After our first trip to Scotland, we quickly ranked the country as one of our favorite places in the world to visit. We were so smitten, in fact, we spent three consecutive summers in Scotland!
We navigated its biggest cities, discovered underrated coastal villages, toured magnificent castles and hiked through surreal landscapes.
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Although we didn’t encounter any major stumbling blocks, there were a few things we wish we had known before going to Scotland.
We have compiled a list of Scotland Travel Tips with bits of advice we wish we had known before planning our Scotland trips.
Looking for a day-by-day vacation plan? Also check out our 10-Day Scotland Itinerary for complete details on what to see and do!
Scotland Travel Tips
Based on our personal experience, we have created a list of travel tips for Scotland that aim to help you plan your best trip. These will be especially helpful if you are visiting Scotland for the first time.
#1 There is No Perfect Time to Visit Scotland
When trying to determine when to go to Scotland, it’s important to understand that there are pros and cons to every season.
There is no doubt that summertime is the preferred time to go to Scotland, but it’s far from perfect. First, let’s talk climate – because the weather in Scotland is notoriously unpredictable.
Summers can be warm and sunny or cool, rainy and windy…or all of the above within just a couple of hours. Go in fully expecting it to rain – and be pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t.
Rather than agonizing over the weather, be prepared. Bring a lightweight raincoat and a travel umbrella. Pack quick-dry clothes that can be layered and, yes, you will need that hoodie!
Additionally, if you are heading into the Highlands (and we highly recommend that you do), make sure you are ready for the midges. The annoying, biting bugs are best deterred with midge repellent.
Daylight is another factor that can affect your trip. During the summer, the days are long with an astounding 18 hours of daylight.
However, in winter, the amount of daylight diminishes to just 7 hours a day, which can make outdoor sightseeing a challenge. (But it does make the pubs all the more enchanting!)
Finally, let’s chat about crowds. The most popular spots get inundated during the summertime If you are traveling to Scotland in the summer, book everything far in advance.
Use our guide to Booking Hotels for Cheap for our best hacks and pre-book your activities on a trusted site, like Viator.
One more thing to know before going to Scotland – and Edinburgh, in particular – is that August marks the height of festival season. Between the Edinburgh Fringe Fest and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo event, the city is absolutely heaving.
#2 Set Your Scotland Budget from the Start
Visiting Scotland can be very expensive. With high-dollar accommodations and pricey attractions, a vacation can get quite costly.
However, budget travelers should not dismiss the country as being unaffordable. Instead, by planning ahead, setting a budget and being conscious of costs, it’s possible to plan a frugal trip.
Start by finding a cheap way to get to Scotland. We use Skyscanner to identify prime flights at low prices. Find more money-saving tips in our article, Finding Cheap Airfare.
Travelers can tamper the cost of their trip by partaking in free activities. We are always on the lookout for freebies – and we have rounded up the best Free Edinburgh Things To Do, as well as Cost-Free Activities in Inverness.
Additionally, many outdoor ventures are free in Scotland. We loved hiking along the underappreciated Aberdeen Coast and on incredible Isle of Skye. You can also set off on a multiday hike, like we did on the West Highland Way.
That all said, our top Scotland budget travel tip is to track your expenses from the start. Our Free Budget Vacation Planner can help – plus, we’ll send you our top tips for planning that affordable trip!
#3 Think Twice before Renting a Car
A commonly shared tip for traveling to Scotland is to rent a car. While we agree that having a vehicle expands your freedom to explore, we don’t agree that driving is necessary to experience Scotland.
In fact, in the country’s biggest cities – namely Edinburgh and Glasgow – a car is simply not needed. Both are easy to get around with buses, trams, trains and your own two feet.
Traveling into the Highlands gets a bit trickier, but it is still 100% possible with public transportation. Read our guide to Touring the Highlands without Driving.
Our Itinerary for Isle of Skye is ideal for car-less travelers, too. We outline what you can see and do without having to get behind the wheel.
#4 Don’t Fear Scottish Food and Drink
Popular local meals – like Haggis, Cullen Skink and Stovies – sound a bit unnerving. Rest assured; they are much tastier than they sound!
Don’t skip out on indulging in the local cuisine because it’s too foreign. Instead, join a food tour (this one in Edinburgh is highly rated) or boldly take on Scottish eats on your own.
We outline the top Scottish dishes that are served around the country in our Edinburgh Foodie guide.
Scotch whisky can be intimidating, but there are heaps of introductory experiences that are aimed at novice whisky drinkers (like the family friendly Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh).
That said, one of the fun things to do in Scotland is to visit a whisky distillery – and we personally think it’s an experience not to be missed! We visited distilleries in both cities and in the Highlands on a guided tour.
