It’s like a scene straight out of a period drama. Old brick houses with vibrant blooms outside their windows lined the narrow cobblestoned, intricately designed ancient churches stand tall and proud and winding river parts the village in two. The only signs of modernization here are tarred roads and cars, and they look oddly out of place.

The picturesque Dean Village is tucked right in the center of busy Edinburgh, Scotland, offering a tiny spot of oasis with a picture-postcard view. The 800-year old heritage village, known once as “Water of Leith Village”, used to be the center of a prospering grain milling area. At its height, it had almost a dozen working mills, powered by the strong currents of the river that runs through the village.

Today, some of the mills that were used still stand, offering visitors a peek into the past. At the heart of the village is the Well Court. Built in the 1880s, the iconic structure was home to the mill workers. It gives visitors a sense of the architecture of that period and a look into the lives of the villagers then.

Another highlight is the Dean Bridge, which spans the Water of Leith, built on four arches and reaching to a height of 106 feet (32 meters). Designed by Thomas Telford, a noted road, bridge and canal builder and dubbed the “Colossus of Roads”, the Dean Bridge was his last major project, completed when he was 73.

If you’re looking to understand more about the village, there is a Dean Gallery and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art with exhibitions depicting the lives of the villagers during its flourishing days.

How to Get There:

This tranquil village might look a little remote to get to but in reality, it’s only a 10-minute cab ride from the National Museum of Scotland.

Dedicated a couple of hours to explore the village poke your faces into every nook and cranny to find hidden architectural gems.

Tip: Don’t stay for too long, because the village is primarily a residential area, and lacks any restaurant or bathroom facilities.

They look like wizards’ pointed hats from far, jagged cone-shaped mounts blanketed with greenery, soaring as high as over 60 meters. These are the Duncansby Stacks of the most north-easterly part of the Scottish mainland.

You can admire these stacks from the adjacent Duncansby Head, where there’s a Highland Walk that you can take to soak in the picturesque seaside view. The cliffs around the area are a result of eroded red sandstone from the harsh environmental conditions, and its closeness to the sea. The Duncansby Stacks were once part of these cliffs, but the erosion shattered these sandstones and washed away parts of it, with the remaining stubborn structures now protruding from the sea as the Duncansby Stacks, looking as though they have risen from the sea.

Apart from the Great Duncansby Stacks, you’ll be able to come across (depending on what season), a wide range of sea birds like the Puffins, Guillemots, Kittiwakes, Great Skuas, Fulmars and more at the Duncansby Head, which is near John o’ Groats, a popular village, because it’s at one end of the longest distance between two inhabited British points on the mainland, with Land’s End in Cornwall lying 876 miles (1,410 km) to the southwest. However, John o’ Groats isn’t exactly the northerly point on the island of Britain, nearby Dunnet Head, where Duncansby Head is, is further north. But few will make the visit to the extreme end, which is a mere few miles east from the village.

From John o’ Groats, you can easily drive to Duncansby Head (if you choose to walk, its three km per way), where the Dunnet Head lighthouse, built in 18231, is indicative of the start of the Highland Walk. There’s a map you can grab to indicate the different features you’ll encounter during you walk. The sea view is to your left, and you don’t have to walk for long before you encounter the Duncansby Stacks. People typically turn back here, but you can actually venture further, where you might meet more creatures, and definitely more sea.

Tip: wear durable shoes and prepare for funky weather with raincoats. Being so close to the sea means the weather can change almost instantly.

The waters are crystal clear, pooling into a calm stream after cascading down the hurried waterfalls, taking on the different colors of the stream.

These Fairy Pools in the Isle of Skye is a must visit if you’re travelling in Scotland and love a good hike. The pools form part of a stream that runs off the Cuillin mountains southeast of the Glen Brittle Forest. The village nearest to these pools is Carbost on the West of Skye, and it’s around a 10-minute drive from the village. From the carpark, it takes about 20 minutes to reach the first waterfalls where you can start gaping at nature’s wonders. Summer makes a good period to visit; the clear skies results in vivid colors of the pools. Cloudy days turn the pools’ tints a few notches down. If you want to see more splashes of color, Fall season is the best to visit. The rolling hills that serve as the Fairy Pools’ backdrop will explode into warm hues. The best part is when Autumn leaves fall into the stream, creating a kaleidoscope of colors in these Fairy Pools.

Tip: If you wish to have a tranquil time at the pools, visit early to avoid crowds. Mid-morning onwards, the area’s gonna get busy.

Pic Source: Reddit

Its appearance is as mystical as its discovery. A heavy storm in the late 19^th century tore through the aged low cliffs at the cape of the southern tip of Shetland, Scotland, exposing part of an unusual settlement of stone structures.

Excavation works revealed several settlement sites, with the oldest dating back 4,000 years. The earliest structures found were Neolithic houses, followed by a Bronze Age village, Iron Age broch, Norse longhouse and medieval farmstead. Excavation efforts also uncovered many artefacts.

The name, Jarlshof means “Earl’s Mansion”, and was given by Sir Walter in the early 19^th century, when he set part of his novel ‘The Pirate’ in the Old House of Sumburgh.

When you visit, you’ll be able to see the interesting evolution of the settlements here based on the time period.

One of the oval-shaped Bronze Age houses has underground passages attached to it, and are believed to serve as cold stores, while another subterranean cave beneath one of the buildings was for keeping grain dry. Smithing was done here, evidenced by broken moulds of axes, knives, swords and pins. The Iron Age saw the formation of a broch, with only half of it remains today. Standing at 2.4 meters high, it was joined by wheelhouses and a byre.

The most impressive structures in Jarlshof is the Norse settlement, a longhouse used for several generations. Modified and lengthen as time went by, the settlement expanded to include barns and byres. Life revolved around farming, with sheep, pigs and cattle being reared and barley and oats grown. At the turn of the 14^th century, the Norse settlement was rebuilt into a medieval farm, with a farmhouse, barn and corn-drier.

The best way to experience Jarlshof is to start from the earliest Stone Age house, and go from house to house until you reach the newest establishment in the 16^th century.

Jarlshof makes a fascinating site for anyone who wishes to take a walk through history. Have you been to this remarkable archaeological site before?

Tip: to help you get the full experience of the different settlements in Jarlshof, take the free audio guide. Also, stop by at the visitor’s center for the recovered artefacts.