Scotland is one of those rare countries where the question isn’t ‘what is there to do?’ but ‘where do I even start?’
You can hike to the top of a Munro and have the whole ridge to yourself. Sit in a Victorian distillery and taste whisky that has been maturing longer than you’ve been alive.
Find a beach on the Outer Hebrides that looks like the Maldives, but with the wind and the seabirds and the total, glorious absence of a gift shop.
Wander around a castle that has stood for 800 years and is completely free to visit.
Visit the exact places where Outlander was filmed, or stand on a battlefield where Scottish history turned on its head.
The things to do in Scotland are as varied as the landscape – and the landscape is unlike anywhere else in Britain.
I’ve spent years exploring every corner of this country. This is my guide to the very best of it – from the unmissable to the overlooked, organised by what interests you most.
Jump to: Outdoors & Hiking | Castles & History | Whisky & Distilleries | Wildlife | Beaches | Family Activities | Outlander Locations | Ancestry | City Highlights | Food Experiences | Dog-Friendly | Unique Experiences
Outdoor activities and hiking in Scotland
Scotland is one of the best countries in Europe for outdoor adventure – and you don’t have to be an experienced mountaineer to enjoy it.
From gentle lochside strolls that take an hour to serious Munro ascents that test even seasoned hikers, there is something here for every level of fitness and ambition.
Scotland also has some of the most progressive access laws in the world.
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives everyone the right to be on most land and inland water, meaning you can walk, cycle or wild camp on almost any unenclosed land in the country, as long as you do so responsibly.
It is a remarkable freedom, and one that makes Scotland extraordinary for outdoor adventure.
Walking and hiking
With over 6,000 miles of coastline, 30,000+ lochs, and some of Britain’s most dramatic mountain scenery, Scotland offers walking experiences that range from an easy hour-long forest stroll to multi-day backcountry expeditions.
- Best walks in Scotland — from short scenic strolls to full-day hikes, here are my favourite walks across the country
- Coastal walks — Scotland’s coastline is world-class; the best stretches for walking include the Kintyre Way, the Fife Coastal Path, and the wild shores of Ardnamurchan
- Loch walks — walking beside a Scottish loch at dawn or dusk is one of life’s great experiences
- Gorge walks & woodland dens — hidden ravines and ancient forest; Scotland’s most atmospheric walks
- Circular walks — loop routes for every ability, all across the country
Discover more guides to getting outside >
Munro bagging
Scotland has 282 Munros – mountains over 3,000 feet – and ‘bagging’ them is a national obsession.
Some people complete all 282 (known as ‘compleating’); others are happy with one good one and a pub at the bottom.
You don’t need to be a serious mountaineer to bag a beginner-friendly Munro, but you do need the right kit, a good map, and weather awareness.
- The best small hills to get you started – before you bag a Munro, these are the best hills to climb
- Best Munros for beginners — accessible first Munro peaks with well-worn paths and great views
- Ben Lomond — the most southerly Munro and one of the most popular; spectacular Loch Lomond views
- Ben Nevis — Britain’s highest mountain; a serious undertaking but achievable with preparation
- Schiehallion — the ‘fairy hill of the Caledonians’ in Perthshire; one of Scotland’s most distinctive shapes
- Stac Pollaidh — not technically a Munro but one of the most dramatic ascents in Scotland; Assynt is otherworldly
Discover more guides to bagging a munro >
Wild swimming and saunas
Scotland’s rivers, lochs and coastline make it one of the best wild swimming destinations in the UK. The water is cold – genuinely, sometimes alarmingly cold – but there is nothing quite like emerging from a Highland loch feeling both entirely alive and mildly hypothermic before jumping into a sauna.
The Fairy Pools on Skye are the most famous wild swimming spot in Scotland and they are stunning, but they’re also very busy in summer. For something more private, head to almost any river in Perthshire or the eastern Highlands and find your own pool. That’s half the joy of it.
Read my guide to wild swimming, saunas and wellness in Scotland.
