1. It’s the Year of Stories – Scotland has always been a land of intriguing and powerful myths and legends. A country alive with stories and storytellers. This is being celebrated with the designated Year of Stories 2022. Look out for a whole host of one-off events and festivities up and down Scotland, plus regular events that are being jazzed up for this theme year.

2. The Great Outdoors – Love fresh air, big skies and huge life-affirming moments? Well Scotland is for you! The Highlands are one of Europe’s last great wildernesses and even all of Scotland’s cities boast swathes of green space. The Great Outdoors are bound into the very psyche of Scotland and it’s no surprise John Muir grew up here. So get on your boots, or fire off on two wheels and breathe it all in.

3. World-class wildlife – Forget flying halfway around the world to see wildlife – Scotland is a brilliant wildlife destination. Did you know we have our very own ‘Big Five’ – red deer, otter, harbour seals, golden eagles and those super cute red squirrels. There is the Hebridean Whale Trail to follow too, with our coast alive with all manner of porpoises, dolphins, whales and even hulking basking sharks.

4. Scotland starts here – In the mad rush to get to the Highlands, many people overlook southern Scotland. Well my simple advice is…don’t! The Borders are a rolling hill and river carved oasis so beloved of Scotland’s greatest ever writer, Sir Walter Scott. Dumfries and Galloway meanwhile is Scotland’s most southerly region and its balmiest. Dumfries is alive with Robert Burns heritage and the beaches are amazing. As are the wee towns and villages like Kircudbright and Portpatrick. The epic Southern Upland Way long distance walking route sweeps coast-to-coast right through both of these seriously underrated southern regions.

5. 800 islands! – That’s right, Scotland boasts over 800 islands and over 10% of Europe’s coastline, with a littoral longer than that of England, France and Spain. Roughly speaking the islands are split up into three main groups. There are the isles of the Firth of Clyde, like Arran and Bute, then beyond Kintyre things get a little complicated. The Hebrides archipelago is split between the Inner Hebrides, like Skye and Mull, and then across the Minch the Outer Hebrides, with gems like Barra and Lewis. To the north the third island grouping, the Northern Isles, is again split between the 80-odd isle archipelago of Orkney and Shetland, with its 100-odd islands.

6. Whisky Galore – Scotland is the home of whisky – I mean, c’mon, the Irish cannot even spell it never mind make it! The traditional whisky regions of Speyside in the Highlands and the whisky-drenched Isle of Islay never disappoint. For something a little different head to Campbeltown in Argyll. There were once over 30 distilleries in this single town, and just a few years ago it looked like there may no longer even be a single one left. A recent renaissance has seen a trio of whisky distilleries thriving in this deeply historic town, and in 2021 Glen Scotia’s 25-year-old malt was even named the world’s best whisky.

7. Drive Scotland’s Route 66 – In 2021 a new driving route opened in Argyll that offers a totally different experience to the famous North Coast 500 in the Highlands. The Kintyre 66 sweeps south from Tarbert along a road awash with white sandy beaches, with views to the isles. It sweeps right down to the Mull of Kintyre and then back north via the less visited, extremely lush, east coast of Kintyre. Scotland’s Route 66 is a stunner.

8. Make life a festival – Edinburgh is world-famous for its summer ‘Festival’, but it’s more festivals plural, with 3,000 shows staged over 300 venues at seven festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh International Festival and Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. But there is far more festival fun around Scotland. In spring look out for the Scottish Snowdrop Festival and Glasgow International Comedy Festival, then in summer the Highland Games take over a sweep of Scotland. Some of the most captivating for spectators are the Strathmore Highland Games, Luss Highland Games, and the massive Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon. In autumn it’s time to get wet and wild with the Tiree Wave Classic, or musical with the Royal National Mod and Shetland Accordion and Fiddle Festival. Then, of course, there is Halloween, which has its origins in Scotland as Samhuinn. Winter sees Christmas Markets and Edinburgh’s epic multi-day Hogmanay to bring an end to a year of festival fun and the promise of a whole new year of festivities to come.

9. To be Starstruck – Hollywood loves Scotland and we’re not just talking older movies like Braveheart and Trainspotting putting Scotland on the movie map of the world. In recent years Skye has taken on a new level of drama in Macbeth with Michael Fassbender and then at the end of 2021 a Castle for Christmas may have some seriously dodgy Scottish accents, but it really brought the beauty of Dalmeny House on the outskirts of Edinburgh to life. On the small screen it’s all about time-travelling historical romance Outlander. To follow in Jamie and Claire’s footsteps key sights are Midhope and Blackness castles, plus Hopetoun House, all within easy reach of Edinburgh. Searching for the standing stones at the heart of Outlander? Sorry, but they were erected for the shoot. But who really needs fiction when Scotland is so jaw-droppingly dramatic anyway?

10. To be Starstruck (the sequel) – This time I mean a different type of starstruck. I’ll never forget an astronomer in Macaronesia during a stargazing session ask my why I bothered going stargazing anywhere else as I lived in Scotland. The Galloway Forest Park was the UK’s first official dark skies park and it’s brilliant for stargazing. But get away from the cities and swathes of Scotland are top notch for stargazing, even without a telescope. In winter also look out for the Northern Lights, or the mirrie dancers as they are also sometimes called in Scotland.

11. You won’t recognise Edinburgh – The Scottish capital has changed during the last few years perhaps more than any other UK city. The massive St. James Quarter is the most eye-catching development, such an improvement on the dull, concrete monster before. On Princes Street look out for the new Johnnie Walker Experience, a whisky emporium with great views of the city. New Waverley is another ambitious project that has seen old Victorian arches turned into boutique shops. The landmark National Galleries is undergoing a £22 million makeover too and the Paolozzi sculptures are finally coming back to Picardy Place in another cultural project.

12. Aberdeen is doing a Dundee – Dundee has upped its east coast game with the striking Kengo Kuma-designed V&A Dundee design museum on the banks of the Tay, plus a massive waterfront regeneration. Old rival Aberdeen has responded with the brilliant £40 million revamp of the Aberdeen Art Gallery and a facelift for its Maritime Museum, as well as its own wave of urban regeneration.

Blog by our travel writer, Robin McKelvie