If you have never been to Scotland before, you are going to be blown away by your first visit there. This country at the top of the United Kingdom is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and especially so if you are a fan of romantic highlands and lowlands and ancient history. There really is nowhere else like Scotland, in terms of its natural beauty, fascinating history, and interesting people. But what can you specifically expect to see if you go there? In this post, we are going to take a look at a number of sights that only Scotland can offer you. Any of these should be enough to convince you that Scotland is a fantastic next destination to consider, no matter where you are coming from. This is an advertorial.
Lochs
One of the most famous things about Scotland is its lochs, but many people around the world will only have heard of one. We are talking, of course, about the famous Loch Ness, home of the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Many a tourist comes every year to try and get a glimpse of Nessie, and that is certainly something that you might want to do if you are going to visit Scotland. But remember: there are dozens of lochs situated around the Highlands, and something would be amiss if you only stopped over at Loch Ness. Many people would even say that Ness is not even the most beautiful or impressive of the lochs; Loch Lomond, another famous one, is truly stunning, and huge too. A drive through the Highlands will show you many of these lochs, so you don’t have to do anything to seek them out except get in your hire car. And they are something that you are just not going to see anywhere else in the world.
Highland Cattle
Many people are amazed when they see Highland cattle for the first time. If you don’t know what they are, you will probably be amazed too just to see a picture of them. But seeing them in the flesh is another experience altogether. These fluffy, friendly-looking cattle with impressive horns roam all over the Highlands at all sorts of levels, some wild and some farmed, and wherever you find them they are always adorable. This is the only place that you will find them naturally occurring, so they really are one of those creatures that are an inbuilt part of the natural landscape. Visiting Scotland and not seeing a Highland cattle or two would be a serious mistake, so make sure that you seek them out when you are exploring the mountains.
The World’s Largest Comedy Festival
There is one time of year in particular when Scotland gets a lot of tourism, especially Edinburgh, and it is during the time of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This famous festival is now the world’s largest comedy festival, although that is not the only type of act you can see there, and nor is it with comedy that the festival started in the first place. It began life in 1947, when a group of performers turned up to an arts festival uninvite and started performing, despite not being on the bill. Years later, it is going stronger than ever, as the largest arts festival anywhere in the world. It is run with the ethos that no act is to be vetted, and this has made it a truly unique and open kind of festival - unlike any other run anywhere else in the world. If you want to see an incredible arts festival of this order, then Edinburgh is the only place to do so.
The World’s Largest Comedy Festival
There is one time of year in particular when Scotland gets a lot of tourism, especially Edinburgh, and it is during the time of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This famous festival is now the world’s largest comedy festival, although that is not the only type of act you can see there, and nor is it with comedy that the festival started in the first place. It began life in 1947, when a group of performers turned up to an arts festival uninvite and started performing, despite not being on the bill. Years later, it is going stronger than ever, as the largest arts festival anywhere in the world. It is run with the ethos that no act is to be vetted, and this has made it a truly unique and open kind of festival - unlike any other run anywhere else in the world. If you want to see an incredible arts festival of this order, then Edinburgh is the only place to do so.
The Highlands
Of course, you can see mountains in many parts of the world, but there is nowhere else that offers you anything like the majesty of the Highlands. Many people struggle to really picture these ranges without going there, and everyone who has ever visited will tell you the same story: that it was a much more impressive sight than they had assumed. There really is no natural landscape like it anywhere else in the world, and that uniquity is one of the main selling points that brings people back to it again and again. It’s truly breathtaking, but you will only appreciate just how much by visiting yourself and taking a look.
The Highland Games
Of course, you can see mountains in many parts of the world, but there is nowhere else that offers you anything like the majesty of the Highlands. Many people struggle to really picture these ranges without going there, and everyone who has ever visited will tell you the same story: that it was a much more impressive sight than they had assumed. There really is no natural landscape like it anywhere else in the world, and that uniquity is one of the main selling points that brings people back to it again and again. It’s truly breathtaking, but you will only appreciate just how much by visiting yourself and taking a look.
The Highland Games
It’s not just the Highlands themselves which you can only find here, but also the Highland Games. Other parts of the world might sometimes try to replicate it, but it is never going to be the same as the actual Games themselves, in the natural setting where it was born. The Highland Games are an old tradition of many kinds of physical games, in which burly Highland men perform incredible feats as part of a competitive event. Here, you can see things like the caber toss, tug of war and the hammer throw - and you will be amazed by just how impressive these sports really can be. If nothing else, you will be blown away by the sheer strength of the men, and this is an event that you are unlikely ever to forget. It’s amazing that they still have it going every year, and it is still in the traditional manner, so if you want to see Scotland in all its cultural glory, this is one of the best ways to do so.
Tablet
Many Scottish things are so unique to that part of the world that most people elsewhere have never even heard of them, and that is certainly often the case when it comes to tablet. If you don’t already know what tablet is, it is simply a kind of fudge that is only genuinely produced in Scotland, and which has existed there in some form for many, many years. It is not exactly like fudge, however: it is more like a crumbly, hard version of it, and it has a slightly different taste. Either way, it is delicious, and it is a real Scottish treat that you should absolutely try when you are visiting Scotland.
Kilts
Many of the Scottish idiosyncrasies have been copied elsewhere, and so there is a good chance that you have seen someone wearing a kilt at some point, even if you live nowhere near Scotland. But a true Scot would not accept that as genuine, and the truth is that you can only see a Scot wearing a genuine kilt, and in the appropriate setting if you are to visit Scotland itself. You might assume this is one of those things that don’t really happen, but Scottish people are proud of their heritage and on special occasions, weddings and so on, Scottish men do occasionally wear kilts of their clan.
Haggis
Now, this really is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is something that is profoundly Scottish, and you will probably want to try it if you are keen on getting as much of the Scottish experience as possible. Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish going back centuries, and while not exactly vegetarian-friendly, it is a taste of Scotland in its truest form, and something you can’t find anywhere else in the world to the same quality or degree. It might be worth trying just to get the full Scotland experience when you decide to visit this beautiful and fascinating nation.
Haggis
Now, this really is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is something that is profoundly Scottish, and you will probably want to try it if you are keen on getting as much of the Scottish experience as possible. Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish going back centuries, and while not exactly vegetarian-friendly, it is a taste of Scotland in its truest form, and something you can’t find anywhere else in the world to the same quality or degree. It might be worth trying just to get the full Scotland experience when you decide to visit this beautiful and fascinating nation.
*Collaborative post
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