ONE of Scotland’s most unique landscapes has been named a must-visit destination this year.
The New York Times has released its annual 52 Places to Travel 2025.
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And the incredible Flow Country, in Caithness and Sutherland, has been tipped in the top 20.
The area is a vast expanse of bogs with an interlinked pool systems, making it rife with native Scots creatures and plantlife.
Explaining how they chose the stunning area as number 20 on the ranking, they said: “The Flow Country, a vast peatland in northern Scotland, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in July.
“Yes, a bog system has joined the ranks of the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef. But it’s not just any bog.
“The first peatland to earn the recognition, it is one of the world’s biggest carbon stores, which makes it key to the fight against climate change.”
The title’s travel editors say the area is home to diverse wildlife where some visitors go to volunteer.
But it’s also a beautiful place to walk or cycle between viewpoints as well as being home to museums and visitor centres.
They warn: “Still, get ready for ruggedness. It is far from almost anywhere and not yet set up for mass tourism.
“Lean into the wildness. It’s probably why you came.“
A dedicated website tells visitors all they need to know about the area from how to get there by rail or road, interesting points to visit, how to plan walks and what to look out for.
‘Jane Austen’s England‘, meanwhile, took the number one spot on this year’s list.
This year celebrates the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. The author lived in Bath while writing many of her novels (although her actual birthplace was Steventon in North Hampshire).
Bath has revealed a number of events this year to celebrate including the Jane Austen Country Fair in July.
New York Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2025
- Jane Austen’s England
- Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
- New York City Museums
- Assam, India
- ‘White Lotus’ Thailand
- Greenland
- Aix-en-Provence, France
- Sun Valley, Idaho
- Lumbini, Nepal
- Sydney, Australia
- Coimbra, Portugal
- Angola
- Hamburg, Germany
- Nicaragua
- Dolomite Mountains, Italy
- Asheville, N.C.
- Magdalena River, Colombia
- Los Cabos, Mexico
- Alishan, Taiwan
- Flow Country, Scotland
- Kristiansand, Norway
- Bukhara, Uzbekistan
- Lexington and Concord, Mass.
- Canfranc, Spain
- Benin City, Nigeria
- Amsterdam
- New Orleans
- Raja Ampat, Indonesia
- Delphi, Greece
- Toyama, Japan
- French Basque Country
- Kilifi, Kenya
- British Virgin Islands
- Lofoten Islands, Norway
- East London
- Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden
- Kutaisi, Georgia
- Osaka, Japan
- Detroit
- Trent-Severn Waterway, Ontario
- Montserrat, Spain
- Western Australia
- Washington, D.C.
- Nangma Valley, Pakistan
- Sicily Divide Cycle Route
- Ollantaytambo, Peru
- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Huangshan, China
- Milan
- Bulgaria
- Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Montserrat, the Caribbean
Meanwhile, there will be a Persuasion ball on May 31, followed by a Sanditon ball on June 28 and a birthday ball on December 13.
Meanwhile, the New York Times list also names some other incredible places around the world to visit in 2025 from the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador and ‘White Lotus’ Thailand to Greenland and Hamburg.
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