Tigh Mor Trossachs, Loch Achray, Scotland

© Fortunato Gatto/eStock Phot

Loch Achray, Scotland

Tigh Mor sits above Loch Achray in Scotland's Trossachs, a region with scenery so stunning it attracts artists and painters. Writers are also inspired by its beauty: In the early 1800s Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake and novel Rob Roy created interest in visiting this area of wooded glens, braes and waterways called Trossachs. Queen Victoria also spent time here, and though the old hotel (it was built in 1849) declined over the years, a multimillion-dollar refurbishment has restored its beauty.

Today many visitors hike or bike the Trossachs Trail, a beautiful 66-kilometre route that starts at Loch Lomond and winds along rivers and through woods, offering family-friendly adventures as well as challenges for mountain bikers and rock-climbers. Prefer the water? The Trossachs are also great for canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, swimming and fishing on rivers and lochs.