Lonely Planet Scotland's Highlands & Islands: Detailed Itineraries | Travel Like a Local | Insider Tips | Covers West Highland Way, Central Highlands and more

by Joseph Reaney

The hills and glens and wild coastline of Scotland s Highlands and Islands offer the ultimate escape one of the last corners of Europe where you can discover genuine solitude. Neil Wilson, Lonely Planet WriterOur PromiseYou can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authors visit the places we write about, each and every edition. We never accept freebies for positive coverage so you can rely on us to tell it like it is.Inside This Book 1 author53 maps71 islandsCountless scenes of striking beautyInspirational photosClear, easy-to-use mapsDetailed walk routesIn-depth backgroundComprehensive planning toolsEasy-to-read layout

Genres: Travel, Scotland, Nonfiction, Reference

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

Reviews

[Ninaminacat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not good for the west of Mainland Shetland or Yell

If you are planning a more general tour of the Highlands and islands, this book probably works well, since it suggests some of the highlights of the area as a whole. However, as a guide to Shetland, it is quite hit and miss. It makes no reference at all to the Westside of Mainland Shetland and is lacking on the cafes and restaurant in Yell. The ones we tried were excellent and deserving of your custom, so it's a shame the guide doesn't mention any of them. Obviously a guide like this cannot cover everything, but surely it is helpful for visitors to one of the more remote areas to be aware that that there are places to eat during the day and that the restaurant is open on the evening. When it comes to Lerwick, it is useful on both attractions and eateries.

My suggestion is that you either use this book for planning purposes or that you flick through it to check the level of detail on the areas you wish to visit. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, it is also worth a try.

[Mell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, this appears to be identical to the Highlands and Islands portion of the Scotland guide, which is disappointing. It's no more detailed or specific than the nation-wide coverage in the full book.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the 5th edition of February 2021. Good introduction to Scottish history, landscape, and culture in the Highlands and Islands. I like the maps at the beginning of each section and then within the section for some of the towns. I've used Lonely Planet lodging and restaurant suggestions in other parts of the world and found them to be accurate. The ideal travel guide for me would include more on hiking trails, such as a combination of a Falcon Hiking Guide with Lonely Planet. I will pull the hiking info from various park websites.

[Rob Amundson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Scotland travel guide I've read. That said, the only other I have read was Frommers.

I loved Frommers Ireland guide, but their Scotland guide left much to be desired. Lonely Planet did a much better job with Scotland and will check them out again in the future.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

po poo

[Weasel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly good - not completely accurate on some points, lists the most dreaded campsite on Arran, but not the better two, or the museum... - Not good for anyone with pets (the 'pet friendly' picture in the key is not used anywhere in this book, but there are a few entries that specify no dogs allowed) - best for single holiday makers, into walking.

[Susanm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basic, disappointing. Just general stuff, no meat to it. Very unusual for LP.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of great photographs and information about points of interest in Scotland!