Events and festivals
Scotland is home to a number of great festivals every year but it’s the Edinburgh Festival that really steals the limelight. This festival actually consists of a number of different festivals, including the Edinburgh International Festival, the Military Tattoo, the International Book and Film Festivals and the renowned and highly popular Festival Fringe. Edinburgh also hosts the UK’s Mela Festival, a multicultural event that stops off in the Scottish capital before moving onto Glasgow for its tour of Britain.
Other than those three weeks in August, there’s still plenty of activity across Scotland to check out. In February there’s the Aye Write! Literary festival that takes place in Glasgow. Scotland’s second city is also home to the biennial International Arts Festival, a new event that sees Glasgow host top notch contemporary art every other April.
If you’re after a musical experience you can either relax at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections, where the traditional sounds of Scotland come to the fore, or you can join 69,000 other fans of pop music in a Perthshire field for T in the Park.
Highland Games take place right across Scotland throughout the summer. You can see events from June until September, with the Braemar Gathering being one of the most renowned occasions; it’s even attended by royalty. Every aspect of the rich Highland culture will be celebrated by a range of traditional and contemporary events.
Winter is just as busy a time across Scotland, with winter festivals taking place in most towns and cities. Edinburgh’s Winter Wonderland is one of the most famous, which sees the year brought to an end in style with a four-day Hogmanay celebration, a truly unique New Year’s Eve party.
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Opera
The home of Scottish Opera is Glasgow’s Theatre Royal, which is near the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. The theatre hosts a number of classic productions for which they’ve won awards, including The Ring Cycle, Madame Butterfly and Der Rosenkavalier. They have even toured their productions across the Scottish countryside, with Orkney and Shetland just two areas to be graced with their presence. The performance of Die Fledermaus has even been tweaked to make it into a contemporary show and open it up to a whole new audience.
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Literature
Scotland has a long and lively literary culture, which consists of the romantic poems of Robert Burns, the classic adventures of Robert Louis Stevenson and the fantasies of JM Barrie, as well as the literary work of many more authors. Literature has been written in English, Gaelic and a number of different Scottish dialects, as showcased in Irvine Welsh's Edinburgh-based Trainspotting, which brought the colourful Scottish language to life. Moliere's plays have even been adapted into rhyming Scots, a process that has given Glasgow’s Poet Laureate Liz Lochhead much acclaim.
Scotland continues to be home to a thriving literary movement today, with James Kelman, Ian Rankin and A.L. Kennedy just some of the authors making a name for themselves and continuing the rich history of Scottish literature.
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Dance
Scotland has a long history in dance and this was a common scene of events at the Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom in the 1950s and ‘60s:
"Are ye dancin'?"
"Are ye askin'?"
"Aye, ah'm askin'"
"Then, aye, ah'm dancin'"
The Scottish love affair with dancing has a long history, with Highland and country dancing being performed for centuries across the world. Scottish ceilidhs that feature a Strip the Willow are also energetic occasions that really get the blood pumping.
Scotland is home to much more than just traditional dance, though. Glasgow is home to its own national ballet company, while Edinburgh hosts the contemporary dance centre Grassmarket. Fans of contemporary dance can also see it in action at the St. Andrew's Byre Theatre and The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen and many other venues across the country.
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Theatre
Every August, Edinburgh becomes a stage for worldwide theatre for three weeks with performances taking place in many venues across the city, meaning there isn’t a minute in the day when theatre doesn’t take centre stage.
It’s not just August when Scottish theatre is on show, though, as theatres including the Glasgow's Citizens Theatre and the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh wow audiences throughout the year with both classic and modern drama. Winter of course is also time for pantomime which is a real treat for kids and big kids alike.
Home grown theatre talent can be found right across Scotland, even up in the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness, as the country is home to a very well established drama community.
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Music
Scottish music often gets underestimated with bagpipes thought to be all the country has to offer, but this is far from the case. Scottish music goes far beyond the cèol beag, or 'little music', of Scotland's national instrument and you can listen to much more than just the sound of the pipes.
Rock music has come to the fore in Scotland’s music scene in recent years, with the T in the Park Music Festival being one example. Having now been put on for more than a decade, it is an opportunity for music fans to see the best talent produced by Scotland, including Paolo Nutini, Calvin Harris and Belle and Sebastian, as well as acts from around the world.
It isn’t just festivals where toe-tapping music can be found either, with pubs across the country hosting regular sessions. You’ll soon become familiar with Scottish music and have it stuck in your head; something that won’t bother you one jot!
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Art
Scotland is renowned for its art, alongside its music and dance. Having garnered a strong reputation throughout the years thanks to pieces including Allan Ramsay’s 18th century portraits and Douglas Gordon’s modern video footage, the variety of art on show is vast.
National and international artwork is on show in Edinburgh in the National Galleries of Scotland that feature timeless pieces. The capital is also home to doggerfisher, which alongside Sorcha Dallas and Transmission in Glasgow and Dundee’s DCA, showcases Scotland’s thriving art scene of the present day.
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Whisky
Scotland should be proud of its whisky, and it is. After 500 years of practice, uisge beatha (from the Gaelic, meaning 'water of life') was first mentioned in written record in 1494; the Scots have whisky distilling down to a fine art.
The tastes change with the landscape as well. In the rolling pastoral Lowlands you’ll find grassy and malt flavours, while heathery whisky is the norm in the Highlands. It’s different once again in the low hills of Speyside where a mellow sweetness is found, while the rough and salty smokiness of the Western Isles whisky perfectly matches the terrain.
Scottish people love whisky so much that pubs are dedicated to the drink; head to Leslie's Bar in Edinburgh, or The Grill in Aberdeen, where more than 400 varieties of whiskies will keep you quiet for the evening. Fellow drinkers and friendly barmen will be only too happy to give you a guide of Scotland’s national drink and one of its finest exports.
