Kyle of Lochalsh

Scotland's most famous bridge connection point sits where three sea lochs converge, creating one of the Highlands' most strategically important crossings. Kyle of Lochalsh feels like a frontier town - cars queue for the Skye Bridge while walkers stride purposefully towards ferries and trains. The West Highland Railway terminates here after one of Britain's most spectacular journeys, and you can almost taste the salt air mixed with diesel fumes.

From the lookout to Eilean Donan Castle, you'll snap the same shot that graces a thousand shortbread tins, but the view never gets old. The castle sits on its island like something from a fairy tale, though the crowds can be mental in summer. Better to climb Beinn a' Chùirn for proper solitude and cracking views across to Skye's jagged peaks.

The surrounding landscape is proper Highland drama. Coille na Totaig offers woodland walks when the weather turns, while the train stations at Plockton and Stromeferry connect you to some of Scotland's most remote corners. Plockton, just down the line, feels like a Mediterranean village that got lost and ended up in the Highlands - palm trees and all.

Getting here is half the adventure. The West Highland Line from Glasgow takes five hours but it's the journey, not the destination. By car, it's three hours from Inverness via some seriously winding single-track roads.

Staying at nearby Reraig Caravan & Camping Skye or Glenshiel Campsite puts you right in the thick of it. You can walk to the bridge, catch early ferries to the islands, and use Kyle as your base for island-hopping without the Skye accommodation prices. The town might be small, but it's the perfect launching pad for Highland adventures.