They are all this, of course, and much more besides. Capital of the Highlands and the only major urban centre in the region, Inverness is an obvious springboard for exploring more remote areas - north to Cape Wrath, at the very northwest tip of the mainland, with its sheer cliffs and sand-filled bays bearing the brunt of frequently fierce Atlantic storms; south to the beautiful expanses of Glen Coe via the Great Glen; or west to the remote and tranquil Ardnamurchan peninsula with the beautiful 'Road to the Isles' running to Mallaig and Skye beyond. Skye is one of the most popular holiday spots in Scotland and is famed for the peaks of the Cuillins and the bizarre rock formations of the Trotternish peninsula.