Cycling
Scotland is criss-crossed with excellent cycling routes – from the traffic-free Caledonia Way (Edinburgh to Inverness) to world-class mountain biking trails at Glentress in the Borders and Laggan Wolftrax in the Cairngorms. The country’s right-to-roam laws also mean off-road cycling on most tracks and paths is perfectly legal.
Castles and history in Scotland
Scotland has more castles per square mile than almost anywhere in Europe. There are over 2,000 of them, from ruined towers on windswept headlands to lavishly furnished stately homes still lived in today. Many are free to visit. Several you can sleep in.
Beyond the castles, Scotland’s history is layered and dramatic, ancient Pictish symbols carved into standing stones, Neolithic villages 5,000 years old, battlefields that changed the course of British history, and a Jacobite story that still captures imaginations worldwide.
Unmissable castles in Scotland
- Edinburgh Castle — perched on volcanic rock above the city. The Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny, and one of the best views in Scotland from the battlements.
- Eilean Donan — the most photographed castle in Scotland, sitting on a small island where three sea lochs meet. Even more beautiful in person than in photographs.
- Stirling Castle — arguably more historically significant than Edinburgh. Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here. The Great Hall is spectacular.
- Dunnottar Castle — a dramatically ruined clifftop fortress in Aberdeenshire. Where the Scottish Crown Jewels were hidden from Cromwell’s army. Jaw-dropping.
- Glamis Castle — the childhood home of the late Queen Mother. Said to be the most haunted castle in Scotland. Perthshire’s finest.
- Urquhart Castle — ruins on the banks of Loch Ness. The views down the loch are extraordinary, and yes, you might spot the monster.
History and heritage
- Culloden Battlefield — the site of the last pitched battle on British soil (1746). Haunting, beautifully interpreted, and emotionally powerful. Essential for anyone interested in Scottish or Jacobite history.
- Skara Brae, Orkney — a 5,000-year-old Neolithic village preserved in sand dunes. Older than Stonehenge. One of the most remarkable prehistoric sites in Europe.
- The Standing Stones of Callanish, Lewis — a cross-shaped megalith on the Isle of Lewis dating back 5,000 years. Otherworldly in the mist.
- Rosslyn Chapel — the extraordinary 15th-century chapel made famous by The Da Vinci Code. The stone carvings are genuinely astonishing.
Discover more guides to history and heritage in Scotland >
Whisky and distillery visits in Scotland
There are over 150 working whisky distilleries in Scotland and visiting one is one of the great travel experiences the country offers, whether you consider yourself a whisky drinker or not.
The people are passionate, the buildings are often extraordinary, and the tastings range from a polite dram at the end of a tour to serious tutored sessions that will fundamentally change how you think about what’s in the glass.
Scotland’s whisky is divided into five regions, each producing distinctly different characters. Speyside is fruity and honeyed. Islay is peaty and maritime. The Highlands are varied and rugged. Campbeltown is salty and complex. The Lowlands are light and approachable.
- Speyside Distillery Trail — the Malt Whisky Trail links eight distilleries along the River Spey. Glenfiddich, Macallan, Aberlour. Do it as a self-drive over two or three days.
- Islay — the peat island. Visiting Islay for the whisky is a proper pilgrimage: eight distilleries, a spectacular island, and some of the most intensely flavoured whisky in the world.
- Glengoyne — one of the most beautiful distilleries in Scotland, just north of Glasgow. Great for first-time visitors; excellent tours and a lovely setting.
- New distilleries — Scotland’s whisky scene is booming with new openings. Several fascinating new distilleries and visitor centres have opened in recent years.
Discover more guides whisky in Scotland >
Wildlife watching in Scotland
Scotland is one of the best places in Europe to see wildlife in genuinely wild settings. Red deer, red squirrels, ospreys, puffins, golden eagles, dolphins, seals, basking sharks, mountain hares, red kites and if you’re very lucky, a wildcat or an otter.
The key to wildlife watching in Scotland is patience, early mornings, and knowing where to go. The west coast sea lochs, the Cairngorms plateau, the sea cliffs of Orkney and Handa Island, and the estuaries of the east coast are all extraordinary for wildlife.
