Scotland's greatest views revealed

Ben A'an is not a huge climb at a smidgen under 1500ft and is easily manageable by most age groups. Because of its situation at the head of Loch Katrine it offers unparalleled views of the loch which inspired Sir Walter Scott, as well as providing Glasgow with its drinking water.

Starting off at the car park on the Duke's Pass near Brig O'Turk, a good, new path offers an easy climb through the trees following a burn. Finally the trees give way to a clearing at the base of the summit.

The last bit up the rocky summit is quite steep and care must be taken but, turning the corner at the top, the loch suddenly stretches out before you with the Arrochar Alps in the near distance. An obligatory selfie at the top is a must.

Pit stop: The Steamship cafe at Loch Katrine offers fabulous ice cream if it's warm or the Byre Inn in Brig O'Turk.

ALAN SIMPSON

THE COMMANDO MEMORIAL SPEAN BRIDGE, LOCHABER

What makes it so special? Enjoy a moment's pause at the moving A-listed monument to fallen Second World War soldiers, then sit on the grass and take in panoramic views of the highest mountain in the British Isles.

It is rare that the three soldiers gazing steadfastly into the distance are alone. The bronze tribute to the men who trained in the surrounding heather-filled lands is a popular stopping point for tourist buses, walkers and local people.

The statue is spectacular enough in itself but on a clear day affords a perfect view of Ben Nevis and her neighbours including Aonach Mor.

Don't be put off by bad weather, the mountainous landscape is no less rewarding in rain, wind or snow. If I look to the right the croft my mother grew up in, Achnahannet, is visible in the distance and I think of her looking out to this view every day.

Pit stop: In the summer months, the four-star Old Pines hotel and restaurant is a five-minute walk from the monument for home-made scones and coffee.

Spean Bridge is a mile away, downhill and the Edinburgh Woollen Mill cafe is a safe bet, or enjoy lunch in the atmospheric station restaurant.

CAROLINE WILSON

FROM THE CATHKIN BRAES (A749) OVER GLASGOW

What makes it so special? A breathtaking sight of a city, laid out before you.

There are several ways to travel from my home town into Glasgow, but my favourite has always been the long descent of the A749, with its panoramic views over the city to the Campsie Hills (and that wee sticky-out bit, Dumgoyne) beyond.

It's like a neatly organised model town, sometimes tinged with the pink of an early sunrise, sometimes drenched in driving rain. On a clear day, you can spot landmarks like the football grounds, the Science Centre tower and the giant pink People Make Glasgow sign on City of Glasgow College.

I can still remember the thrill of seeing this view from the bus on my way to university and the nerves when I took part of my driving test here. Now it is part of my commute to a job I love in a city I adore.

Pit stop: Driving means only the briefest of times to see the view – pop in to beautiful Cathkin Braes Country Park if you want to linger longer, and take a picnic.

ANN FOTHERINGHAM

THE VIEW FROM THE LODGE VISITOR CENTRE, QUEEN ELIZABETH FOREST PARK

What makes it so special? A well-earned reward after a hike.

Best enjoyed with a tub of Mackies ice cream after finishing a two-hour plus trek through the park.

The Lime Craig Trail goes along the Highland Boundary Fault, offering further views over the Carse of Stirling. After a drive up the hill from Aberfoyle, it's an easy way to feel on top of the world.

Nearby waterfall makes ideal jacuzzi for muddy dogs btw.

Pit stop: Pricey cafe in visitor centre. Other coffee shops and Co-op in Aberfoyle.

ALISON ROWAT

ARTHUR'S SEAT, EDINBURGH

What makes it so special? It feels like a proper mountain in the middle of a city, from which you can see it all – the castle, the parliament, the sea, the bridges, the long stretch of the East Lothian coast.

Edinburgh is a city of many views, but the best of them all – the pilgrimage spot for tourists and locals – is the trig point on the top of this extinct volcano.

READ MORE: Scotland's favourite beaches: Part 1

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It's a rare day when there isn't a line of walkers, perched up there like birds. It's a moderate hike, but it delivers massive reward, and a sense of being high above it all, while looking down on all the hustle and bustle.

