Top 5 Things To Do In Scotland This Summer!

Blog 10 Jul 2017

The summer is one of the best times to experience Scotland, with so many events on there is so much to see and do. Whether you’re coming on tour with us or just visiting Scotland you should try to include some of them in your trip! Below are our top 5 events taking place over July and August!

The Top 5...

Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival (14th – 23rd of July)

This festival dates back to 1978 when it was established and set up by a guitar and banjo player by the name of Mike Hart. Originally Mike put on free traditional jazz events in pubs but by the 1980’s the festival had ticketed shows and events and began to include more jazz sub-genres than just traditional jazz. Today, the jazz festival has musicians from all over the world playing all kinds of incredible jazz and blues music. If you are a fan of jazz and blues and visiting Scotland during this time then this festival is a must do!

Inverness Highland Games (15th July)

The Inverness Highland Games began a long way back in 1821 and is a great way to spend a day and experience some Scottish and Gaelic culture. It will take place at Bught Park in Inverness, beginning at 11am. Many of the events taking place are displays of strength, endurance and stamina and include shot put and tossing the caber (throwing a big wooden log/pole) as well as jumping and running events. So if you are going to be visiting Scotland and have a free day on the 15th of July then you should check it out if you are near, more information can be found on their website.

Not going to be here for the games? Don’t worry there are other highland games taking place, throughout the summer such as at St Andrews, Skye, Stirling, etc. Seeing some highland games is one of the best things to do in Scotland and should be a highlight to any summer journey! 

Glasgow Merchant City Festival (22nd July – 30th July)

The nine-day festival boasts a range of street performances, comedy shows, theatre and music. It has something for everybody so if you are in Glasgow during this festival it is definitely worth heading to the Merchant City area as there are lots to see and do. 

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (4th August – 26th August)

The term tattoo in this instance does not refer to body art, it comes from a Dutch phrase from the 17th century meaning to “turn off the tap” which was a signal to owners of taverns to turn off their keg taps. The signal was played by a Regiments Corps of Drums as the “last call” ensuring soldiers would retire at a reasonable time of night.

The first tattoo took place in 1950 and had roughly 6000 spectators, now 220,000 spectate the tattoo every year with over 30% coming from abroad to watch the performances from military bands and displays from all over the world. 48 different countries have had performers in the tattoo which gives it much more than just a Scottish feel. Tickets are always in high demand so best to book as early as possible.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe (4th – 28th of August)

This year is the 70th anniversary of the Fringe, the world’s biggest arts festival. Last year, 3,269 different shows had 50,266 performances take place in 294 venues across Edinburgh. T

he festival has a wide range of shows and performers to see, with over thousands of acts there is something of interest for everyone whether it’s dance, comedy, music, theatre, spoken word, opera, poetry, street performances; the Fringe has got it all.

So, if you are looking for things to do in Scotland in August; you can’t miss this festival! Check out their events and shows here and start planning your Fringe experience!