Despite weather that can change in an instant and a pricey British pound, there sure are a lot of things to love about the country of Scotland. In total, I've spent more than a month traversing this little UK nation, from Edinburgh's Royal Mile during the height of festival season to the tranquil hills of the Highlands, falling in love with just about everything along the way.
Here are my 5 reasons to fall in love with Scotland:
The Lochs
Scotland has some pretty famous lochs (or “lakes” for you normal English-speakers). But even the ones that you haven't heard of (i.e. the ones without monsters-in-residence) are stunning. Up in the Highlands, the lochs and mountains make for my favorite kind of landscape.
RELATED: A Highland Fling with Haggis Adventures
The Castles
Scotland really is like something straight out of a fairytale — “Brave” got it right. Not only does Scotland have some very pretty lakes, but those pretty lakes very often have medieval castles sitting on their shores. There are hundreds of castles in Scotland, and I never tired of seeing them.
The Landscape
Along with all the gorgeous lochs, Scotland has some truly awe-inspiring scenery — especially up in the Highlands. As wowed as I have been with the landscapes in places like New Zealand and Iceland, parts of Scotland (like the Isle of Skye) definitely give them all a run for their money.
RELATED: The Isle of Skye: Still My Favorite Part of Scotland
The Cities/Towns
Scotland isn't merely a land of hills and lakes, though. It also has some great cities and towns. Cities like medieval Edinburgh and underrated Glasgow offer up plenty of things to do, while smaller towns like Oban and Protree are so cute they hurt.
RELATED: August: The Best Time to Be in Edinburgh?
The Scottishness
Lastly, Scotland is just so… Scottish! Nowhere else in the world will you find men in kilts, impromptu bagpiping, or adorable Highland cows the way you will in Scotland. Not to mention that Scottish people are incredibly friendly and proud to be Scottish — so refreshing!
If you haven't spent any time in Scotland yet, you have no more excuses – get yourself there ASAP!
Have you been to Scotland? What else do YOU love about the country?
*Note: Part of my love of Scotland is definitely thanks to the 5-day Highland Fling tour I took with Haggis Adventures in 2012, and the 3-day Isle of Skye tour I took with Highland Explorer Tours in 2015. Yes the tours were complimentary, but my opinions about Scotland are entirely my own!
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Have visited Scotland and will be back once covid is over. I come from a line of Sutherland directly connected to Dunrobin castle and the pull to be be back is strong. Missed Isle of Skye last time
Scotland is one of my favorite places in the world, and I can’t wait until I can visit again!
Hello, my husband, myself, and 37 yr old son went to Scotland in April. Loved it! My husband and I are scheduled to go back in April of 2019! We had a rental car and learned very quickly to ditch it and take trains! Even went to a Metal concert. : ) It was lovely and folks of all ages were there. My son wants to move there on an ancestry visa. We are having a hard time getting all the facts correct. Do you have a good resource/friends that have been through the process? They can email me. I loved Paisley! We went to Skye, Inverness, Glasgow, and Edinbaugh. Loved Glasgow too.
This time will do a little more exploring. Up a little bit from Portree, there is a great Hostel. The cowshed. Thank you for your lovely site. debi
I’m afraid I don’t know of anyone who has moved to Scotland on an ancestry visa, so I don’t have any personal tips to share. But I would start with the UK site for ancestry visas: https://www.gov.uk/ancestry-visa