The Scottish Isles is full of magical sights and experiences. Discover our guide here to see what you need to know about visiting to prepare yourself.
There is so much to love about the Scottish Islands. Whether you’re headed to Mull, Tiree, Orkney, Shetlands, Skye, Lewis, Jura, or any of the other surrounding islands, you’re likely to find something to love too. A landscape that bends and slopes with something different to love on every island, and the tiny villages welcome newcomers with a dram and a smile.
But if you’re interested in visiting the Scottish islands, there are a few things you should prepare for first. Getting to the islands themselves isn’t as easy as even visiting a Greek island from the mainland, and you could face a few linguistic challenges while you’re there.
It will be worth it, though. Take a look at our guide to see what you need to know about visiting the Scottish isles, and you can pack your bags to get going.
The journey’s harder than you might think
The journey to the Scottish islands, just from mainland Scotland, involves planes, trains, and automobiles – and at least one ferry ride. Some of the islands have small airports where you can take light aircraft to the islands, but the most common means of hopping from mainland to island is via the ferry.
And then there is getting to the ferry port/airport. Your best bet is to drive. You can take a train only so far, as the further into the Central Belt you get (the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, etc.) the more developed the public transport and rail service is. But you’re going rural north or rural west. Either way, your nearest train station is a good drive away from your connecting ferry or flight.
This is why a lot of locals make a road trip out of visiting the islands and hire a motorhome. Motorhome hire Scotland is very popular since you can drive your motorhome straight onto the ferry and wander as much as you want, with no tent to assemble when you decide it’s time for some shut-eye.
You might be met with non-English speakers
It’s fairly rare today, but there are communities all over Scotland where English is not the native language, and Gaelic is. This gets more common the more you travel up the island, and the more rural you get, the more likely you are to run into people that aren’t speaking English. They’re not even speaking Scots.
For example, the highest population by a council of Gaelic speakers in Scotland in 2015 were on the Isle of Lewis, with 61% of the people over 3 years old having some skill in the language. For comparison, the Scottish average was 1.7%. These numbers might have dipped or risen since then, but there is no denying that Gaelic is an important part of Scottish heritage, and the more rural areas are better at keeping it alive.
Don’t worry about it too much, though. Much like a lot of European cities, the locals are bilingual and will be able to happily point you to the nearest beach with a friendly smile. You might just need to watch Brave a few times to get used to the accent. And did you know that Duolingo offers Gaelic lessons? So, you can say hello in style.
It’s a very tight-knit community
It’s a universal truth that in rural communities, everyone knows everyone. So, even if you are coming from the American Midwest, you’ll be prepared for people in the Scottish islands spotting immediately that you’re not from around here.
You’re likely to get a few conversations going with the locals simply by being there, not least because tourism is encouraged in the Scottish islands. But the good news is that everyone is genuinely friendly. You might even feel special.
This is a place where they have to pay people in competitive jobs, like doctors and dentists, to move to the island: someone new is exciting.
There’s a lot to see
The various Scottish islands have a lot of magical elements to discover. Take a dip in the gently flowing waterfalls of the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye, lounge on the almost tropical beaches of the Outer Hebrides or watch the aurora borealis from the Shetland islands. Surf the Tiree waves, spot The Old Man of Storr, or watch the seals lounge on the Isle of Coll.
And that’s all without mentioning the many distilleries, spas, castles, golf courses, and colourful villages available to turn a quick trip into an adventure.
Images courtesy of unsplash.com
