10 Things you need to know before visiting Scotland

[@addermoth]

I hope you enjoy your stay and yes we were dragged out of Europe by our Southern neighbours, more than 60% of us Scots wanted to stay. Lets hope we can rejoin you all soon. Best Wishes and have fun.

[@aventuralina]

I enjoyed every single second of my stay and would love to come back to explore more of Scotland 😍 It’s a pity that you had to leave 🥲 We are waiting for you to rejoin 💙🇪🇺💙

[@bazza426]

EU was the worst for us Scots, no idea what you are on about, i'm from Dundee where are you from?

[@ersrvd]

I visited Scotland with my father and my brother and went to St. Andrews. We found scoots to be very friendly. I still have some of the 10 pound notes with the face of the Queen. 😁The Scottish Highlands are beautiful. They remind me a little of the Black Forest in Germany. Thanks a lot for the travel tips! ✌

[@aventuralina]

So cool that you have some memories of Scotland and you even kept a little souvenir 😁 The Scottish highlands are absolutely stunning 🤩 A must for all nature lovers 😍

[@bmcfarlane16]

These notes are English.

[@ersrvd]

@@bmcfarlane16 I want to correct myself🤓. After reading your message I went to see the 10 pounds notes I have and they have the face of a man with a wig called Lord Ilay First Governor. On the back I see the Glamis Castle and the note says it's from The Royal Bank of Scotland plc.

[@aventuralina]

@@ersrvd Queen or Lord Ilay, the important thing is that both bills are officially valid in England as well as in Scotland and therefore also exist in both countries ☺️

[@aventuralina]

@@ersrvd Queen or Lord Ilay, the important thing is that both bills are officially valid in England as well as in Scotland and therefore also exist in both countries ☺️

[@thomasmoore5949]

Good advice to visitors to our country. Thank you!

[@aventuralina]

Thank you! I’m honored to hear that from a local 🥰

[@lazypossum42]

Hi alina. I just wanted to mention one important thing. It's amazing that you want to protect the environment by reusing your plastic bottle, and i fully support that❤. But drinking from plastic bottles can be hatmful to your body. Repeated use of it would result in accumulation of microplastics in your body, which is deadly. So it's better to use glass or steel bottles. It's much safer for you and you can refill it as well.

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for mentioning that. I am aware that plastic bottles aren’t the best for my health. I usually always use a tin bottle. But since I travelled with hand luggage only and my bag was already full, that bottle didn’t fit anymore and I lived from that plastic bottle for my 4 days in Scotland 🥲

[@lazypossum42]

@aventuralina Oh, ok 👍. Well, we hope you stay healthy!

[@mariapapadopoulou6064]

I was a student in Edinburgh some years ago. You are really the best travel guide! ❤

[@aventuralina]

Ah nice! So you probably know all of the best places in Edinburgh 🤩 Can you recommend anything for my next visit? Thanks a lot for your feedback! I am very happy that you enjoyed my guides 🫶🏼

[@joeledj]

A lovely video about my lovely wee country, thank you! The only thing I would add is when driving on single track roads (like a lot of the rural roads on the northwest coast) the passing places on the road are not only for letting cars coming towards you pass, if there is a vehicle close behind you then please be sure to pull into a passing place and let the vehicle pass safely.

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for your feedback! And yes, this is a good point I think! There are lots of these roads and I think many people (me included) aren’t used to driving like that. So great advice!

[@samantha1054]

Wow Alina, concise and to the point. I am leaving for Glasgow in a week (from the US), Thanks

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for your feedback 🤗 and have a wonderful time in Glasgow 🤩

[@davidlauder-qi5zv]

Don't forget to visit Edinburgh, the capital, too. Only 45 minutes by train from Glasgow's Queen Street station to Edinburgh 's main railway station, Waverley.

[@neilanderson841]

​@@aventuralinaaye Scotlands climate is changeable but i have had Many MORE dry SUNNY days than DREICH(wet&windy etc) days over many YEARS!!! 😎😎😎😎😎😎☔. ALWAYS in shorts& t-shirt march to November!!!!.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@bmcfarlane16]

Correct.

[@jistjadfitzpatrick9305]

As a Scottish person and Gaelic speaker, this is very accurate and you are very well informed. Travelling to England, I've had a Scottish note rejected by a Taxi driver but told them that's all we had and they ended up having to accept it. While we are no longer part of the EU Scotland overwhelmingly voted to stay within the EU but as the UK as a whole voted for Brexit, we were pulled out. Thank you for making this

[@aventuralina]

Thank you a lot for this very kind feedback! I’m very happy to read that from a local 🥰 And also thanks for sharing your experience with the Scottish bank notes in England. It’s interesting that the taxi driver tried to refuse it but then accepted it anyway.

