Holiday Places in Scotland
- Explore Scotland's history in Edinburgh and Stirling
- Discover the economic and cultural hub, Glasgow
- Visit Aberdeen and Inverness for beach and outdoor fun
- Tour around Wigtown for literary comfort
- Immerse yourself in local interests and experiences
Did you know that the "other" national drink of Scotland, besides Scotch whisky, is an orange-coloured carbonated soft drink known as Irn-Bru? This is just one of the many unique local interests you’ll encounter when you visit Scotland during the holidays, whether you're from the UK or visiting from abroad. In this article, we'll be reviewing different holiday destinations in Scotland through different themes and angles as follows:
🏰 Where to Visit in Scotland For Historical Exploration
If you are looking for a history-themed holiday in Scotland, we highly recommend that you visit these two beautiful cities: Edinburgh and Stirling. Here are the main reasons why:
- Well-preserved medieval castles and historical battle landmarks
- Easily accessible by train or car
- Both have served as Scotland's capital — Edinburgh as the current capital, and Stirling as a historic royal stronghold
Similar to London in England, Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament, and Holyrood Palace, which is the official Scottish royal residence.
One of the most famous historical landmarks in Edinburgh is, of course, the Edinburgh Castle, which symbolises royal and military power with its long history as a royal residence and military fortress. It is also one of the most visited paid attractions in Scotland and the entire United Kingdom, as referred to in the figure below 1.
Source: Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (UK)
On the other hand, Stirling is famous for its historical tribute to the wartime period, medieval mansion residences and national war heroes. You would have probably heard of the movie Braveheart (starring Mel Gibson), which details the life of William Wallace, a key figure in the First War of Scottish Independence.
Stirling is the place where one of the most important battles of William Wallace took place (the Battle of Stirling Bridge), and also where you can find the National Wallace Monument.
➤ Edinburgh
- A bigger and busier city
- Tour Route: Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace, and Arthur's Seat (a hill)
- Suited for first-time travellers to Scotland who prefer an urban travelling course
➤ Stirling
- A smaller and compact city
- Tour Route: Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument, Argyll’s Lodging and Stirling Old Bridge
- Suited for history enthusiasts who want a quieter tour
📸 Economic and Cultural Hub of Scotland, Glasgow
While Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Glasgow is the country's largest city by population. A high population also signifies two things — active economic and cultural activities. Economically, that's why many big corporations like JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Aggreko set up their headquarters in Glasgow.
Culturally, Glasgow is the birthplace of famous architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who played a pivotal role in the city's art scene through the Art Nouveau movement.
Some of his artworks can be seen at the Willow Tea Rooms, House of an Art Lover, and The Lighthouse.
Glasgow has been officially made a UNESCO City of Music since 2008 due to its vibrant and diverse music landscape across different genres and age groups. Do you know that the city hosts around 130 events per week?
Whether you are travelling with your family, with your partner or alone, there are many museums, art galleries, as all as local music attractions and outdoor nature in Glasgow that you can explore, like the ones below:
➤ Museums
and Art Galleries
➤ Music Attractions
and Outdoor Nature
🛶 Where to Go in Scotland for Beach and Outdoor Adventures
For those of you who are planning a summer beach holiday while visiting Scotland, we've got you covered, too. Here are two cities that offer you the best of both worlds in terms of sandy beaches and nature attractions.
✳️ Aberdeen
Located on the northeast coast of Scotland, Aberdeen is a place worth exploring for fun and recreation. Whether you are looking for beaches for leisure strolls, beach activities or wildlife viewing, here are some beach recommendations in Aberdeen.