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Food-traditional
When you first look at a menu serving traditional Scottish grub you might get a little bit lost, what with the Arbroath Smokies, Champit Tatties, Cullen Skink, Cranachan, Roastit Bubbly Jock and much more unusual sounding food that will leave you somewhat confused.
The names might be complex but the method of traditional Scottish cooking isn’t, as Scottish food is simply hearty and tasty fare. Home-cooking and making use of good, local produce have always been important in Scotland and that’s no different today as Scottish restaurants make the most of the ingredients they have around them.
Scottish smoked salmon is just one example, which has a luxurious delicate taste. The country is also home to cheeses like the Lanark Blue, known as the ‘Scottish Roquefort’, while Scottish meat including everything from Aberdeen Angus beef to wild venison are bursting full of flavour.
Many Scottish eateries will serve up these treats, using classic recipes and giving them a modern twist. When you’re in Scotland you really should try the national dish, haggis, which caused Burns to write a special ode for it. Enjoying a resurgence in restaurants across the country, including Café Gandolfi and Stravaigin in Glasgow, make sure you wash down your haggis with a wee dram!
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Food-modern
The traditional tastes of Scotland are accompanied by a modern food movement. Edinburgh is regarded as being in the top three places to eat in the whole of the UK, while Glasgow has a number of award-winning ethnic restaurants that serve cuisines from around the world. The country certainly isn’t short of culinary awards.
Edinburgh is undoubtedly one of the best places to eat out in Britain, with chefs including Michelin star winner Martin Wishart and the up-and-coming Tom Kitchin gracing the Scottish capital. The Witchery and Oloroso give the city plenty of culinary class and with the wide choice available visitors to Edinburgh will be more than satisfied.
Curry-lovers will be in their element in Glasgow, and the same can be said for fans of Thai, French and Italian cuisine. The cosy Mother India serves up fantastic curries, while Café Gramofon will transport your taste buds to Eastern Europe.
It isn’t just the country’s leading two cities that serve up great food either, with Scotland's first Two-Michelin star restaurant at the Gleneagles Hotel, sitting in the middle of Perthshire.
Scotland is home to much more than high-end dining too, with the friendly atmosphere in the country’s pubs and restaurants bringing a smile to your face. Relaxed but professional, you can enjoy some really great grub in Scotland.
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Weather
Scottish weather isn’t always the best and is extremely variable, but give it time and the sun will soon be shining. You might come across the odd 'dreich' day, where the weather is wet and overcast, but soon enough you’ll be able to see the bright blue skies of Scotland and the sun sits proudly in the sky.
The driest months in Scotland tend to be between April and June, when temperatures average between 55 and 65°F, they even reach 80°F at their peak. This is compared to 30-45°F in the winter when you’ll really feel the chilly winds. The east coast is generally drier and windier than the west, but whichever area of Scotland you’re planning to visit, make sure you come prepared and have plenty of layers with you at any time of the year.
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Winter
Scottish winters are renowned for being extremely cold, but don’t let that deter you. The winds do really pick up at times, but you can also head indoors for warmth. You can stay nice and cosy in any Scottish pub and make sure you toes are toasty as you relax with a fireside dram at Uisge Beatha in Glasgow or some haggis, neeps and tatties at The Bothy in Perth.
During the holiday season Scotland perks up and winter festivals and fairs will have you enjoying the outdoors in towns and cities across the country. There are few better ways to celebrate the New Year than at the four-day Hogmanay party in Edinburgh, where the temperature won’t even cross your mind as you’re having such a good time.
The winter months are also the time to enjoy mountain climbing and skiing in Scotland’s amazing terrain. The town of Aviemore in the Highlands is particularly vibrant as winter sports enthusiasts head to the Cairngorms nearby.
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Spring
Scotland’s countryside in spring is a joy to behold, where the fresh air, stunning wildlife and newborn animals will catch your eyes, whether you’re enjoying a relaxing drive or walk.
Spring marks the beginning of milder weather, as the days start to get longer, giving you more time to explore the great Scottish outdoors. You’ll still enjoy the warmth offered by indoor comforts every now and then, but you won’t want to pass up the opportunity of rambling along the West Highland Way or experiencing some great comedy at the Glasgow Comedy Festival in March.
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Summer
The summer evenings that don’t start to darken until 10pm give you plenty of daylight to explore the countryside and the beaches of the Hebridean islands. It’s not exactly sunbathing weather, but it’s pleasant enough for you to investigate the nearby monuments, which have a special sense of mystery around the time of the summer solstice.
Long, summer evenings are also perfect for enjoying al fresco dining in the outdoor cafés of Glasgow’s stylish Merchant City. Evening strolls in the country’s parks and gardens are also extremely popular and if you head to Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square gardens you can even chill out at the International Book Festival.
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Autumn
Autumn, is undoubtedly the best time to enjoy Scotland’s traditions. The colours of the Big Tree Country of Perthshire are stunning and at Faskally Wood you’ll be surrounded by vivid russets and the golds and ambers of the leaves as they start to change.
The ambers of the leaves are matched by one of Scotland’s great loves, Whisky! Why not explore some of Speyside's many distilleries and then round your trip off with a sample of the good stuff.
Autumn is also rutting season for Scotland's red deer, giving you a great chance of seeing the majestic monarchs of the glen. Try and head to the Scottish countryside if you can, but if you’re in one of the cities you can still enjoy the autumn flavours served up by top restaurants. Glasgow’s Ubiquitous Chip is a particular culinary delight, serving peat-smoked Finnan haddock and roast Perthshire pigeon, perfect at that time of year.
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