International

The Falls of Falloch drop thirty feet into a large pool.

Falls of Falloch is a wonderful, easy stop along A82 between Glasgow and Fort William. A short and easy walk through a very pretty woods brings you to beautiful Falls of Falloch, a clean 30-foot plunge into a deep pool flanked by picturesque cliffs....

Roses, lawns, and flowers decorate Queen Ann's Garden at Stirling Castle in Scotland.

Stirling Castle is a huge complex of royal buildings, workshops, and fortifications atop a huge volcanic rock that rises dramatically from the lowland plains near the River Forth. It’s strategic position made Stirling Castle an important stronghold and center of power throughout Scotland’s turbulent Medeival and Renaissance history....

The south face of historic Roslyn Chapel features a series of square stone columns topped by intricately carved spires.

Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 and stands proudly today as one of the most beautiful historic chapels in Scotland. The beauty of this chapel led to it being used as the setting for the finale of the film of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel The DaVinci Code....

St Oran's Chapel stands in front of Iona Abbey with a kirkyard surrounding it on Scotland's Isle of Iona.

The Isle of Mull and the Middle Hebrides Islands are worth spending some time exploring. Iona in particular stands out due to its historical significance and its beautifully fresh air and pleasant scenery. On Mull, Tobermory is quite picturesque...

The waterfront village of Oban, Scotland on a cloudy day.

Oban has everything you could ask for - all of the needed amenities and services, fantastic food and great little shops, plus easy access to beaches, hiking, and historical locations. Oban is a wonderful destination and a great place to spend a day on the beautiful West Coast of Scotland!...

A pair of standing stones placed thousands of years ago rise from a field in Kilmartin Glen, Scotland.

Tucked away in a less-treveled corner of Scotland’s West Coast, pastoral Kilmartin Glen has been home to local inhabitants for around five millenium. Over 350 Neolithic and Bronze-age monuments, cairns, and rock art sties dot the fields in this picturesque glen, along with an important Dark Age hilltop fort, a historic church, and a Medieval ... Read more...

A fairytale-style Baroque castle rises behind a formal garden in Scotland.

A portion of this grand fairytale castle is tourable, as are the extensive gardens around the castle. Built in the mid-1700’s and expanded in 1877, this Baroque castle is a popular showstopper and a centerpiece in the Argyll region which was used as a film location for Downton Abbey....

Looking down the upper part of emerald green Glen Coe with a tall peak named Buachaille Etive Mor on the left.

Stunning scenery meets a famously tragic history in gorgeous Glen Coe, in the West Highlands of Scotland. The drive through this glacially carved valley is absolutely breathtaking, with myriad viewpoints en route. ...

The grandiose rear (North) facade of Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a top-notch experience on par with the world’s major museums like The Louvre and Rijksmuseum, but with more natural history along with art. The fact that it is free to enjoy is absolutely incredible. ...

Gray Mare's Tail Waterfall rages in a forested canyon near Glencoe, Scotland.

Gray Mare’s Tail Waterfall is a fairly tall waterfall that really rages after a decent rain. Located right behind the little twin villages of Kinlochleven and Kinlochmore near Glencoe, it’s a quick and easy hike down a well-kept trail to visit the 5th tallest cascade in the UK....

Green meadows sweep up Glen Rosa toward the rocky peak of Goatfell on Scotland's Isle of Arran.

Glen Rosa is an extremely scenic glacially-carved valley on Isle of Arran. This gorgeous and easy hike turned out to be more about the journey than the destination; a journey I very much desire to embark upon again!...

A bright orange traffic cone tops the statue of the Duke of Wellington in downtown Glasgow like a hat.

Located centrally in downtown Glasgow, the gallery features works in a variety of media and includes a really cool art studio space on its top floor plus a museum shop with wares inspired by pieces in the museum’s collection....

Looking up at the ceiling and choir of Glasgow Cathedral.

Likely the oldest surviving structure in Glasgow, construction of the city’s mighty Cathedral began in the 1100s. The style is ornate and distinctly Gothic, with similarities to other large cathedrals of the day like Notre Dame and The Se in Lisbon...

The ruins of Carnasserie Castle in Scotland on a sunny day.

Scotland is stuffed with castles, with a higher density of them than anywhere else in Europe. Our first visit to Scotland revealed the huge variety in structures, functions, and states of preservation or decay amongst the castles in this gorgeous country....

