Best things to do in Scotland
21.07.2023 - 07:53
/ roughguides.com
Are you wondering what are the best things to do in Scotland you need to include in your trip? Read on to make sure you don't miss out on these big ones, taken straight from our travel guide.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Scotland , your essential guide for visiting Scotland .
Eigg offers golden beaches to lie on. Or climb the hills for stunning views across the sea to its neighbour, Rùm. Ferries arrive at Galmisdale Bay, in the southeast corner of the island. Head up through woods for superb sea views, or track the shore south to see crofting ruins before the Sgùrr cliffs – the remains of Upper and Lower Grulin settlements.
The largest piece of pitchstone in the UK, An Sgùrr (1289ft) is the obvious destination for a hike. The route up is not as daunting as the cliffs suggest; the path is signposted left from the main road, crossing the boggy moor to approach the summit from the north via a saddle (3–4hr return). The rewards are wonderful views of Muck and Rùm.
Laig Bay in Cleadale village, Isle Eigg, Scotland © Shutterstock
Traditional New Year celebrations, with whisky, dancing and fireworks staving off the midwinter chill. When hardline Scottish Protestant clerics in the sixteenth century abolished Christmas for being a Catholic mass, the Scots, not wanting to miss out on a mid-winter knees-up, instead put their energy into greeting the New Year, or Hogmanay.
Though it’s a dying custom, this still takes the form of the tradition of ‘first-footing’ – visiting your neighbours and bearing gifts. All this neighbourly greeting means a fair bit of partying, and no one is expected to go to work the next day, or, indeed, the day after that. Even today, 1 January is a public holiday in the rest of the UK, but only in Scotland does the holiday extend to the next day too.
Fireworks in Edinburgh, Scotland © Shutterstock
Natural splendour and terrific outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking and in winter even skiing, plus the last remaining Caledonian pines — the Cairngorms offer a lot of exciting things to do in Scotland. The Cairngorms National Park covers almost 1750 square miles and incorporates the Cairngorms massif, the largest mountainscape in the UK and the only sizeable plateau in the country over 2500ft.
It’s the biggest national park in Britain, and while Aviemore and the surrounding area are regarded as the main point of entry, particularly for those planning outdoor activities, it’s also possible to access the park from Perthshire as well as Deeside and Donside in Aberdeenshire.
Delight in the rolling hills and wildlife of the Cairngorms National Park, relish a dram of whisky and learn the legends and little-known secrets behind these two