3 Fun Things You Have to do in Scotland

From the moment I stepped off the plane in Edinburgh, all I heard around me was the deep, echoing sound of bagpipes. Sounds cliché, I know. But that’s truly how it was and I wouldn’t have believed it either if I didn’t experience it. Every day we would wake up and walk down the cobblestone streets, where we would inevitably run into a street performer in “№1 Full Highland Dress” playing a multitude of different tunes. You could always hear them before you could see them, which just added to the magic of the city. Here are a few of my favorite places that you should plan to visit.

1. The Scotch Whisky (yes, it’s spelled right) Experience

This was by far my favorite thing to do in Edinburgh. I could’ve sat there all day staring out at the beautiful sunset casting pink and orange hues across the city, while sipping on whisky from different parts of the country.

It starts with you riding through the whisky production process in your very own barrel. Once you disembark, a tour guide teaches you about the different whiskys from each area and how to smell the difference with each one. Finally, you get escorted into The World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky. There are bottles on bottles of whisky, housed in large glass cases that stretch from floor to ceiling, and wrap around the entire room. It is absolutely incredible!

The experience is located on the Royal Mile right below Edinburgh Castle, which is another iconic location that you should definitely check out. But, if you love whisky, or are just curious about how each one is made, then you definitely can’t miss this experience! (Bonus: You get to keep the Glencairn Whisky Glass they give you during the tasting as a souvenir.)

2. Outlander Tour

Oh my gosh, I have nothing but great things to say about this tour! We booked through Rabbie’s, and I just have to say that the small groups and the knowledgeable and hilarious tour guides really made this tour come to life. Along with all the amazing castles, each with their own history, you get to see some of the most iconic locations from the Outlander series. It feels as though you are stepping inside the show and becoming part of it.

The castles included are Blackness Castle (aka Fort William), which was my personal favorite, Linlithgow Palace (The birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots; Wentworth Prison), Doune Castle (Castle Leoch), and Culross (Cranesmuir). We were also supposed to go to Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), but since it’s an actual working estate we, unfortunately, weren’t able to go at that time of year. That didn’t matter too much though because the tour was still amazing!

If you didn’t get enough Outlander by the end of the day, make sure to also check out Bakehouse Close to see A. Malcolm’s print shop.

3. The Cloisters at the University of Glasgow

If you what to visit another city that’s still close to Edinburgh, this is definitely a cool city to check out. The trip by train only took us an hour, and it didn’t even feel that long because we were so busy staring out the window at all the scenery.

Every single photo I had seen of this campus was so surreal and I knew it was something I wanted to see if I ever had the chance to visit. So when I finally booked my trip, this was the first thing on my list. You may be thinking, what’s so special about a building? Honestly, I don’t blame you. But there is just something about the architecture that is truly beautiful and amazing. I really can’t explain it. I stood there, staring out at the courtyard filled with bright green grass contrasted with the dark brown building, and just felt so peaceful. Of course, this may not be for you but I think it was worth the trip.

Honorable Mentions

Victoria Street

If you love Harry Potter, then this street is definitely going to be right up your alley (like Diagon Alley, get it? Cause this street was the inspiration behind the beloved alley where young witches and wizards get everything they need for their first year— OK sorry I’ll stop). But apparently, this wasn’t the only thing inspired by real life. J.K. Rowling also got a lot of inspiration for places such as Hogwarts from real locations in Edinburgh.

You can also check out The Elephant House, which is where Rowling would go to write the Harry Potter books.

Places I Didn’t Go

I’m sure there are a bunch of amazing, beautiful places that I didn’t get to visit in the few days I was there. I didn’t go to the Highlands. I didn’t go to Loch Ness or Inverness. And I’m sure St. Andrews golf course is amazing and a must do for many people. There are so many places that I still want to visit. If there is somewhere I didn’t mention that you’ve been and think is a must do, let me know in the comments!

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