21 Amazing Things to Do in Scotland in Summer
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From sweeping white-sand beaches and sun-drenched lochs to glens ringing with the sound of the Highland Games, Scotland in summer is all about the great outdoors and cultural festivals.
The best things to do in Scotland in summer make the most of the long daylight hours. Hike along the shores of Loch Lomond or up in the Cairngorms and Glen Nevis, where trails range from easy walks to rewarding summit climbs.
Spot puffins nesting on coastal cliffs and offshore islands or soaking up the buzz of Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe. With an average temperature of around 18°C, Scotland’s summer weather is perfect for wild swimming, island-hopping and exploring the country’s remote wilderness.
Summer in Scotland is also peak season, so expect higher prices and busier hotspots. But with wild camping, lesser-visited islands and hidden glens, there are still plenty of ways to find solitude.
Read on to discover 21 of the best places to visit in Scotland in summer, plus some of my favourite things to do in each.
1. Visit the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Every August, Edinburgh hosts the Fringe, a three-week festival of performing arts. A mix of big-name and unknown artists perform on stages and streets all over the city. Everywhere becomes a venue, from established theatres to pubs, parks, buses, and even shipping containers.
You can expect to see all types of live performances, including comedy, physical theatre, spoken word, circus acts, musicals, operas, cabaret, dancing and children’s shows. The full programme of events gets released in June.
Download the EdFringe App to browse shows and book tickets, but give yourself enough time to get between venues. You’ll also want to book your hotel well in advance!
2. Spot charismatic puffins
If you’re a wildlife lover, one of the best things to do in Scotland is to hang out with puffins. These charismatic little seabirds, with their large orange beaks and comical waddles, return to the Scottish coast to nest in burrows from April to July.
Top puffin-watching locations include:
- Isle of May
- The Treshnish Isles
- Handa Island Wildlife Reserve
- Dunnet Head
Your best chance of seeing puffins is on a wildlife tour. Staffa Tours runs tours to Lunga and Staffa in the Treshnish Isles, while Anstruther Pleasure Cruises and the Scottish Seabird Centre sail to the Isle of May.
3. See the purple heather in bloom
From July to October, Scotland’s moorlands, heaths, and bogs burst into colour as purple heather comes into bloom. Visiting Scotland in August is the best time to see these delicate flowers at their peak.
The Pentland Hills Regional Park is one of the top places in Scotland for heather. Just over half an hour from Edinburgh, it makes for an easy summer day trip from the city. You can go horse riding, hiking and cycling with 100km of paths to explore.
Up in the Scottish Highlands, Perthshire is a diverse mix of woodland and moorland. Visit the magnificent Queen’s View in Pitlochry to admire the heather-covered slopes of the Schiehallion.
The Cairngorms National Park is another hotspot for heather. Scotland’s largest national park is home to vast moorlands where hardy heather thrives in the rugged climate. By August, it’s a patchwork of green and purple.
Why not pair your visit with a trip to Loch Morlich or the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd to make the most of these summer outdoor activities in Scotland?
4. Watch the Highland Games
The Highland Games are a summer tradition in Scotland, celebrating centuries of culture and competition. Held across the country, these one-day events bring together impressive feats of strength, lively music and plenty of local cuisine.
The tradition has even spread to countries with large Scottish communities, including Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.
You’ll see competitors wearing kilts as they partake in traditional Highland sports like the caber toss, hammer throw and tug of war. There are food and craft stalls, livestock shows and ceilidhs throughout the day.
The Highland Games take place all over Scotland, usually at the weekend. By July and August, there are more than 30 events a month. See the full list of Highland Games on the Royal Scottish Highland Games Association’s website.
5. Relax on the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is one of my favourite escapes from Glasgow, offering some of the best summer activities in Scotland. In less than an hour by train or 40 minutes by car, you can be in Balloch, the gateway to the loch and the perfect starting point for a day out.
There, you can spend a leisurely day lazing about on the loch’s shores in Balloch Country Park. Pick up some fish and chips from Blue Lagoon Fish & Chips, go wild swimming or bring your own inflatable paddleboard and float on the water.
For sightseeing, Sweeney’s Cruise Co runs sailing trips on the loch and you’ll see its myriad of islands, Ben Lomond, picturesque Luss village and Balmaha. It’s a pleasant way to see Scotland’s largest loch by surface area.
Another way is to climb Conic Hill, one of the best short walks in the area. From the summit, it gives you panoramic views of the loch’s islands. For a quieter but equally spectacular hike (in my opinion!), Beinn Dubh in Luss is a stunning alternative and easy to fit into a day trip from Glasgow.
