The holiday map of the world is changing. Those old favourite destinations aren’t looking so appealing to Scots these days. Terror fears are keeping us away from Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. Following the Nice attack even the French beaches of the Cote d’Azure can make a holiday-goer a little nervous. Plus, with the pound, since last summer's Brexit vote, erratic and weak against the Euro, Brits are looking to new destinations to get more bang for their buck. The flock towards the Balkans began some years ago and continues. Plus there are plenty of beaches and resorts left to explore, and new flight routes opening up all the time. Here’s our list of the emerging hot spots and hitherto secret paradises.

Moldova

In recent times, Moldova has been famed for a few things. One, that this former Soviet republic is the least visited in Europe, attracting only 100,000 visitors per year. Another is that it was dubbed the world’s least happy place in Eric Weiner’s book The Geography Of Bliss – though the recent World Happiness Report had it vaulting up the ranks, ahead of Cyprus, Turkey, Croatia and other popular holiday destinations. It’s also the former wine barrel of the Soviet Union, and the “second booziest” country on the planet.

All these factors, and many more, make it the go-to destination for the adventurous Scot who can’t stand the crowds. Plus, with new flights, by Romanian airlines’ Blue Air from Glasgow to Iasi, in eastern Romania, it’s now just a hop-and-a-skip from there across the nearby border by train. There, it’s possible to discover the Oreiul Vechi monastery, carved into a huge limestone cliff in a wild and rocky spot overlooking the Raut River, plus the capital, Chi?in?u, and the flamboyant eccentricities of Soroca a town which is, architecturally-speaking, the Las Vegas of Moldova, where the local wealthy have built grand homes based on buildings like the Vatican’s St Peter’s Basilica and Moscow’s Bolshoi theatre.

Cíes Islands, Galicia

White sands, turquoise waters, rich marine life, no bikes, no cars – it’s not hard to see why these three islands, off north-west Spain were called the “islands of the Gods” by the Romans and also, more recently, the Galician Caribbean or Seychelles. They remain an unspoilt, pristine treasure partly because a strict limit of 2,200 tourists a day keeps the crowds away. Rodas beach was named, by the Guardian, one of the 10 best beaches in the world. Flights, direct from Glasgow, take you to Vigo, from which the islands are just a ferry-ride away. The only accommodation, though, is a campsite, Camping de las Islas Cíes.

Those not fond of nights under canvas, no matter how idyllic their location, might prefer to head south-west to the old town and beach resort of Viveiro. Galicia is also a Celtic home from home. Ortigueira annually hosts one of the world’s Celtic music festival (from July 13-16 this year). As some Galicians themselves pointed out, in a 2014 letter to David Cameron, there are a lot of similarities: “Scottish pipes: we have our own…Scottish clans, we have plenty of them (caciques are included)… Celtic of Glasgow: we have Celta Vigo… In Galiza it also rains a lot.”

Hvar Island, Croatia

The pleasures of Croatia are no big secret now. Last year it hosted a massive 16.3 million visitors, including a stream of trend-triggering celebrities. And, of all its resorts and destinations, Hvar island, reached by ferry from Split, has, for celebrities had the biggest allure. It was on a Hvar beach that Beyonce revealed her baby bump to the world in 2011. The following year Roman Abramovic parked his super-yacht there. Last year, Bono was raving on Twitter about a Croatian chef’s restaurant just off Hvar.

But star-spotting isn’t really the point is it? Mostly people are flocking there for the UNESCO heritage – it has more sites than any other island in the world, the charm of Hvar town’s car-free streets, its outdoor eateries and its Renaissance cathedral. Hvar is also home to Little Green Bay, one of the top five hotels in the world, according to Vogue – though there are plenty of cheaper places to stay.

Dutch campsites

There are several things, holiday-wise, the Dutch know how to do. One is cycle. The other is camp, or more specifically create campsites which families and children do not want to leave on account of the inexhaustible pleasures of their amusement rides, playgrounds and water parks. The other good thing about the large camping sites that dot Holland (sites like De Lilse Bergen and Duinrell) is that if your yen is to load up your car and get on a ferry to the continent from Scotland it’s the obvious choice, with sailings running from Hull to Amsterdam and Rosyth to Zeebrugge, in nearby Belgium. Meanwhile, for those willing to venture off-site, there’s also the whimsical and eccentric Dutch fairytale theme park of Efteling. Forget Euro Disney – this is the original fantasy park, and infinitely more charming and chilled.

