11 Reasons to Visit Scotland in April

30 March – 14 April

One for the whole family to enjoy, this years’ festival celebrates ‘Shaping the Future’ and will delve into the power and intellect of human creativity, collaboration and innovation that has played a part in changing the world for the better.

2024’s festival will explore how science, technology and more take on the challenge of our everchanging world. Stay tuned for more information on activities, talks, performances and hands-on exhibitions coming soon.

Reopening 1 April 2024

After a devasting fire caused this historic site to close in 2021, a lot of hard work has gone into restoring this trip back in time by carefully replicating these iconic roundhouses in a new museum at Dalerb on the north side of Loch Tay. Now officially reopening its doors on 1 April, the Scottish Crannog Centre is ready to welcome you back!

The Scottish Crannog Centre is a magnificent and educational place to visit. Join in a tour of the museum, wonder at the many artefacts on display, enjoy interactive demonstrations of ancient crafts, and listen in to Iron Age interpreters that will take you through the ages of what life was like here.

7 April

Enjoy a day of all things vegan at the Scottish Vegan Festival. This festival not only showcases stalls of delicious all-vegan food and drink, but clothing, cruelty-free cosmetics, gifts, crafts and more all from local and independent businesses.

The festival is also organised by Farplace Animal Rescue and all proceeds and profits from the event go to the charity.

11 – 13 April

Who doesn’t love a long weekend of rugby shenanigans? Head to the glorious Scottish Borders where you’ll be met by this age-old rugby tournament, a traditional Party Night in the Fanzone Tent, an U18s Sevens Tournament and a special Celebration of Women in Sport event. Of course, there’s fun for the kids too.

All the wee ones under 18 go free when buying an adult ticket and they can join in the exciting interactive areas, as well as the GoFibre Family Food Village with lots of tasty treats on offer and areas for the kids to run around and let off steam.

28 April

The iconic Loch Ness is not only great for Nessie-hunting and scenic views, it’s also an ideal place for fantastic events. Etape Loch Ness is a cycle sportive that trails 66 miles (106km) of traffic-free roads around Loch Ness. The route starts and finishes in the Highland capital of Inverness and along the 360° loop there are 900 m of ascent – so panoramic views are guaranteed!

Join in as a solo cyclist, grab a team of your friends and raise some money for charity along the way, or cheer on the crowds as a spectator.

In West Kilbride near Glasgow, The Waterside Hotel boasts stunning rooms, suites and a penthouse all complimented by mesmerising sea views. Treat yourself to a spot of luxury with a spa break at The Gailes nearby, where you can relax and rejuvenate with a range of treatments and state of the art facilities. Coming soon for spring this year is a sea view spa, first floor resident gym and 17 extra guest rooms, as well as an indoor sauna and steam room, spa lounge and an outdoor hydro pool to enjoy too.

Elsewhere, 100 Princes Street is nestled in the cultural heart of Edinburgh, combining Scottish heritage and luxury comforts on one of the city’s most bustling streets. With Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street Gardens as your neighbours, you can indulge in iconic views with many of the city’s most recognisable attractions and locations on your doorstep to explore.

26 – 28 April

Get ready for a toe-tapping weekend of Scottish music, dance bands, traditional musicians, singers and more across Mull’s iconic town of Tobermory.

Sing and dance along to lively music from varying genres and instruments, including folk-rock, traditional Scottish tunes, fiddle, accordion, dance and ceilidh bands. You can find these eclectic performances taking place in a range of bar venues and hotels in Tobermory.

30 April

Delve into this Iron Age Celtic celebration of the birth of summer and opportunities of the land. This unique festival touches on ancient traditions and beliefs with a coming together of fire, dance, song and more to celebrate what would have been a fruitful time of year for farmers and landowners centuries ago.

Calton Hill comes to life with vibrant performances in an immersive celebratory ritual. Rather than a separate stance for spectators and performers, the Beltane Fire Festival encourages people to merge and interact, so you can really appreciate the scale and depth of this traditional gathering and what it has to offer.

Perth Museum has undergone a massive redevelopment and will be reopening its doors on 30 March 2024, meaning April is the perfect time to explore this new gem. Located in the heart of Perth, the museum will host displays and artefacts that are historic and synonymous to Perth being at the centre of Scotland’s story.

Here you can also see the ancient Stone of Destiny, one of Scotland’s and the UK’s most significant historical objects. There will also be Bonnie Prince Charlie’s solid-silver hilted broadsword on display, as well as other stunning Jacobite artefacts to marvel at. You can also delve into ‘Unicorn’, a debut exhibition running until September that explores the historic significance of this mythical creature as Scotland’s National Animal.

April in Scotland is also an opportune time for getting outdoors and seeing our majestic wildlife up close. The spring months see many young farm animals, such as lambs and calves, prance around the lush countryside fields, as well as migrating whales and dolphins playing in the waves on our north and west coasts. Elsewhere in our dense woodlands and forests, keep your eyes peeled for a range of native birdlife as well as elusive red squirrels and graceful red deer.

You can visit a variety of wildlife attractions across Scotland to see more animals, as well as exotic creatures and rare species too. Head along to the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie, Blair Drummond Safari Park in Stirling, WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre in Fochabers, and Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre in Balloch, to name a few.

With the spring weather in the air, local produce and home-grown goods start to bloom. Farm shops come to life with freshly picked fruits and vegetables on offer, such as spring onions, spring greens, leaks, horseradish, cabbage and, if you’re a fan of baking with rhubarb, you can pick plenty of that during spring too.

April is a great time to head to a local farm where you can ‘pick-your-own’ fruits and vegetables to take home with you, as well as browse farm shops selling home-grown produce and homemade goods such as jams, bakery treats, bread and more. If you want to extend your farm experience, why not embark on a tour and meet the friendly animals, or stay on the farm for a unique break?