Scotland: 6 Reasons it Should Top Your 2021 Travel List

There are many incredible reasons I put Edinburgh, Scotland on my Top 5 European Towns and Cities list. As I mentioned there’s no place on earth that’s quite like it. It’s ancient and new at the same time. It’s got incredible history and historical sites, a university that was founded in 1582 and a castle that dates from the 12th Century.

But The University of Edinburgh is a vibrant, current institution, too. Modern office and apartment buildings stand proud in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. A world-class foodie scene exists in comfortable relationship with traditional pubs.

The city is, however, a perfect collage that represents Scotland as a whole, too. Old. New. Wild mountains and quiet glens. The muse of poets and painters.

And a place that immediately wins the hearts of visitors from all parts of the world. It’s the place they return again and again because it gets under the skin and in the bones and makes you long to go back.

I know this from personal experience. Even though there are places the whole world wide that I consider must-visit countries and cities, Scotland always continues to be near the top of my list.

I present Scotland: 6 Reasons it Should Top Your 2020 Travel List...

Scary Beautiful Scenery:

Though the Borders of Scotland at times feels more like soft English landscapes, a large majority of the country is home to rolling green and brown mountains with vast, river valleys and snow late into spring.

A drive through easily accessible Cairngorms National Park is stark, wild, and astoundingly beautiful. There are more sheep than humans, and if you visit in the spring you’ll have the joy of seeing lambs twirling their little tails as they nurse.

If you have the time, a road trip from Ullapool on the west coast up to John O’Groats, the U.K.’s northernmost point, will give you an even better idea of Scotland’s intense and lonely-feeling landscape.

Speaking of the Cairngorms…

If you love not just road trips, but driving itself, the narrow two-lane through this National Park is full of whoops and swoops. Even in a compact rental you can very nearly catch air.

And the joy of motoring on well-kept roads through unbelievable scenery is country-wide. In an article for Top Gear online, the British everything-car show that aired for 20 seasons, Tom Ford writes: “...There are miles and miles of good roads. Exceptional roads. Roads you don’t really find anywhere else.” No truer words.

Whisky isn’t just a cliche or snare for tourists.

Scottish people up and down the country drink whisky by the quart. It’s a part of daily life, every celebration and the contents of many a hip flask. My dear friends in Craigellachie, which sits in the heart of the whisky trail, have a bottle from every distillery in the country and built a Scottish pub in their Stateside home. Mini bottles with a single dram welcome visitors in guest rooms and hotels everywhere.

But it’s not just an enjoyable drink or pastime. As of April 2019 Scotch contributes 5.5 billion ($7.2 million) pounds to the U.K.’s economy, a 10% increase since 2016.

Exports of the spirit support more than 42,000 jobs across the UK, including 10,500 people directly in Scotland, and 7,000 in rural communities. It’s a serious business for serious people.

Kilts. That is all.

Many tourists arrive in Scotland with strong Scottish heritage running through the sap of their family tree. North Carolina, where I live, has the highest concentration of Scots descendants in America. So traveling to Scotland and buying a kilt or scarf in the plaid associated with their ancestry is common.

That doesn’t mean kilts are just for tourists. Men in Scotland wear them for weddings, highland games and dress-up parties--sometimes with full regalia of sporran and kilt hose. Sometimes with t-shirts or jerseys supporting their favorite sports team.

One of the most remarkable things about this form of dress, and one of the many ways Scotland stands out worldwide, is that few countries, especially first-world nations have a traditional style of dress. Just another thing that makes this country truly outstanding.

There’s something for everyone.

It’s not just Glasgow or Edinburgh’s incredible history or cosmopolitan glamour, outstanding cliffs and sea views, or roads and mountains that take the breath away. There are many other ways to enjoy this bonny land.

Scotland is traditionally recognized as the birthplace of golf, probably originating as far back as the Late Middle Ages--the 15th Century! Renowned courses like St. Andrews draw golfers from all over the world. Road and mountain bike enthusiasts can travel across the country on self-guided or led tours. Plus, there are ample ways to enjoy the water--rivers, lochs (lakes) and sea.

And speaking of tours, you can sign up for everything from day trips to the Highlands to late night ghost tours in Edinburgh. You can take week or longer tours in buses that criss-cross the country or private vans with only a few people and a Blue Badge-verified tour guide, visiting castles, lochs and battlefields.

Or, you can take one of many tours revolving around…

...Outlander.

The book series by Diana Gabaldon and the Starz show following the lives of Claire Randall, a time-traveling woman from the 1940s, and Jamie Fraser the Highlander she falls in love with in the 1740s has captured hearts all over. Mine, included.

Tours based on the Outlander universe and the historical events the show is based on range from walks in the cities to day trips from Edinburgh to days long bus tours covering filming locations and Scottish landmarks. Since the show is filmed completely in Scotland, these cover a lot of territory, both literal and literary.

Outlander was picked up by Netflix, so awareness of and love for what was once a cult book series and show has increased many-fold. The fact that stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have received accolades for their work on Outlander further draws people into a truly absorbing and beautifully Scottish world.

Seriously. Put Scotland at the top of your 2020 travel list. You won’t be sorry. In fact, you will be changed forever. I promise.