Pit stop: Head down the south-east side of the hill for a slap-up pub lunch at The Sheep Heid Inn by Duddingston Loch.

VICKY ALLAN

IONA VIEWED FROM MULL

What makes it so special? With its famous ancient abbey and its back story as the focal point for the spread of Christianity in Scotland and beyond, nobody needs persuading that the island of Iona is special.

The abbey itself is wonderful, of course, but viewing it from Fionnphort, the Mull clachan from where you make the short ferry crossing, is an equally splendid experience.

It's partly down to the sense of anticipation – as true for returnees as it is first-time visitors – but it's also the sheer drama created by the setting and the endlessly changing Hebridean weather. This traveller has never visited Iona and not seen a rainbow at some point during the visit.

Pit stop: Check out The Creel Seafood Bar, a shack in the car park by the ferry slipway which sells delicious crab sandwiches.

BARRY DIDCOCK

THE OCHILS

What makes it so special? It's personal.

Summers 1983-86. July and August I spent in Northern Ireland, thinking about the girl and willing September on. It came slow. When it did I'd jump on a train to Belfast and three more (and one ferry) later, just after Larbert, the land would open out and the Ochils came into view.

The sight of them meant I was close to her again. I still get the same thrill when I see them now, more than 30 years later. And I think of all the constants in my life – trains and love and the Ochils – and I wish I could have them for 30 years more.

Pit stop: You don't actually have to go the Ochils to enjoy the view but if you do the Cafe des Fleurs, Bridge Street, Dollar, offers great home-made cakes.

TEDDY JAMIESON

THE VIEW FROM A MOTORCYCLE HELMET VISOR

What makes it so special? There's a reason that motorcyclists from all over Europe flock to Scotland – and it's not for the weather or our sunny dispositions. It's the roads and the views. My favourite is swooping down the A832 towards Loch Maree in Wester Ross, its dozens of islands sparkling like gems set in the deep blue of the water. A view that is never the same twice, as clouds scud across the sky and cast their shadows like secrets.

Pit stop: It's 30 minutes away (if the roads are campervan-free) but The Torridon has a relaxed inn just round the corner from the fancy main hotel, which is ideal for walkers, climbers, cyclists, motorcyclists and other scruffy types. Try the smoked salmon or the steak and ale pie.

GARRY SCOTT

ST ANDREWS FROM THE SCORES

What makes it so special? Is there a more beautiful road than The Scores in St Andrews?

Starting at the ancient, ruined cathedral, once the headquarters of the Roman Catholic church in Scotland, a walk west along it affords wonderful views of other historical landmarks including St Andrews Castle and the buildings of the country's oldest university. By the time it meets Golf Place, you'll be admiring unparalleled views of the North Sea, the West Sands and the home of golf, the Old Course.

Pit stop: The classic cream tea – complete with scones and custard tarts – at Hotel Du Vin a delight.

MARIANNE TAYLOR

THE TOP OF BENNACHIE IN ABERDEENSHIRE

What makes it so special? It's only two hours to the top of the hill and back. The reward is one of the most exhilarating views in Scotland.

Standing on 1800ft of granite is always going to give you a good view, but this is one of the best. Bennachie is not high (its mountain friends look down on it as a hill) but what makes the view from the top worth the climb is the fact the countryside all around is so flat and you can see so far.

READ MORE: Scotland's greatest drives: Part 1

READ MORE: Scotland's greatest drives: Part 2

Look there for the Cairngorms, and there for Lochnagar, and there for Mount Keen and over there is Aberdeen and the cold sea.

Pit stop: The Bennachie Visitor Centre – which is a good place to start and finish your walk to the top – has top coffee and sandwiches.

MARK SMITH

SOUND OF SLEAT, SKYE

What makes it so special? The view is ever-changing depending on the weather.

