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.

Ahh thanku chemenger maybe I should have mentioned Braveheart but didn't want to rile anyone lol.

nothin it was probably the macaroni pies that clinched it for me, the scenery etc is good, but a macaroni pie with brown sauce...

@Nothininmenoggin you didn't mention the breathtaking beauty as you drive through glencoe or the view of the Cairngorms from aviemore. The stunning loch etive or the sandy beaches of the western isles. There's so much more too. Some of the scenery makes my heart burst.
We really do live is such a stunning country.

I've lived in Scotland and have never had any anti-English sentiments. Wales on the other hand...

It's lovely if you get the weather however. Grim if you don't

Like most places then

Glen Coe and Rannoch Moor, I am endlessly surprised by their exquisite beauty. Skye, just breathtaking (admittedly only when not raining so hard that you can’t see anything). Elie in Fife, a perfect seaside family holiday. Scara Brae on Orkney, dwellings as old as the ancient Egyptians.

Thanks to everyone who suggested things to see Have made a list.

We did a tour of Scotland recently and I was unimpressed. Perhaps we didn't see the best bits. Edinburgh was freezing, wet and a bit of a concrete jungle. The Highlands seemed just like Cumbria only less dramatic. We stayed in various little towns/villages and didn't find people friendly or welcoming (they're probably sick of tourists which is understandable). Trying to find a shop, post office or cafe that was OPEN was a nightmare!

We did a tour of Scotland recently and I was unimpressed.

It's not everyone's cup of tea but the majority of visitors love it. We've been to Barbados and loathed it but it seems we are in the minority. Not everyone can love the places they visit.

It's 17 today where I am, and although it's been a beautiful day it isn't beach weather.

Sounds like going to the beach weather to me. We visit family in Orkney every year and the DC want to go to the shore every day whatever the weather. We've picnicked on the beach with snow on the hills!

But I'm funny, I refuse to go to the beach close to where we live after about May because there's too many people.

My parents went to Scotland in the 70s with my Nan, to meet my dads sisters. They had such a crap time and encountered what was really racism because they were English (my dad is Scottish but speaks with an English accent), that it's really put me off of going.
From going swimming and getting the whistle blown at them until my Nan shouted at the lifeguard to leave them alone as they were hers, to getting refused service in bars and shops.
And of course having my Nan telling me how much she hated English people (despite living in London for most of her life, which I would remind her!) has not made it top of my list of places to visit!

*Edinburgh was freezing, wet and a bit of a concrete jungle.8

Yup, that's EXACTLY what they used to build the Castle, the Royal Mile and the New Town. Concrete.

Cannot believe the stereotyping on this thread. You'd think that we're all buying tartan from our exclusively tartan filled shops, being eaten alive by midges year round, playing our bagpipes and frothing about how much we hate the English. Do you HEAR how ridiculous you all sound?

It's like saying "Ewwww, France. I couldn't move for people riding bicycles with strings of onions around their necks and all there was to eat was snails and frog's legs. Wouldn't go back".

To those citing anti Englishness do you not think you might find it elsewhere. I doubt we’re that popular on the continent at the moment thanks to Brexit. I also remember seeing anti Eng graffiti in France over the years. C’est la vie, the odd neg sentiment doesn’t speak for a whole nation.

I just find it interesting that in other countries people enjoy a road trip ,travel all over and explore their country whilst we all (going by the chock a block beaches, car packs, attractions and roads) pile off to the same areas year after year. I live in one such area and summer can be a nightmare. The weather ain’t great either.

Anyhow thanks for all the recommendations, got loads to explore.

My parents went to Scotland in the 70s with my Nan, to meet my dads sisters

And there we go again... one person's experience 40 years ago, despite what those of us who actually LIVE here say is taken as gospel truth.

In fact, with the "oh we're English everyone will hate us" attitude, don't come. Your confirmation bias will be set so high that the first time you come across a grumpy person you'll be back posting in hysterics about how we're all racist.

