9 Things to Know Before Visiting Scotland

I spent six weeks in Scotland, exploring Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Highlands, some of Perthshire, and the Isle of Skye. Through those trips and interactions, I came across a few observations (and learnings) that I found noteworthy enough to share. So I put together this list of 9 things to know before visiting Scotland. Aren’t you blessed?

I’m sure someone from Scotland will read this and correct me, so I fully am here for a deeper understanding, BUT these were just various things I absorbed in my month and a half.

Roundabouts Are Everywhere

The ever-present traffic circles are something I first came across after road-tripping around Ireland, but at the time, I found the frequency of them kind of annoying. Now, after having stayed in Scotland for six weeks and driven three of those, I realize they are actually efficient as hell.

When I think of all of the 4-ways and 3-ways in the US (kinky btw), I realize how practical and efficient, for the flow of traffic, circles would be instead. That being said, sometimes I did wish a highway would just stay a highway in Scotland, but, for the most part, I’ve now fully been converted to Team Roundabout. 

Haggis and… Mac & Cheese? Are Menu Staples

Haggis is a Scottish staple, tried it, and it wasn’t for me, but I respect the culture of it and knew it’d be present. I was surprised, however, at just how present it is on most menus. But, I’m a roast chicken LOVER, so I was perhaps less than excited when I realized certain roast dishes had haggis somewhat hidden within (I’m looking at you, Balmoral chicken).

The item I wasn’t as prepared for… Mac & Cheese. I swear it was on more menus than not, and it was as a main (not a side) dish. Don’t get me wrong, I love some cheesy mac, but was I expecting its prevalence in Scotland? Nope.

Country Roads are Narrow, Curvy, and Fast 

I had a Scottish classmate who joked that they drive like villains on country roads, and that’s about the most accurate description I could attribute to driving in the Scottish countryside.

With the weather as damp as it often is, the roads are typically wet (and therefore reflective in the dark). Plus, they are quite narrow and curved, yet the speed limits will be 60+ mph! The first weekend I drove up to Fort William, on said roads, it was after dark – as I was driving up after class – and honestly, I swear I saw God once.

The room for error was minimal, but hey, at least it was pitch black, so I couldn’t completely see some of the drops near me…?

Cake is Not Dessert

I’m happy for someone Scottish to dispute me on this one, but this came up first with one of my classmates. She was born and raised in the country and claimed that cake isn’t considered a dessert, it’s something you have with afternoon tea, but not something you’d have for dessert, aka after dinner.

I thought this was WILD – in part because dessert is DESSERT – but also found it an interesting take on how traditions dictate different meals and times of day. Just another random anecdote for the things to know before visiting Scotland!

Umbrellas are (Often) the Sign of a Tourist

This was hilarious to me – in an astonishing way. I couldn’t believe, for such a wet climate, how few people used umbrellas. Don’t get me wrong, I love a rain jacket (or any type of waterproof material in that kind of weather), but I’d rather have water rolling off of an umbrella than have my clothing all wet.

I drove past a man in the Isle of Skye who was literally SATURATED and though he at least had an umbrella on him… he was simply holding it, like it would pain him to open it. I mean, at that point, why would he, but still. 

To note, I believe this is true for many a wet climate, not just Scotland. Regardless, blows my mind. My pride is not bigger than an umbrella. 

Why Turn on a Light When You Could Arrive in the Dark?

Ok, let’s talk about this. Are there plenty of roads in plenty of places that don’t have much light coverage? Sure. But in Scotland, I swear it was like you were driving through the darkest night, until you happened upon a little village, and then straight back into the pits of hell for ya. 

Also, a lot of houses didn’t seem to have exterior lights. At the place I stayed in Fort William, the host tried to give me instructions past a certain point, as my maps likely wouldn’t take me to the right house. When I asked if there was a sign or a light or something to stand out at night… NOPE.

Honestly, if he hadn’t seen me and come down the gravel road (doing big waves too)… I honestly don’t think I would have ever found that wee shack.

Wait, Where’d the Line Go?

Ok, back to the roads. I have lots of observations here to be honest. This is a big one: WHY DO THE LINES DISAPPEAR?

I have a theory – which honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if it was correct – in that the lines seemed to disappear when the roads became extra narrow. Hear me out. I’d be driving along a two-lane road, all of a sudden, the paint of the center line just… was no more. But it also felt like the lane had become less of a two-lane road. No signage or warning, really, just more of a… survival of the fittest driver test? ‘Twas bananas. 

So maybe one of the biggest things to know before visiting Scotland: Be (or travel with) a confident driver.

Waterfalls Are Everywhere

This was lovely. Just lovely. You’d have your stunning vistas with waterfalls, but I’d also be driving down random lanes and BOOM waterfall. Magical.

Is this a must-know? Maybe not. But is it one of the prettiest things to know before visiting Scotland? Yeps.

Chili and Rice… Makes Sense?

One day in class, the chef was making our lunch, and he mentioned it was chili. At a later point in the morning, he said, “The chili’s ready, I just need to make the rice.” Swear to god, I thought I heard him wrong. Yet, in the back part of the kitchen, there he was stirring a pot of rice. So I clarified, “Did you say you were making rice?” and he said, “Yeah,” to which I obviously replied, “For what? Aren’t we having chili?” There was more than one Scottish human in the back half of that kitchen, and they all looked at me like I was the loon and said, “It’s for the chili.” 

So on that day, I learned that more than likely if you were to order a bowl of chili in Scotland (and probably most of the UK), it would be served with rice.

To be fair, sometimes I like my chili with noodles – so the starch element wasn’t a surprise to me… it just seemed like an odd blend. It was actually pretty good, though I did notice, at least for that chef’s recipe, that the chili was much more meaty and less saucy than I’m used to. Which I felt aligned more to a curry vibe, so… kind of made sense.

Ok, that’s it. My top, somewhat random, things to know before visiting Scotland. If you’ve noticed the same things when traveling in Scotland, please tag @accentgolden and share so I can feel a little less alone with some of these thoughts.