How to take slow holidays in Scotland

Thinking about choosing more slow holidays in Scotland? As tourists & travellers we’ve never got enough time. Unfortunately, this lack of time inevitably leads to a temptation to tick off the ‘top ten things to do’ where ever we go and a rush to the best sites. I get it, as for many of us, our holiday might be the only chance we get to ‘see Scotland’.

But what if we did it differently and slowed down instead? Why not consider making your next holiday in Scotland a slow one by choosing a base and spend your time exploring. Here are my favourite places to go for slow holidays in Scotland to stop, slow down and explore. 

5 places to go for slow holidays in Scotland

• Explore the Tay Forest Park, Highland Perthshire – explore 200,000 hectares of woodlands glens, lochs and Munros from the pretty town of Dunkeld.
• Visit the banks of Loch Fyne, Argyll – on route to Oban, the Kintyre Peninsula and Cowal is the beautiful Loch Fyne. Make your base the busy hub of Inveraray, the ancestral home to the Duke of Argyll.
• Discover the River Dee in Aberdeenshire – with royal connections, highland games, fairytale castles and Munros to bag, the River Dee is a perfect place to go on holiday in Scotland.
• Visit the Rhinnes of Galloway and the Machar Peninsula, Dumfries and Galloway – Describing Dumfries and Galloway as one of ‘Scotland’s hidden gems’ might be a clumsy cliche, but the area has long been left off the list of places to visit in Scotland.
• Cross the water to Ardnamurchan and the West Highland Peninsulas – the ‘headland of the great seas’ is the most western part of the British mainland and is beautifully unspoilt, wild and remote and is home to just 2000 people.

Read on for how to visit my favourite places to go for slow holidays in Scotland. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to yourself, thank you for supporting my site.

Explore the Tay Forest Park in Highland Perthshire

Most famous for its big trees and spectacular Autumn colours, the Tay Forest Park in Highland Perthshire is home to beautiful lochs, fabulous forests and the village of Dunkeld, a jewel in the crown of this prettiest of regions.

Once one of Scotland’s most gentile villages but with the arrival of a young, cool, artisan set, Dunkeld is now thriving, with independent shops, hotels, pubs and live music bars – and the village sits in 200,000 hectares of woodlands to explore alongside glens, lochs and Munros.

Slow down and explore the Hermitage, hike up to Pine Cone Point, visit the Linn of Tummel, explore the Tay riverbank for spectacular colours at Killiekrankie and Faskally Wood and drive to the end of Scotland’s longest Glen, Glen Lyon. There is plenty to keep you busy on a slow holiday in Scotland!

> Read more: how to visit Dunkeld and the complete guide to visiting Perthshire.

Book in for your slow holidays in Scotland at:

The Taybank, a cool boutique sitting on the river Tay and has a fabulous restaurant, beer garden and live music night in its popular bar. 1 The Cross, is a two bedroom self catering cottage in Dunkeld’s main square, further afield, Riverside Cottage in Crief is perfect for exploring dog friendly Perthshire, the Auld Manse guesthouse sits on the banks of the River Tay. Looking for a B&B? Try Glencroft, a thatched cottage.

Visit the banks of Loch Fyne, Argyll

On route to Oban, the Kintyre Peninsula and Cowal is the beautiful Loch Fyne. Make your base the busy hub of Inveraray, the ancestral home to the Duke of Argyll.

My favourite things to do in Inveraray include climbing up Dun na Cuaiche for an incredible view of the town, and exploring the grounds of the amazing Inveraray Castle.

Further afield, try the beers at Fyne Ales, visit Auchindrain, a farming township preserved from highland clearances, before heading out on exploring the Cowal Peninsula including Benmore Botanic Gardens and Pucks Glen – one of Scotland’s best wee walks. 

Read more: things to Inveraray and how to explore the Cowal Peninsula.

