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.

We go every year from the North West. We used to live in London and either flew or got the overnight train (leave KGX/Euston and wake up in the Highlands yes please). Now we leave after work, drive (via Tebay obviously for some wholesome M6-ing) stay at Premier Inn in Dumbarton with the rest of the Southerners travelling up and then onwards.

We've done West Coast in several spots and seen Golden Eagles, Sea Eagles. We saw otters and had wild deer in our garden in Mull (oh and dophins in the loch outside) and had 26 degree sunshine in Harris last summer where we Bbq-ed on Luskentyre which we had to ourselves.

We also went to Cornwall and Devon last summer. Not a patch. Realised the reason Scotland feels so deserted is because every bugger goes to Cornwall. I mean, Cornwall is lovely but hell is truly other people.

Glaswegian style trouble

The north coast of Scotland is currently about where Cornwall was about 30 years ago (fond memories of long car trips down the A38 when I was a kid). I suspect in another 5-10 years we'll be to Glasgow and Edinburgh what Cornwall is to London. Bettyhill is the new Rock!

@BlackForestCake
“Most hospitality establishments are between mediocre and dreadful
Public transport is poor
Outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh there is bugger all culture”.

Are you sure?!?

Am fairly certain we've the only other V&A Design museum outside London, the best restaurant in the UK according the the AA Rosette gang and Gleneagles, The Old Course in St Andrews etc...... JUST SAYING

ALL the publications citing Tay Country as one of the worlds top places to visit 2018/19 can't ALL be wrong......

Conde Nast Traveler
New York Times
Lonely Planet
Time Out Magazine
The Guardian AND The Times

I could go on........

Naste traveller here https://www.cntraveller.com/article/dundee-scotland-danny-wallace

GQ Magazine here https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/why-dundee-is-the-coolest-little-city-in-britain

BBC link to the Wall Street Journal Here https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-tayside-central-41761399

I would link to more but I can't on my phone plus I need to go run my 'mediocre' hospitality business

Most hospitality establishments are between mediocre and dreadful

Huh? Have you been to the same Scotland that I have? They're great!

Wiggly beezer...it’s probably just down to the weather and lack of bowl edge about what is on your own doorstep. Although last time we went to NZ over Christmas it snowed. Scotland can be a mixed bag, 4 seasons in one day but in reality we have always been very lucky. One year was so hot we skinny-dipped. It’s my absolute favourite place.

Knowledge!

I've had holidays all over England and Wales and never had a week of unbroken good weather yet

I just had one bad week in Scotland one May when it was cold and a bit rainy - not torrential but damp. But the next time we went in May half term about 2 years later we had a lovely week with one day of rain but that didn't really matter as we were travelling from one B&B to another so we were in the car for a lot of the day. We usually find the weather is fine all week with one bad day.

And it's definitely possible to get an unbroken week of good weather in Jersey.

Although last time we went to NZ over Christmas it snowed.

My husband was in NZ two years ago for the first three weeks in February and had absolutely crap weather. He said that it was just like being at home in Scotland, quite similar scenery and weather

I went to Croatia last year, it was raining, 19 degrees and full of noisy football fans.

Meanwhile in Glasgow, the roof of the Science Centre melted and railway tracks buckled in the 30 degree + heat.

Either this proves that no one should ever holiday in Croatia.

Or that in most places good weather is not guaranteed and you can’t judge an entire country by the one week you visited.

kaytee87
Sorry, Glaswegian style trouble was a joke. But this guy was very much an idiot

On the West coast Stirling castle, Fort George, Isle of Skye. If you go through Glencoe you can go over railway viaduct that was in Harry Potter, on way to Isle of Eigg. We don't mind cooler weather or mist as we burn easily. On East coast McBeth experience and several other castles. We enjoy the drive as there is a lot to see on the way. For us our holiday starts when we get in the car. We take in turns to drive. Harder to drive far with several children though. We booked ahead mostly at Travel Inns and just spend one or two days in each place and a four days at Loch Fine. At Tipperary there is an old jail. It is really enlightening. Some children were beaten for taking bread or sent to Australia for refusing to go to church etc. with pictures of said children/criminals.

The old jail is in Inveraray, Tipperary is in Ireland! Fort George is on the east coast and Stirling in right in the middle. They are all worth visiting though.

Inverary jail gives me the heebie geebies I hate old jails I remember going to Stirling old jail with Dds class and I felt clammy the whole time

caring carer - the Harry Potter train goes over the Glen Finnan Viaduct which is above the road from Fort William to Malaig where you get the ferry to Skye. And Stirling is not in the west but in/just north of the central belt equidistant from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Also there are very few Travel lodges or Premier Inns apart from the central belt and the bigger towns which are few and far between in most of scenic Scotland.

Oh and Fort George is on the East Coast at Inverness!

Wow caringcarer. Did you drink too much whisky?!

Caring giver. Are you sure you were here