#5 Get Off the Beaten Path
Scotland’s most dazzling destinations are on nearly every travel itinerary – and for good reason! However, there are absolute gems that can be found slightly off the beaten path.
One of our best tips for traveling to Scotland is to get off the well-trodden tourist trail. We have set off to discover places that are less visited, and we’ve been surprised by our finds.
The East Coast of Scotland is dotted with underrated destinations – like Dundee – and very few fellow tourists. We relished being the sole trekkers on epic coastal walks and even found grandiose castles that were not crowded.
In the wide-open space of the Highlands, places like Plockton offer small-town appeal. Even Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, still has hidden spots. In our opinion, it’s 100% worth the effort to seek out lesser-visited places in Scotland.
#6 Prepare to Clock some Steps
Something we wish we had known before arriving in Scotland was just how much walking we would be doing each day.
If we had, we would have properly tracked our daily steps, which undoubtedly reached the 5-figure mark on a regular basis!
While the cities have robust public transit networks – and the outlying areas are well-connected by buses and trains – we still walked and walked and walked.
It’s true that the majority of our steps were clocked on the sublime hiking trails and walking paths that weave through the natural landscapes.
That said, most sights and attractions – even in the big cities – require a hefty amount of walking. We spent hours on our feet touring castles, visiting massive museums and navigating the city centers.
Therefore, it is imperative to pack comfortable travel shoes. My everyday trainers were sufficient for both sightseeing and trail hiking. Plus, they are lightweight and versatile – key elements of good shoes for any getaway!
#7 Grasp the Local Dialect and Accent
While the Scots language is closely related to English, it is not the same. Scottish English is heavily sprinkled with local slang and colloquialisms.
Take, for example, this sentence: Yer the neeps tae ma tatties. Google Translate is not going to help you figure out this Scottish saying. It means You are the turnips to my potatoes. (The two root vegetables are common accompaniments to haggis, the national dish.)
Aye means yes, Wee means small and Dinnae means don’t. To complicate things, the accent is oh-so-very thick. Personally, I find it more charming than decipherable. The more you listen, however, the easier it is to understand.
All that said, one of our top tips for traveling in Scotland is to practice the pronunciation of the some of the commonly mispronounced words.
Islay is said EYE-la. The town of Milngavie is pronounced Mull-guy. And, Edinburgh is Ed-in-Bruh or Ed-in-burra…but never Ed-in-Berg.
#8 Tune in to the Scottish Sense of Humor
One of the fun things to know about Scotland is that the locals have a fantastic sense of humor. It’s part of the culture and an unmissable element of their character.
Whether it’s banter from the barman, jokes about the weather or satire about politics, nothing is off limits. It’s full of wit and drenched in sarcasm – and they love to spool up tourists.
Tales about wild haggis are especially entertaining and part of the local folklore. The Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow even gets in on the joke with a haggis on display. It’s all harmless fun, just be aware that the tales are tall!
#9 Create a Realistic Itinerary
It may look like a fairytale, but when it comes to essential tips for travel to Scotland, this one is critical: Don’t over-stuff your itinerary!
While Scotland is a relatively small country that is well-connected with trains and buses, traveling beyond the major cities takes effort and time.
You don’t want to spend your entire trip traveling from one destination to the next; you want to experience the places you visit.
Our Scotland Itinerary showcases the best of the country. It starts with 3 Days in Edinburgh, then ventures into the Highlands. We include stops in Inverness and Isle of Skye before spending 1 Day in Glasgow.
We have one final Scotland travel tip: However you plan your itinerary, be sure to keep organized. Using our Printable Planner will help you stay on top of all the details!
#10 Binge Watch These before Your Scotland Trip
A fun thing to do before going to Scotland is to view movies and television shows about the country.
Watching Outlander – a time-travel series set in Scotland in the year 1743 – is a fun way to prepare. Follow that up by watching Men in Kilts. The reality show follows the two lead actors from Outlander as they travel around Scotland.
You can also brush up on your Scottish history with films. The movie Braveheart tells the story of William Wallace, a Scottish patriot who spurred a revolution against the English.
Mary, Queen of Scots (2018) brings to life the dramatic true story of two queens – Mary, Queen of Scotts and Elizabeth I, Queen of England – turned rivals.
Harry Potter and Brave – while fictional fantasy – used real locations throughout Scotland as inspiration.
Start planning your trip to the UK! Search for the lowest airfares, the best accommodations and fun things to do…then start packing! Want additional tips? Head over to our Travel Planning Page for more advice – and for country-specific information, take a look at our Travel Guides Page!
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