Visiting Scotland? Here’s what the locals love

Though Scotland is small (30,000 square miles) its countless castles, islands, and lochs make it hard to decide where and how to spend your time. We asked local experts to help narrow down your choices, from a celebrity chef’s favorite restaurants to a golf writer’s preferred championship courses.

Sip sweet whiskies in Scotland’s distillery hub

With over 50 distilleries, Speyside is Scotland’s most prolific whisky-producing region. “Most Speyside distilleries are renowned for their production of whiskies that are smooth and sweet, with flavors of vanilla, honey, dried fruits—even Christmas cake,” says David Craig, founder of Spirit of the Spey, which runs distillery tours by canoe.

Craig suggests visiting The Balvenie distillery in Dufftown for its working malting floor and on-site cooperage; Speyburn in Rothes for its “perfectly preserved” traditional drum maltings; and the “picturesque” Speyside Distillery, set in a converted water mill in Kingussie.

Photograph majestic deer on a Scottish ridge

Scotland’s dramatic scenery is a big draw for photographers. “I would recommend a light mirrorless camera for all the walking and hiking you will be doing, with rain covers, a 24-70mm lens, a 70-200mm or even something longer as the deer are often a long way off,” says Nat Geo photographer Robert Ormerod.

One of Ormerod’s preferred places for wildlife photography is the Alladale Wilderness Reserve, which has been at the forefront of Scotland’s rewilding efforts. “At the right time, you can hear stags rutting and you can sometimes see them silhouetted against the skyline as they move about the hills and ridges.”

Dig into Scotland’s top-tier locavore scene

“While we often complain about our weather in Scotland, our rainy climate is perfect for growing,” says celebrity chef Nick Nairn, who runs several restaurants across the country.

These days, there’s more variety at Scottish restaurants than ever before, with chefs championing homegrown ingredients. The Newport in Newport-on-Tay, Fife, and the Glenturret Lalique Restaurant near Crieff, Perthshire, are both great options for locavores. But Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, in the Gleneagles Hotel, is one of Nairn’s all-time favorites. “It has its Secret Garden, which allows them to source their own fruit, vegetables, edible flowers, and herbs.” It’s also one of only two restaurants (with Glenturret Lalique) in Scotland with two Michelin stars.

Go off-grid and offline

Despite Scotland’s small size, it’s surprisingly easy to escape the modern world. Local travel writer Harris Clark recommends the Knoydart peninsula, which has no roads in or out and is accessible only via a ferry or a three-day hike. “Ladhar Beinn [on Knoydart] is one of Scotland’s most dramatic munros [Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet], dominating the horizon like a peak in a Tolkien adventure,” he says.

Scotland’s network of over a hundred bothies—no-cost basic shelters—are another way to go offline. Clark’s favorite is the Garbh Choire Bothy, which is “legendary among mountaineers” for its location, “perched like an eagle’s nest under the towering cliffs of Braeriach in the Cairngorms.” The bothy is located at grid reference NN959986 on an Ordnance Survey map (or app) but there’s no marked trail leading to it; Clark recommends it for experienced hikers only.

Find secret beaches on the wild west coast

Known for wind, waves, and whales, Scotland’s west coast is unmatched for sheer drama. One of the most captivating sections is the beach-ringed Ardnamurchan peninsula, the mainland’s most westerly point. Jessica Thompson, co-owner of hotel and restaurant Mingary Castle on Ardnamurchan, names Sanna Bay as her top spot. “It showcases the best of Scotland’s coastlines with beautiful, white shell sand and clear, turquoise sea. It offers amazing views of the small Isles Rum, Eigg, Muck, and Canna and many visitors have spotted whales and dolphins.” For drams with sea views, Thompson recommends the Ardnamurchan Distillery.

Explore design history in a UNESCO creative city

Despite a population of just 148,000, Dundee is a UNESCO City of Design and is home to Scotland’s only dedicated design museum: the Kengo Kuma-designed V&A Dundee. Jewelry designer Genna Delaney draws inspiration from the city’s varied architecture—including its historic jute mills—and rocky coast. “Dundee has a thriving creative community; the DCA [Dundee Contemporary Arts] and the V&A host many events to bring creatives together,” she says.

As well as events, the DCA holds regular workshops and exhibitions, as does The McManus art gallery, which Delaney recommends visiting for its sweeping Gothic architecture.

Get up close with endemic wildlife

Scotland has an “amazing array of species,” says conservationist Tom Bowser, founder of the Argaty Red Kites rewilding estate in Perthshire. He suggests visiting the Isle of Mull for otters, hen harriers, dolphins, and the majestic white-tailed eagle, one of Scotland’s two endemic eagle species. “Tour companies like Nature Scotland and Mull Charters offer superb opportunities to see these birds,” says Bowser.

Closer to home, Bowser’s preferred Perthshire tour operator is Aquila Ecology in St. Fillans. It’s “run by incredible naturalists” who “offer the chance to see beavers, eagles, red squirrels, and more.”

Play on a championship course in the birthplace of golf

Playing the last few holes of St Andrews’ Old Course is “almost a spiritual experience,” says David Jones, who runs the golf course review site UK Golf Guy. “Every great in the history of the game has made the same walk back towards the town.”

But Prestwick, which hosted the first ever Open Championship in 1860, may be “the most fun of them all,” adds Jones. And Muirfield is “one of the best laid out courses anywhere; the routing of a clockwise front 9 with the anti-clockwise back 9 inside means the wind rarely plays in the same direction.”

Discover music’s next superstar at a storied Glasgow venue

Witnessing a gig in Glasgow—a UNESCO City of Music—is so special, it almost doesn’t matter whom you see. “There simply isn’t a better crowd than the Glasgow crowd,” says Iain Diamond, director of events company Crowdsurf Network Services. “Expect friendly faces, helpful hands up from the moshpit, and plenty of banter.”

“The Barrowland Ballroom is iconic, from its neon sign to its sprung dance floor,” adds Diamond. “David Bowie and Dave Grohl both said it was their favorite place to play.” He also loves King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut for scouting local talent, but his favorite spot is Nice N Sleazy: “Low ceilinged, intimate, and right in the band’s faces.”

(For more tips on what to do in Scotland, see our Explorer’s Guide.)