Scotland: Travel + Packing Tips

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

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Here are some tips that we picked up in advance of and while on our trip that will hopefully help you plan yours!

Travel Tips for Scotland

Car rentals

For us, the entire United Kingdom drives on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. Ensure you feel comfortable tackling that sort of driving experience before deciding to rent a car. While the majority of our trip was in more rural parts of the country, most people arrive via major cities and learning to drive this way in a bustling city takes some nerves of steel (thanks, Dustin!)

Make sure you understand what car insurance coverage you have before going, particularly if this way of driving is not your norm either, which does increase the likelihood of accidents. Check your own home country car insurance coverage or credit card insurance coverage, particularly if you have a travel-focused credit card like we do. Otherwise, you might end up like us not having done that research (oops) and so getting arm-twisted on no sleep into shelling out a lot more for the rental company insurance.

ticket purchases in advance

If you plan on touring Edinburgh Castle, consider buying a ticket online before your trip. That popular destination can sell out. Plus, by buying online, we were able to head right through the gates during our multi-hour entry window while others waited in long lines. The multi-hour entry windows also made this very doable since we weren’t so very limited by being able to enter at only one specific time. You can find the online tickets to Edinburgh Castle here.

The heritage group in Scotland offers a multi-site pass called the Explorer Pass, which also has regional variations for those with more geographically limited itineraries. We looked at the sites on our list and added up the ticket costs to determine whether the Explorer Pass would be a good deal for us. It wasn’t in our case but depending on your travels, it is worth considering. Note: some of the sites they list as being included in the Explorer Pass already have free entry to the general public. You can learn more about and purchase the pass here.

travel facts and data for US travelers to scotland

For those who find data and stats interesting (like me), I came across a really interesting and in depth overview of the tourism coming to Scotland from the US - how long people stay, what brings them to the country, what trends are emerging in US to Scotland travel. You may find this insightful as you prepare for your trip. You can view the research and report here.

Packing Tips for Scotland

As in any case, what to pack varies by season and the activities on your itinerary. Our 10-day road trip included Edinburgh, where we had a mix of outdoor and indoor activities, and then headed out to more rural parts of the country, where we toured castles, hiked, and visited other sites (more outdoors than in). We went in mid-summer - late June through early July - which is when the country it at its warmest and with the longest days. Here are some items you should consider taking:

Midge spray - Like mosquitoes or other nuisance bugs elsewhere, midges are Scotland’s scourge. Whether you encounter midges will vary. We barely did, though the weather (still air) and your own movement (standing around vs hiking) can make a difference as to whether they find you. Even so, we did take midge spray with us to be prepared. There is nothing worst than having pests harass you. We did a bunch of research to find the most safe but also proven to be workable type of spray and bought REPEL Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent in a 4 oz bottle .

Layers - We had winter hats, gloves, and coats with us even in mid-summer and needed them often for gray days with breezy weather. Moving around, it could get a bit warm, so it’s good to have multiple layers to add on or peel off as the weather changes frequently.

Rain gear - Given that it can be quite windy, a rain jacket is probably a better option in most cases than an umbrella. Particularly if you’re planning on hiking or doing other outdoor activities, you want to be prepared for the rain, which will often move in and on its way in a relatively short period of time. Also make sure you have some protective rain coverings for any cameras or other electronic devices.

Day backpack - We almost always travel with a small backpack so when we head out for the day we can carry water bottles, a camera, rain coats, etc. This was definitely useful in Scotland.

Hiking boots and walking sticks - Scotland is a rocky country. If you plan on doing any hiking, hiking boots are a smart idea and some people may prefer to also steady themselves with walking sticks. My personal preference is hiking boots that cover the ankles since the easiest hiking injury is a twisted ankle.

Hiking pants/clothes - A couple of years ago, we made the switch from hiking in jeans (for the most part) to wearing lighter weigh hiking clothes and found the difference to be significant. Hiking pants are often rainproof, lighter weight, and so much more flexible to walk in. Our favorites have been from REI.

Reusable water bottle - We always travel with these to cut down on the environmental impact of single-use plastic water bottles. In situations where we rent a car and will need to replenish water throughout the day, we’ll often pick up one of the really large water jugs (like 3-gallon) to be able to refill our water bottles in a less-than-ideal way but still better than the alternative.

Maps - We were prepared for our foray into the less populated parts of the country with a paper map. We ended up having very reliable internet to pull up online directions most of the trip, but it is smart to be prepared. Another option is for you to save or download prior map searches and save them on your phone for offline use.

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