Travel advice for Scotland
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Scotland
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Robin McKelvie
updated 13.12.2023
Scotland sports such a strong selection of tourist attractions – from castles and cabers to kilts and whisky – it’s easy to forget that there is much more to this land. Venture away from the cities and you'll find rugged mountains, remote glens and mile-upon-mile of wave-lashed beaches. Ready to explore? Here are seven Scottish places that you've probably never heard of, but must visit.
20 days / from3042 USD
The Great British Road Trip
Get ready to explore Britain on this unique self-drive road trip. Choose the car of your liking before you hit the road: from the Cotswolds and its picturesque villages over the Beatle's favorite hang-out in Liverpool to Scotland's capital Edinburgh: this trip includes many highlights to be explored
view tour ⤍6 days / from622 USD
Festive Feelings around Christmas in Scotland
Experience the magic of Christmas in the heart of the Scottish Highlands! Lovely Christmas Markets and winter festivals await visitors during the winter months, but this itinerary can also be turned into a summer festival hop!
view tour ⤍11 days / from1087 USD
Scotland's Wildest Natural Scenery
Want to lose yourself in Scotland's wildest natural scenery? This itinerary is a breath of fresh air and perfect to explore the most enchanting landscapes of the Highlands. It will allow you to get to know the wildest landscapes of Scotland, its fast-paced history and its amazing traditions.
view tour ⤍7 days / from691 USD
A true 'Outlander' Adventure
Calling all Outlander lovers…you are in luck! Who would like to follow in the footsteps of the nurse Claire Beauchamp on her trip to Scotland in 1743? We have designed the perfect itinerary to experience the most charming corners that feature in the series.
view tour ⤍7 days / from908 USD
Magical 8-Day Family Adventure in Scotland and England : From Harry Potter to Loch Ness!
Searching for an unforgettable family adventure? Scotland is the perfect destination! With a perfect balance of nature, adventure, and Scottish culture. This 8-day trip offers a delightful mix of activities that everyone in the family will enjoy. Get ready to create life long lasting memories!
view tour ⤍9 days / from1524 USD
Highland Tour: Isle of Skye, Loch Ness and Edinburgh
Discover the beautiful region of Perthshire, the famous Loch Ness and Inverness – the capital of the Highlands. Get a chance to admire Europe’s oldest mountain, stroll along sandy beaches on the Scottish West Coast, and visit the mysterious Isle of Skye.
view tour ⤍14 days / from3274 USD
Walking around vintage England and picturesque Scotland
Visit two traditional capitals, London and Edinburgh, and enjoy a trek through the Loch Lomond national park. This trip will let you discover peaceful Scottish islands by foot, with several days of detailed walking tours included in the trip.
view tour ⤍8 days / from804 USD
Harry Potter and The Alnwick Castle
You are one step away from joining a magical adventure! If you are fans of the wonderful world of the little magician apprentice, Harry Potter then the time has come to discover the very scenes where the Harry Potter universe was filmed. Do not forget to bring your wand. We await you on platform 9¾!
view tour ⤍8 days / from4001 USD
Discover 'All Creatures Great and Small' - England & Scotland
Explore the sets of the TV show "All Creatures Great and Small". The show follows the adventures of a young veterinarian in the Yorkshire Dales during the 1930s. Start in London and make your way up to Yorkshire and then further to Edinburgh in Scotland.
view tour ⤍Located 40km off Scotland's far northwest coast, the Isle of Harris boasts a string of bleached-white sands so glorious they've been compared to the Caribbean’s finest beaches. There are ample stretches of perfect sand to choose from: our favourites are Luskentyre, Seilebost and the wide sweep of Scarista. You will often have these beaches all to yourself, and even if someone dares to break your solitude, you can just wander along to the next one.
The Isle of Harris © Adrien_G/Shutterstock
It may look like the gnarled New Zealand countryside which doubled so superbly as the setting for the Lord of the Rings films, but this Tolkienesque landscape is actually on Scotland’s Isle of Skye. Sheer rock faces, twisted stacks, piercing pinnacles and unlikely erratic boulders combine to conjure up an otherworldly scene that looks truly spectacular on a sunny day. It’s even more dramatic when Skye’s notorious mists creep in.
Scotland, Isle of Skye, the view over the Quiraing area © Paul Harris/Dorling Kindersley
St Kilda is an archipelago so impressive that it became the first place in the world to be recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage list for both its natural heritage (it is home to the unique Soay sheep and the St Kilda field mouse) and its human history (its inhabitants lived a unique communal life until it was abandoned in 1930).
To get here, you have to endure an often (very) bumpy boat ride across forty miles of ocean from the Western Isles, but the sheer cliffs and striking rock formations are worth the effort.
St Kilda, the Western Isles © Martin Payne/Shutterstock
Few Scots have even heard of the UK’s most remote inhabited isle, and there's little wonder why: there are less than forty hardy Foula locals.
Getting here is an adventure in itself, with a twenty-mile boat journey from the Shetland mainland to the island's rocky harbour, across a stretch of water frequently lashed by wild Atlantic storms.
Venture out across the rugged and wild interior and you can see bonxies (huge skuas) and arctic terns swooping above your heads in summer. Or, enjoy a picnic by the sea as you watch orcas hunt for seals on rocky shores that even the Romans never conquered. They dubbed Foula the Ultima Thule, or the end of the known world, when they spied it in the distance.
Foula, the Shetland Islands © Steffen Foerster/Shutterstock
Despite being the UK’s largest national park – and home to the largest mountain plateau in the UK – Cairngorms National Park is one of the least-visited. This vast, inhospitable wilderness often looks more like the Arctic than Scotland, with snow drifts swirling in hurricane-force winds during winter, and ice and snow lingering in places right through summer.
It feels a world apart, too, as you ramble across a lunar landscape where the UK’s only wild reindeer herd roam and the wrecks of crashed WWII aircraft lie frozen in time. The plateau is a paradise for well-prepared walkers in summer, while skiers and snowboarders take over in winter.
Cairngorms National Park © Brendan Howard/Shutterstock
Fancy a visit to the Norwegian fjords? Well, save yourself some cash and head to Wester Ross, which offers the fjord-like delights of little-known Loch Torridon. This mighty sea loch spreads its tentacles from the small village of Torridon, flanked by the natural amphitheater of the Torridon Mountains, which tower over 1000m-high.
The clear, cobalt-blue waters and lack of development mean marine life is bountiful here – look out for seals, dolphins and, as you get closer to the open sea, whales. You can stay at the Torridon Youth Hostel, the relaxed Ben View or the seriously posh mock baronial Torridon Estate, which has the best of the spectacular loch views.
Loch Torridon © Matthew Dixon/Shutterstock
Let’s talk surfing. We all know about Australia’s Bondi beach and the brilliant waves in Bali – but what about Thurso? It’s usually a case of donning a drysuit rather than wetsuit here, but the coastline around the Highland town of Thurso packs a serious punch in the world of surfing.
Unsuspecting walkers are often surprised to find the surreal spectacle of a dozen surfers lying out in the Pentland Firth, looking to catch some of the serious waves you get in these tumultuous waters, the Orkney Isles just visible behind them in the distance. The conditions are so good that a volley of surf championships have been held here, including two world championships for kayak surfing.
For more amazing Scottish destinations read our guide to the best things to do in Scotland.
Thurso, the Highlands © GUS TAYLOR/Shutterstock
Explore more of Scotland with the Rough Guide to Scotland. Header image via Pixabay/CC0.
written by Robin McKelvie
updated 13.12.2023
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