A historic land that has a vibrant culture, expansive wild spaces, and an amazing food and drink scene, Scotland is the perfect place for your next escape. From the many gorgeous castles to the breathtaking islands of Barra and Islay to the bustling cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh, you can easily spend 10 days in Scotland. With so many events including The Fringe festival, the Highland Games, and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo to name a few, there is always something exciting and new going on. Your holiday is bound to be great no matter how many days you decide to spend in Scotland.
In this Scotland travel guide, we will share the best time to visit Scotland, whether that is Scotland in May or Scotland in September, as well as all the best Scotland tours. Whether you are looking to roam across the Highlands, island hop in the Orkneys, get your fill of history and art in Dundee, or just bounce from one distillery to the next, there are a whole host of Scotland trips just waiting to be discovered.
Top Destinations in Scotland
Discover the highlights of Scotland.
Scotland at a Glance
Quick facts about Scotland.
Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. This historic city is split into the Old Town and New Town. In the summer, the city plays host to the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts and media festival that draws crowds and acts from all around the globe.
77,910 km². Much of Scotland is dedicated to wild spaces and estates. This means that although the trains do connect the main cities and towns, road-tripping is a popular way to travel. Ferries are also essential for getting around Scotland’s outstanding islands.
+44. As Scotland is still currently a part of the UK, it shares a dialing code with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Scotland uses the British Pound like the rest of the UK. The majority of the cities are card-friendly and you may find that some of the bus services use contactless cards. If you are in rural areas or remote islands, having cash on hand is a good idea.
The main airport of Scotland is Edinburgh Airport. It is located around 10.6km from Edinburgh city center. CODE: EDI CLOSEST CITY: EDINBURGH
US travelers can visit Scotland without a visa for up to six months. It is a UK-wide policy so you can travel around the whole country for up to 180 days. However, as always, we recommend checking your country's travel advisories before booking a trip.
The official language is technically English, but Scots and Gaelic Scottish are also having a resurgence. There are a lot of regional variations, dialects, and heavy accents depending where you are in the UK. For example, Glaswegian accents and slang, combined with some aspects of Scots, can seem like a completely different language, despite being predominantly English.
The local emergency contact number for police, fire, and ambulance is 999. From here you will be directed to a switchboard to reroute your call to the right emergency service.
While kilts are commonly associated with Scotland, they only tend to come out on special events, and each tartan is specific to a different clan. The Scottish clans famously had a lot of battles and grudges, so family and clan pride are still a big deal.
When to visit Scotland
Read the below travel guides to find the best time to visit Scotland.
- Jan Avg Daily: 5 ° C Avg Nightly: 1 ° C
- Feb Avg Daily: 6 ° C Avg Nightly: 1 ° C
- Mar Avg Daily: 9 ° C Avg Nightly: 2 ° C
- Apr Avg Daily: 11 ° C Avg Nightly: 3 ° C
- May Avg Daily: 14 ° C Avg Nightly: 6 ° C
- Jun Avg Daily: 17 ° C Avg Nightly: 9 ° C
- Jul Avg Daily: 19 ° C Avg Nightly: 11 ° C
- Aug Avg Daily: 19 ° C Avg Nightly: 11 ° C
- Sep Avg Daily: 16 ° C Avg Nightly: 9 ° C
- Oct Avg Daily: 13 ° C Avg Nightly: 7 ° C
- Nov Avg Daily: 9 ° C Avg Nightly: 3 ° C
- Dec Avg Daily: 7 ° C Avg Nightly: 2 ° C
- Excellent
- Good
- Fair
- Poor
How long to stay in Scotland
Read about the ideal duration to stay in Scotland.
Scotland Tour and Holiday Packages
Select the tour type that you are looking for.
FAQs for Scotland
Read the most frequently asked questions and answers about traveling to Scotland below.
- How many days do I need in Scotland?
- What is the best way to travel to Scotland?
- Is Scotland expensive to visit?
- Which Scottish tours should I go on?
Sustainable travel — How to travel through Scotland Responsibly
In line with Bookmundi’s vision, we wish to provide our travelers with a sustainable travel experience through Scotland. As part of this effort, we carbon-offset any Scotland tour that you purchase through us. You can read more details about our carbon offsetting efforts.
Here is what you can do to travel Scotland more responsibly:
- Carbon-offset your transport to and around Scotland via Loganair. The moment your tour starts in Scotland, and provided that you have purchased your tour through Bookmundi, we will carbon-offset your tour from its starting point to its ending point.
- If you are looking for a way to limit your carbon footprint on your trip to Scotland, check out Visit Scotland which outlines ways to ensure a sustainable and responsible trip to the country, as well as some tips you can take on an individual level to limit your carbon footprint.
- With so many wild and beautiful spaces in Scotland, conservation and environmental protection should be high on any traveler’s list. Help keep the national parks, wild spaces, and ecosystems protected for future visitors by donating to the John Muir Trust which helps protect and repair wild spaces across the UK.
Scotland travel tips and insights
- Do not refer to a Scottish person as English because of the complicated history between the two countries.
- Learning some basic Scottish words before your holiday can be useful if you ever need to ask for directions.
- Make sure you try haggis, Irn-Bru, and at least one deep-fried Mars bar.
- Do not ask a Scotsman what is underneath his kilt unless you really want to know.
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- William Armstrong Travel Expert in Scotland & Wales
- Stephen Molloy Travel Expert in Scotland & Wales

Tour types
- Scotland trips
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- Eco tours in Scotland
- Scotland guided tours
- Scotland family tour packages
- Scotland private tours
- Scotland self-guided tours
- Scotland small group tours
- Scotland solo trips
- Scotland tailor-made vacation packages
- Scotland tours for senior citizens
- Scotland tours for young adults
- Scotland group tours
- Scotland travel deals