Top wildlife experiences
- Puffins — the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth and Handa Island in Sutherland are two of the best puffin colonies in Scotland. Visit May to August.
- Red deer rut — autumn is when the Highland stags roar across the glens. Glen Etive, Torridon and the Cairngorms are all brilliant for witnessing it. October is the peak.
- Dolphins — Chanonry Point on the Black Isle near Inverness is one of the best dolphin-watching spots in Europe. Bottlenose dolphins come right to the beach at high tide.
- Ospreys — Loch Garten in the Cairngorms has a famous RSPB osprey centre. The birds return from Africa in spring and you can watch them live on camera.
- Red squirrels — much easier to see in Scotland than England. Abernethy Forest, Galloway Forest Park, and many woodland areas in Perthshire.
- Sea eagles — the Isle of Mull has one of the highest densities of white-tailed sea eagles in the UK. Boat trips from Mull specifically for eagle watching are brilliant.
- Basking sharks — the waters around Coll, Tiree and the west coast see basking sharks from May to September. Boat trips from Oban offer sightings.
Discover where to see the best wildlife in Scotland >
The best beaches in Scotland
This surprises most people: Scotland has some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. White sand, turquoise water, backed by mountains or machair grassland and often completely empty. The west coast and islands have beaches that look Caribbean if you ignore the temperature and the wind, and on a calm summer day in June or July they are genuinely magical.
Scotland’s most beautiful beaches
- Luskentyre, Isle of Harris — consistently voted one of the best beaches in the world. White sand, turquoise water, Hebridean hills behind. Go early morning.
- Sandwood Bay, Sutherland — Scotland’s most remote beach, accessible only by a 4-mile walk. A sea stack, a ruined cottage, and almost certainly no one else there.
- Camusdarach, near Mallaig — the beach from the film Local Hero. Silver sand backed by dunes; the water is genuinely clear.
- Achmelvich, Assynt — a tiny, perfect bay with dazzling white sand and that classic west-coast turquoise. Often quiet even in summer.
- Ettrick Bay, Isle of Bute — easy to reach, beautiful, and perfect for families. A tearoom at the end of the beach is the civilised touch.
- The beaches of Orkney — the Bay of Skaill next to Skara Brae, Birsay, and the remote beaches of the North Isles. Wild and dramatic.
The best places for a beach holiday in Scotland
Things to do in Scotland with kids
Scotland is a brilliant country for a family holiday. Children who would usually resist a country walk become converts when there’s a ruined castle at the top of it.
History comes alive when you can actually walk through a 5,000-year-old village. Scotland’s wildlife, especially reindeer, red squirrels, puffins and Highland coos, tends to produce the kind of excitement that no theme park can match.
Top family experiences
- The Highland Wildlife Park — drive-through and walk-around enclosures with wildcats, wolves, polar bears and Scotland’s own wildlife. Near Kingussie in the Cairngorms. A brilliant day out for all ages.
- Cairngorm Reindeer Herd — join a guided hill walk to meet and feed Britain’s only free-ranging reindeer herd. Magical at any time of year, but especially at Christmas.
- Landmark Forest Adventure Park — tree-top adventure playground near Aviemore with slides, net courses, dinosaurs and a water coaster. Great for 5–12 year olds.
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow — free, world-class, brilliantly child-friendly. The T-Rex skeleton and the Salvador Dalí Christ are both in the same building and both equally jaw-dropping for different reasons.
- Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh — an immersive journey through 4.5 billion years of Earth’s history. Under-12s love it; so do most adults.
- The Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick — live cameras beaming puffin footage from Bass Rock, plus interactive exhibits about Scotland’s incredible seabird colonies.
- Scotland’s castles with kids — Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Craigmillar, Tantallon. Children who love history or stories will be completely absorbed.
Discover more things to do with kids in Scotland >
Outlander filming locations in Scotland
Since Outlander first aired in 2014, Scotland has seen a remarkable wave of visitors who arrive not just to see the country but to walk through the world of Jamie and Claire.
