost & Luskentyre beaches
15] HOY - blustery Rackwick beach riddled with boulders; Old Man of Hoy

Barra and Harris both on the list. Hoy, I'm a bit less hipped on. I'll go sometime. We tried last summer but couldn't get the ferry timetables to fit the other things we had to do on the Mainland.

Not been to

HISTORY:
18] Calanais Standing Stones, Lewis
19] Carloway Broch & the incumbent sheep, Lewis
20] Mousa Broch, Shetland - outstanding views!
21] Jarlshof, Shetland
24] Dwarfie Stane, Isle of Hoy

Lewis is somewhere I wouldn't bother with if it weren't for Calanis

Haven't seen
31] Salvidor Dali - Christ of St John on the Cross, Museum of Religious Life, Glasgow - mesmerizing!
32] St.Kentigren Cathedral [St. Mungo's, Glasgow

Glasgow is a bit of a black spot in my knowledge. Not as bad as Ayrshire, but...

Interesting (to me anyway) that I haven't been to
47] Scourie

Must put that on the list

Good overlap, abbey. I'm so glad you like my beloved Islay.

Hmmm can't do 50 but here's a wee list.

The Scots
Pints in a Pub
Whisky, Oatmeal and Honey Cream of Galloway Ice Cream
Kirkcudbright
Galloway Forest Park
Logan Garden
Royal Garden Edinburgh
Stac Polly Restaurant
Our Friends in various areas of Scotland
Fresh Scallops
Pictish Stones
Standing Stones and Cairns
Wee Dogs
Cats
Threave Castle Gardens
Kirkcudbright, all of it
Edinburgh Bus Line with daily passes

accchhhh Sheila, I'm a Central Scotland kind of guy. I blame being brought up in Tighnabruaich for that though.

Please...when next in Glasgow go see Dali's masterpiece. A truly breathtaking piece of work.

It's a date. To be clear, it's at the Kelvingrove?

Yes, the Dali has been returned to the Kelvingrove as part of the renovations. I'm going there today or tomorrow!

I haven't seen or done so much on your list, abbey, but my standouts are:

Pluscarden Abbey - my favorite spot in Scotland.

Glen Affric - amazing place with rare stands of the original (and re-established) Scots pines. A feel for what Scotland looked like before the sheep.

The Royal Mile during the Fringe - wonderful energy.

The Lewis Chessmen at the Museum of Scotland. I'm obsessed!

Thanks billbarr, for the "heads-up" on the relocation of Dali's Christ of St John on the Cross.
Two additional items to add to my ever-growing "must-see" list:
1] Pluscarden Abbey
2] the Lewis Chessmen

I was just re-reading this thread - what a great list to use for future planning!

re: 23] Culloden- we were there at sunset, and it was just us and the rabbits - very melancholy.

I also thought of a few of my favorite DRIVES:
-the little road on the Sleat Peninsula, Skye
-the road up through Glen Coe, across Rannoch Moor and down to Crainlarich
-the road from Mallaig to Fort William

I am compelled to put in a strong word for the birthplace of golf. Scotland offers the very best of the linksland--scenic, interesting, challenging, tougher'n hell when the "conditions" hit, venues that one never tires of, even after many tries. It is a combination of the land, the people, yes, the climate that makes a round on Dornoch or Cruden Bay or Machrihanish or Southerness or Crail or North Berwick or THE HOME--St. Andrews--a moment to be treasured. MAGIC!!

Haste ye back!

Jinx Hoover

Skye.

Nairn. (Not sure if I spelled that accurately, and beg your pardon if I did not.)

Driving along Loch Ness.

Abderdeen, a lovely place.

The Scots, a lovely people, who sometimes act like they aren't really, but they actually are.

BC

Gadzooks! No mention anywhere of Oban or Kilmartin Glen? Well then, let me be the first...

Rogie Falls, knowing it is near where my ancestors came from, watching the ancient stones jut up at an impossible angle from the earth...

http://www.greendragonartist.com/Sal...RogieFalls.htm

Random castles with fog rolling in to cover them

miles and miles of mountains misting with beautiful heather

the screeling of bagpipes at a highland games

The peaty aroma of oak-barrel aged whiskey

OOps, my photo is broken. Rogie falls is the first picture on the second row...

http://www.greendragonartist.com/gal...toScotland.htm

All those things are wonderful I agree, but high on my list of things I love about Scotland is the friendliness and charm of its people.

I went to the University of Edinburgh for a year and also love Scotland! This post is bringing back wonderful memories.

How about...
Scottish Country dancing
walking so often in the rain that you don't even notice anymore
Mr. Chukketyleafs (sp?) baked potato shops
fish and chips with salt and sauce wrapped in newspaper
meat pies
lager and lime (the only way I can tolerate beer )
the island of Tiree
kilts !

bookmarking

Wow, Abbey, that's an amazing list! Makes me want to go back to visit, too!


Like Kwren, I spent a year at the University of Edinburgh-- circa 1973-74. In fact, Kwren, I had to laugh at the lager and lime, because that was how I learned to drink beer, too. After a year in Edinburgh, I guess I can say I "graduated" in my tastes.

Few places are so dramatically beautiful as Scotland, and I'm trying to remember those special memories. Loved Skye and the drive through the Highlands, but there are so many more.

This is inspiring me... I have to go back now and look at a map and try to remember all the places I visited then as well as the several trips made in the years since.

Curious, though-- anyone visit Sandy Bell's pub in those days (or since?). I lived in a flat across from the pub, and have great memories of the music that was played there.

I went to a couple of great folk festivals while I was there, too.

Paule