101 'Must Do' Things in Scotland Afore Ye Go!

1:- Culloden Moor
Scene of the last pitched battle, in 1746, on mainland Britain - one of the most iconic and emotive sites in Scotland.

2:- Bannockburn
Site of Robert the Bruce's defeat of the English under King Edward 11 in 1314
A must for all Bravehearts.

3:- Killiecrankie
The first victory, in 1689, of the Jacobite Rebels, where they defeated King William's army.

4:- Sandwood Bay, near Kinlochbervie, Suthrland.
Take the four mile trek to one of Scotland's best beaches.

5:- Machrihanish, by Campbelltown, Mull of Kintrye.
Great surf and great golf at what is perhap Scotland's top beach.

6:- Seacliff, near North Berwick, East Lothian.
A summer picnic paradise.

7:- Big Strand, Islay.
Seven miles of sand and solitude on a beautiful island.

8:- Nessie
Spend at least a little time by Loch Ness looking for the world's most famous monster.

9:- Pet a Highland Cow

10- The Northern Lights.
The further north you are the better your chances of seeing them.

11:- John o'Groats
Where all those long walks start or finish, you can also take a day trip to Orkney.

12:- Local Call.
Make a phone call in Pennan on the north coast of Aberdeenshire from the phone box made famous in the film Local Hero.

13:- The Scottish Parliament.
See what is probably Scotland's most expensive piece of real estate.

14:- The Barras Market.
Bag a bargain.

15:- Take a Distillery Tour.
With around 100 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, there are plenty to choose from.

16:- Standing Stones of Callanish, Lewis.
What were our ancestors up to 5000 years ago?

17:- Gleneagles Hotel.
Stay a night, play some golf - or drop in for afternoon tea.

18:- Lochnagar, near Ballater
Some say you can see the Forth Bridge from the top.

19:- Falkirk Wheel.
Take a ride on this modern day marvel.

20:- Grail Hunting.
Give the film a miss and go straight to Rosslyn Chapel, south of Edinburgh.

21:- Glenfinnan Monument.
Where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised the Jacobite Standard in 1745.

22:- Stirling Castle.
Historically Scotland's most strategically important fortress.

23:- Edinburgh Castle.
Take a tour and see and hear the One o'Clock Gun.

24:- Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Duich.
The Macraes' castle, restored. It is on many a picture calendar as well as being home to Connor MacLeod in the 1986 film Highlander.

25:- Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness.
Built in the 1230's, seized by the English in 1296, sacked by MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, in 1545 and left to fall into decay after 1689.

26:- Caerlaverock Castle, near Dumfries.
Beseiged and fought over more than most castles.

27:- Dunnottar Castle, near Stonehaven.
An epic clifftop fortress.

28:- Fingal's Cave, Staffa.
Inspiration to Mendelssohn. A well trodden path disappears inside.

29:- King's Cave, Arran
Need more inspiration? If it was good enough for Robert the Bruce and his spider...

30:- Smoo Cave, north Sutherland.
Large and dramatic coastal cave.

31:- Scott Monument, Edinburgh.
This gothic tribute to Sir Walter Scott is 200ft high, with 287 steps to the top.

32:- The Wallace Monuments
There's the well known Wallace Monument near Stirling at 220ft, and the not so well known red sandstone 31ft statue of Wallace at Dryburgh, near Melrose, which stands above the river Tweed facing the Auld Enemy.

33:-Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh.
Walk to the 823ft summit for a lunchtime sandwich and be back in a Royal Mile pub as quick as a flash.

34:- Stac Pollaidh.
A mere 2,008ft but regarded as Scotland's perfect little mountain.

35:- Ben Lomond.
Scotland's most southerly Munro, at 3,196ft, is for many their first taste of the big hills.

36:- Ben Nevis.
Britain's highest peak at 4,409ft, simply has to be conquered.

37:- Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Not just for tourists, arguably Scotland's most successful show.
But tickets sell out in no time.

38:- The Barrowland.
Forget soul-less arenas, drafty open-air stadiums, if its atmosphere your after, head to this former Glasgow ballroom.

39:- The Proclaimers.
Be it Glastonbury or Dunoon's Queen's Hall, Craig and Charlie Reid are guaranteed to bring down the house.

40:- T in the Park.
Take a holiday from hygiene, if not annually then at least once.

41:- Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Soak up the atmosphere at hundreds of venues like the Pleasance Courtyard or the Spiegeltent.
Take in at least three shows in 24 hours.

42:- Scottish Opera.
Our national opera company visits 15 venues across Scotland.

