Travel Tips: Scotland

Rolling hills, verdant pastures, and centuries-old ruins, from both medieval times and the periods predating Christianity, make Scotland an Anglophiles dream destination. Below are a few travel tips to help potential travelers dial in a vacation to the U.K.’s northernmost country.

Culturally different, yet the same. As part of the U.K., many of the day-to-day cultural intricacies will seem reasonably familiar, but just a tad bit different. As such for most people, it will make for a smooth transition when visiting. Sure there’s haggis but there’s also an ample supply of fish and chips, and cheap quality beer always transcends cultural boundaries.

Dress warmly, even in the summer. High latitudes mean low temperatures. Even in the peak summer months daytime highs rarely eclipse 65 degrees, and winter months hover near freezing. Add in the proclivity for rain which is ever present, and you'll definitely want to have long sleeves or a light jacket most of the time. The Western side of the island sees much more rain than the East, and the driest portion of the year for both is late spring into early summer.

Pastoral Landscapes equates to car rental. Unless you plan to spend your entire visit in Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Glasgow, you’ll want to secure transportation. The obvious “wrong side of the road” thing aside, the one thing that American drivers will have to get used to is the stereotypical British sense of efficiency. No lollygagging here, driving is utilitarian and used for getting from point A to B. You’ll marvel at the driving efficiency when everyone is on the same page.

Getting lost leads to incredible finds. Centuries-old castles, ruins, medieval pilgrimage routes, and stone circles predating Christianity are abundant and quickly found when driving off the beaten path. Of course, there are world famous tourist destinations like Loch Ness, but side roads and exploration can yield many beautiful hidden gems most with little to no crowds.

A land of mysticism from both before and after Christianity. Megaliths dating back as far as 3000B.C. and Burial Cairns dot the country. Many are quite large while others are small and unassuming, but most harken back to either the pagan periods predating Christianity or the period just after its introduction. Christianity emerged in Scotland in the mid-first century A.D. a time naturally still awash with superstition and deep mysticism. As a result, many of the earliest Christian settlements and buildings on the island seem far removed from our modern view of religion, which is skewed by science and reason. For those seeking a deeper connection to faith or even those merely interested from a historical perspective, Scotland is a treasure trove of enlightenment.

Words by Daniel Cochrane

Photos by Chad Kirkland