10 best activities to do in Scotland
Scotland has so many things you can do! You’ll find distilleries all over the place, castles and abbey’s everywhere, beautiful scenery, and so on. If you take a trip to Scotland, you’re sure not to get bored. If you are the travel adventurer type, this is a great place for you. You’ll find everything you need for a great trip! There are many great activities to do in Scotland.
If you are looking for some inspiration on what to do in Scotland, here are my ten best activities to do once you get there! (in no particular order)
Scotch Distilleries
Scotland is renowned for its Scotch or whiskey, whichever you prefer. You can find almost 130 different licensed distilleries in Scotland. You’re sure to find one to your liking! Scotch isn’t for me though, way too strong! But it was great to visit the distillery and see all the processes behind the making of the liquor.
Exploring Castles
When you think of Scotland, castles come straight to mind. Throughout time, Scotland counted two thousand castles. Some of them are still standing and are very impressive. But some of them are only known through historical records and are no longer standing. Visiting old castles was my favorite activity in Scotland!
Hiking
Even though Scotland doesn’t have the highest mountains, there are still amazing hikes you can take. A lot of them will lead to a picturesque view.
Harry Potter sightseeing
Since the movies were filmed in the United Kingdom, you can find many filming locations in Scotland. You can see the Glenfinnan Viaduct and the steam train that are famous in the movies when they are going to school. Hagrid’s hut is located in Glencoe. In Edinburgh, if you go to Greyfriars graveyard, you’ll find many graves that inspired the characters for the books. In the city, you can take many Harry Potter tours that will bring you into the magical universe of Harry Potter throughout Edinburgh. If you want to buy some Harry Potter stuff, Edinburgh is just the place.
Isle of Skye
You can tour the island in a day or two. There aren’t many camping spots on the island though so make sure to check ahead of time where you will be spending the night just so you don’t end up not having anywhere to stay. The island has a great mix of nice hikes, castles, and cliffs. Make sure to make a stop at the fairy pools in Glenbrittle they are worth the drive! This was one of my favorite activities we did in Scotland!
Enjoy the pub
You can’t go to Scotland without experiencing a typical Scottish pub before leaving. The ambiance is great and the food is surprisingly good!
Golf
Golf was actually invented in Scotland! So any golf adepts should definitely plan a day for golfing in the itinerary. There are many great golfing courses all over Scotland.
Clay pigeon shooting
If you are going all-in for the Scottish experience, make sure to make time for some clay pigeon shooting. Again, you can find many places around where you can practice this sport.
Spend a night wild camping
As Scotland allows wild camping anywhere unless there is a sign saying otherwise, it is a great opportunity to experience it. If you are renting a camper van as we did, you don’t even need to go to a camping spot at night. Scotland allows camping anywhere you like as long as you respect the environment and you leave the place just like it was before you got there. This will allow you to wake up to some amazing views you might miss otherwise!
Watching puffins
I hope someday I get the chance to go back to Scotland to do this! Most puffins can be sighted in the north of Scotland and on the islands. We didn’t go that far on our road trip so we didn’t get to witness these cute little birds.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. I would never recommend anything I don’t personally love and use!
Want to discover more about this wonderful destination? Read these to keep you inspired.
11 things I loved about my road trip through Scotland
20 photos to inspire you to visit Scotland
Our 14 day itinerary across Scotland
The story behind Payte on the Road
20 photos to inspire you to explore the world
How can you travel often with a full-time job
The ultimate coast to coast Canada itinerary
