Scotland Things to Do

With its misty moorlands beginning to bloom with wildflowers and the snow melting to reveal lush pastures, springtime is an idyllic time to visit Scotland. It’s the perfect time to explore the great outdoors and Scotland is full of hiking, cycling and horse riding trails, from the wild terrain of the Highlands to the eerie waters of Loch Ness. Just don’t forget your raincoat as spring weather is notorious for being temperamental.

With the northern highlands enveloped in snow and the cities ablaze with Christmas lights and fireworks, winter makes for an atmospheric time to visit Scotland, as well as being one of the cheapest times to travel.

Although the official opening ceremony is not until Friday, the footballers are ready to get things started and will begin the first games on July 25th and 26th.

The Women’s teams go first and the opening competition whistle to blow for the 2012 London Olympic Games will be heard at 4pm on Wednesday, July 25th in Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales when Great Britain meets New Zealand.

From March until November, Scotland is going to come alive with festivals and events celebrating the country’s culture and creativity. Music, design, art, architecture, theatre, dance – you name it, they’ll be showing it off.
Here are a few things to get you started while exploring this wonderfully mysterious, historic, and innovative country in the north.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to be invited by friends to spend Christmas in Scotland. Being from Australia and used to Christmas time being all about sunshine and beach cricket, I was happy to be going so far north for my first wintry Christmas; naturally I was hoping for snow. We left London amidst forecasts of snow, arrived in Edinburgh under those heavy yellow-grey skies that promise snowstorms, got on the train with literally seconds to spare and headed north to Pitlochry, a small town in the Scottish Highlands.

If you’re looking for something different to give as a gift this year, and want to put your money into the pocket of an individual artist rather than a global monopoly, head for the Open Art Exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. The exhibition opens on November 12 and runs through to December 18. Its focus is on small scale, affordable artworks and there are literally hundreds of pieces to choose from, or just admire, by artists from across Scotland.