10 Reasons to visit Scotland in 2026

Scotland’s festival calendar is always jumping with fab events, and 2026 is shaping up to be a year to remember. Here are just a few highlights. Start the year right with Celtic Connections in Glasgow, a month of the finest folk, roots, and world music artists in the UK’s friendliest city. Springtime brings the Shetland Folk Festival to Scotland’s far north, a superb island celebration of traditional and contemporary sounds. Elsewhere, the Arran Folk Festival is a great reason to visit the west coast of Scotland in June. Or what about the HebCelt Festival in Stornoway, for a little bit of Hebridean magic in July!

• Celtic Connections (15 Jan – 1 Feb 2026)
• Shetland Folk Festival (30 Apr – 3 May 2026)
• Arran Folk Festival (5 – 7 Jun 2026)
• Hebridean Celtic Festival  (15 – 18 Jul 2026)

Scotland is going big on culture in 2026, with some exciting new attractions set to transform the visitor experience. A £100 million redevelopment of the Paisley Museum promises to create a world-class cultural hub celebrating Paisley’s rich textile heritage and global influence (the Paisley Pattern anyone?) Over in the Outer Hebrides, the Isle of Barra Distillery is preparing to open a £12 million visitor centre in October 2026, offering whisky lovers a fantastic experience complete with café, retail space, and tours. Meanwhile, on the Isle of Lewis, the iconic Calanais Standing Stones will soon be complemented by a brand-new £10.1 million visitor centre, enhancing access to one of Scotland’s most mysterious and ancient sites.

• Paisley Museum (Opening 2026 TBC)
• Isle of Barra Distillery (Oct 2026)
• Calanais Visitor Centre (Opening 2026 TBC)

Scotland’s winters are full of fire, folklore, and unforgettable festivities. From January to March 2026, the Up Helly Aa Fire Festivals will blaze across Shetland in a spectacular series of torchlit processions, culminating in the dramatic burning of a Viking longship. These fiery celebrations are a powerful reminder of the islands’ Norse heritage and an exciting winter experience. Further south, in Dumfries, the Big Burns Supper brings Scotland’s national bard to life with a lovely mix of poetry, music, theatre and comedy.

• Up Helly Aa Fire Festivals (Jan–Mar 2026)
• Big Burns Supper (15–25 Jan 2026)

Scotland’s traditional events are quite possibly the best way to experience our heritage, with a mix of music, sport, and agriculture on offer. In June, the Royal Highland Show is the country’s biggest agricultural showcase, bringing together farming, food, and rural life just outside Edinburgh. August brings the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, attracting top pipe bands from around the world for a weekend of competition. Later that month, the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon offers a classic Highland games experience, complete with traditional sports, dancing, and piping. Remember, there are Highland Games across the country, throughout the summer months.

• Royal Highland Show (18–21 Jun 2026) 
• Cowal Highland Gathering (27–29 Aug 2026)
• World Pipe Band Championships (14–15 Aug 2026)

May 2026 is the perfect time to explore Scotland’s wonderful whisky culture, with a series of events that celebrate the ‘water of life’ in all its variety. The month kicks off with the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival where distilleries across the Speyside region open their doors for tastings, tours, and special events. Later in the month, whisky lovers can head west to the Hebrides for Fèis Ìle, the Islay Festival of Music and Malt, where each distillery on the island hosts its own day of festivities.

• Whisky Month (May 2026)
• Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (29 Apr – 4 May 2026)
• Fèis Ìle (Islay Festival) (22–31 May 2026)

Scotland is a land of storytellers and there are plenty of inspiring festivals that celebrate books, ideas, and storytelling. In June, the Borders Book Festival offers a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere in the Scottish Borders. August sees the return of the world-renowned Edinburgh International Book Festival, where big names in literature gather for talks, readings, and debates in the heart of the capital. Later in the year, Aye Write brings authors and readers together in Glasgow, while the Wigtown Book Festival transforms Scotland’s National Book Town into a mecca for readers, writers, and curious minds. And don’t miss the Scottish International Storytelling Festival which hosts storytellers from Scotland and around the world in October.

• Borders Book Festival (11–14 Jun 2026)
• Edinburgh International Book Festival (15–30 Aug 2026)
• Wigtown Book Festival (Oct 2026)
• Scottish International Storytelling Festival (Oct 2026)
• Aye Write (Nov 2026)

In summer 2026, Glasgow will take centre stage as it hosts the Commonwealth Games from 23 July to 2 August. With athletes from across the globe competing in a wide range of sports, the city will be bouncing with energy, culture, and international camaraderie. Watch top professional sport and soak up the friendly atmosphere, this will be a fantastic time to visit and experience Glasgow.

• The Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2026

Scotland’s darker months are anything but dull thanks to a growing number of light festivals that transform Scottish places into illuminated works of art. One of the most popular is The Enchanted Forest, near Pitlochry, where sound, light, and nature combine to dazzle the senses. In Edinburgh, the magical Castle of Light returns in November, bringing the city centre to life with the UK’s largest annual projection show. An amazing spectacle! Either one of these light shows would be a great reason to visit in the quieter months.

• The Enchanted Forest (8 Oct - 8 Nov 2026)
• Castle of Light (Nov–Jan 2026)

Scotland’s coastlines are home to all kinds of quirky, community-driven events that offer something a little different. In Argyll, the Tiree Wave Classic is the UK’s longest-running professional windsurfing competition, set against the dramatic Atlantic backdrop of the Isle of Tiree. Also in Argyll, the Easdale World Stone Skimming Championships return in September, where competitors from around the world gather to skim slate stones in a fun and family-friendly setting. Seafood lovers will enjoy the Stranraer Oyster Festival, a lively celebration of Scotland’s last native oyster beds, complete with chef demos, live music, and shucking competitions. And in North Ayrshire, the Largs Viking Festival brings history to life with a Viking village, battle re-enactments, and a spectacular fire festival finale at the end of August.

• Tiree Wave Classic (Oct 2026)
• Easdale World Stone Skimming Championships (Sep 2026)
• Stranraer Oyster Festival (11–13 Sep 2026)
• Largs Viking Festival (29 Aug–6 Sep 2026)

For those looking for something unusual, try the Glenglassaugh Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Aberdeenshire this year. The festival will bring the harbour town of Portsoy to life with historic vessels, live music, local food, and family-friendly activities in June. If the wonders of the universe are more your thing, keep an eye out for the reopening of the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory in late 2026, now set on the banks of Clatteringshaws Loch in Galloway Forest Park. This £1.5 million redevelopment will feature two telescope domes, a 360° planetarium, and immersive educational spaces, all within one of Europe’s most awe-inspiring dark sky sites.

• Glenglassaugh Scottish Traditional Boat Festival (12–14 Jun 2026)
• Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, Galloway Forest (late 2026)