The Rough Guide to the Scottish Highlands & Islands (Travel Guide with Free eBook) (Rough Guides Main Series)

This is the best guidebook I've found for this area. I also bought two further well-known guides, neither even mentioned the fantastic Puck's Glenn near Dunoon, which was a highlight of our stay. The print and layout are attractive, and the style is lively and informative. The Footprint handbook also has its moments, but the print and layout make it harder to read.

I like the rough guides. They give good practical information information and helpful background notes on some of the sights and the history behind them. For example, if you go to Skye you will certainly want to know how Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped capture and where you can see Flora Macdonald’s corset.

Discover the Scottish Highlands and Islands with this comprehensive and entertaining travel guide, packed with practical information and honest recommendations by our independent experts. Whether you plan to take a boat out on a remote loch, take a whale-watching tour off the Isle of Mull or cheer on some Highland games.

Excellent book for travel anywhere. Accommodation and places of interest. Excellent area maps too. I always buy Rough guides for every destination.

Bought for a friend's birthday for her future visit to the highlands

Lots of useful information and a must-have accessory

Bought this new 9th ed to replace my 10 year old 3rd ed. Imagine my disappointment to find the text mostly unchanged from the older edition. As with other reviewers, I think the book tries to cover too big an area, thus missing out many places and sites of interest. For example, the Singing Sands beach on Eigg is photographed as a highlight but there it no description of the beach in the text! I also lost count of the number of times the authors describe the landscape as 'bleak'. Most towns and villages also get a negative review. Makes me wish the guide book was written by people who actually like the Highlands and Islands. Nevertheless a useful book as there are few other guides on the market

Although the distances in the highlands and islands may be small it takes time to travel around with single track roads and ferries which means you don't cover much ground in a day. I wish I had bought a book with more detail for each area

Scotland is open for business again as the pandemic wanes. However, even by Scottish standards, the legendary Highlands are a bit off the beaten path, requiring a little extra effort and planning to reach. They reward the enterprising traveler with stunning natural scenery (weather permitting) and lots to see and do. This 2021 edition is the latest version of the Rough Guide to the Scottish Highlands & Islands. The content has been updated and includes a free EBOOK.The guide takes an expansive definition of the Highlands, located north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and west of Aberdeen. The islands are a bit further, reached by bridge, ferry or short aircraft hop from mainland Scotland. Together, the Highlands and Islands encompass a large area with few major population centers and a thin transportation and hospitality infrastructure. The elbow room and the opportunity to wander are a magnet for many visitors, but planning ahead is recommended, especially to reach some of the remoter islands.This guide is divided by geographic area. Each section discusses items of interest such as castles, lochs, mountain walking, whisky distilleries, and museums. The text includes maps and graphics of the few towns, along with information on how to get there and where to eat and to stay. This edition also includes lots of websites and a healthy selection of color photographs. There are practical hints on how to avoid school holidays and how to minimize the impact of the highly variable weather.This reviewer's favorite area is the vast Cairngorms National Park, set in the rugged Grampian Mountains. It can be easily explored by day trips from any of several pleasant small towns such as Braemar. Braemar also hosts an annual Highland Gathering, often attended by members of the British royal family from nearby Balmoral Castle (which can also be toured (but go early in the day).With averagely good weather, the Scottish Highlands and Islands provide superb opportunities to explore, whether on foot or bike, or by automobile or train (or even ferry). The region and this guide are highly recommended.