The brilliant thing is that the locations are genuinely extraordinary travel destinations in their own right – the show was filmed here for a reason.
Top Outlander locations to visit
- Doune Castle — Castle Leoch, home of the MacKenzie clan. One of the best-preserved medieval castles in Scotland. Near Stirling.
- Midhope Castle & Hopetoun Estate — Lallybroch, the Fraser family home. The drive through the grounds of Hopetoun Estate is stunning.
- Falkland — the Perthshire village that became 1940s Inverness in the show. One of Scotland’s most beautiful small towns regardless of Outlander.
- Culross — the perfectly preserved 17th-century village on the Firth of Forth that stood in for the fictional Cranesmuir. Walk its cobbled streets.
- Culloden Battlefield — the most emotionally resonant Outlander location of all. The battle that broke Jacobite Scotland. Go and feel it for yourself.
- The Devil’s Pulpit, Finnich Glen — one of Scotland’s most extraordinary hidden gorges, used in several dramatic scenes. Stunning even without the Outlander connection.
Discover more guides to filming locations in Scotland >
Exploring Scottish ancestry and heritage
Scotland has one of the largest diasporas of any country in the world, particularly in North America, Australia and New Zealand.
If you have Scottish roots, a trip to Scotland to explore your family history is an extraordinarily moving experience.
The clan system, the Highland clearances, the records held in Edinburgh, there are more ways to trace Scottish roots than almost any other nationality.
- Find your clan — Scotland’s clan system is still very much alive, with clan societies, tartans, and ancient clan lands that you can visit. Many Highland estates still bear the name of the clan that once held them.
- The National Records of Scotland — Edinburgh holds one of the world’s great archives. Birth, death and marriage records going back centuries are available to search.
- Clan homeland visits — if you know your clan, you can visit the lands they came from. Campbell country in Argyll, MacDonald territory in Skye and the western Highlands, Fraser country around Inverness.
- Culloden — the Fraser clan memorial stone at Culloden is one of the most visited sites by Scottish-Americans tracing Jacobite heritage.
- Highland Clearances sites — the crofting townships of the north and west, many now ruined, tell the story of the forced emigrations of the 18th and 19th centuries that created the Scottish diaspora.
Discover your Scottish ancestry >
Scotland’s cities
Scotland has eight cities, all completely different in character, and all worth your time. Many visitors make the mistake of spending all their time in Edinburgh and while Edinburgh is extraordinary, Glasgow, Perth, Inverness, Dunfermline, Dundee and Stirling all offer experiences you simply can’t get in the capital.
Edinburgh
The capital is one of the most dramatic cities in Europe – a medieval Old Town perched on volcanic rock, a Georgian New Town laid out in perfect symmetry below it, and a castle that has been occupied for over 1,000 years. It’s also the best food city in Scotland and home to the world’s greatest arts festival every August.
- Don’t miss: Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat, the National Museum of Scotland (free, world-class), Leith’s restaurant scene, the Grassmarket.
Read my local’s guide to things to do in Edinburgh
Glasgow
Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest city and, in the opinion of many Scots, its best. It’s warmer, louder, funnier, and more surprising than Edinburgh. The art scene is extraordinary – the Burrell Collection and Kelvingrove are both world-class and free. The food and bar scene is brilliant. The architecture is Victorian Gothic at its most extravagant.
- Don’t miss: Kelvingrove Art Gallery, the Burrell Collection, the West End, the Barras Market, a walk up the Necropolis for a view over the whole city.
Read my local’s guide to things to do in Glasgow
Inverness, Stirling & Dundee
Inverness is the gateway to the Highlands – a charming small city on the Ness with a castle, great food, and unbeatable access to Loch Ness, the Black Isle, and the Cairngorms. Stirling is Scotland’s most historically loaded city, punching far above its size. Dundee has reinvented itself as a design and culture city with the outstanding V&A Dundee on the waterfront.