[@JohnM...]

Yes but we voted AGAINST independence.

[@jistjadfitzpatrick9305]

@@JohnM... lol, someone's triggered - you okay mate?

[@JohnM...]

@@jistjadfitzpatrick9305 not triggered at all. Just commenting on the fact that you had to chime up about Brexit on a f’ing lighthearted video about visiting Scotland. You sound like an SNP voter - as rare as a snow leopard.

[@JohnM...]

@@jistjadfitzpatrick9305 it’s you who have the anger issue - albeit subconsciously - by asserting that someone else is angry when all they gave done is made valid points. Good luck with your lack of insight - and intelligence. 🤣👍

[@grantw7]

This video was the perfect blend of tips and visuals. You speak very clearly and at the perfect pace. I look forward to watching more from you. We visited Scotland in 2022 and will return next month. We agree that September is a great month to visit.

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for your feedback 🤗 I’m very happy you are enjoying my videos ☺️ How exciting that you are returning to Scotland! I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time! Enjoy it a lot!

[@johnackerley6553]

Hi Alina, I’ve only recently subscribed to your channel and I’m loving it already. Just one very “small” piece of advice for you though. The mosquitos are actually called midges not midgets. Midgets is another name for people with growth defects as in dwarfism. The midges are commonly known as the wee beasties! Keep up the good work, John x

[@aventuralina]

Thank you so much for your feedback and welcome to my channel ☺️ Also thanks for the correction! I appreciate it and will keep that in mind 🤓

[@joelbellorin]

el disfrutado bastante este viajé por Escocia. y me gusto mucho el que hiciste en la colonia tovar

[@aventuralina]

Gracias por tu feedback! Me alegro mucho que te gusten mis videos 🤗

[@joelbellorin]

@@aventuralina cuando regresa de nuevo a america latina

[@aventuralina]

@@joelbellorin espero muy pronto! Aun no tengo nada segura pero algunas ideas 🤩

[@joelbellorin]

@@aventuralina me gustaria vez tu vide en argetina chile o uruguay

[@aventuralina]

@@joelbellorin los países que están muy alto en mi lista son Argentina, Peru, Chile y Bolivia. El año que viene me gustaría cruzar algunos de ellos de mi lista 😉

[@MrCherryJuice]

Another excellent video, thank you. You are quite right about the water in Edinburgh - it is very soft and pure, possibly because it is pumped in from the Pentland Hills, which lie on the south side of the city (very visible, particularly from high viewpoints like the the castle, Calton Hill and Arthur's Seat). This is in sharp contrast to the water of London, which will leave a dirty ring in your sink because it is hard with minerals due to London being built on clay soil. Also, regarding bank-issued debit cards. Non-UK ones work in ATMs and can be used at banks to get cash, though from my experience they are not accepted by retailers and restaurants. However, I understand that debit cards issued by the likes of Visa (i.e., alreay part of an international retailer system via their credit cards) do work. While foreign debit cards do work in UK ATMs, I have had instances where they did not work. So it is always smart to carry, say, £100 cash in the event your card does not work...or it is stolen.

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for this comments and your tips! I really appreciate it 🤗 I’m glad you enjoyed this video as well. It’s nice to hear that especially from a local ☺️

[@ChristopherMckissack-e2y]

Fully check out glaswegians 2 cities😮🎉🎉🎉

[@JohnM...]

To anyone visiting Glasgow (as was in this video) there is a doughnut shop near to Glasgow Central Station, called ‘Tantrum Doughnuts’. The doughnuts are hand made and MASSIVE. 👍

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for sharing that info! I wish I had know about that earlier 😅

[@gedm7949]

It is true…many English retailers will not automatically accept Scottish notes… however it’s important to say that more and more retailers in both countries only accept card / contactless payments.

[@ThePeteW]

If you are in Scotland (or the UK), you get a bill from a restaurant. You then use a card or a *note* to pay the bill. And yes, Scottish (and Northern Irish) notes are sometimes not accepted (as are £50 English notes). The retailer does not have to accept any note. It is their choice.

[@pintsworld7343]

Nice video, enjoyed immensely, just 1 thing Scottish bank notes are technically not legal tender in England so they can refuse them but no English bank will refuse them. It is only a small minority of places that don't come across the notes regularly (Can't verify if the are real) that have a problem and refuse.

