Scotland has eight official cities, each with its own character, and together they make a brilliant touring route. They range from the elegant capital, Edinburgh, and the lively, friendly Glasgow, to the ancient royal centres of Stirling and Perth and the gateway to the Highlands at Inverness. Each is within a few hours of the others.
Here are seven to start with, each linked to our full guide, with a flavour of what makes each one special. The eighth, Dunfermline, is mentioned at the end. Scotland’s cities are well linked by train and road, and a car and driver between them lets you enjoy the scenery on the way.
1. Edinburgh
Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. A great castle stands on the plug of an extinct volcano at its heart, above the medieval Old Town and the elegant Georgian New Town. Together they form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Royal Mile runs down from the castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence of the monarch in Scotland, lined with narrow closes and historic buildings. The city has superb free museums and galleries, including the National Museum of Scotland. Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano in Holyrood Park, gives a view over the whole city.
Every August, Edinburgh hosts the largest arts festival in the world, and at New Year, Hogmanay is one of the biggest parties anywhere. The city has excellent restaurants, especially in Leith, and cosy old pubs. It is compact and easy to explore on foot, though hilly.
Edinburgh Airport is about eight miles west of the city, and Waverley station is in the heart of the city, with trains from London in around four and a half hours. It is the natural starting point for a tour of Scotland. Read the Edinburgh guide.
2. Glasgow
Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, and famously its friendliest. It was once called the second city of the British Empire, and its wealth built grand Victorian streets and buildings. Its people are known for their warmth and humour.
Glasgow has some of the best free museums in Britain, including Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Riverside Museum of transport. The Burrell Collection, in a park on the south side, is one of the greatest art collections ever given to a city. The city is full of the work of the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Glasgow is also one of the great music cities of the world, with venues of every size and live music every night. Its shopping is the best in Scotland, and its food scene is thriving. The West End, around the university, is full of cafés and bars.
Glasgow is less than an hour from Edinburgh by train, and Loch Lomond is about forty minutes away. Glasgow Airport is about eight miles west of the city. Read the Glasgow guide.
3. Stirling
Stirling stands at the point where the Scottish Lowlands meet the Highlands, and for centuries whoever held Stirling held Scotland. Its castle, on a volcanic crag, was the favourite home of many Scottish kings and queens. Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned there as a baby.
The castle’s Royal Palace has been restored to look as it did in the sixteenth century, with brightly painted rooms and tapestries. From the ramparts there are views over the battlefields of Stirling Bridge, where William Wallace won a famous victory in 1297, and Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce defeated the English in 1314. The whole story of Scottish independence is laid out within a few miles.
The National Wallace Monument, a Victorian tower on a hill, tells Wallace’s story, and you can climb to the top for wonderful views. The Battle of Bannockburn visitor centre puts you in the middle of the battle. The Old Town has cobbled streets and historic buildings.
Stirling is about forty five minutes from Edinburgh and half an hour from Glasgow by train. The Trossachs and Loch Lomond are a short drive west. Read the Stirling guide.
4. Inverness
Inverness is the capital of the Highlands and the most northerly city in Britain. It stands where the River Ness flows into the Moray Firth, at the northern end of the Great Glen. It is small, friendly and full of character.
Loch Ness, the most famous loch in Scotland, stretches south west from near the city, with the ruins of Urquhart Castle on its shore. Boat trips run on the loch, and visitors still hope to spot the famous monster. Culloden Battlefield, where the Jacobite army was defeated in 1746, is just outside the city.
The Moray Firth is home to bottlenose dolphins, which can be seen from the shore at Chanonry Point. The city itself has a riverside walk to the Ness Islands, a Victorian market and a castle. It is the start and end of the North Coast 500 road trip.
Inverness is reached by train from Edinburgh and Glasgow in around three and a half hours, or by the overnight sleeper from London. Inverness Airport is about ten miles east. Read the Inverness guide.
5. Aberdeen
Aberdeen, on the north east coast, is known as the Granite City, because much of it is built of local grey granite that sparkles in the sun. It is the oil capital of Europe, the base for the North Sea industry. It has a long history and two universities.
Footdee, a tiny fishing village at the mouth of the harbour, has quirky cottages and gardens. The Maritime Museum tells the story of the city and the sea, and it is free. Old Aberdeen, with its cobbled streets, King’s College and St Machar’s Cathedral, feels like a separate village.
Aberdeen has a long sandy beach, where dolphins are often seen at the harbour mouth. Royal Deeside, with Balmoral Castle and other castles, lies to the west. Dunnottar Castle, a dramatic clifftop ruin, is about twenty minutes south.
Aberdeen is around two and a half hours from Edinburgh by train, and its airport, at Dyce, is about seven miles from the city. Ferries sail to Orkney and Shetland. Read the Aberdeen guide.
6. Dundee
Dundee, on the Firth of Tay, has reinvented itself around its waterfront. Once famous for jute, jam and journalism, it is now a UNESCO City of Design. It claims to be the sunniest city in Scotland.
The V&A Dundee, Scotland’s design museum, stands in a striking building on the river, designed to look like a cliff face. Beside it is RRS Discovery, the ship that took Captain Scott to Antarctica, which was built in Dundee. Both are highlights of any visit.
The McManus, the city’s art gallery and museum, is in a grand Gothic building, and statues of comic characters from the Beano and the Dandy, published in the city, stand in the streets. Dundee Law, an extinct volcano, has views over the city and the Tay bridges. Broughty Ferry, a seaside suburb, has a castle and a beach.
Dundee is about an hour and a quarter from Edinburgh by train. St Andrews, the home of golf, is about twenty five minutes away. Read the Dundee guide.
7. Perth
Perth, on the River Tay, is often called the ancient capital of Scotland. Nearby Scone was where the kings of Scotland were crowned for centuries, seated on the Stone of Destiny. Perth regained its city status in 2012.
Scone Palace, just north of the city, is the home of the Earls of Mansfield, and it stands beside Moot Hill, where the kings were crowned. Perth Museum, which opened in 2024, is the new home of the Stone of Destiny, returned to Scotland after seven hundred years in London. It is a remarkable thing to see.
The Black Watch Castle and Museum tells the story of one of Scotland’s most famous regiments. The North Inch, a large park beside the Tay, is lovely for a walk. Kinnoull Hill has views across the valley.
Perth is the gateway to Perthshire, known as Big Tree Country for its ancient forests, with Dunkeld and Pitlochry close by. It is about an hour and a quarter from Edinburgh by train. Read the Perth guide.
Scotland’s eighth city is Dunfermline, the ancient royal capital where Robert the Bruce is buried and Andrew Carnegie was born, about half an hour from Edinburgh across the Forth. Read the Dunfermline guide.
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