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By working together with the industry, we attract visitors to Scotland and deliver exceptional holiday experiences. Find out more about what VisitScotland does, day to day, to grow the value of Scottish tourism.

Receive 20% discount on your Explorer Pass and visit any of our 30+ sites open throughout the winter months at no extra cost. First date of use must be on or before 28 March 2024, any unused passes will expire thereafter. The 20% discount will be applied at checkout once you have selected dates between 1 November 2023 and 28 March 2024.

Visit Scotland

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We strongly recommend checking the opening days and times of the sites you would like to visit prior to purchasing your pass. Use the links below to check opening times and make your advance bookings:

Hello,

Planning a retirement trip to England Scotland in 2020. Edinburg/St Andrews Old is a must. We have visited England twice in October. How is Scotland during this time? Or would April/May be better. Also I will be a single golfer and coming from USA. Do I need to apply or can I show up during the time we are staying in St Andrews and hope for the best? This will be a one time try. Also can my wife walk along?

I will be renting clubs and a caddie. Your response and help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Cedric Poole

Preston Mill

Some say the mill is the inspiration for Hagrids home in the Harry Potter movies, its resemblance is uncanny, and Ruby was delighted to show the wee ones around, she has visited with us before.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year to visit Scotland; the landscapes are ablaze with autumnal colours, the skies have a wonderful purple and orange glow, and the wildlife is thriving with activity.

We time our tours to coincide with the best of the colours, as Autumn gradually works its way across Scotland. This means that you are assured the most magical show of colours and the majority of visitors have left already, meaning you have the place to yourself. To see all our tours which take place in Autumn please visit here.

George IV's visit to Scotland in 1822 was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland in nearly two centuries, the last being by Charles II for his Scottish coronation in 1651. Government ministers had pressed the King to bring forward a proposed visit to Scotland, to divert him from diplomatic intrigue at the Congress of Verona.

The visit increased the king's popularity in Scotland, turning some subjects away from the rebellious radicalism of the time. However, it was Sir Walter Scott's organisation of the visit, with the inclusion of tartan pageantry, that was to have a lasting influence, by elevating the tartan kilt to become part of Scotland's national identity.

After nearly a decade of ruling as prince regent, George IV acceded to the throne and his coronation on 19 July 1821, was celebrated by splendid pageantry, much of it invented for the occasion. He was obese and was widely unpopular, with many offended by his treatment of his wife, Caroline of Brunswick. He had also been struggling to manipulate the government, which was seen as a corrupt oligarchy by Radicals whose increasing unrest following the revolutions which shook America and France culminated in the "Radical War" of 1820 in Scotland and terrified the gentry. He was invited to attend the Congress of Verona, but government ministers wanting to keep Parliamentary control of foreign affairs pressed him to bring forward a proposed visit to Scotland which it was hoped would calm unrest. Suffering from painful illness and pushed by opposing factions of diplomats and ministers, the King remained indecisive, but preparations went ahead in the hope of his agreement.

Much of the pageantry for the visit would be medieval rather than Highland, but the exotic outfits of the "gathering of the Gael" were to attract most attention. The next day was one that the King spent away from the public at Dalkeith. Edinburgh was full of visitors for the occasion, and that evening they walked round enjoying "illuminations" with illustrated tributes hung on public buildings, businesses and houses, "Everywhere crowded to excess, but in civility and quiet", before being escorted to their rest around midnight by bands of boys carrying flaming torches to light their way.

George's visit closed on Thursday 29 August with a brief visit to Hopetoun House 12 miles (19 km) west of Edinburgh. Elaborate arrangements had been made and crowds waited for him in the rain. On departing Hopetoun House The King conferred the honour of Knighthood[17] on Captain Adam Ferguson Deputy keeper of the Scottish regalia and Henry Raeburn the selected representative of Scotlands fine arts. He then joined his ship at nearby South Queensferry and departed.

If it was me i would go to Scotland in September since it averages similar weather as June, and it could be a little less crowded. I'd skip August for the same reason. The daylight hours are longer in June if you plan to hike, etc, August is the peak bloom for Heather. If you are driving you can visit less crowded places. We usually stay in B&Bs in the countyside and small hotels in the cities. Check out www.visitscotland.com for a good gateway site. Be sure to make reservations for Skye as soon as they will let you,

Alcoholic beverages certainly need their own position on our list because there is nothing the Scots do better than booze. Best known for its whisky, Scotland has over 100 distilleries in the five different whisky regions with their own distinct flavours. Make sure you fit in a visit to one of the distilleries, perfect for warming up on a grey afternoon. The Glenkinchie Distillery is seriously a must!

VisitScotland have produced this information in good faith and have taken reasonable steps to confirm the accuracy. We recommend that all information is checked with the businesses prior to visiting/booking. These 13 suggested routes are intended as a guide to help you plan your Scottish road trip. Please check exact directions and traffic conditions before you begin your journey. You can find more information and advice on driving in Scotland.

Edinburgh becomes the cultural epicenter throughout August, with myriad festivals, ceilidhs, whisky extravaganzas and more taking place all over the mainland and islands, as locals and visitors enjoy the long northern summer nights. The program is actually closer to half a dozen festivals than one single event, so book travel and accommodation well in advance. This is the peak month for sighting minke and killer whales on the west coast, with the basking sharks arriving to join the bountiful dolphins.

Media representatives are invited to experience hands-on science aboard a DESTINY traveling science laboratory during school visits next week. Through DESTINY, local students conduct laboratory experiments led by outreach educators from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Morehead Planetarium and Science Center.

To be eligible to request a visit from a DESTINY mobile science lab, each participating teacher must attend workshops to learn how to incorporate module activities and experiments into his or her classroom. DESTINY offers 17 different science modules, each aligned with the N.C. Standard Course of Study.

For some, the best time to visit is in spring, when the flowers and blossoms start to sprout. Others may favour Autumn (The Fall), when the autumnal golden colours make the scenery so special, that everywhere you visit looks like that amazing picture postcard you want to post to your friends back home.

The Royal Highland Show is the main agricultural show in Scotland, which takes place in June at Ingliston, in Edinburgh. It is a popular event for visitors and Scots, attracting almost 200,000 visitors. The weather can be more favourable, and often the temperature is slightly warmer.

July is a very popular month to visit Scotland, and you will discover many hotel and flight prices will reflect that. It is also advisable to book visits to whisky distilleries, golf courses and other activities such as the Jacobite Steam Train Journey, well in advance of arriving in Scotland to avoid disappointment.

Wildlife

For lovers of wildlife, you are more likely to see red deer in late Autumn and Winter as they come down from the hills to look for food. If you visit the coast, look out for seals lying on the rocks with their pups. There will also be many types of birds to look out for such as geese that migrate to Scotland from the Arctic for the winter. And if you are very lucky you may see red squirrels gathering nuts for the winter.

Tour Scotland

If you take one of our coach tours of Scotland at this time of year, we know you will love it just as much as in the summer months, if not more. You will get to enjoy Scotland like a local. Or if there are specific places you would like to visit, then book one of our private tours. We could take you to all the best places for birdwatching or to the best views for sunsets.

We havent been to Skye in 10 years, and it has gotten so much busier! When we last visited, once you got out of Portree it felt like you almost had the place to yourself conpared to how busy it sounds now.

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Enjoy free re-admission for a year by asking us to treat your ticket purchase as a donation.

At the end of your visit, ask a Warden to stamp your ticket to convert it into a 1- Year Pass.