6. Ride the Jacobite steam train
The Jacobite Steam train (AKA the Hogwarts Express for Harry Potter fans!) operates for six months of the year, from the beginning of April to the end of October.
It’s one of Scotland’s most iconic trains with an epic journey through the Highlands. It runs from Fort William to Mallaig, crossing the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct and spoiling you with views of Loch Shiel, Loch Eilt and the Small Isles in the distance on a good day.
The train goes right through to Mallaig with request stops at Glenfinnan and Arisaig on the way. You can either wait for the return journey in this fishing town or take the ferry to Armadale on the Isle of Skye and continue your adventure.
While the train is a unique experience, the best views of it are from Glenfinnan Viaduct. I share exactly how to find the viewpoint and the best time to see it in my Glenfinnan guide.
7. Do some watersports on Loch Morlich
Loch Morlich is a summer playground near Aviemore. The loch in the heart of the Cairngorms is home to Scotland’s only freshwater beach, and it’s also the highest beach in Britain!
With the forested Highland landscape as your backdrop, it’s one of the best places to visit in Scotland in summer. You can sunbathe, build sandcastles or take to the water in kayaks, go windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding or sailing.
Set within Glenmore Forest Park, there is a variety of easy walking trails along the shore. My favourite is the two-hour circular loop around the water’s edge.
If you fancy making a holiday of it, Glenmore Campsite has 206 pitches for tents, campervans and motorhomes on the loch, with on-site facilities including toilets, showers and a café.
8. Stay on the Isle of Mull
Summer is the perfect opportunity to escape to Scotland’s islands. I don’t recommend visiting Skye as it’s the busiest time to visit and you are plagued with midges – particularly in August!
A better alternative is the Isle of Mull, Scotland’s fourth-largest island. Located in the Inner Hebrides, it has pretty fishing villages, white-sand beaches and Ben More, the island’s lone Munro.
Mull’s biggest village is Tobermory with its colourful houses lining the harbourfront. Down on the southwest tip of the island, you can catch a ferry from Fionnphort to Iona, a tiny offshore island regarded as the birthplace of Celtic Christianity for its abbey (the original was founded by St. Columba in 563 CE).
If you’re a wildlife lover, Staffa Tours runs boat trips from Tobermory to the Treshnish Isles, one of the top places for wildlife watching in Scotland. I took a trip to Staffa and Fingal’s Cave and saw dolphins, seals and a minke whale!
9. Climb Arthur’s Seat
Arthur’s Seat is an ancient extinct volcano that towers 251m above sea level. Located in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park, it has stunning panoramic views of the city from the summit. The trail is open all year round, but summer is the best time to appreciate the view as it’s not as chilly and windy.
The walk takes about two hours to complete with some steep, rocky sections as you ascend the summit. For an easier climb, avoid taking the Purple Route that zigzags steeply up the steps near the Salisbury Crags.
Instead, take the Red Route trail, which slopes up from Queen’s Drive, past St. Margaret’s Well. The ascent is more gentle and you can take a short detour to see St Anthony’s Chapel Ruins.
After completing Arthur’s Seat, relax in the park. There are some lovely lochs and a botanical garden that make ideal picnic spots. Or celebrate with a drink at Sheep’s Heid Inn, thought to be the oldest inn in Edinburgh!
10. Take a day trip to the Isle of Arran
The best thing to do in Scotland in summer is to get out of the city. One of my favourite summer day trips from Glasgow is to the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde. You get beaches, coastal walks, wildlife, castles and distilleries just two hours from the city.
Dubbed ‘Scotland in Miniature,’ the seventh-largest island gives you a snapshot of the Scottish landscape, with its highlands and lowlands. The highest peak is Goatfell (no goats were harmed!) with panoramic views as far as Ireland on a clear day.
Brodick is the main town. It has an intact 19th-century castle and gardens. For history lovers, the Machrie Moor Standing Stones date back to 2,000 BC. My favourite spot is Lochranza on the coast, which has a small but dramatic ruined fortress, a resident seal colony, scenic coastal walks and a whisky distillery.
11. Visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd
Want to meet reindeer in the wild? The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd roams freely in the Cairngorms National Park, where they’ve thrived since the first ones were introduced from Sweden in 1952.
In summer, they graze on the lower slopes, making it the perfect time to join a guided hill trip and see them in their natural habitat. You’ll follow the herders to an enormous field and the reindeer will make their way over to you, enticed by the sacks of food.
You’ll have an opportunity to feed them (it’s such a fun experience and they don’t slobber!). Then spend some time hanging out with them. They’re used to humans and very gentle, although they don’t like being stroked as much as you want to pet them.