I wonder if the people encountering anti Englishness on this thread are the same ones who claim the whole pub/shop/cafe/whatever start speaking Welsh deliberately when they hear an English accent

I havent heard anti english sentiment beyond a bit of joshing about the past, but then im enjoying myself and appreciating the country. Maybe you attract miserable english comments by schlepping around with a face like a slapped arse, muttering about midges and the post office not being open?

I just find it interesting that in other countries people enjoy a road trip ,travel all over and explore their country whilst we all (going by the chock a block beaches, car packs, attractions and roads) pile off to the same areas year after year.

But not everybody from other countries goes on road trips and explores their country either. I live in Scottish but I'm not British and I can assure you that there are loads of people from my home country who fly to some warm beach side resort every year and don't go driving around their own country. I lived in the US for a few years, classic road trip country, and there are loads of people who fly to Mexico or somewhere in the Caribbean in their short holidays rather than drive across the country. Whereas there are plenty people here on this thread who do say that they come to Scotland often.
I don't think the British differ much, if at all, from pretty much everybody else in the world in this respect.

Edinburgh is a concrete jungle urmmmm

I must say, I struggle to understand azulmariposa's account of end to end racism in Scotland in the 70s. I can remember a family holiday there in the early 70s where we encountered none of that, nor have I encountered it on sporadic visits subsequently.

I wonder if the truth is that people who encounter hostility are those who expect it and maybe encourage it by their attitude?

I live in London and we holiday in Scotland at least once a year. May/ June is the best time to go - driest and before any midges really get going. We love the drive down from Glasgow - Campbeltown, we stay near Saddell- beautiful. We have been to the inner and outer Hebrides and last year stayed in Shetland and Orkney. Love the remoteness of the islands , the wildlife and the fantastic coastline. This year we are going to Tiree and Mull can’t wait. It’s worth the journey. We are lucky in that we can afford more than one holiday a year, so we do go to warmer climes in September.

Yes as a nation we fly off to places but when holidaying in the UK it can seem we stick to just a few heaving places. We have US family and they fly to other countries but explore all over their country too. Surely they don’t all pile into one or two states to the extent that it can be a pretty miserable experience and they end up ignoring other equally stunning places within their own country.

Maybe it’s just my observations of living in a popular tourist area. It does seem a bit insane at times.

It's the stories of horrendous amounts of midges that put me off, and the fact that Scottish people don't seem to like English people.

It's the stories of horrendous amounts of midges that put me off, and the fact that Scottish people don't seem to like English people.

Dear god, if we all discounted places to visit based on stories we'd go nowhere. Sick and tired of people on this thread alleging the Scots don't like the English, especially when they have never visited. However it warms the cockles of my heart to see the lovely positives posts by people who have actually visited.

It also depends what type of holidays you're after. If you want Benidorm style nightlife, entertainment and guaranteed sun then no, Scotland doesn't tick many boxes. But then again neither does Cornwall.

We've done the most amazing things here. We were the only people at the standing stones at Callanish, which are every bit as good as Stonehenge, less crowded and you can get right up to them.

We saw otters swimming and playing in the water off the shore on Harris.

We saw a golden eagle on Islay, and our cottage was right on the beach.

We also had a fabulous time in Orkney, crossed the tidal causeway to a viking burial ground, saw puffins, had some great local food and went to Skara Brae.

We love Cornwall too, Tintagel was awesome, Mevagissey so picturesque and the beaches were great. (But we visit when English schools aren't on holiday). And Northern Ireland - love the Antrim coast and Belfast.

The UK as a whole has so much to offer and it's a shame that lots of Brits don't want to explore their own country. It's almost a badge of pride to say you've never been anywhere in the UK apart from your home county, and always have holidays overseas.

1. midges mostly hang around places with water and on still evenings - so an evening kochside stroll isn’t the best idea. They don’t bite everyone anyway and Avon skin so soft is very good.
2. again with the ‘Scots hate the english’?🙄