My favourite new destinations of 2023

In 2023, I moved to a new city, more precisely to Aberdeen in Scotland! I was excited for a more stationary life with full-time studies, but of course, as always, I had a busy summer with lots of travels in between terms. And during term, despite being busy, I found quite a lot of time to explore Scotland! However, just like last year, I didn’t visit any new countries, but I did visit a US state that had long been a dream destination of mine – Alaska!

In 2015, my favourites included Norway’s Oslo, Spain’s Girona and Poland. In 2016, some of my favourites were Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, Italy’s Bergamo and the island of Møn in Denmark. In 2017, some of my favourites were Iran’s Kandovan, Luxembourg City and Braslav Lakes in Belarus. In 2018, my favourites included Russia’s Moscow, Mycenae in Greece and Peru’s Islas Ballestas. In 2019, my favourites included Scotland’s Edinburgh, Chelyabinsk in Russia and Portugal’s Sintra. In 2020, some of my favourites were the Uists in Scotland, Germany’s part of the Alps and Víkar in the Faroe Islands. In 2021, I loved places like Albuen in Denmark, Georgia’s Tbilisi Norway’s Stavanger. And in 2022, my favourites included Liège in Belgium, Poland’s Jelenia Gora and Lake Lucerne in Switzerland.

I travelled through nine countries in 2023, and while none of them were new to me, I did visit many new places, especially in Scotland and Canada! Below is a list of my favourite new destinations of 2023 in chronological order, including only those that I visited for the first time. This means that places like Bergen, Amsterdam, Flensburg, and most places I visited in the Faroes are excluded.

Aberdeen, Scotland

Aberdeen is an ugly city, but somehow, it still made it to this list! Maybe I’m biased because I lived there all year, or maybe Aberdeen really has some beauty in between all the grey.

Although I would urge anyone to steer clear of the city centre, there are certain places that I adore and would recommend visiting if you’re travelling in this part of Scotland. These include the 15th-century university buildings, the historic Brig o’ Balgownie with its picturesque cottown, the beach promenade at sunrise, the old fishing village of Footdee and the beautiful Seaton Park.

Cairngorms National Park, Scotland

A few hours by bus from Aberdeen is Cairngorms National Park, which is the largest national park in the whole of the UK. It’s home to countless castles, lakes and mountains, including some of the highest in the UK.

Knowing where to go in the Cairngorms is not easy as there are literally hiking trails everywhere, but I would recommend starting in Braemar, mainly because it’s the cutest little town. It’s also right at the base of several of the highest mountains and near some of the prettiest lakes such as Loch Callater and Loch Muick, both of which are reachable by long but easy hikes!

Isle of Kerrera, Inner Hebrides, Scotland

In 2023, I managed to visit thirteen new Scottish islands, and of all of those, Kerrera was a clear favourite. In fact, it quickly became my all-time second favourite after Raasay!

I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that I love so much about Kerrera, but there is something about the small population, spread-out crofts and total tranquility that I just adore. And as you can see on the pictures below, the island is absolutely stunning. It’s a mystery to me how it’s one of the least known islands in Scotland!

Isle of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland

Another island in the Inner Hebrides that is often overlooked is Lismore, a long and relatively flat paradise with the most gorgeous views to Kerrera, Mull and the mountains on the Scottish mainland.

I love that Lismore is very walkable and has an abundance of archaeological sites and cute little villages, my favourite being Port Ramsay on the northwest coast!

Isle of Rousay, Orkney, Scotland

Of the thirteen Scottish islands I visited in 2023, ten of them were on Orkney as part of a field trip and then a five-day roadtrip with a friend. While the “mainland” didn’t really impress me except for its amazing archaeological sites, I really loved Rousay.

Rousay is a small island with just one road but it is packed with archaeological sites including some of the best preserved Neolithic chambered cairns, and it is naturally gorgeous as well. I also loved the small communities and felt right at home at a pub quiz at the only pub on the island!