Hill trips book up fast, so get your tickets in advance. Wear sturdy footwear as you’ll be walking through uneven terrain. Raincoats are always recommended, too.
12. Take a day trip to North Berwick
On sunny summer days when you want to make the most of the good weather, North Berwick is an easy seaside day trip from Edinburgh. You’re on the coast in just 35 minutes by train or less than an hour by car.
The little seaside town in East Lothian is located on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, fronted by ample stretches of golden sandy beach. Spend the day building sandcastles beside rockpools on West Beach or strolling the length of Milsey Bay Beach. Bring water shoes, as I found them to be rocky in places.
From the coast, you can see a large white offshore rock with a lighthouse. Called Bass Rock, it’s the home of the world’s largest colony of Northern gannets, and you can visit this sanctuary on a boat trip with the Scottish Seabird Centre.
North Berwick has some lovely independent and boutique shops, family-run cafes, golf and coastal walks. The Law is the highest hill in the area for those wanting to stretch their legs. For history buffs, check out St. Andrew’s Auld Kirk, where around 70 people were accused of witchcraft in 1590.
13. Bag a Munro
With longer days and the best weather of the year, summer is the perfect time for experienced hikers to go Munro bagging. Scotland is home to 282 Munros—mountains that stand at 3,000 feet or higher. The most famous of these is Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the country.
Munro bagging involves completing as many Munros as possible. But some of them are pretty tricky, so between you and me, just climbing one is rewarding enough!
Some of the easiest Munros for beginners include:
- Mount Keen
- Broad Cairn
- Ben Lomond
- Schiehallion
- Cairn Gorm Mountain (you can cheat and take the bus to the visitor centre and the funicular to the top!)
As with any time of year, check the weather forecast, make sure you’re properly equipped, tell someone where you’re going and stick to the route. If you’re planning to do any outdoor activities, take a look at my guide to the best time to visit Scotland for weather and daylight hours.
14. Climb Ben Nevis
At 4413 feet, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Britain. It’s a popular and straightforward climb but best tackled in summer when the weather and daylight hours are in your favour. On a good day, other people will be completing the trail, so you’re less likely to be alone.
The trail takes between seven and nine hours to complete in summer conditions. It’s steep throughout, so make sure you have good stamina and plenty of water. It’s easy to accidentally veer away from the path into more dangerous terrain, so have a trail map with you and stay vigilant.
If you’re a little unsure about your navigation skills, why not join a guided hike with a small group? Climb Ben Nevis runs monthly group walks led by experienced guides.
15. Look for ‘Nessie’ on Loch Ness
Whether you’re a budding monster hunter or just want a nature escape close to Inverness, visiting Loch Ness is one of the top things to do in summer.
It’s the largest loch in Scotland by water volume, containing more water than all English and Welsh lakes together! It’s no wonder the loch is the famous home of the mythical (or is it?) Loch Ness Monster, affectionately named ‘Nessie.’
You can learn about Nessie and her legends at the Loch Ness Centre or spot the resident Nessie Hunter who lives on Dores Beach. Deepscan cruises, which scan the depths for signs of the monster, are also available to book.
Monsters aside, Loch Ness has some lovely scenic spots, including the dramatic ruins of Urquhart Castle, the Falls of Foyer, Fort Augustus and Invermoriston Bridge. You can drive around the loch or do this top-rated small group tour, which takes you to all the main attractions.
16. Do one-day or multi-day walks
You don’t have to bag Munros and climb mountains to appreciate Scotland’s scenery. Summer is a great time to get outdoors and explore the countryside, whether on short walks or multi-day hikes.
Some of the prettiest short walks for exploring Scotland in summer include:
- The Hermitage – woodland trails in Perthshire
- Conic Hill – panoramic views of Loch Lomond
- Glencoe Lochan – woodland and mountain views near Glencoe
- Lochranza Trail – coastal trail on the Isle of Arran
And if you fancy a challenge, summer is perfect for challenging yourself to a long-distance multi-day trail. The most famous of these is the West Highland Way, a 96-mile route stretching from Milngavie to Fort William.
Other great summer outdoor adventures in Scotland include:
- John Muir Way – 134 miles coast to coast from Helensburgh to Dunbar
- Great Glen Way – 79 miles from Fort William to Inverness
- Moray Coast Trail – 44 miles from Forres to Cullen
17. Cycle around Scotland
Swap walking for mountain biking! Scotland has some epic cycling trails at every level and distance, which are ideal for summer adventures. You don’t need to have your own set of wheels as there are plenty of places to hire mountain bikes and e-bikes.
