Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland

© Fortunato Gatto/eStock Phot

Reflecting its stylish past today. Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland

Fairy-tale castle? Check. Stunning Scottish backdrop? Check. Calm, tranquil loch? Check. If Tigh Mor looks idyllic to you, you're not alone. Queen Victoria spent time here in its heyday, and though the old hotel (it was built in 1849) declined over the years, a multimillion-dollar restoration has brought it right back to its former glory.

Tigh Mor sits above Loch Achray in Scotland's Trossachs, a region with scenery so stunning it draws artists and painters like moths to a flame. Writers are also inspired by its beauty: Way back in the early 1800s Sir Walter Scott's poem 'The Lady of the Lake' and novel 'Rob Roy' stirred interest in visiting this area of wooded glens, braes, and waterways called 'the Trossachs.'

Today many visitors hike or bike the Trossachs Trail, a beautiful 40-mile 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. More of a water person? The Trossachs are also great for canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, swimming, and fishing on rivers and lochs aplenty.