My epic Scotland Bucket List: 10 iconic things to do

Celebrate Scotland at a Burns Supper with haggis, neeps, and tatties

Every January, Scotland raises a glass to its national poet, Robert “Rabbie” Burns, whose verses in the Scots language are loved worldwide.

A Burns Supper is the ultimate cultural feast: poetry recitals, whisky toasts, ceilidh dancing, and the legendary dish of haggis with “neeps and tatties” (turnips and potatoes).

It’s equal parts tribute and celebration – and uniquely Scottish.

Tip: Burns Night falls on 25 January, but suppers often happen throughout the week. Book early if you’re visiting in winter. Check out my detailled guide to how Scotland celebrates Robert Burns

2. Summit Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain

Standing at 1,345 m (4,413 ft), Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in the UK. A 5-mile climb rewards you with sweeping views across the Highlands—on a clear day you can see Fort William, Loch Linnhe, and even the Isles of Mull and Skye.

No view? You’ve still stood on the roof of the UK!

Tip: The main “Mountain Path,” also called the Ben Nevis tourist route, is straightforward to follow but far from easy. Good hiking boots, warm layers, and a weather check are essential.
Read my complete guide to climbing Ben Nevis.

3. Ride the Jacobite Steam Train across the Glenfinnan Viaduct

Nicknamed the Harry Potter train, the Jacobite Steam Train takes you from Fort William towards Mallaig, travelling over the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct, the very bridge crossed by the Hogwarts Express over the Black Lake.

Tip – tickets for the Jacobite Train sell out many months in advance but if you can get tickets for the Jacobite Train, sit at the very back so you can watch the train going over the viaduct whilst actually going over it. 

If you can’t get a ticket for the journey, the Jacobite Steam Train crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct Monday to Fridays at around 11 am and 3 pm. The best time to see the train is 11 am, at 3 pm the engine is backwards!

4. Drive the North Coast 500 – Scotland’s ultimate road trip

Scotland’s most famous road trip takes in 500 miles around the north coast of Scotland taking in some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

From Inverness to Dunnet Head, Durness to Applecross, the North Coast 500 is a road-tripping route which takes you around the far north of Scotland.

With beautiful coastal scenery, gorgeous turquoise blue seas, dramatic driving roads, castles, and distilleries the NC500 route is definatly one for the Scotland bucket list.

> Why not drive the NC500 on this 7 day North Coast 500 itinerary.

5. Experience Scotland’s fire festivals

To witness Scotland at its most dramatic, time your visit for one of its spectacular fire festivals. With roots deep in Pagan traditions, fire festivals celebrate the changing seasons, or to ward off evils spirits.

• In January, Lerwick’s  Up Helly Aa blazes as hundreds of torch-bearing Vikings parade through Shetland before hurling flaming brands into a replica longship.
• Also in January, The Burning of the Clavie takes places in Burghead on the Moray Firth. Greeting the old Scottish new year (11 January) a flaming Clavie (a barrel full of staves) is paraded through the town before reaching Doorie Hill and its ancient fort.
• In April, The Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh is a fiery reinterpretation of ancient Celtic rites – drums, dancing, and sparks flying.
• In October, Edinburgh’s Samhuinn Fire Festival on Halloween resurrects ancient Celtic traditions with drummers, fire dancers, and mythic storytelling.
• In December, take part in the Torchlight Procession in Edinburgh, the night before Hogmanay.
• One of the most dramatic fire festivals in Scotland, the Stonehaven Fireballs see flaming fireballs swung through the streets to welcome the New Year.

6. Sail to the remote St Kilda archipelago

With dramatic cliffs, sea stacks, colonies of puffins and gannets, and the remains of a once-thriving village, St Kilda is an UNESCO World Heritage Site 40 miles west of the Outer Hebrides.

Day trips to St Kilda run from Harris or Uist between April and September each year, with the boat journey to the islands taking around 3 hours.

Comprising 4 islands – Hirta, Dun, Soay and Boreray – St Kilda saw over 2000 years of human habitation on an island ‘at the edge of the world’. The largest island in the archipelago is Hirta which was once home to 180 residents, finally being abandoned in 1930.

The islands were designated as Scotland’s first World Heritage Site in 1987, both for this remarkable example of human endurance and for the millions of birds which now make these islands their home.

> Book a boat trip to St Kilda with St Kilda Cruises or Sea Harris or Uist Sea Tours. Trips cost around £280 per person (2025 prices). Trips depend heavily on weather and may be canceled.

7. Hike the legendary West Highland Way

Stretching 96 miles from Glasgow to Fort William, the West Highland Way is Scotland’s most famous long-distance trail.

Over 7–10 days it leads you along the shores of Loch Lomond, across the wild expanse of Rannoch Moor, through dramatic Glencoe, and up the Devil’s Staircase before finishing beneath mighty Ben Nevis.

Tip: You don’t have to tackle all 96 miles. One of the best day hikes is the Drymen to Inverarnan stretch (about 14 miles) along Loch Lomond. Luggage transfer services make the full route easier if you prefer a lighter pack.

8. Visit Iona Abbey, birthplace of Scottish christianity

A tiny Hebridean island of white sand beaches and wildflower meadows, Iona is home to a 6th-century abbey, where St Columba spread Christianity throughout Scotland.

Iona Abbey is also the burial place of 48 of Scotland’s kings – including Kenneth MacAlpin, Scotland’s first king who unified the Picts, the Scots, the Angles and the Norse Earls under one king.

Macbeth, most famous for being the star of the Shakespeare’s Scottish play, is also buried in the Abbey.

To get to Iona, catch the ferry across the Sound of Iona to walk the Sràid nam Marbh – the Street of the Dead along which kings were carried from Martyrs Bay to Reilig Òdhrain, St Oran’s burial ground.

> Here is a detailled guide to how to visit Iona.

9. Celebrate Hogmanay in Scotland

Hogmanay in Scotland isn’t just about the huge street party on Edinburgh’s Princes Street with fireworks over the castle on New Year’s Eve, although attending is one for your Scottish bucket list.

Across Scotland Hogmanay is celebrated in homes, towns and villages with traditions such as first-footing, where homes open their doors after midnight to greet the first guest of the year who brings gifts like whisky or coal for good luck.

At midnight, to celebrate the ‘bells’, Scots link arms and sing Auld Lang Syne, a Scots poem by our national poet, Rabbie Burns.

10. Attend a Highland Games festival

Scottish Highland Games are a unique mix of sport, social event, identity and heritage – and include traditional ‘heavy’ Highland sports such as the caber toss (a caber is a huge massive wooden pole), the hammer throw, shot put, weight over the bar – and the tug o war – alongside music and Highland dancing.

The most famous Highland Games is include the Braemar Gathering which is regularly attended by the King and members of the Royal Family at the beautiful show ground in Braemar.

The largest of the Highland Games is the Cowal Gathering and the oldest is the The Ceres Games in Fife.

> You can view the list of Highland Games events during the year on from the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association calendar.

Whether you fancy attending a Burns Supper, climbing Ben Nevis, or visiting the remote islands of St Kilda, your Scotland bucket list is ready—where will you choose first?

Love from Scotland x