Go now: Scotland

The Scottish Highlands peak yet again in our Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, and as 2020 is also Visitscotland’s Year of Coast and Waters, why wait to travel north of the border?

From lochs to legends, why the Highlands are ripe for visiting now

The Scottish Highlands have yet again been voted by Wanderlust readers as the most sought-after UK destination. And as Visitscotland is also celebrating the Year of Coasts and Waters, 2020 is the ideal year to (re)visit the land of hulking mountains, shimmering seas, and starched white sand beaches.

Those Highland peaks are the star attraction for many visitors, and come in all shapes and sizes. From the craggy ridges of Stac Pollaidh through to the isolated rock sentinel of Suilven and the brooding hulk of the UK’S highest mountain, Ben Nevis, many become natural playgrounds for keen climbers in summer and an icy challenge in winter.

The far north is an oasis for wildlife too. Scotland’s Big Five – red deer, red squirrels, otters, golden eagles and harbour seals – are all found in abundance in a wildscape where man definitely plays second fiddle to nature. The waters are also home to bottlenose dolphins, basking sharks and humpback, minke and orca whales.

Inverness remains the only city in the Highlands and the booming capital is also currently Scotland’s fastest growing city – it’s near the Cairngorms, too, the UK’S largest national park. Fort William at the other end of the Great Glen, and on the opposite Atlantic coast, is the other railhead and handy base.

But visitors to the Highlands and Islands during this Year of Coasts and Waters (visitscotland.com) can also find themselves swept up in myriad events taking place. Hop on a Calmac ferry and you may find the National Theatre of Scotland performing aboard. Storm, meanwhile, is a 10m-tall puppet that’s touring the region with eight puppeteers in tow. Then there is the Isle of Martin Seaweed Festival (5-6 Sept) with live music and arts events, while Aiseag at Urquhart Castle (10-11 Oct) is a Historic Environment Scotland project that aims to make their castle a meeting place of cultures as it weaves in the richness of Gaelic language and arts. All of which suggests that this exceptional area stands a good chance of retaining its crown at next year’s Reader Travel Awards.