View of the shimmering shore - and mud - in Auchencairn.

Kirkcudbright - The Venice of Scotland
Don't trot out your Gucci or designer Gortex in Kirkcudbright, Scotland. Chunky cable-knit sweaters, worn blue jeans and wind-tousled hair are the norm in here, a casual chic attitude shared by the artists, the fishers, the hikers...just about everyone, really. The village, tucked into the balmy coves of the southern coast, is that sort of place: a seaside resort untarnished by plastic, neon and tourist traps. [Review]