The country of mesmerizing landscapes and breathtaking highlands has plenty of things to do and explore but do you there certain things you should avoid on a trip to Scotland. Beyond all the excitement and adventurous activities, you should be aware of things that are against the country’s norms or which may hurt the sentiments of the Scottish people.
The errors which you make can be a cultural, accidental oversight, and some common mistakes made by tourists. Let’s have look at the top 15 things you should avoid on a trip to Scotland.
Avoid Doing These 15 Things While On A Trip To Scotland
1. Trying To Imitate The Scottish Accent
Some tourists try to imitate the Scottish accents and try to look cool by doing so. By doing this, they are not only embarrassing themselves but also hurting the Scottish locals. While trying to speak in a Scottish accent, some people even try to claim themselves as Scottish or have Scottish Ancestry.
No matter how many proofs you may give, the locals won’t care even if your grandmother, cousin’ or anybody from relatives is from the highlands. Scottish people are tired of hearing such clams, thus this is one of the major things you should avoid on a trip to Scotland.
Also Read: 10 Most Extreme Places To Visit In Scotland During Summer
2. Claiming That Loch Ness Monster Is a Myth
The Loch Ness Monster also referred to as Nessie by Scottish people is a famous mythical creature of Scotland. Some of the Scottish believe that Nessie actually exists and its appearance is more like a half dinosaur and it lies beneath Loch Ness. If you ever do that then you may end up getting in a heated argument with the locals.
3. Driving Slowly On A Road Trip
Never drive slowly while on a road trip in any part of Scotland. Some tourists drive at a speed of 5 kmph which may make the locals irritated as most of them may be heading towards work or even going to drop their kids to school. You don’t want other emergencies these locals may have, so it would be better if you avoid driving slow on a road trip.
It is best advised to drive carefully keeping in mind that you are not annoying the locals by stopping for long between the roads, especially during business days. In case you are confused and unable to track the location than take your time instead of stopping for hours in the middle of the road.
Also Read: 10 Most Unusual And Unique Things To Do In Scotland
4. Parking Your Car In Passing Places
This is one of the most common mistakes that tourists make while on a trip to Scotland. The passing places are small laybys that are meant for vehicles to pass from both directions. Avoid parking in these passing places as that may annoy Scottish people. The actual parking spaces in Scotland are marked with a blue sign having a “P” symbol.
If you are confused about where to park then look for one of those parking spaces as they are easily available throughout the country regardless of your location. In rural areas, parking spaces are available on the roadside while in the city are you will find several open as well closed parking spaces.
5. Asking Scottish People About Their Clan
Never ask Scottish locals about their clans as nobody in Scotland careers about clans at all. Also, don’t believe some stores claiming to have world-famous iconic tartan as they are definitely making it up.
Also Read: Top 5 Places And Things To Do In Aberdeen, The Flower Of Scotland
6. Comparing Cities
Don’t ever compare Scottish cities to one another or even call them better than the other cities. If you are in Edinburgh then never ever say Glasgow is better or say Edinburgh is better while you are in Glasgow. All of these cities are loved by locals and unique in their own way. So it would be better if you avoid so.
7. Calling Bagpipes Annoying or Loud
While traveling to Scotland, you will find bagpipers in some of the major parts of Scottish cities. As you may not have a habit of hearing a bagpiper, you will find it annoying and loud after listening to it for hours. The Scottish Great Highland bagpipes are globally popular that are used in both cultural festivals as well as the military.
As bagpipers are part of Scottish culture, you should avoid calling them annoying in front of locals.
Also Read:5 Stunning Medieval Castles In Scotland That You Must Visit
7. Getting Into A Debate On Scottish Independence
While making a list of things you should avoid on a trip to Scotland, including this one at the top of your list. Scotland gained independence from England in 1314 with help of Robert the Bruce. The country later join the UK province in 1707 and since 2014 a referendum for independence has been started to make it a sovereign state.
The country was one of the independent kingdoms in the medieval era and now the country is willing to get Independence most likely by 2023. Till now, Around 58% of the people want an independent state from the UK province.
8. Referring Scottish Kilts As Skirts
Kilts are worn by Scottish people for nearly thousands of years and now it’s part of their culture. It was actually a long cloak in the earlier time and the one we see today is the shorter version of that cloak. The patterns on its cloth represent a particular clan, which worn by Scottish families for centuries.
Though for some tourists Kilts may appear more like a skirt and they may find it weird, especially on men. Even if you find it funny you should be aware that never ever call it a skirt as it holds so much significance to the Scottish culture.
9. Referring to Scottish People as English
As you already know Scotland and England are two different countries and even they have different English accents. Though they are also British as Scotland itself is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and also the Northern part of Ireland. It would be better if you only call them Scottish instead of English or British.
Also Read:10 Incredible Historical Places To Visit In Scotland
10. Camping Anywhere
Being the country of highlands, Scotland has plenty of places to go for and camp. Though the land is not private which means you can put your tent anywhere you want. There are some places where camping is prohibited unless you have taken special permit such as Loch Lomond.
Also, make sure you can’t camp in private lands but you may ask for permission in from the landowners. In most cases, the landowner will allow you for camping as Scottish people are quite friendly and welcoming.
11. Traveling In August
Several cultural festivals are celebrated in Scotland in the month of August including the Edinburgh International festivals. A wide range of theatre shows, stand-up comedy, and live music shows are performed in various parts of the country. You are advised to visit this month only if you are interested in attending any of the cultural events in Scotland.
In case you have other plans and you prefer to explore the major cities of Scotland such as Edinburgh and Glasgow that better plan your trip for later or months before August as the cities would be busy during this time.
12. Buying Souvenirs
There are many shops and stores in Edinburgh city of Scotland that are completely dedicated to tourists and they usually sell souvenirs. Most of these shops offer clothes either printed with “I love Scotland” or a picture of the Loch Ness Monster. Most of these shops belong to Chinese merchants and they offer cheap quality clothes at a higher price.
It would be better to not purchase anything from there and spend your precious money on such a poor quality product. If you really want to buy good quality clothes or another item then look for other shops and avoid visiting the clothing stores in Royal Mile.
Also Read: A Trip To Scotland On A Budget
14. Don’t Refer Football As Soccer
Football is very much like a national sport in Scotland and they love this game passionately. So, it is also important you take the name of their favorite sport right. The word soccer was introduced in England and it is still used in various countries of the United Kingdom except for Scotland. It can even hurt the locals or they will end up arguing.
15. Rubbing Greyfriars Bobby’s Nose
Greyfriars Bobby is a famous statue situated in Greyfriars graveyard. The statue was erected in the honor of a dog named bobby who mourned for 14 years near the master’s grave after his death until he passed away himself. His tale is quite famous among the tourist and millions of tourists still come to and rub his nose as a tradition.
Some people believe rubbing Bobby’s nose will bring them good luck due to which the paint of the statue has worn away.