Some of my favourite cycling trails include:
- The Trotternish Peninsula on Skye – I hired an e-bike from Skye E-Bikes
- Loch Leven Trail in Kinross – a lovely short off-road track around Loch Leven
- The Four Abbeys Cycling Route in the Scottish Borders – includes Melrose, Dryburgh, Kelso and Jedburgh in eight hours
- Edinburgh City Centre to The Shore – use the traffic-free cycle paths to get from the city centre to Leith on the Firth of Forth
18. Island hop in the Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides are a chain of more than 100 islands to the west of mainland Scotland. 15 of them are inhabited. With warmer weather and a more frequent ferry schedule, summer is an ideal time to go island hopping, and you can have a truly epic Hebridean adventure.
Lewis and Harris is the largest island (it’s divided into two areas, ‘Lewis’ and ‘Harris’). It has the ancient Neolithic Callanish Standing Stones, the award-winning Luskentyre Beach and stunning miniature fjords called ‘the Bays.’ It’s also the home of Harris Tweed.
Uist has six islands. The group is known for its sweeping beaches, abundant wildlife and tiny fishing villages. You can really escape from it all here. Barra and Vatersay are based on the southern end of the Outer Hebrides. These small islands are big on community spirit and remote sandy beaches.
The most adventurous island to visit is St. Kilda. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, 40 miles off the coast of the Outer Hebrides, this remote island was abandoned in the 1930s due to the increasingly harsh conditions. Now it’s a UNESCO-listed seabird sanctuary.
19. Go wild camping
Scotland’s Right to Roam Act gives the public the legal right to access most lands responsibly. One of the best things to do in Scotland in summer is wild camping. It’s a chance to escape the crowds and enjoy some quiet time in nature.
You can wild camp in most unenclosed places except for areas around Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, where you need a permit. This is to prevent too many people from camping there.
Wherever you choose to camp, always follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code to ensure you’re being a responsible camper. This means leaving the site as you found it, taking all rubbish home, using public toilets, practising fire safety and not removing any vegetation.
Some scenic wild camping spots include:
- Glen Sannox, Isle of Arran
- Glenfeshie, Cairngorms National Park
- Barrisdale, Knoydart Peninsula
- Galloway Forest, Dumfries & Galloway
20. Do the NC500 road trip
The North Coast 500 (NC500) is Scotland’s most famous road trip. Starting and ending in Inverness, the route follows the north coast, skirting up to John O’Groats, along the top of mainland Scotland, then down along the west coast and across to Inverness.
The route can be completed in about six days, and you can do it clockwise or anticlockwise. If you’re visiting Scotland in summer, accommodation tends to be quite expensive. You’re mostly staying in tiny villages, after all!
Summer’s warmer weather gives you the freedom to camp or campervan, keeping costs down. You can also stop and enjoy the gorgeous beaches along the way, particularly Dunnet Beach, Strathy Beach and the white sands of Achmelvich Beach.
Driving is the most popular way to travel, but you could challenge yourself to cycle it. You’ll need to cycle about 65 miles a day, so only attempt it if you’re at an advanced level!
21. Go glamping in unique accommodation
Stay in an airship on the Sound of Mull or curl up with a good book in a lodge near Glencoe…the Scottish summer is the time to slow down and escape to nature on a glamping holiday.
Scotland has endless glamping retreats, including luxury pods with hot tubs, quirky geodesic domes and rustic huts in the middle of nowhere. They’re a perfect bridge between getting outdoors without sacrificing home luxuries and a comfy bed.
One of my favourite glamping experiences is AOS SI Lodges in Ballachulish. Just minutes from Glencoe Village, these eight lodges are hidden among trees within the grounds.
They have huge bathtubs (with hot water!), ensuite bathrooms with underfloor heating and the comfiest beds I think I’ve ever slept in. Bliss!
Final thoughts on the best things to do in Scotland in summer
Summer is the best time to get outdoors in Scotland. With longer daylight hours, you have more time to explore. The country enjoys the longest daylight hours in the UK, with daylight lasting until 11 pm in the far north!
The warmer, sunnier weather is perfect for lazy days by the loch or exploring stunning, sugar-white beaches that could easily be mistaken for the Caribbean. While rain is always a possibility, showers are quick to pass and often bring a welcome break from the midges. If you’re unsure about what to wear, read my full summer packing list for outfit inspiration.
It’s also the season to get active, whether that’s tackling a Munro, mountain biking through heather-covered glens or walking around scenic Highland lochs. Or a taste of Scottish culture, cheer on the athletes at the Highland Games or experience one of the world’s greatest cultural festivals in Edinburgh.
If you’re inspired to explore Scotland year-round, make sure to check out my guide on things to do in winter for your next adventure!
