With nature on your doorstep and live music never too far away, there are many brilliant things to experience living in Scotland.
There is no end of adventures in Scotland, with its easy access to mountains, lakes, islands, and seas.
With Edinburgh and Glasgow just an hour’s journey from each other, you’ll never be stuck for good food spots, pubs, clubs, and entertainment either.
So if you are planning on moving to Scotland or just visiting, we’ve made a list of the five most amazing things you must experience.
5. Ceilidhs – a Scottish tradition
A traditional Scottish dance where people of all ages step onto the dance floor. Most Scots learn the moves from school, so they know them well.
For a newcomer, it can be a little daunting. Listen out for the caller who stands at the front shouting out instructions, most of which get lost under the roaring music of the fiddle, flutes, drums, and accordions from the live band.
Men and women form lines of usually three or four facing another line of three or four. Prepare to be whirled around in a tight grip under your elbow until your head is spinning.
Take a few more steps forward for that to happen again with the next person opposite you. You have to be fearless because things move fast in a haze of kilts and stomping feet.
At points, you’d think you had inadvertently joined a mosh pit. You can’t help but leave red-faced and extremely giggly.
The World Ceilidh Festival at Knockengorroch hosts a massive ceilidh of complete joyous mayhem (where your feet get stepped on too many times to count).
4. Islands – vast and remote beauty
Living in Scotland, you have the best opportunity to visit some extremely beautiful remote islands at wallet-friendly prices (ferries are subsidised by the Scottish government).
Whilst most tourists flock to the Isle of Skye, there are 93 inhabited islands off Scotland’s mainland to visit, some of which are accessible for a quick weekend getaway.
Some of the islands are fantastic to cycle around if you have a spare few days and get a spot of good weather, such as Arran, Bute, and the Isle of Mull.
Many Scots take on the challenge of cycling the Outer Hebridean Way during the summer months.
Beginning on the island of Vatersay and ending on the northernmost point at the Butt of Lewis, it’s a stunning 297 km (185 miles) cycle route.
Another good spot to visit is the Isle of Tiree — a four-hour ferry away from the Scottish mainland from Oban (a two-hour train journey from Glasgow) and famous for its surfing and white sandy beaches.
So many beautiful islands
Not just that, but in terms of topping up your vitamin D in the dark winter months, Tiree is a sunny spot.
The Met Office reports that its average annual sunshine hours are higher than the average for Scotland and UK as a whole.
Head to Balevullin beach for some fantastic sunsets or to hire some surf equipment from Blackhouse watersports.
At 6.4 km (4 miles) long, the Isle of Kerrera is one of Scotland’s smallest inhabited islands. It’s a 10-minute ferry journey from the seafood capital Oban. On one side, it’s flat and gentle, catching the warmth of the morning sun, with an undulating track leading up to an old castle.
The other side is wild with sheer exposed outcrops, mostly uninhabited except for a large sheep population.
From the castle, you can look out towards the Firth of Lorne and watch the sailboats cut through the horizon. In summer, you can get some delicious baked treats from the Kerrera Tea House. Or, some delicious seafood from the Waypoint Restaurant.
3. Watersports – an abundance of lochs
With its freshwater lochs and the west and east coast being easily accessible from Glasgow and Edinburgh, living in Scotland makes for a watersports paradise.
Paddleboarding has really taken off in Scotland, and one intrepid Scot, Claire Young, is adventuring with her paddleboard, aiming to bag 288 of Scotland’s lochs.
Loch Lomond, a short train ride from Glasgow, is a popular destination for Glaswegians on a sunny summer weekend. It’s the perfect spot to try paddleboarding, canoeing, and kayaking.
Head to Portnellan farm to hire your gear if you are looking to get away from the crowds in Balloch. For those from Edinburgh, the east coast has some great beaches for a surfing day trip.
Groundswell, a community of surf sisters, hosts regular surfs, surf therapy, and retreats harnessing the power of the ocean for therapeutic benefits.
Belhaven beach is a stunning spot with a coast-to-coast surf school on hand for board rentals.
If you are a bit further away from the east coast and fancy making a weekend of it, the Dolphin Inn in Dunbar is a quirky hostel perfect for a night’s kip.
2. Music – traditional, gigs, and more
You are never too far away from a bagpipe in Scotland. But neither are you too far away from a traditional folk session. Glasgow is one of nineteen UNESCO sites for music globally.
Head to the Ben Nevis bar, humming with live traditional music. In January, book a ticket for some gigs at Celtic connections. This is an annual music festival of folk, roots, and world music celebrating Glasgow’s connections to cultures across the globe.
If you are living in Scotland, keep an eye on the festivals and gigs going on on the islands. Furthermore, hear the salt water of coastlines in the fiddle and Bodhran drum at the local session in Fionnphort (just before catching the ferry to the Isle of Iona) at the Keel Row pub.
The Isle of Lewis hosts an annual music festival of Celtic and Gaelic music set amidst stunning scenery.
Plus, the Isle of Mull is famous for its rowdy music festival of folk-rock in Tobermory at the start of spring. The festival usually stars the popular Scottish folk duo the Mad Ferrets. Their music is as mad as their name would suggest!
1. The people – some of the friendliest people in the world
By far the best thing about living in Scotland is its people. They are warm-hearted and always bring a dose of deadpan humour to conversations and cheer despite the rather unpredictable weather.
Glaswegians especially are known for their friendliness, greeting strangers or friends as ‘pal’. So, there is never any danger of not feeling at home in Scotland.
Article by Olivia Ford
