I am just getting started on planning a trip to Scotland for next year, but I am concerned about being part of the problem of over tourism as it were. I generally prefer to travel more in shoulder season or off season so I can avoid crowds and also maybe make it a little less stressful for locals. But school schedules are what they are!
I'm specifically avoiding July and August, but I probably can't justify pulling kids from school for two weeks to avoid crowds, so I was wondering how busy is it typically for the end of May and the first of June?
I'm tentatively planning to spend time in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and road tripping around the highlands, specifically up through Aberdeenshire, Inverness, and down through Glen coe and the Trossachs. We'll save the Isles for a future trip.
What traffic should we be prepared for and do we need to plan on booking the big castles and sight-seeing things in advance? I'm planning on making very good use of the explorer pass, so do I need to pre book any of the sites on the pass?
Posted by
Lynnwood
282 posts
We were there on a RS tour in May. Inverness dining spots were crowded on Friday night, so that could be a reservation to make.
Edinburgh was also swimming with tourists on the Mile and at the Castle, so we were thankful for advance tickets. However, the crowds didn't diminish our fun. Have a great time!