Scotland

On a sunny day in Sheffield, the Peace Gardens will be full of students and locals.

Are the UK’s cities worth visiting? The top 20 ranked from worst to best

Which of the UK’s biggest cities has the most to offer tourists, and which are short of visitor appeal? An expert offers his candid verdict.

Chris Moss

The Adiyogi Shiva statue is 112 feet (34 metres) tall, an allusion to the 112 chakras of the body.

Culture holidays

‘Arc de Trump’? The 20 most over-the-top buildings ever constructed

The US president’s proposed monument would join a long and rapidly growing list of structures we could probably do without.

Chris Moss

Travel tips

The 20 countries to put on your travel list for 2026

Find new charm in the familiar, or forge a fresh trail. Here are the under-the-radar nations and re-emerging classics set to define travel in 2026.

Ute Junker

The Caledonian Sleeper has a new stop in Birmingham.

Train journeys

Britain’s historic rail journey now has a new, must-do stop

The historic Caledonian Sleeper linking England and Scotland has made its most significant route change in 30 years.

Julietta Jameson

The Shore in Leith, Edinburgh’s port district.

Cruises

Port guide: Edinburgh, UK

Scotland’s capital is quirky, history-filled and austerely beautiful, but you’ll have to plan ahead to make the most of your cruise time.

Brian Johnston

Lerwick harbour plays host to cruise visitors.

Beach and island holidays

How a grisly TV show put these beautiful, remote islands on the map

Scotland’s Shetland Islands have a unique, windswept beauty that has little in common with the popular BBC crime series.

Sue Williams

No monsters, but this tourist-free loch is the one you should visit

Loch Ness and its mythological sea monster hogs the limelight, but Scotland has about 30,000 other lochs. And it’s Loch Tay that keeps pulling me back.

Steve McKenna

At Laggan Locks, at the head of Loch Lochy, the Caledonian Canal performs its greatest trick.

Adventure holidays

On this great walk, my accommodation follows me along

The 125-kilometre Great Glen Way (GGW) is Scotland’s version of a coast-to-coast walk, following a string of lochs, connected by a 19th century canal.