The front of medieval Doune Castle in Scotland.

Out of the many castles we visited in our two-week trip to Scotland, Duone Castle (pronounced “doon”) was one of my favorites and one I highly recommend. ...

Red sandstone makes the creek appear like blood in The Devil's Pulpit, Scotland.

The Devil’s Pulpit is a beautiful and unique gorge in picturesque Finnich Glen less than an hour north of Glasgow whose popularity is growing quickly thanks to the location being used as a filming location for several Hollywood movies and big-name TV productions like Outlander. ...

Goatfell rises behind verdant Glen Rosa on Arran Island, Scotland.

Arran is often described as “Scotland in miniature” featuring highlands and glens in the north and gentler rolling terrain in the south. With so much beauty and variety within a day trip’s reach of Scotland’s most populous city it’s no wonder that Arran is a popular place to visit....

A side view of the front of red-toned Brodick Castle on Isle of Arran, Scotland on a pleasant day.

Brodick Castle is well worth a visit. We spent two hours here but we could have easily spent the entire day. In two hours we saw the castle and garden but barely any of the trails....

Lookiing up Upper Glen Nevis with Steall Waterfall crashing down the distant slopes.

Of all the hikes I did in Scotland, this was my absolute favorite! Glen Nevis is way beyond scenic - words like idyllic, inspirational, and iconic are more appropriate....

Darkening skies gather above Dunstaffnage Castle in the Argyll region of Scotland.

Dunstaffnage Castle is in a state of partial ruin. The castle gatehouse does have a roof and wood floors on the three explorable levels, accessed by the original stone spiral staircase which eventually leads up to the castle wall walk. What a view! The kitchen section of the castle is in a much more advanced state of ruin....

Castle Stalker stands on a small island in Loch Linnhe, reflected in a pool in a tidal flat.

Castle Stalker, set on an islet in Loch Linnhe at the mouth of little Loch Laich near the village of Appin, is one of the more iconic Medieval castles in Scotland. Monty Python fans will surely recognize it as “Castle Aargh!”, the setting for the final scene of Monty Python and the Holy Grail....

The Fairy Bridge, a wee stone bridge built in the 1500s, crosses a stream in the forest in Scotland.

The Fairy Bridge was an exciting adventure to find and a magical place to discover. Finding a place like this, lost in time and forgotten, makes you wonder how many more little hidden treasures lie out there in the Scottish forests waiting to be found....

Looking up at the north side of Edinburgh Castle from Princes St Gardens.

Edinburgh Castle is perhaps Scotland’s most iconic landmark as well as its most visited single attraction with around 2.25 million visitors annually. Contained within the imposing stone walls are the country’s most treasured possessions, kept in the place where so much of Scottish history actually happened. ...

Three stacks of smooth stones stand on a rocky shore as a wave breaks behind them, with a sailboat gliding by in the distance over blue ocean water.

The biggest draw in Puerto Vallarta are it’s glorious beaches and tropical climate. They stretch for miles around the bay and continue northward in the Riviera Nayarit. The ocean temperature is cool and pleasant during the sunny Dec - April season, which is also the busy season. ...

A photo of the pretty red-brick exterior of Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is lucky to have a world-class museum like this. With several famous paintings and a mind-blowing number of art objects on display, it’s easy to discover aspects of art and history that speak to you within their vast collection....

A modern art installation of transparent multi-colored spheres resembling bubbles is displayed at moco Museum.

moco Museum Amsterdam, along with it’s two sibling institutions in London and Barcelona, curate works by modern and contemporary artists. The name of the museum combines the words MOdern and COntemporary to create the name, and is always in lower case letters…how edgy! At moco Amsterdam you will find a relatively small museum with works by Banksy, Basquialt, a piece or two by Warhol, and limited representation by several other artists from around the world....

A man in a black T-shirt is seated between two large wax figures of Shrek and Fiona.

Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is one of the premiere attractions in Amsterdam’s busy old town and is certainly worth the time. We visited in the middle of the day on a Sunday and had a great time. The Madame Tussauds brand produces incredibly realistic wax figures and displays them in fun, sometimes interactive environments in several cities around the world....

A view looking down a canal in Amsterdam at row of canal houses, most about five stories tall.

Amsterdam is known as “The Venice of the North” for good reason. From the city’s humble origins in the 1270’s to the metropolitan capitol city we know today, Amsterdam is bursting with history and culture waiting to be explored and experienced....

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