Scotland's Hidden Landscapes - The Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland to Bergen

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the UK. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's West Central Lowlands. It is a friendly, bustling town with imposing 19th C buildings, vibrant theatre life, the most talked-about independent music scene outside the USA, and the city's buses and metro system make it easy to explore. Read more about Glasgow, Great Britain

The Isle of Islay - pronounced ‘eye-la’ – is the southernmost of the 35 islands of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. It is known as "The Queen of the Hebrides". Today one quarter of its 3000 inhabitants speak Scottish Gaelic. Read more about Isle of Islay, Great Britain

The tiny uninhabited Staffa Island, aka Pillar Island, famous for its fascinating pillar- like rock formations, lies in the inner Hebrides, Scotland. With its coastline displaying columnar basalt such as those on Am Buchaille, amazing sea cliffs, The Colonnade perhaps being the most outstanding, makes the effort of visiting - the island lacks a genuine anchorage - extremely worthwhile. Read more about Staffa Island, Great Britain

Stornoway is an attractive town and the administrative centre of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The shape of the town is defined by the harbour, and is home to a beautiful, rugged landscape of rolling grassy hills and crinkly inlets of the sea. Take a leisurely stroll round the harbour and see everything from the ferries to cargo boats and small visiting yachts, as the harbour is definitely an asset to the town. Read more about Stornoway, Great Britain

The largest town in the Orkney Islands, known for its historic cathedral, St Magnus Cathedral, and traditional stone houses. Kirkwall is rich in Viking heritage and coastal beauty. Read more about Kirkwall, Great Britain

Read more about Westray, Great Britain

Fair Isle is a small island in northern Scotland, lying around halfway between mainland Shetland and the Orkney islands. It is famous for its bird observatory and a traditional style of knitting. The permanent bird observatory was founded in 1948, because of its importance as a bird migration watchpoint and many rare species of bird have been found here. Read more about Fair Isle, Great Britain

Lerwick is the capital and main port of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, located more than 160 km off the north coast of mainland Great Britain. Open to shipping in all weathers, it operates around-the-clock. Lerwick has strong ties with Scandinavian countries, particularly Norway, and this is reflected in the street names of the port. Read more about Lerwick, Great Britain

Bergen, the second largest city in Norway, is located in the county of Hordaland on the SW coast of Norway. Surrounded by seven mountains, Bergen is the starting point for fjord tours and cruises as it is located midway between the main Sognefjord and the Hardangerfjord. The city was one of nine European cities honoured with the title of European Capital of Culture in the Millennium year. Read more about Bergen, Norway