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Sitting in the cold North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Norway, the Faroe Islands are certainly off the beaten path. Indeed, their surreal and colossal landscapes possess a transcendent, dreamlike quality. One of the best places to experience the Faroes' staggering sense of wonder is a spot just off the coast of Vágar, one of the archipelago's 18 islands. The islet of Tindhólmur is indeed spectacular, even by the Faroes' high standards: Its shape appears sculpted by a giant cleaver and it boasts not one, but five serrated peaks. The island is uninhabited and privately owned, so visitors need permission, a hired guide, and a sturdy boat to reach this otherworldly locale.

This hearty cattle breed developed, mainly by natural selection, in the wet and windy weather of the Scottish Highlands and Western Isles. Even frosty blasts of air have little effect on Highland cattle thanks to their unusual coats: The long-haired outer layer is oily, so rain and snow spill right off, keeping the fluffier undercoat dry and toasty against the skin. The original Highland Cattle Herd Book, which recorded Highland cattle pedigrees, dates to 1885, making Highlanders the oldest registered cattle breed in the world.Farmers used to keep their Highland cattle in open-air stone shelters called folds, and that name stuck to these hairy bovines—a group of Highlanders is called a fold, not a herd. Today, you can find Highland folds all over the world, as far north as Alaska and Scandinavia, and down south to Australia.

When the mist clears from this most westerly point on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, Neist Point Lighthouse makes a fine exclamation point. It’s perched on the farthest reach of the rugged Duirinish peninsula and is a good place to finish an extraordinarily scenic walk. Good weather helps: Even though the path down the point is only a little over a mile long and well-marked, the weather isn’t always as calm as it appears here. Rain and wind frequently lash the headland and make the going a little rough, to say the least.The lighthouse had keepers living on site between 1909 (when it was first lit) and 1990 (when it was automated). We’re guessing they fired up the hearth and hunkered down during storms.

Scenic Lake Como in Italy’s Lombardy region is where the rich and famous come to play. The lavish historic villas are home to an increasingly well-heeled cosmopolitan set, including a number of celebrities. Our image features the shoreline promenade of Bellagio at twilight. Situated at the end of a promontory, and with spectacular views of the lake and the Italian Alps, the municipality of Bellagio has been a hot destination from the time of the Romans, through the Renaissance and the Romantics, and then down through to the present day.Luckily, the lakefront, as well as the majority of the villages and towns farther inland, have maintained their historic charm. Although on the tourism radar, Bellagio hasn't been spoiled by crass commercialism—this place still glows with timeless Lake Como style.

Zion National Park is located in southern Utah, near the Nevada and Arizona borders. The canyon that runs through Zion National Park is the park's main attraction. With a depth of 2,000 feet, Zion Canyon provides trekking chances along its floor in the 20 to 30-foot wide portion known as The Narrows and the difficult area known as The Subway. Swimming is also permitted in this section of the Virgin River. Natural rock arches are another breathtaking aspect of Zion. Crawford and Kolob are two of the most notable.