1. Discover your own golden sandy beach

Scotland is home to some of the best beaches in the UK, head to the west coast of the Highlands and visit the islands to discover some of these incredible beaches, you will be blown away by their beauty.

2. Wildlife watching

Scotland’s land, seas and skies are a treasure trove for wildlife enthusiasts. Take a boat trip and discover basking sharks, humpback whales, dolphins and other marine life, or grab a pair of binoculars and scour the skies for eagles, razorbills, red kites and so much more. Not to mention the cute little Shetland ponies and abundance of red deer.

3. Sample some Haggis

Haggis is the national dish of Scotland, a type of pudding composed of liver, heart and lungs of sheep, minced and mixed with beef or mutton and packed into a sheep's stomach before it's boiled. Luckily for me, there was a vegetarian version available, not to mention the haggis flavoured crisps (also suitable for vegetarians!)

4. Visit a whisky distillery

Whether you are a whisky aficionado or not, a trip to a distillery is a must, and you’ll be spoilt for choice. Do a distillery tour, a tasting and learn all about the fine art of scotch making. Some of the distilleries have the most amazing locations.

5. Explore a Scottish castle

From plush luxurious castles with gardens to match, to cliffside castle ruins, you will want to discover more than one.

6. Find some Harry Potter magic

The Glenfinnan Viaduct near Fort William is an iconic Harry Potter location, time your visit so that you can see the Jacobite steam train cross the viaduct or even better take a ride on the Jacobite train yourself. Head here for more information on train times and booking .

7. Get friendly with a Highland cow

These friendly, long horned, shaggy coated creatures are found mainly in the Highlands and Outer Hebrides and they are nothing short of adorable! They are friendly animals but do be aware of the ones with bigger horns.

8. Play a round of golf

Scotland is the birthplace of golf and with 550 golf courses, (that’s more per head of population than anywhere else in the world) you’ll be spoilt for choice. There are world class golf courses in some of the most stunning locations.

9. Take a hike

Explore some of the country’s best landscapes and nature on foot. Scotland is criss-crossed with hiking trails, whether you want to hike for a number of days or just for an hour, you’ll be sure to find something here.

10. Experience the thrill of driving a single track road

The North Coast 500 driving route is Scotland’s answer to Route 66, it also encompasses the Bealach Na Ba Pass, a narrow single track road with the steepest road ascent in the UK, a number of switchbacks, 20% gradients and views to die for.

11. Experience Scottish hospitality in a B&B

The Scots are a friendly bunch and how better to experience this first hand than by staying in a locally run B&B, with the inner glow of knowing that you’re supporting the local community too.

12. See a Scotsman in kilt and bagpipes

The kilt is a symbol of Gaelic identity and seeing a Scotsman adorned in traditional attire and playing the bagpipes is a wonderful experience to witness. (And for those of you interested, 55% of kilt wearers say they wear undergarments, 38% go commando and a further 7% wear shorts, or tights!)

For more ideas of what to do in Scotland and a full 8 day itinerary of driving the North Coast 500 route in the Scottish highlands click here