Skye's famed Fairy Pools, Quiraing and Old Man of Storr may dazzle, but one of the best views on the island is gazing across the Sound of Sleat towards the mountains of Glenelg, Loch Hourn and the Knoydart peninsula. I've spent many a happy hour watching golden shards of sunlight dance atop the rippling water or thick veils of dark rain clouds sweep past. Boats flit to-and-fro, fishing vessels and pleasure craft alike, and sometimes you can see the bobbing heads of playful seals.

Pit stop: Have a wander round Isleornsay, a village just off the A851, where the Hotel Eilean Iarmain serves up hearty bar meals.

SUSAN SWARBRICK

BINNY CRAIG, NEAR ECCLESMACHAN, WEST LOTHIAN

What makes it so special? If you squint your eyes, it looks like a lion's head.

I could see Binny Craig from my childhood bedroom and took advantage of its steep slopes for fun-filled afternoons spent sledging on snowy days.

It is an impressive example of a "crag-and-tail" landform, a legacy from the last ice age, with its "crag" of hard rock facing west and sloping "tail" of sedimentary rock and fertile farmland to the east. From the top, there are panoramic views across the Firth of Forth to the Ochils as well as surrounding West Lothian and the Pentland Hills.

Pit stop: It's less than a 10-minute drive to the Hideaway Cafe at Beecraigs Country Park.

SUSAN SWARBRICK

OSSIAN'S HALL, THE HERMITAGE, PERTHSHIRE

What makes it so special? A thundering waterfall.

The woodland trails and riverside walks that form The Hermitage are well-trodden by everyone from Queen Victoria to the poet William Wordsworth and the artist

J M W Turner. Among its gems is Ossian's Hall, a folly with sliding panels, a secret handle and mirrored artwork, that offers dramatic views over the thundering Black Linn Falls. It may not be the highest in Scotland – that honour goes to Eas a' Chual Aluinn in Assynt, Sutherland – but it is certainly photogenic.

Pit stop: Pop into nearby Dunkeld where there's a clutch of excellent cafes and bakeries.

SUSAN SWARBRICK

INEOS REFINERY AT NIGHT, GRANGEMOUTH, FALKIRK

What makes it so special? It glows like a flaming forest and, one of the biggest refineries of its kind in Europe, is a gigantic, sprawling symbol of our fossil fuel era.

There are few views more dazzling than that of the Grangemouth Ineos petrochemical refinery at night, a glaring, savage garden of cooling towers, chimneys and pipes, so luminescent it makes the sky glow red. For lovers of an industrial panorama, it's magnificent.

Yet in these times of climate emergency, that brilliance is also chilling. Best seen from Polmont ski centre or from across the Forth at Culross, it's an icon of our times – of industry, the Anthropocene, consumption and need, and also of past optimism.

It symbolises jobs, energy, industrial disputes. It's 70% of the fuel in Scotland's filling stations. But it also feels as if it is already, certainly should be in a post-carbon future, something that belongs to the past, even as it belches out its beautiful haze of smoke and light.

Pit stop: The Abbotsinch pub is the ideal spot for a nearby pint – and plate of pub food. Or, if you'd kill for a square sausage breakfast, try the Rumbling Tum food truck.

VICKY ALLAN

ROBIN RIGG WINDFARM FROM SCREEL HILL, DALBEATTIE

What makes it so special? It was Scotland's first offshore windfarm, those white turbines a symbol of a greener, zero carbon future.

The Solway Firth, seen from the ridge of Screel Hill, is a thing of loveliness in itself, and the Cumbrian stretch of the coastline has even been declared an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Whether you think it's enhanced by the elegant flock of 60 white spindles, that seem posed like tall waders, probably depends on how you feel about wind farms – and they are certainly not without controversy.

READ MORE: Scotland's favourite gentle strolls: Part 1

READ MORE: Scotland's favourite gentle strolls: Part 2

Such turbines, however, are now a familiar feature in our Scottish landscape, and set to be still more so. The UK Climate Change committee have said we need to quadruple their number in the UK to help hit emissions targets.

Last month saw 84 turbine Beatrice, an offshore farm twice Robin Rigg's size, opened off Caithness. But, as turbine views go, it's hard to beat the wonder of Robin Rigg.

