SCOTLAND
Scotland is the most northerly country that is part of the United Kingdom, along with England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It’s famous for a lot of things, like there whisky, bagpipes and the monster of Loch Ness, but there is so much more! Undoubtedly, It’s a perfect vacation destination for adventurous people, but you can also do some city trips or visit some historical landmarks like all the castles (fun fact: Scotland has over 1500 castles!). In addition to this, there is definitely not a shortage on nature! For example, Scotland has over 30 000 lochs (or lakes) and a third of the country are highlands. Without a doubt, Scotland is a diverse country and it has something for everyone!
Continent
Europe
Language
English, Scots and Scottish Gaelic
Currency
1 GBP = 1.15 euro
1 GBP = 1.20 dollars
Capital
Edinburgh
Habitants
5.45 Million
Best time to visit
Scotland is an all year travel destination, but the peak season would be between June and August in the summer months. July is the busiest month in summer, because of the start of the summer vacation around Europe. The summer is so popular, because of the pleasant temperatures, longer days, and some festivities that take place like highland games.
The only (big) disadvantage of traveling in the summer months is midges. Midges are tiny sting insects, which are only a few millimeters big. They can be confused for mosquitos, but midges are smaller, the sting doesn’t itch as much, but they are way more annoying! They come in big swarms and attack every piece of bare skin. When you are visiting Scotland between June and August, the changes are so big that you will get in contact with these little insects.
Just keep in mind that Scotland is pretty unpredictable and the weather changes a lot, even in those summer months.
Winter
November - March
Winter is best for snow and winter sports. You can enjoy some skiing and snowboarding in some parts of Scotland. Also, don’t forget about the Christmas markets that are happening!
Spring
April - May
During these months, you will get a chance to do some amazing hikes (not all, because of the snow that’s left), but with less money spent as it’s shoulder season.
Summer
June - August
This will be the busiest time to visit Scotland, but you’ll also have the best chance of good weather AND all the hiking trails to be open. The downside would be the prices that will increase. The downside are the midges.
Autumn
September - October
Fall is an excellent time to visit Scotland, because of the colorful foliage! As a bonus, it’s less expensive to see, but this period has the most rainfall, so you won’t be able to do everything.
Practical information
You need a valid passport to enter Scotland since October 2021 (read more here)
Depends on your country of origin (click here to find out if you need a visa)
Scotland uses the power plug sockets that are of type G. The standard voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz
As of 2021, the UK is no longer part of the European Union, so you need to check with your provider as an European. Otherwise, you can buy a local SIM
Credit and debit cards are widely accepted. And there are a lot of ATM’s spread throughout Scotland!
Scotland is a very safe country and no heavy crimes will happen here. Always be aware of pickpocketing in the bigger cities.
Even though we travelled to Scotland in peak season (July), we didn’t spend as much money as we thought for 10 days. We saved a lot of money by sleeping in the car for most of our time and not staying at campsites as it’s allowed to wild camp in Scotland.
For 2 weeks, we spent £1400 for 2 people with the biggest cost being gas (keep in mind, we drove a total of 5000 kilometers!). We booked 3 hotel nights and those were £270 in total, so we saved a ton of money with sleeping in the car!
The daily suggested budget for Scotland for 10 days is around £100, assuming you will stay in a mid-range hotels, eat cheap (for example, cooking for yourself) and use your own vehicle.
In Scotland, they drive at the left side of the road. Nothing to be scared of tho, you’ll get used to it pretty quickly!
As we went with our own car to Scotland, the driving wheel was located at the wrong side of the car. This makes driving on the left side a bit more difficult, especially when you need to pass another car. So, if you have a co-pilot, make sure that they also help you with navigating and that they also have their eyes on the road.
When driving for the first time on the left side, try to do this in the daylight. You are much more focused and you can follow all the cars in front of you. I noticed that I made the most mistakes in the dark when there were no people on the road.
It’s allowed to wild camp in Scotland. Still be aware of the rules when you are going to wild camp, especially if there is a sign that says you can’t stay overnight! Read here for more information.
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