Nation guide

Scotland

Scotland is the northern part of Great Britain plus its island groups, chiefly the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. Edinburgh is the capital and Glasgow the largest city; the population was about 5.4 million in 2022.

Below: every Britlens guide in Scotland, its national parks, World Heritage Sites, islands and protected landscapes, and which ones we have not covered yet. For what differs between the four nations (health care, bank holidays, banknotes), see the four nations.

  • CapitalEdinburgh
  • Largest cityGlasgow
  • Population (2022)About 5.4 million
  • Main island groupsHebrides and Northern Isles
The ruins of Dunnottar Castle on a grassy rock above the North Sea, with a path leading up to it
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
The walls and towers of Edinburgh Castle under a blue sky
Edinburgh
Aerial view of the University of Glasgow in autumn, with the city beyond
Glasgow

Our guides in Scotland

14 destination guides, each with area mini-guides, things to do, places to eat and stay, and how to get there.

National parks

National parks in Scotland and our coverage
ParkStatusOur pages
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National ParkGuide availableDay trip from Glasgow, Callander and the Trossachs, Stirling and the Trossachs, Stirling and the Trossachs guide
Cairngorms National ParkGuide availableThe Cairngorms: Aviemore & Grantown-on-Spey, The Scottish Highlands, Royal Deeside, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

All 15 UK national parks, with walking safety notes

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Scotland and our coverage
SiteListedStatusOur pages
St Kilda1986No guide yetNearest guide: The Outer Hebrides
Frontiers of the Roman Empire (England and Scotland)1987Guide plannedPlanned: Newcastle, Northumberland and Hadrian's Wall
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh1995Guide availableOld Town & Royal Mile, Edinburgh, New Town, Edinburgh
Heart of Neolithic Orkney1999Guide availableStromness & the West Mainland, Orkney
New Lanark2001No guide yetNearest guide: Glasgow
The Forth Bridge2015Guide availableDay trip from Edinburgh, Dunfermline and the Forth, St Andrews and Fife
The Flow Country2024No guide yetNearest guide: North Coast 500

All UK World Heritage Sites

Islands

Island groups visitors ask about, and whether we cover them yet.

Council areas

Scotland has 32 council areas. 12 overlap a Britlens guide. The county directory shows the nearest guide for each.

Plan your trip

Sources

Guide counts and coverage are generated from the guides on this site; facts about Scotland come from the sources below, read on 2026-11-01.

  1. Wikipedia: Scotland (opens in new tab). Capital, largest city, 2022 population, island groups. Checked on 2026-11-01.
  2. VisitScotland (opens in new tab). Official tourism site for Scotland (page loaded). Checked on 2026-11-01.
  3. Wikipedia: National parks of the United Kingdom (opens in new tab). National parks by nation. Checked on 2026-11-01.
  4. Wikipedia: List of World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom (opens in new tab). World Heritage Sites by nation. Checked on 2026-11-01.
  5. National Parks UK (opens in new tab). The 15 national parks are across England, Scotland and Wales. Checked on 2026-11-01.

Photo credits

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits