Contents

Contents

Loader

8 Things to Do in
Scotland This Summer

Scroll to explore

Scotland is at its most spirited in summer. The festivals are in full swing, the wildlife’s abundant, the highlands and islands glimmer with greenery and the towns have an energy that could only belong to the warmer months. Winter might be cosy and spring an awakening, but summer is when Scotland really stands up, shakes its hair down and shows you all it’s got.

This takes countless forms. From cultural celebrations to remote offshore getaways, and from historical journeys to food and drink discoveries, it’s a season when you can choose your passion – or, indeed, passions – and find a host of adventures to suit. Scotland is a big and beautiful country, and from the Clyde to the Cairngorms, Skye to Shetland, and Rannoch Moor to the Royal Mile, there are pulls wherever you turn.

The national map is scattered with well-known highlights, but stepping off the beaten track can often be the most rewarding approach of all. That’s why, in this feature, we’re championing eight things to do that don’t feature on the standard big-ticket lists. Each is fantastic in its own way, and each has the potential to give you a deeper, richer experience of the country.

No trip is complete without the essentials, of course, so we’re also sharing our recommendations for brilliant places to stay and to eat (happily, Scotland has a ready supply of both). Likewise, a nation is nothing without its people, and we’ve aimed to highlight places and ideas that will bring you face to face with hospitality worthy of the name.

We hope you’ll read on and find inspiration, and above all that you’ll enjoy your explorations of this unique country.

Find a Secret Library Hidden in the Woods

The Hidden Library, Isle of Arran

Libraries are magical places, but precious few are as enchanting as this tucked-away, turf-covered log cabin on the Isle of Arran, stuffed with books and journals and reachable only via a walk along a woodland trail. The mighty Eas Mòr waterfall and a deep lookout point are further reasons to come.

A Place to Stay: Arran Shores

Arran’s Lamlash waterfront has many selling points – not least stunning views across to Holy Isle – and Arran Shores’ luxury self-catering accommodation makes the most of this prime setting. There are two options: an elegant church conversion with apartments and boutique suites, and a classy four-bedroom beach house.

A Place to Eat & Drink: The French Fox

The regularly changing menu at The French Fox, a highly rated Gallic takeaway with limited seating, might serve up anything from poulet à la provençal to celeriac normande – not to mention A-grade croques monsieur. It’s based in the village of Brodick, which is also the island’s east coast ferry terminal.

Walk John Muir's Coast With an Alpaca

John Muir Alpacas, Lothian

There are various ways to make a hike memorable. One of these, you’d have to say, is walking with an alpaca. Situated a mere four-legged wander from the handsome John Muir Way and John Muir Country Park, this locally run, caringly managed attraction is guaranteed to appeal to animal-lovers.

A Place to Stay: Eastside Cottages

Eastside is a collection of one-of-a-kind holiday cottages in the Pentland Hills, close to Edinburgh. Occupying renovated 18th-century farm buildings in a glorious rural setting, it offers miles of hiking straight from the front door, as well as a wood-fired sauna and a hot tub.

A Place to Eat & Drink: Drift

Like the sound of brunch with a view? Head to Drift, an award-winning coffee house set on cliffs overlooking the Bass Rock and Firth of Forth coastline. Everything’s freshly made, from the soup and the rolls to the scones and the cakes, and local Scottish producers take centre-stage.

Ride Every Corner of a Remote Scottish Island

Eigg Adventure on Isle of Eigg, Inner Hebrides

Not much compares to the unrushed exploration of a Scottish island on a summer's day. The community-owned Isle of Eigg – one of the Small Isles in the Inner Hebrides – is as soul-lifting an example as you'll find anywhere, blending history, wildlife, white beaches and rugged coastal scenery. Hire a bike or e-bike and follow the island's quiet tracks at your own pace, or explore further by foot and kayak.

A Place to Stay: Lageorna Guest House

In the northwest of the island, gazing out towards the Isle of Rum, you’ll find the wonderful Lageorna. Set on a working croft, it offers a six-person self-catering cottage as well as bed and breakfast accommodation, with sands, cliffs and grasslands all close by.

A Place to Eat & Drink: Galmisdale Bay Cafe & Bar

With home-cooked food, widescreen views and a friendly welcome – not to mention beer from the Isle of Eigg Brewery on tap – the Galmisdale Bay Cafe & Bar is exactly the kind of place you’d hope to find on a trip to the Small Isles. Expect anything from Arisaig mussels to haggis lasagna.

Time-Travel Through a Medieval Town

A walking tour of Culross, Fife

Stepping through the former royal burgh of Culross is as close as you can come to peeling back time. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Fife village was a fishing port alive with bustle and enterprise; today, with its cobbles, white-harled houses, and the brooding ochre of Culross Palace, it still echoes with stirring memories of the past.

A Place to Stay: The Dundonald

The Dundonald has been looking after visitors to Culross for more than 170 years, and this now beautifully restored coaching inn serves up luxury accommodation barely two minutes’ walk from the palace. Choose from the family-style guesthouse and the gorgeous adjoining cottage – both offer plenty of comfort and style.

A Place to Eat & Drink: The Mercat

Culross has welcomed countless faces over the years, from King James VI to – in more recent times – the cast of Outlander. Only visitors who have come calling since 2025, however, have been able to enjoy the sourdough baguettes and sticky ginger cake on offer at The Mercat, a lovely café and indie store.

A Place to Stay: Mayen Estate

An hour or so inland from the course, in the peaceful folds of the Deveron Valley, Mayen Estate offers accommodation in the form of sustainable holiday cottages and a contemporary A-frame cabin. Experiences include picnicking in the estate’s walled garden, hot tubs, and wild salmon fishing.

A Place to Eat & Drink: Meldrum House

Elsewhere in the Aberdeenshire countryside is the Meldrum House Hotel, which not only has an 18-hole course of its own but also plays home to an award-winning gourmet restaurant and the remarkable Cave Bar, set in a space dating back to 1236. It’s a fine place for a dram.

Discover a Beach You Won't Believe Is in Scotland

Oldshoremore Beach, Sutherland

Scotland has no shortage of sweeping sands, and the swoon-inducing Oldshoremore Beach is up there with the very best of them. Set on a remote stretch of Sutherland shoreline on the west coast, its curving white sands see it regularly named among the UK’s best.

A Place to Stay: Strathy Bay Pod

Perched on Sutherland’s dramatic north coast, Strathbay Pods comprise three high-end, handcrafted glamping pods, all of which overlook the sandy expanse of Strathy Bay and face out towards Orkney. Two pods have king-size beds, the other has two sets of bunk beds; all have use of the communal fire pit.

A Place to Eat & Drink: Kylesku Hotel

Previously named Best Hotel for Sustainability by readers of a luxury travel magazine, Kylesku Hotel is renowned too for its restaurant, where ultra-local seafood and croft-reared meat are among the highlights; shellfish specials feature regularly. The drinks menu includes champagnes, Scottish ales and regional single malts.

Walk Between the Ruins of Ancient Abbeys

The Borders Abbey Way, The Scottish Borders

Combining almost 1,000 years of history with some 68 miles (108km) of scenic hiking, the circular Borders Abbey Way links the ancient ruined abbeys of Kelso, Jedburgh, Melrose and Dryburgh. En route, you’ll also trace several of the Borders’ rivers and pass close to the former home of Sir Walter Scott. It’s an excellent walk.

A Place to Stay: The Buccleuch Arms

Four times (and counting) named Scottish Inn of the Year, the Buccleuch Arms began its life in 1836 as a hunting lodge, and still retains ample period charms. Nineteen comfortable guestrooms are complemented by a large beer garden and the Blue Coo Bistrot & Bar, where the menu showcases seasonal local fare.

A Place to Eat & Drink: Mainstreet Trading Company

A bookshop, café, deli and home shop all under one roof in the village of St Boswells, opened by Rosamund and Bill de la Hey in 2008 in a building that was once a grocer's and later an auction house. Voted Britain's Best Small Shop in 2018, which tells you most of what you need to know.

WATCH A FILM FROM A RIVERSIDE DECKCHAIR

The Taybank Open Air Cinema, Perthshire

Tinseltown on the Tay? It’s not often in Scotland that you’re given the chance to watch a movie from the comfort of a riverside deckchair, but this open-air cinema does just that, screening big-name films in the gardens of the acclaimed Taybank Hotel & Restaurant. Titles this year include Good Will Hunting and Baby Driver.

A Place to Stay: Glen Glack

Relaxation doesn’t come much more assured than at the Glen Glack Cabins, five new luxury cabins on the shores of Cally Loch, a short way north of Dunkeld. Each has a wood-burning stove and private veranda – one, Juniper, even has its own outdoor bath. The cabins are part of Atholl Estates.

A Place to Eat & Drink: The Taybank

As well as offering a spot to get cinematic on the banks of a Perthshire river, The Taybank is also a hugely appealing place to eat and drink. Dishes range from the likes of Cullen skink brandade and venison ragu to its signature pizzas, with local produce always to the fore.

This feature is a paid collaboration with VisitScotland.