Sardinia

When, in January, ABTA published its list of trends for 2017 it highlighted Sardinia as the “hot” Mediterranean island for this year. Long known as the playground of the rich, the island is most famous for its Costa Smeralda, built from scratch in the 1950s by the Agha Khan, and, later, in the early noughties, the location of Silvio Berlusconi’s “bunga bunga”. But Sardinia offers so much more. It’s often touted as a go-to destination for summer sun with toddlers and children. As the ABTA report says, “Savvy travellers are advised to head east to the unspoilt and much less crowded beaches of Orosei Gulf or Cala Gonone, many of which are only accessible by boat.”

The Curonian Spit

For some Scots the midsummer Mediterranean can come as a bit of a shock – all that scorching sunshine and even the sea’s a touch on the warm side. If you’re of that persuasion, then the cooler Baltic and the charms of the windswept Curonian Spit, a 90-mile peninsula, partly in Russia, partly Lithuania, could be just for you. The dune and pine-tree cloaked strip runs through the sea, and has, among its attractions, the Parnidis dune, one of the biggest in Europe, and the quaint fishing village of Nida, with its colourful traditional wooden houses. Flights now run from Edinburgh to Palanga, in Lithuania, and the spit can be accessed by ferry from the port of Klaipeda.

The Azores

Forget the springs of Iceland, the latest, unspoilt nature and adventure destination is a mid-Atlantic Portuguese archipelago, dotted with volcanic crater lakes, thermal tunnels, hot mud springs and waterfalls. The nine islands of the Azores are, according to the Association of British Travel Agents, “The Hawaii of the Atlantic”. UNESCO designated the verdant Azores a Biosphere Reserve in 2009. Adventures range from swimming with manta rays and dolphins to whale-watching and hiking.

Cape Verde

Sunseekers in pursuit of year-long heat are increasingly turning to the islands some call “the African Caribbean”. Another volcanic archipelago in the mid-Atlantic, 500 km off the coast of Senegal, it is drawing Brits with its beaches, diving, surfing and other water sports. The former Portuguese colony boasts turquoise waters, golden sands, and culture, a mix of Portuguese, African and Brazilian, as well as more than its fair share of minor celebs. Sal, the most popular island, is known for its lunar landscape and the huge stretch of Praia de Santa Maria, one of TripAdvisor's 21 top beaches in the world.

Andalucía is back

Did it ever go away? According to ABTA trend predictions for this year “recent investment has rejuvenated this old favourite and it offers year round treats with one of the best climates in Europe”. Among the destinations recommended are the cities that “revel in their Moorish heritage” – Cordoba, Seville and Grenada – and, for foodies, Huelva, this year recognised as Spain’s Gastronomic Capital, a culinary paradise.

Danube Delta, Romania

Forget the image of Romania as the land of Dracula and Transylvanian hiking holidays. One of its most alluring destinations, particularly for nature lovers, is the Danube Delta. There, holidays revolve purely around messing about on the river. The delta, where the 1,800 mile-long Danube empties into the Black Sea, is dotted with large boats which function as floating hotels. Days can be spent fishing, with local expert guides, and pelican-spotting, in one of the largest water bird wetland habitats on the planet.

Nessebar, Bulgaria

There are many good reasons to go to Bulgaria, chief among them being that it’s the cheapest country to holiday in Europe (according to Post Office analysis of 19 countries). A week of lunch and evening meals for two, for instance, will, on average, set you back just £175. For some years its famed Sunny Beach resort has been attracting the hordes to its five-mile stretch on the Black Sea. But there’s more to the Bulgarian coast than sun and cheap drinks – among its most tantalising sights is Nessebar, the “Pearl of the Black Sea” and a UNESCO heritage site.

Rhodes – and the rebirth of the package deal

Forget Airbnb. The package holiday is back. Thomas Cook has reported a nine per cent rise in package deal bookings and, last December ABTA research revealed that one in four families wanted an all-inclusive package, compared with one in five the previous year. Greece and the Greek Islands are among the more popular destinations. These days, however, the package isn’t just for the lobster-bellied beer-drinkers – there’s a version being touted for middle-class hipsters too. Last year, Thomas Cook launched Casa Cook, a boutique hotel on Rhodes, pitched at “trend-conscious travellers ... inspired by the spirit of our times”, serving goji berries and quinoa porridge at breakfast and offering open-air yoga sessions.