To wonder why Scotland isn’t more popular as a holiday destination

[N0rdicStar]

Just been watching that hidden Scotland programme. I promise you I don’t work for the tourist board.

I lived there as a forces child for a few years and was born there previously. Loved it but my mother hated it and refused to ever go back so we never did. Know nobody else who has ever holidayed there but oh my goodness it’s beautiful and seems to have everything- history, beaches, mountains, wildlife.....

Why do we all flock to Cornwall and the Lake District?

Is it the weather? Can’t just be the distance as the above are long distances for many.

On the back of that can you give me the best bits.

....none of it was ever said to my face (apart from one woman overhearing me say I was thinking of applying for a job that I'd seen re-advertised in the local paper and telling me that it should go to a local person, not an incomer)

I'm a Scot and I've had that in England when it came to buying houses. Apparently I was an 'offcomer' in one region in the north and an 'incomer' in another area in the south. Like all immigrants/migrants somebody will blame you for buying 'their house/land' or pricing locals out of their village or taking 'their' job (even if they never applied for it). Because of my accent I'll always be an 'incomer' even when I've been in an area longer than the so called local.

The majority of people are not like that and their views matter not a jot - they sold, I bought in an open market. I know what area of Scotland I'd like to buy back into in Scotland should I go back.......sadly I can't afford it - (how dare other 'offcomers' buy my house 😤😤).

Granny cake _ I enjoyed boat trip at Sea houses to the islands, Lindisfarne, Alnick has a lovely old bookshop. It's worth a detour to go to Falkirk to see the Kelpies and the wheel. Cairn n mhor wine near Perth. Dundee new art gallery, view at the top of the hill in Dundee. St Andrews for the ruin and harbour. Find some castles on the way.

orange
The Kelpies are stunning!

In all the years I've lived here, I've never encountered any anti-English feeling and my first post University job was telling Dundonians they couldn't have their benefits in my cut glass English accent. I've heard far more anti-Scottish abuse (especially post referendums) in England. Dh is a mix of Scottish, N Irish and Eastern European so he managed to get "offended" by quite a comments when we were down just before Christmas.

I love the mix of scenery, the mountains, the long pale beaches and the history. It's a beautiful country, the midges aren't everywhere and it's not always wet or cold.

The Kelpies were stunning, despite the rain and I took loads of photos !

This thread is bonkers. Are people in England not aware that there are internal flights in the UK if they don’t wish to drive 6+ hours? Some are even by low cost airlines? There are also these things called trains, which you can book 90days in advance and they go further north than Newcastle.

I dried my washing on the line yesterday, in February
This thread is so funny, like Scotland is a quaint small, expensive town with a few hills, bad weather, tartan and bagpipes.

Trains in the UK are very expensive. Some of us don't like to fly over short distances due to the environmental impact of planes. In the Midlands I found it was cheaper and easier to get to the continent than to Scotland. My loss. I have been before and would like to visit again.

@JockTamsonsBairns. Thank you!

This thread is so funny, like Scotland is a quaint small, expensive town

Thats one of my pet peeves with TV programmes. Characters say theyre going to Scotland like its a wee town somewhere
They never specifiy where

We had one of our best holidays ever in Scotland (we are based in the US). Flew to London and caught a connecting flight to Edinburgh. We were in Edinburgh for the literary festival, then went to Mull and then to Fort William. Also did a day tripover the border to Lindisfarne It was just brilliant. Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities ever. We loved the history, the scenery, the people, the food. We went in August and didn't see even one midge. Weather was fine too - just one day of rain. We loved it (3 tweenage kids at the time).

My neighbour goes every year to Orkney for a couple of weeks. She is really into trad and folk music.

Exactly RedGlitter
I live in a small town, yet opposite my house is a Buddhist temple.
Dd goes to school in the West end of Glasgow with everything available, and not just all types of tartan and bagpipes.

@Doubletrouble99 thank you, I'll try and find out if it could have been that one after all. I just remember it being gorgeous, and the great excitement when we thought we'd found a message in a bottle.

Proud resident - live in Moray Speyside -

• east coast, so no midgies - not a single one.
• great beaches and a microclimate which gives us the title " Riviera of the North."
• loads of distilleries to visit, including the amazing new £140 million Macallan distillery and visitor centre, for the whisky lovers out there. (I don't work for the tourist industry, just love the area!)

Trains aren’t expensive if booked in advance - I’ve never spent more than £40 return for an Edinburgh to London Kings Cross return.

I do find it really surprising that there are such a large number of people who have not been to Scotland. I wonder what proportion of Mumsnetters have never been? I wonder what proportion have never been to Northern Ireland or Wales?

Is this the reason the country is in such a mess?? We’re all sooooo cultured and worldly with our foreign trips but haven’t even bothered to travel within our own country? We’ve no idea what it’s like living in other areas of our country because we’re actually very insular and narrow minded. There are plenty of counties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland I’ve never been to, so I include myself in my gin fuelled musings!

Glasgow is the best city in the world.

That is a fact.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mykj7JsMvjE

And yes, I’m from Glasgow

Give the video I’ve linked a watch.

People make Glasgow - that is for sure. You won’t find better patter anywhere else in the UK.

But other than that the shops, pubs, restaurants, markets...everything! Make it a very special city.

Come to Scotland, Come to Glasgow.

Glasgow Tourist board should really give me a job 🙃

Trains aren’t expensive if booked in advance - I’ve never spent more than £40 return for an Edinburgh to London Kings Cross return.
Depends on where to and from though, anything off the Edinburgh London line, seems to get eye wateringly expensive!

I'm always surprised by the number of people who have never been. I've been all over, but then I have a Scottish mother and Scotland loving friends.

I’m howling with laughter at those who think Scotland is remote, you’ve clearly never been to Glasgow. I’ve traveled all over the U.K. by car and Glasgow is probably the only city in the UK outside London were you can access just about anything you’d expect a large cosmopolitan city to have.

In some cases it’s better than London or any other English city because travel time across Glasgow is so short and we have much longer opening times compared to England. I was surprised to find that 24/7 supermarkets are closed on Sunday mornings, not so 24/7 then.

And as for the roads, once you hit Carlisle the road is dead in comparison to further south. You only see traffic once you get near to Glasgow. Once you pass through the road up to the Highlands is amazing. If you’re worried about single track roads never visit Cornwall in summer, it’s a shocker.

I would love to visit but every year I say ahhh let’s go and then change my mind because it’s easier for me to go somewhere hot and I just don’t like cold holidays. I’m in the south though.

Something else we have in Glasgow, a hospital with all single rooms and en suites.

I've been all over the UK and Ireland (studying and l big) we are lucky to have such varied landscapes, climates, accents, cultures, scenery, foodstuffs, building styles etc etc. Love travelling by abroad but love to come back.
I am a Scot from Glasgow, married to an Englishman and neither of us get treated badly in either of our countries because of our nationalities - much humour about football team choices or political views - but not hostility, rejection or abuse.

Why is everyone talking about long drives?? I live in Edinburgh and visit other parts of the UK several times a year, I NEVER considered driving!!London, Newcastle, Bristol etc, there are trains and flights. The flight from London is not even one hour!

Teacupdrama pretty much sums things up for me, so I don't have much to add.
Other than to say, I'm utterly cringing for the poster who said there's no culture outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh. I just don't have the words to respond to that!