10 Things You Need to Do in Scotland!
For two months during spring, Nick and I drove around Scotland, exploring its sites and taking in the magic of this beautiful country. As a result, we've developed a pretty definitive list of things you'll need to tick off if you've got a visit there on the horizon!
Bag a Munro! (or two, or three, or four...)
Scotland is famous for its mountains! Glencoe is one of the most photographed
mountain ranges in the world (appearing in Skyfall
and in Harry Potter) and you’ll find
it just south of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. To tackle one of these mountains you’ll need
the relevant OS Map or Harvey Map, which can be found in the nearest camping
shop or tourist office. If you’re looking for the right one to climb, I can’t
recommend Nick Williams’ Pocket Mountains
enough! These are organised by locality and
can bought in most tourist offices too.
Be warned though: his estimated finishing times are very optimistic,
especially if you’re unfamiliar with the terrain, so give yourself plenty of
time. Don’t forget your compass, sturdy
shoes and water (an emergency shelter never goes astray either).
The view from Tom A'Cloinich
The view from Sgor Gaoith (overlooking Loch Einich)
One of the best days I had in Scotland was
seeing the puffins on the Isle of Lunga.
Getting off the mainland gives you a completely different experience of
Scotland, and the Inner Hebrides are so accessible! Oban is known as ‘the gateway to the isles’
and it’s from here that you can jump aboard a boat and set out for a day trip
you won’t forget. Lunga was absolutely covered
in puffins and razorbills (more badass-looking puffins), as well as cormorants. Breeding season runs from May to September,
and you’re almost guaranteed to get up close and personal with the friendly,
curious birds during these months.
For more details, click here.
For more details, click here.
Cosying up with some puffins on Lunga
Visit a castle
If there’s one thing Scotland is covered
in, it’s castles. From the glamorous
setting of Shakepeare’s of Macbeth (Glamis Castle) to one with a bloody history
(Edinburgh Castle) or somewhere with notorious ghost sightings (Stirling
Castle), you’re sure to find a castle to suit your tastes. Some castles, like Glamis and Scone, are
still in use today and will require you to do a guided tour. Others, like Stirling, Edinburgh and
Urquhart, are managed by Historic Scotland and you are free to wander or join a
free tour. If you’re looking at doing
more than one, enquire about membership or one of Historic Scotland’s
passes. I really regretted not doing
this!
Edinburgh Castle
Look for fairies on Skye
Even though there’s a bridge going there
now, there’s something very magical and mysterious about going over the sea to
Skye. With its breathtaking mountains
and magical ‘faery’ spots, it’s easy to see why Skye is one of the most
touristed parts of Scotland, especially in the summer. Don’t let that put you off – just plan
accordingly. Places like the Fairy Glen
and Fairy Pools are both notoriously busy, so try your luck visiting very early
or very late in the day. This is easy in
summer, with such long daylight hours.
Entering the Fairy Glen
Scotland has some of the best access laws
in the world, allowing you to walk basically anywhere you want and camp almost
as freely. The only restrictions (in
very Scottish fashion) are to avoid disturbing golf courses and bothering
livestock. You can actually camp on
cultivated land if you have permission from the owner, and I’ve found them to
be quite forthcoming. The best camping,
however, is done away from all other forms of civilisation. Find yourself a spot in the forest (avoid
stepping in rabbit holes!), by the sea, or on top of a mountain and get back to
nature.
For some more reasons to start sleeping outdoors, click here.
For some more reasons to start sleeping outdoors, click here.
Camping in Drumguish
Ride the Jacobite train
Any Harry
Potter fan worth their salt will want to tick this one off their bucket
list – a trip on the Hogwarts Express.
The bus leaves from Fort William every day between May and October, and
takes a day to do the return trip to Mallaig.
While it doesn’t take you all the way to the school of witchcraft and
wizardry, it takes you out to the idyllic Scottish seaside, which is almost as
good. Be sure to book in advance and, if
you’ve got the funds, you can book yourself into a Harry Potter-style
compartment!
For more tips, click here.
For more tips, click here.
The Jacobite Train
Visit some Stone Circles
The one thing Scotland has more of than
castles, are stone circles. Some have
upwards of 30 stones while others have stones reaching five meters in the
air! It’s important to add visiting a
Stone Circle to your list of things to do in Scotland. If you find yourself in the area of
Aberdeenshire, pick up a map in the tourist office of all the recumbent-style
circles in the area and set out for a day of driving (for an intimate, unkempt
experience, walk through a paddock to the Sunhoney Stone Circle here). For a completely dwarfing experience, try
Orkney. You’ll find the Standing Stones
of Stenness and the huge Ring of Brodgar within walking distance of each other. For the most magical experience, make your
visit at sunrise or sunset.
Skipping through the remains of Whitehills Stone Circle
Look for the Loch Ness Monster
Possibly Scotland’s most famous (and most
debated) inhabitant is the Loch Ness Monster.
Whether you’re a believer or not, there’s a reason this is one of the
most visited lochs in Scotland. You can
drive the perimeter of the loch, stopping regularly for beautiful views, take
any number of boat trips along the water, or admire from the scenic Urquhart
Castle. Add a bit of whimsy to your stay
by visiting Steve Feltham, who gave up his home and girlfriend to search for
Nessie 20 odd years ago. You can find
him in the carpark of the Dores Inn (which have a great selection of local
drinks on tap, too). If you venture into
the nearby ‘capital of the Highlands’, Inverness, check out Leakey’s for some
antique books and a cosy woodfire.
Wading in Loch Ness, near Dores
Visit Glencoe
Even if you’re not the mountain-going type,
Glencoe offers some fantastic sights and amazing picture opportunities;
Buachaille Etiv Mor is arguably the most photographed mountain in
Scotland! If you’re driving, be sure to
drive up from the south. It might take a
little longer, but you’ll have a spectacular and memorable experience. Head into Glencoe village for a pub-style
lunch, or find yourself a picnic spot in the Glen itself.
Buachaille Etiv Mor
Spend some time in Edinburgh
Scotland’s capital is a truly beautiful
city that makes you feel right at home – everyone I talk to says they
immediately wanted to move there when they arrived! It’s got plenty on offer for literally all
tastes – there are sweeping, city-wide views from the mountaintop of Arthur’s
Seat, ghost tours that run through Edinburgh’s creepy underground, cute shops
in Grassmarket and along the Royal Mile and The Elephant House for those on a Harry Potter pilgrimage (make sure you
use the loo when you go, but the food's not great). From
Edinburgh’s center, you can take a bus directly to Rosslyn Chapel, made famous
in The da Vinci Code, which is well
worth a visit, too.
The toilet at The Elephant House
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