Pit stop: Refuel on indulgent home-baked cakes down to Treats And Eats tearoom at Colvend.

VICKY ALLAN

GRAVEYARD AT CHURCH OF THE HOLY RUDE, ST JOHN STREET, STIRLING

What makes it so special? A walk round Stirling's Old Town is always a pleasant way to while away a couple of hours.

There's the castle, of course, with its long and colourful history (its oldest surviving part dates to 1381) and among the many striking buildings nearby is the Church of the Holy Rude, Stirling's second oldest building after the castle. The infant King James VI was crowned there in 1567.

The church has an evocative graveyard, in the middle of which stands a little rise, complete with a bench: and it's here, on a clear day particularly, that there are some stunning, uninterrupted views – of the castle, rearing up to your right, and below and in front of you, scenic plains and distant hills across Stirlingshire and up to the Trossachs.

It's the sort of view you could lose yourself in for ages, and it makes you realise just how visually striking Scotland is. (Equally commanding views can be had from the top of the Wallace Monument, across town).

Pit stop: There are various cafes and restaurants in the streets nearby.

RUSSELL LEADBETTER

CULLEN BAY FROM THE OLD RAILWAY BRIDGE.

What makes it so special? The view is very deceptive as the road into Cullen offers no clue of the stunning vista below.

Driving down the main street, the only view is an old railway bridge until you turn left and the wide sweeping bay opens out before you.

The tiled roofs of the brightly-coloured traditional fishing cottages of the sea town roll out ahead of you before the golden sands of the glorious crescent beach. A walk on the beach is a must with a very good chance to spot dolphins along the way.

Pit stop: Cullen ice cream shop for arguably the best in Scotland. The Cullen Bay hotel, home of the world famous Cullen skink soup with great views of the bay below.

ALAN SIMPSON

THE SMALL ISLES FROM THE SANDS OF MORAR

What makes it so special? Best enjoyed on a seat with something cold.

The white sandy beaches along the old coast road towards Mallaig are one of the most stunning parts of Scotland. Offering fabulous views of the nearby small isles of Rum, Eigg and Muck, the view is best appreciated on a long summer day as the sun dips behind the islands and bathes the sea and the beaches in glorious colours. The islands seem like they're floating on the still azure waters.

Pit stop: Arisaig hotel for langoustines

ALAN SIMPSON

TAKING OFF FROM EDINBURGH AIRPORT

What makes it so special? It's one of the most famous sights in Scotland and if you are lucky, and it's not rainy, or foggy, or you are on the wrong side of the plane, or the pilot takes a different flight path, then you'll see the Forth Bridge spanning the mighty firth.

From up here, thousands of feet in the air, you'll get an unforgettable view of an epic chunk of Victorian steampunk which was voted Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in 2016 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beats coming in to Glasgow over the Laighpark sewage works any day.

Pit stop: A steward will be along in a moment.

GARRY SCOTT

VICTORIA STREET, EDINBURGH

What makes it so special? Victoria Street is more typical of Prague, say, than the Scottish capital but for the tens of thousands of tourists who wander up and down its stately, curved length it's an Instagram-tastic collection of kooky shops and beguiling, eye-popping perspectives.

Although not as old as the Old Town – or even the New Town: it was built in the early 1800s and originally named Bow Street – it's just as venerated. The street itself is best viewed from Victoria Terrace, which overlooks it, or from the Grassmarket, from where you can look up it.

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Visit on one of Edinburgh's Open Street days, during which the city centre is closed to traffic, and you can even avoid the crowded pavement and walk right up the middle without having to dodge taxis.

Pit stop: A certain JK Rowling used Victoria Street as the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter novel series. Allegedly, anyway: head for the wonderful Bow Bar halfway up on the right and you can argue the toss with the locals.

BARRY DIDCOCK

What's your favourite view in Scotland? Email: letters@theherald.co.uk

TOMORROW: Read part two of Scotland's 40 Greatest Views in the Herald on Sunday