For many years, Scotland has lived in my mind as a mystical land – Home to Nessie, who takes social distancing to a new level, the setting for Claire and Jamie’s love story in Outlander, and a place filled deep cultural pride and a people I had long wanted to meet. This year I had the privilege of going there for the first time.

In this post, I’ll share some tips for exploring Scotland so you can (hopefully) have the magical trip we had. I’ll make a separate post about what our exact itinerary was and my specific recommendations.

1.     Choose your area

Scotland is delightfully diverse. Many people only know of Edinburgh (pronounced eh-din-bruh), Glasgow, and the Highlands. If they’ve watched Outlander they may also be familiar with Inverness. But Scotland goes far beyond that - Moray and Speyside, Perthshire, Aberdeenshire, and the borders, to name but a few. Again, I’ll highlight my favourite spots in a separate post.

2.     Know your transport.

If you’re going to a city like Glasgow or Edinburgh you will get along fine with public transport – and it’s quite cheap. Most bus routes also have an app you can download in advance. But if you’re venturing into the countryside, like Speyside, you will definitely need a car. It doesn’t need to be a massive car as many of the roads we encountered were excellent. Bear in mind that busses don’t tend to go into places like the distilleries, lochs, or remote villages.

3.     Leave no trace

This applies everywhere in the world, but it’s a principle you’ll see posted often in Scotland. Scots value their country’s natural beauty and will (likely) defend it with vim and vigour. The “leave no trace” ethos means leaving everything as you found it: no littering while hiking, no carving trees, and proper recycling. Respect the land, and it will reward you.

4.     Choose your battle

As I said, Scotland is diverse and contains something for everyone. There are sights for both city lovers and country folk to enjoy. But you won’t be able to see it all in one trip. If you’re drawn to the countryside and its history, head for the Highlands or a national park. If you prefer urban life with a historical twist, Edinburgh might be your best bet. Try not to cram everything in – choose your focus and enjoy it.

5.     Make an itinerary, but leave room to explore

This applied to any international trip: plan, but don’t over plan. It’s good to have a list of curated places (from reputable sites), but bear in mind that many gems can’t be found on a website recommendation. Give yourself space to follow the unexpected path.

6.     Get ready for the accent

Most Scots speak English, of course, but many can have a strong regional accents that foreigners find challenging. Some will switch to a neutral or “posh” accent (as some locals jokingly called it) upon realising you are a tourist. I rather enjoyed the accents. I found great joy in hearing people speak in their own accents as I absolutely love it. It would sometimes take my ear a second to adjust, but I couldn’t get enough of it. The Scottish accent is so lyrical and passionate that you can’t help but love it. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to repeat themselves or to speak a bit slower for us foreign plebs, they will likely do so with a smile.

7.     Prepare for any weather

It’s no secret that Scottish weather can be unpredictable. One moment you’re soaked to the bone, scurrying to find a coffee shop to hide in. Once you’ve settled and ordered your coffee, the sun appears and you have weather whiplash for a while. We were lucky to have excellent weather, all we needed was a decent rain coat, but if you are travelling in winter or spring, I highly recommend a pair of waterproof shoes and some more layers. Flexibility (and humour) helps.

Overall, I found Scotland to be an extremely welcoming country with some of the nicest people around. They are so happy to show you there country and give recommendations that you won’t have a shortage of things to do. They say (who is this they anyway) never meet your heroes, but I will meet a Scotsman again any day.