43:- Up Helly Aa, Shetland.
Be a viking for a day then help burn a longship.

44:- Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh.
Scotland's biggest agricultural show, held every June.

45:- Wickerman Festival, Dundrennan, near Kirkcudbright.
Celebration of cult and off-the-wall music that climaxes in the burning of a giant willow-and-straw effigy, minus Edward Woodward, from the 1973 film.

47:- Burns Supper.
Host your own, and recite a poem or two.

48:- Arbroath Smokie.
Some say it's the zenith of Scottish cuisine.

49:- See a sunrise from a Scottish Beach.

50:- Swim from a Scottish beach, without a wetsuit!

51:- Join in at a village hall ceilidh and dance a Strip the Willow.

52:-Be on Princes Street, Edinburgh, or George Square, Glasgow on Hogmanay.

53:- See the fire balls at Stonehaven's Hogmanay celebrations.

54:- Sit beneath the palm trees in the beautiful village of Plockton, on Loch Carron.

55:- Loch Lomond.
Swim or paddle in Scotland's biggest freshwater loch.

56:- Glen Coe on a sunny day. The ultimate drive through.

57:- Loch Fyne Oyster Bar.
You may see Gordon Brown lunching with John Prescott.

58:- Learn Gaelic.

59:- Read the Stevenson classic, 'Kidnapped', and visit David Balfour's beach near Mull.

60:- Read 'The 39 Steps' by John Buchan.

61:- Watch the classic Ealing comedy 'Whisky Galore'

62:- Mull.
Explore the coastline and find the wrecked Spanish galleon. Don't look too hard for PC Plum.

63:- Skye.
Tour Dunvegan Castle, where the MacLeods have lived for 800 years, drive to the spectacular clifs at Neist point and lunch at the Three Chimneys restaurant.

64:- Iona.
Unless you are a resident, you'll need to leave your car behind to the abbey.

65:- Bute.
Tour Mount Stuart, arguably the finest piece of gothic achitecture in the UK.

66:- Islay.
Visit one of its eight whisky distilleries.

67:- Orkney.
See furniture at Skara Brae that was used 5,000 years ago.

68:- St Kilda.
A byword for remoteness, 45 miles west of the outer Hebrides.
In summer there are day trips (weather permitting) out of Leverburgh, Harris

69:- Walk The West Highland Way.
From Milngavie to Fort William.

70:- Take the West Highland Line over the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Mallaig.

71:- Take a train over the Forth Bridge.

72:- Take a flight to Barra and land on the beach.

73:- Leave the mainland behind by taking a CalMac ferry.

74:- Go 'doon the watter' on the steamship Waverley to Rothesay.

75:- Hill House, Helensburgh.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh's masterpiece.

76:-National Museum, Edinburgh.
See pieces of 20th-century domestic life or treasures of ancient Egypt.

77:- Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow.
From an elephant in the lobby to paintings by Picasso.

78:- Burns Cottage, Alloway.
Birthplace of the Bard.

79:- Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange.
The former Lady Victoria Colliery keeps a heritage alive.

80:- Secret Bunker, Anstruther, Fife.
A reminder of the Cold War.

81:-Museum of Flight, East Fortune, East Lothian.
Follow in the footsteps of the rich and famous onboard Concorde.

82:- Horseshoe Bar, Glasgow.
Institution with the longest bar in the UK.

83:- Cafe Royal, Edinburgh.
Beautifully preserved Victorian interior.

84:- Drover's Inn, Inverarnan.
330 years old and still pours a good pint.

85:- Fisherman's Tavern, Brought Ferry.
A 17th century fisherman's cottage, visit in May to enjoy its annual beer festival.

87:- Watch an Old Firm game at Parkhead or Ibrox.

88:- Watch an Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle or Easter Road. Practice Lithuanian with the Romanovs or become a Leither for a day, but don't mix the two.

89:- Join the Tartan Army for a day.
Fly the Saltire with pride at Hampden, the home of Scottish Football.

90:- Watch a Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield.

91:- Ski in Scotland, before global warming makes it impossible.

92:- Watch a shinty match, and learn the rules.

93:- Go to a Highland Games.

Nairn boasts one of the biggest.

94:- Play one of the seven courses at the supposed home of golf, St Andrews.

95:- See the Ayr Gold Cup then hit the town for a night to remember.

98:- Spot a golden eagle.
Sutherland and Skye are good areas to start.

99:- Take a boat and a pair of earplugs to see gannets, razorbills, cormorants, guillimots, eider ducks and gulls at the Bass Rock.

100:-See puffins on the Isle of May.

101:- Go dolphin watching in the Moray Firth.