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The Loch Fyne Hotel is a dog-friendly spa hotel on the loch side with a pool, restaurant and bar. The Inverary Inn opened in 1755 and is a traditional Scottish inn in the heart of town. Brambles of Inverary with traditional rooms alongside a popular bistro and bakery.

Further afield, Portavadie offers up a hotel and apartment complex set around a 260-berth yachting marina. Choose from luxury townhouses complete with saunas, lodge-style hotel rooms, cute family cottages or two couples retreats. With two restaurants and a cafe on site, Portavadie also has a £10m spa and leisure complex with utterly incredible views.

Discover the River Dee in Aberdeenshire

Forming part of the truly spectacular Cairngorms National Park is the River Dee and the lovely Victorian towns of Braemar, Ballater, Aboyne and Banchory. With royal connections, highland games, fairytale castles and Munros to bag, the River Dee is a perfect place to go on holiday in Scotland.

Why not visit Balmoral Castle and Estate, the home of the King in Scotland? Explore the estate to find the Balmoral Cairns, historical memorials to the Royal Family including a huge stone pyramid for Prince Albert.

Try a dram at Royal Lochnagar Distillery on the Abergeldie Estate. Tours of the distillery are available where you can try Royal Lochnagar’s 12 year old whisky. Visit Royal Lochnagar.

Further afield, Aberdeenshire is castle country and Craigievar Castle is to have inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle, with its bright pink exterior. Definitely one not to miss! Visit Craigievar Castle.

> Read more: things to do in Royal Deeside

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The Queens Hut, Aboyne is a gorgeous self catering hut on the edge of its own loch, The Fife Arms is glamorous art hotel with a spectacular interior, Ballater Hostel and the Howe of Torbeg glamping pods, Ballater or try The Boat Inn, Aboyne a pub and restaurant with rooms.

Visit the Rhinnes of Galloway and the Machar Peninsula, Dumfries and Galloway

Describing Dumfries and Galloway as one of ‘Scotland’s hidden gems’ might be a clumsy cliche, but the area has long been left off the list of places to visit in Scotland – and the Mull of Galloway and the Machar Peninsula are two of the best bits.

The Machar Peninsula stretches from Newton Stewart to the pretty Isle of Whithorn and has a long history – complete with standing stones and rings, and finding fame as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. Today the peninsula is also known for Wigtown – Scotland’s book town. 

The Rhinns of Galloway is Scotland’s most southerly point – a 25-mile peninsula, stretching from Corsewall Lighthouse in the north to the Mull of Galloway.

Thanks to the North Atlantic drift, the Rhinns of Galloway has its own special microclimate – the gulf stream gives the Rhinns the mildest climate in Scotland – even warming up the peninsula in winter allowing for tropical plants to grow with ease at. Logan Botanic Garden.

> Read more: how to visit Dumfries and Galloway.

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Corsewall Lighthouse is real live working lighthouse, complete with quirky decor and a warm welcome, Priory Walk is a five star holiday home in Whithorn, Castlemoor Holiday Cottage sits out on the Rhinns, Killantrae Burn has amazing views of the sea, Cairndoon Byre is a lovely B&B.

Ardnamurchan and the West Highland Peninsulas

The West Highland Peninsulas – Ardnamurchan, Morvern, Ardgour, Moidart, and Sunart are a little bit special. The ‘headland of the great seas’ is the most western part of the British mainland and is beautifully unspoilt, wild and remote and is home to just 2000 people.

Just driving across Ardnamurchan’s volcanic caldera gives an incredible view of the small isles of Eigg and Rum and on a clear day, across to the Cullins on Skye. Take a walk to Sanna Bay from Portuarik – Ardnamurchan might have a contender for the very best beaches in Scotland and the walk around the headland to Sanna Bay is one of my favourite coastal walks in Scotland.

Drive to Ardnamurchan Point and Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, the most westerly point of mainland Britain to spot dolphins and whales off the coast, and visit the distilleries – the West Highland Peninsulas have two whisky distilleries – Ardnamurchan and Nc’nean.

> Read more: how to visit Ardnamurchan