SCOTLAND TRAVEL GUIDE

Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland is one of the most popular sports travel destinations in the world and if you're looking to visit Scotland for its sport and adventure travel highlights, you won't be left feeling disappointed.

From its incredible highlands where the mountains, lochs and canals provide exceptional sports travel adventures to its cities where rugby and football play a huge role in daily life there is loads to do. And I've not even mentioned golf, which of course is where Scotland really claims it's dominance in sports travel.

Many visit Scotland for its remarkable history. The castles, monuments and centuries old cities are enough to attract millions a year. But don't feel like you won't be satisfied if you are looking for a more sports orientated visit. In fact, on the subject of history, Scotland's sporting history packs one heck of a punch.

Scotland is indeed the country that invented the game of golf and you will find the oldest courses in the world scattered across its coastlines, mountains and city's. Scotland arguably also invented international rugby with the first ever international match taking place in the country's capital, Edinburgh when Scotland invited England to play. Another sporting international first happened in Scotland when Scotland's football team played England in Glasgow in 1872 in which is known to be the first ever international football match.

It doesn't stop there either in sporting inventions. Kirkpatrick Macmillan who lived in Dumfries is widely credited for inventing one of the first bicycle models and its Thomas Telford who we can thank for having the vision to effectively cut Scotland in half with the construction of the Caledonian Canal in the early 19th century. Telford's priority may not have been for his 60-mile waterway to be a sports destination, but today the canal provides countless sports activities such as sailing, cycling, walking, kayaking and paddle boarding.

So, Scotland as your next sports travel destination? You'd be silly not to contemplate it. In this Scotland travel guide I will guide you to my favourite sports travel experiences the country has to offer, give you tips on how to get tickets, guide you on where to stay and give you an overview so you can plan a sports travel adventure around the country, safe in the knowledge you are travelling through centuries worth of history.

Top 5 sports travel things to do in
Scotland

1. Hike Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis, Scotland

Ben Nevis is the UK's highest mountain and welcomes thousands of hikers year-round and it's become one of my favourite locations in the world. I climbed the mountain for the first time on my 40th birthday in October 2022, I had just been made redundant and felt conquering the UK's highest mountain would be help clear the mind and it did! I decided to film a guide to summiting on that trip which you can watch in my Ben Nevis guide.

The most popular time to hike the mountain is in the summer months, not to say you can predict the weather at the summit but your chances of a clear view are definitely more favourable than in the winter.

On average it will take around 4.5 hours to reach the summit from the start point at the Glen Nevis Visitor Centre, just outside of Fort William. Technically the climb is not too difficult with a well laid out path leading you all the way to the summit but you will need some grit with the climb never giving you much rest-bite. On the entire route there is just one little stretch of flat ground.

To begin with you'll spend about two hours walking up and out of the Glen (valley) before reaching Lochan Meall, known as halfway point, before you start the switchback section. The terrain will change to looser ground in the upper levels of the hike and it will feel like the summit will never arrive. Once you do get there however, you'll be greeted by the ruins of the old observatory and the emergency hut, which I hope you won't need.

The walk back down will take around 3 hours. It's a bit of a slog on the knees but once you get back to the start point, make sure you pop into the Ben Nevis Inn for a very well deserved drink. You have afterall, just climbed the UK's highest mountain at 4,413 feet.

2. Explore the Caledonian Canal

The Caledonian Canal at Fort Augustus, at the southwestern end of Loch Ness

I have had some of my happiest times on The Caledonian Canal. If you catch the sunshine whilst exploring the epic waterway, you will no doubt fall in love. You probably will even if it's raining, but with sunshine, it will most definitely be love at first sight.

The waterway was constructed by Thomas Telford creating a route for ships through the middle of Scotland rather than sailing the treacherous routes around the top of Scotland. When the canal opened in 1822 ships were able to travel from west to east via Fort William and Inverness in safety and in stunning scenery.

Whilst the canal is still used today for working ships such as fishing boats and small cargo vessels, there is also a ridiculous amount of sports travel experiences to dive into. You can hire cruiser boats and adventure activity long boats to explore the canal, you can sail the canal or walk, cycle, kayak and paddle board the length of it.

The canal connects the Lochs of Ness, Oich and Lochy, passes through 29 locks including the stunning Neptune's Staircase near Fort William and you'll be captivated by the stunning scenery for every mile you travel.

Want to know more about how you can explore the canal? I wouldn't hesitate if I was you.

3. Play Golf and take in the game's history in Scotland

St Andrews, Scotland

Scotland and golf, is their a better match?

Whether you are watching or playing golf, you have a huge amount of choice across Scotland. In the summer of 2024 there are as many as seven professional events taking place from Aberdeen to Royal Troon and of course you have Scotland's endless amount of golf courses to tackle yourself.

I always find it funny at Scottish airports in the summer months where it seems the only thing arriving on the luggage belts are golf bags. There's no doubting the key areas to take in when talking about Scotland's golf history, it's hero moments if you like are the East Lothian, Fife, Ayrshire and Angus coasts. Courses such as Carnoustie, Royal Aberdeen and Stonehaven (where there's a bunker that was created by a bomb falling during World War II - it is named 'Hitler's Bunker'') line the east coast of the country whilst the East Lothian Coast, named 'Scotland's Golf Coast' provides 22 golf courses along its coastline. One of those courses is actually responsible for the golf hole being the size that is used in the modern game.

Scotland's biggest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow also provide their own inner-city golfing highlights. Glasgow is home to Scotland's TopGolf venue and Edinburgh is where the game was first invented, and has 21 courses to choose from within city limits.

4. Watch an international Rugby match

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh is home to Murrayfield Stadium, the largest stadium in Scotland. The stadium is the home of Scottish Rugby and where Scotland play their home games. If you're looking to attend a Scotland rugby match, you won't be disappointed.

Murrayfield as a stadium is a special place. It holds a sizeable crowd with 67,000 being accommodated for a sell-out game and much of its charm is the atmosphere those fans generate.

As far as modern day stadiums go, it's a little behind. The site Murrayfield sits on is huge and despite the actual structure being relatively basic (it's concourses offer only a route to your seat and toilets) its the grounds around the stadium which add to the experience of attending a sporting event there.

The outside areas are packed full of pop-up bars, food outlets and live music giving fans plenty to dive into before and after a game. Edinburgh is also one of Murrayfield's assets with the stadium only a 15-minute walk from the city centre and plenty of entertainement lines the streets as you walk towards this Scottish sporting arena.

4. Go to a Scottish football match

Easter Road Stadium, home of Hibernian FC, Edinburgh, Scotland

If Edinburgh is the city for rugby in Scotland, Glasgow is the city for football.

So much so, next time you watch the World Cup, with international teams from all over the globe competing for the biggest prize in world football, remember that it is Glasgow you need to thank for the excitement. As indeed it was Scotland's second city who organised the first ever international football match.

The West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick, Glasgow was the location the match took place and the site is still there today and still used as a cricket pitch. You can visit it, take in a game of cricket and think to yourself, 'back in 1872, this is where it all began'.

Recently, in 2023 England once again played Scotland in a match marking the first ever international match. Watching a football match in Scotland means you'll get passionate fans, great stadiums and a wide range of experiences from smaller games to one of the world's most talked about derbies.