📍Aberdeen Beach
- Golden coastline stretches for around 3 km
- Surrounded by food trucks, ice cream stands, a leisure park, and amusemark park
- Ideal for big family outings with kids
📍Stonehaven Beach
- Charming pebbly beach with a beautiful view of the Dunnottar Castle
- Paddleboarding and sunbathing are popular
- Ideal for charming boardwalks near the beach
📍Newburgh Beach
- Rich sand dune system, surrounded by a colony of seals
- Forvie National Nature Reserve is only 1km away
- Ideal for nature lovers and quiet beach adventures
✳️ Inverness
Next, let's talk about one of the best places to explore the beauty of the Scottish Highlands — Inverness. This city promises lush green landscapes with a quaint, small-town vibe. If you are into hiking, wildlife exploring, or simply soaking in some fresh air in nature, you should certainly check out the following places:
📍Loch Ness
- Famous due to the Loch Ness monster myth
- Popular activities include boat rides, hiking, and castle viewing
📍Reelig Glen
- House to some of Britain's tallest trees
- Offers a series of family-friendly walking trails
📍Abriachan Forest Trust
- A community‑run enterprise for outdoor adventures
- Visitors can enjoy mountain biking, hiking, and even stargazing here
📖 Hidden Gem in Scotland- Wigtown, the National Book Town
The UK is famous for its rich literary history, having many renowned authors and poets whose work is still loved by many readers today. Scotland is no exception. Some notable names include:
- Robert Louis Stevenson, who authored classics like Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde,
- J. M. Barrie, who created one of the most iconic literary characters, Peter Pan
- Carol Ann Duffy, who became the first ever female Poet Laureate
If you are a book lover who's planning to visit Scotland soon, you'll be delighted to know that this country has a hidden gem, a book town named Wigtown. While it's not a typical holiday route in Scotland, what visitors usually do is take a drive for about 2 hours and 5 minutes from Glasgow for a short trip here.
Nestled within the Dumfries and Galloway region, this town is known for its love for second-hand bookshops, the Wigtown Book Festival, and also a chance to run an actual bookshop, which is The Open Bookshop, through an Airbnb residency experience.
How cool is that?
A ten-day literary festival that is held during autumn, which runs literary events and writing competitions for compositions in English, Scottish Gaelic, and Scots.
It's the second-largest second-hand bookstore in the UK, with roughly 100,000 books in stock. It also has a vibrant and updated online website to cater to global readers.
🥃Unique Local Interests & Experiences in Scotland
Besides noting all the places you want to visit in different parts of Scotland for your upcoming trip, it's also highly recommended to list some of the experiences you'd like to have while you're there — whether they involve local interests, food, or culture.
☑️ Experience 1: Join a whisky distillery tour
One good thing about rain in Scotland. Most of it ends up as scotch.
Peter Alliss
As mentioned in the introduction, Scotch whiskey is the national drink of Scotland. So your trip to Scotland will not be complete without a trip to a whisky distillery. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, there are five Scotch Whisky regions as follows:
Example of distillery: Dufftown
Example of distillery: Glenkinchie
Example of distillery: Inverness
Example of distillery: Glen Scotia
Example of distillery: Bowmore
☑️ Experience 2: Try out a Scottish kilt or tartan attire
Of course, you must get yourself a Scottish kilt (if you are a gentleman or know a gentleman) or a tartan skirt (for the ladies) and pose for a picture with the beautiful, lush Scottish landscape as the background.
They are a huge representation of Scotland's culture and history. Did you know that each tartan pattern and colour on a kilt or skirt has different meanings? Additionally, the National Records of Scotland noted that each year, around 400 tartan designs are registered on the Scottish Register of Tartans 2.
Source: The Scottish Register of Tartan
☑️ Experience 3: Go stargazing
You probably did not see this coming, but Scotland is one of the best places in the world for stargazing because of its clear, dark skies due to urban light pollution. Galloway Forest Park became the first place in the world to receive the Dark Sky Park designation in 2009. Due to its low population, you can view the Milky Way and even get a glimpse of many stars and planets when the skies are clear.
You can check out this Spotify podcast to learn more about the happenings at this park.
We hope you have found this article insightful, especially in terms of the location and experience recommendations in Scotland. If you are interested in taking your English skills to the next level as you visit different holiday locations across the UK, like London or Edinburgh, you can always connect with an English language tutor via Superprof for the best private tutoring experience!
Have a wonderful holiday!
References
- Association of Leading Visitor Attractions. ALVA. (n.d.). https://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=423&
- Tartan consultation. National Records of Scotland (NRS). (n.d.). https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/latest-news/tartan-consultation
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