With Edinburgh Castle, the slopes of Glencoe, and the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond on offer, is it any wonder that visitors flock to Scotland? The country is seeing a tourism boom with almost four million international visitors arriving in 2023, an increase of 15 per cent on pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands are the most popular destinations and both have suffered negative effects. Short-term let rules that require operators to apply for a licence can cost thousands of pounds.
Those renting out properties suggest this has pushed up holiday accommodation fees in the capital. Hotel prices are also high. Highlands residents, meanwhile, have faced clogged roads , littering and parking areas filled with motorhomes.
However, there are parts of Scotland that tend to be overlooked by tourists, but that still have plenty of appeal. When visiting these destinations, you won’t be putting a strain on rural communities. As a Scot, I feel there is as much, if not more, to see in these places than in the tourist hot spots.
Here are six of my favourite places away from Scotland’s most typical holiday trails. The Isle of Jura Nearby Islay may be better known by whiskey lovers, but Jura’s wild, rugged landscape has its own appeal. Red deer far outnumber the island’s inhabitants (approximately 5,000 versus around 200).
With few people around, Jura offers a feeling of getting away from it all. George Orwell even stayed here while writing 1984 . There are mo.