The Scottish Highlands: Castles, Lochs and the Isle of Skye

The Highlands are all brooding mountains, mirror lochs and weather that changes its mind every ten minutes — and that's exactly the charm. This guide loops from Inverness through Loch Ness and dramatic Glencoe, across to the Isle of Skye for the Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Pools and the Quiraing's alien ridgeline, and catches the Jacobite steam train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct (yes, the Harry Potter one). I cover the single-track-road etiquette, the midge survival kit for summer, and the distillery stops worth a dram. Pack a waterproof and embrace the drama.