An extraordinary symphony in grey, almost everything in Aberdeen is built of granite - even the roads. When drenched with sun and rain, the silvery stone has a fairy-tale shine; when under a cloud and wrapped in a chill wind it can be a wee bit depressing.

Brimming with civic pride, Aberdeen services one of the world's largest offshore oilfields. Its already large population is mixed with multinational oil workers and a vital student population - a heady mix! An evocative fish market and important maritime museum cluster around the busy harbour.

The Highland resort town of Aviemore is the stepping-off point for the hiking and skiing paradise of the Cairngorm Mountains. Lying on the only arctic plateau in Britain, the area attracts rare animals such as pine marten, wildcat, red squirrel, osprey (particularly around the Boat of Garten) and deer.

Fishing for salmon is popular in the pure mountain water of the River Spey and surrounding lochs, while the Rothiemurchus Estate and Glenmore Forest Park preserve acres of pine and spruce, with guided walks and trails and a range of water sports.

Edinburgh is unique among Scotland's cities. Tourism, its proximity to England, and its multicultural population set it apart. There's up-to-the-nanosecond dance clubs in 15th-century buildings and firebreathers outside Georgian mansions: this is a place that knows how to blend ancient and modern.

As dark, dramatic and incorrigibly romantic as a Pre-Raphaelite landscape, Edinburgh castle lords it over the city, letting loose a daily blast of cannon to remind you who's boss. Wind your way along the Royal Mile, losing yourself amongst a riddle of closes, vaults, tunnels and old-town tenements.

Glasgow is the most Scottish of cities, with a unique blend of friendliness, urban chaos, black humour and energy. It boasts excellent art galleries and museums, as well as numerous good-value restaurants, countless pubs and bars and a rollicking arts scene.

Just as Gaudí's creative visions dominate Barcelona, the elegance of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Art Nouveau aesthetic pervades Glasgow. But the gracious east is only one side of the city; don't forget to take a stroll through the more rambunctious west end.

The Inner Hebrides, off the western coast of Scotland, are the country's most bewitching islands; they have tourist-baiting tartanish names like 'Mull' and 'Skye'. And lots of smoky, single-malt whisky. And Celtic crosses. And places called 'Finlaggan' and 'Laphroaig'. Och! Tae me hame, Hamish.

Jura lies near the coast of Strathclyde, yet it is magnificently wild and lonely, with desolate walks and heaving mountains. Islay is the most southerly of the Inner Hebridean islands, and is best known for its single-malt whisky. Castle ruins and over 250 species of birds add to its attractions.

When the sun manages to tear a hole through the clouds, this is one of Scotland's most fascinating and enjoyable towns to explore. Nestled into a wide sweeping bay, St Andrews combines an international student population with those bonded by their reverence for belting little white balls with a stick.

Touched with a gentle dignity, St Andrews also has a surprisingly intact medieval layout: dramatic ruins which evoke a sense of just how deeply its historical roots are embedded in Fife's sandy soils. The town's multicultural appeal ensures a thriving pub and cafe scene, and dining out is second to none in this part of the country. It's home to an ancient university where wealthy English undergrads rub shoulders with Scottish theology students.