5 Essential Places To Visit In Scotland For 2024
It’s the start of a new year and time to begin planning your perfect trip to Scotland! There’s so much choice though, once you start to look a little deeper it can all get a little overwhelming. You’re going to need help narrowing down the best places to visit in Scotland for 2024.
Most people travel the same route – from Edinburgh to Inverness to Skye and back via Glencoe. There’s nothing wrong with that at all, there’s a lot of amazing places to visit along that route and it’s a popular choice for Scotland’s Stories tours! (Always happy to give myself a shameless plug…)
However, if you want to avoid crowds, then you’ll need to think a little more creatively. Scotland is a much bigger place than you might believe, with history and scenic beauty around just about every corner. So if you want to know some essential places to visit in Scotland for 2024, then look no further!
Head South For Scotland’s Stories
While everybody else is heading north, maybe you should head south for your 2024 Scotland trip. There’s so much to see in the South of Scotland, both in the rolling hills of the Borders and further west in Dumfries & Galloway. The Borders has stories galore, that have inspired some of Scotland’s greatest writers and it’s just a short drive from Edinburgh.
Wander the ruins of the four medieval Border Abbeys, visiting Walter Scott’s grave and Robert the Bruce’s heart. See where the Worm of Linton terrorised the locals or walk the Eildon Hills, cleaved in three by Michael Scott the wizard. There are incredible Peel Towers, once home to Border Reivers like Smailholm or grand, comfortable homes like Traquair House!
Dumfries & Galloway might be a little more remote but that just means it’s an even quieter area to explore!
Get Off The Beaten Track In Argyll
Over the last few years, I’ve spent a lot of time in Argyll and there’s still so much I’ve yet to see! If you like castle hunting then you won’t be disappointed with some of Scotland’s oldest fortresses dotted around these peninsulas. From luxurious Inveraray Castle to ruins like Castle Sween or those in between like the fascinating Dunstaffnage near Oban, you’re going to be busy!
Travel long, winding, narrow roads to visit tiny churches like Keills or Kilmory Knap Chapel. The carved gravestones there will blow you away and I don’t just mean a skull and crossbones. These slabs portray life-sized armed warriors in their chainmail, enormous swords and ornate Celtic crosses.
Stop in at Historic Kilbride and hopefully Liam will show you around this burial place of MacDougall chiefs. You can read about some of the stories here. As you travel along Loch Fyne, stop into Auchindrain, the last inhabited township in Scotland. Now run as an open air museum, if you want to visit places in Scotland in 2024 that allow you to see how your ancestors lived, this is for you!
Then head down to Kilmartin Glen and discover a huge collection of Neolithic monuments and a brand new museum to tell their story. Standing stones, chambered cairns and ancient carvings as well as Dunadd Fort, the crowning place of the Kings of Dalriada.
Sail Off To A Scottish Island
While the Isle of Skye is by far the most popular, it’s not the only Scottish island you can visit in 2024!
There are plenty more to choose from but top of this list is the Isle of Mull. It’s just as beautiful as Skye with soaring mountains, beautiful beaches and historic castles perched on cliffs. It even has its own nearby islands for you to hop to like Staffa, Ulva and Iona! While I won’t pretend for a minute that Mull is a “hidden gem”, you can definitely avoid crowds if you know where to go.
The food is outstanding as well, especially if you enjoy fresh seafood! In the main town Tobermory, the pick of all the restaurants is undoubtedly Cafe Fish, followed up by a couple of drams at Mishnish. You can find the Glass Barn Cafe just outside the town too. Elsewhere on the island, the seafood shack by the ferry to Iona is worth making the journey for!
Another great option is The Isle of Arran, often called “Scotland in Miniature” so what better Scottish island to visit in 2024? Three very different castles are spread along the island, there are spectacular waterfalls and caves to be found, not to mention ancient monuments like the Giants’ Graves or Machrie Moor Standing Stones!
Go Castle Hunting In Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is known as Castle Country for very good reason. There are more fortresses per square mile here than anywhere else in Scotland. Perfect for all those visitors who want to experience a castle or two on their 2024 Scotland trip!
There are some big names like Crathes, Fraser and Fyvie, all run by the National Trust for Scotland and so you can save money with a membership. While none are still lived in, they’ve been maintained as if they were family homes. Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a castle in the modern age?
If you like your castles a little more rough and ready however, Aberdeenshire still has you covered. Off the beaten track you’ll find the ruin of Gight Castle, full of fascinating legends. Or Tolquhon Castle which might be ruined now but was so nice that the last owner had to be literally dragged away. Don’t forget the mighty Dunnottar Castle, one of the many clifftop fortresses dotted along the coastline!
Visit Stirling For Its 900 Year Birthday!
Last but not least, join in with Stirling’s 900th birthday party! The historic burgh of Stirling was founded by King David in 1124 and it’s been at the heart of Scottish history ever since. It’s the gateway to the Highlands, home to Scottish royalty and the scene of two of the nations most important battles.
Any visit to the town should include Stirling Castle, one of Historic Scotland’s most popular attractions. It’s a sprawling complex, packed with tales of murder, betrayal, sieges and of course ghosts! Don’t miss the iconic Stirling Bridge down below, not quite where William Wallace won his most famous battle, but it gives an idea of the tactics.
Not far away, the Battle of Bannockburn Centre is there to tell the story of Robert the Bruce. In 1314, the King of Scots’ army met an English force 3 times its size in an epic showdown. Bruce sent the invaders homeward to think again and standing below his statue on the site is awe inspiring!
Start Planning Your Trip To Scotland 2024!
Hopefully you’ve picked up some ideas for where in Scotland to visit in 2024. These are just a few examples but don’t treat it as a definitive list! The best thing about Scotland is that really there is no wrong answer. Anywhere you go there will be history, legends and something beautiful just around the next corner!
If you’ve visited any of these places in Scotland before then feel free to leave tips for others in the comments below. If a trip to any of these sounds like something you’d like to do with an experienced guide, then send me a message about booking a Scotland’s Stories tour!
2 Comments
William Myers · January 8, 2024 at 1:21 pm
Need help clarifying confusion. Want to take West Highland Glasgow to Oban and back in one day June 1. Is that possible? Is train ticket Glasgow to Oban purchased thru omio same as ticket thru West Highland website?
Graeme · January 8, 2024 at 1:28 pm
It’s definitely possible but the train is around 3 hours from Glasgow to Oban so a lot of travelling in one day. I usually get all my train tickets through Traveline.