Plan your visit to Scotland’s cities >
Food and drink experiences in Scotland
Some of Scotland’s most memorable experiences involve eating and drinking – and not just in restaurants. A bowl of Cullen Skink in the village where it was invented.
Langoustines pulled from a creel that morning, eaten at a picnic bench above a harbour. A tutored whisky tasting in a Victorian stillhouse. Foraging for chanterelles in an Autumn woodland with a chef who then cooks them for you.
- Distillery tours and tastings — from a simple dram at the end of a tour to a full immersive tasting experience, every region has something to offer.
- Seafood on the coast — Oban, Ullapool, Tarbert, Portree: pull up to a harbour-side restaurant or shack and order whatever came in that morning. Read my guide to the best places to eat Seafood in Scotland.
- Farm-to-fork dining — Scotland has a remarkable farm-to-table dining scene, from Michelin Green Star restaurants to estate-reared venison in a Highland hotel. Read my guide to farm-to-fork dining.
- Foraging experiences — guided foraging walks and wild cooking classes are available across the country; a brilliant way to connect with Scotland’s landscapes. Read my guide to foraging in Scotland.
- Whisky bars — Edinburgh and Glasgow both have extraordinary whisky bars with hundreds of drams; a very pleasurable evening’s education
Discover the best places to eat and drink in Scotland >
Dog-friendly things to do in Scotland
Scotland is one of the most dog-friendly countries in the world. The right-to-roam access laws mean your dog can walk with you on almost any hill, beach or forest track in the country. Most beaches in Scotland are dog-friendly year-round. Many hotels, pubs, distilleries and even some restaurants welcome well-behaved dogs. It is genuinely one of the best countries in Europe for travelling with a dog.
- Dog-friendly beaches — the vast majority of Scottish beaches allow dogs all year round, including many of the most beautiful ones
- Dog-friendly pubs and hotels — very common across the Highlands and rural Scotland; always worth calling ahead in cities
- Distilleries with dogs — several Scottish distilleries welcome dogs in their visitor centres and grounds; Glengoyne and Kilchoman on Islay are particularly good
- Off-lead walking — Scotland’s open hills and moorland mean your dog can run free on most walks, as long as you keep them under close control near livestock
Discover more dog friendly things to do in Scotland >
Unique experiences you can only have in Scotland
Some of the best things to do in Scotland don’t fit neatly into a category. These are the experiences that are specific to this country – the ones that stay with you long after you get home.
- Attend a ceilidh — a traditional Scottish dance with live music. Exhilarating, hilarious, and completely unpretentious. You do not need to know any of the dances beforehand; someone will grab your hands and show you.
- Watch the Northern Lights — Scotland is one of the best places in mainland Britain to see the Aurora Borealis. The darkest skies are in the Cairngorms, the Galloway Forest Dark Sky Park, and the Northern Isles. Autumn and winter are the best seasons.
- Sleep in a bothy — free, unlocked mountain shelters maintained by the Mountain Bothy Association. No electricity, no booking — just a fireplace, four walls, and a view. One of Scotland’s great traditions.
- Ride a steam train — the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig crosses the Glenfinnan Viaduct and is one of the great train journeys of the world. Book well in advance for summer.
- Visit a Highland Games — watch caber tossing, tug of war, Highland dancing and pipe bands at one of the dozens of Highland Games held across Scotland from May to September
- Go stargazing in a Dark Sky Park — the Galloway Forest Park and the Cairngorms are both designated Dark Sky Parks; on a clear night the Milky Way is extraordinary
- Take a boat trip to a remote island — from Mallaig to the Small Isles, from Oban to Staffa to see Fingal’s Cave, from Ullapool to the Summer Isles. Scotland from the sea is a completely different country.
Ready to start planning?
Use the guides below to go deeper into whatever interests you most. And if you’re not sure where to start – start with the planning guide. Everything else will fall into place from there.
Kate – love from Scotland x
I’m Kate, the Scotland-based travel writer behind Love from Scotland. I share first-hand destination guides and accommodation recommendations across Scotland. Let me help you plan your best ever trip!