A man has shared that if you’re looking for some gorgeous locations to explore this year, especially while the UK experiences some stunning weather, then you may want to skip getting on a plane and instead, visit Scotland.
Chris Lawlor shared five amazing locations on TikTok that you may have never seen before. Once you’ve seen his video, you’ll be desperate to visit each one.
1. Whaligoe Steps, Caithness
Chris said: “Did you know that in Scotland, there is a staircase, on the side of a cliff, made up of 365 stone steps that zigzag down to what used to be an old harbour”.
He said that it feels like “something from Game of Thrones” when you’re there, and we’d be inclined to agree.
The Whaligoe Steps are located just south of the town of WIck in Caithness, on Scotland’s most northeasterly coast.
2. Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, Isle of Lewis
Next up, he said: “Did you know that in Scotland, there is an old village frozen in time on the coast of an island acting as a living museum? As you walk through the doors, you can use a wee map to explore a different time”.
Gearrannan Blackhouse Village is a seaside village built in the 1800s on the Atlantic coast of the Isle of Lewis. There are nine restored traditional blackhouse cottages.
3. Gateway, Edinburgh
The third place he spoke about was a “unique outdoor swimming pool,” and it’s near Edinburgh. It’s “made up of over 11,000 hand-painted Portuguese tiles, providing a rare experience”.
He said: “This is called Gateway, within the grounds of Jupiter Artland”.
Gateway is an artwork integraated within a fully functioning swimming pool and landscaped garden. It can be found at the Jupiter Land open air sculpture garden, and was designed by artist Joana Vasconcelos.
4. Cramond Island, Edinburgh
Chris continued: “Did you know that in Scotland, there is a concrete path hidden beneath the sea, near Edinburgh, that appears twice per day, leading to an island where you will discover old military buildings, runes reclaimed by nature, and breathtaking views of the surrounding areas?
“But to reach Cramond Island, cross the causeway two hours before low tide, walking along a line of concrete pillars during the safe times that are found online”.
Cramond Island is one of the several islands in the Firth of Forth in eastern Scotland, near Edinburgh.
It’s important that if you do decide to do this, you do go during safe hours, otherwise you will get stranded on the island.
5. Forvie Nature Reserve, Aberdeenshire
The final place Chris shared is a “desert-like landscape” that is “constantly changing due to the shifting sands”. There’s a “lost village buried beneath it where the ruins of an ancient church still remain at the Forvie Sands Nature Reserve”.
He described the area as a “haven for wildlife,” but he warned that from April to August, you need to “take extra care, following signs to protect breeding birds”.
Chris also said that you need to give the seals “sufficient space” too.
Forvie Nature Reserve covers almost 1,000 hectares of sand dunes between the North Sea and the estuary of the River Ythan in Aberdeenshire.
In the comments, people claimed that they’ve “never heard” of these places before, admiring their beauty, saying that they want to go “ASAP”.
“I spent three weeks there and barely scratched the surface. A stunning country,” someone praised.