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for your feedback! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed the video 🤗 And also thanks a lot for your remark about the bank notes! It is an interesting topic and I think these things are good to know for all tourists visiting the UK ☺️

[@TheSomeChanter]

Scottish Banknotes are legal currency - i.e. they are approved by the UK Parliament. However, Scottish Bank notes are not Legal Tender, not even in Scotland. In fact, no banknote whatsoever (including Bank of England notes!) qualifies for the term 'legal tender' north of the border

[@ChristopherMckissack-e2y]

As a SCOTTISH GLASWEGIAN...FRIKKEN BRILLIANT HUN😉🤔😁🥰

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for this very kind feedback ☺️

[@jbrousseau13]

Heading to Glasgow soon loved the video thank you what camera do you use ?. Love from Canada 🇨🇦

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for your feedback :) I use a GoPro 10.

[@jbrousseau13]

@@aventuralina thank you Video looks great

[@ironfbody]

You mentioned the famous Scottish food, but not the drink. I always have a wee dram of Whiskey when in Scotland. It would be rude not to.

[@aventuralina]

It’s a good point and I should have mentioned it. But I personally don’t drink alcohol at all and therefore completely forgot about it. Maybe I’ll make an exemption next time I’ll visit Scotland and do a whiskey tour to properly apologise for having forgotten about the famous whiskey the first time 😁

[@6z_0]

❤

[@matttyrer9096]

Im going to be an annoying pedant and correct you on the money thing, but i just want you to know beforehand that i think your videos are absolutely fantastic and beautifully put together. Ive been enjoying them very much, esoecislly the Bournemouth episode as its where i grew up. i honestly havent seen the town reoresented so well on here before, it was a pleasure to see! So the money thing....here goes! 1) There is no such thing as "English" banknotes. The Bank of England that issue those notes is the central bank of the entire UK, not just England - the name is incredibly misleading I know. "Bank of Engkand" banknotes are UK banknotes, not English, are and widely accepted across the whole of the UK for that reason. 2) Scottish banknotes are Scottish banknotes, not English nor UK notes. English retailers are fully entitled to either accept or reject them, and many will reject them for good reason, especially further south where there is a lack of familiarity which is a forgery risk. 3) Try spending a Northern Irish banknote in Scotland and see how you get on! Most places in Scotland refuse Northern Irish banknotes, yet many Scots are adamant other UK countroes should acceot their Scottish notes! 4) Scottish bsnknotes are not legal tender anywhere, not even in Scotland. But it doesnt really matter because the concept of Legal Tender is completely irrelevant to point of sale transactions anway. Even Bank of England banknotes are not legal tender in Scotland (although they are in England and Wales). 5) Legal Tender refers to the settlememt of debt, not to point of sale retail transactions. If I were to offer to settle debt using legal tender, and this was refused, then legally the debt would be considered cleared. Legal tender does apply in situations where you pay after you have consumed goods or received services, such as resturants where you pay after the meal, taxis where you pay afyer the ride, petrol stations after youve put the petrol in your car....but not to point of sale transactions. 6) Point of sale teansactions occur when both sides agree on an exchange in advance. If one side doesnt want even legal tender cash, then there's simply no sale/transaction. There is no law that compels one party to accept something and have to forcibly provide a product or service in return (thank goodness)! 7) Increasingly many establishments (particularly cashless city centre bars) dont accept any cash at all....and they are perfectly entitled not to. This is becoming more and more prevalent....and maybe this urban myth that English shops must accept Scottish banknotes will soon die along with this trend!

[@aventuralina]

First of all: thank you for your very nice feedback. It makes me super happy to read thank you enjoyed my videos so far and I am honoured by your feedback about the Bournemouth video. And second of all: You are not annoying at all! I really appreciate these kinds of corrections and comments because my goal is to always improve and to keep learning. So any recommendations, information and of course also corrections from locals are always more than welcome! 🤗

[@stubbsieshorse327]

Funny, and annoying. story about Scottish pounds. I flew into Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. On attempting to change Scottish notes to Canadian dollars the exchange people said that they didn't recognise it as proper UK currency and refused to change it into dollars. Upon my heavy protests they came up with a scheme where I had to change them into English pounds first and then into Canadian dollars!! They naturally took two commissions for this. I laugh now but I wasn't then! Keep up the great videos Alina.

[@aventuralina]

Very interesting that you had this experience outside of the UK! Although quite sad… Thanks a lot for sharing your experience and great job with protesting and insisting! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼💪🏼🤩

[@Saricelina]

Hey Alina great video? Are you German and if I am from California do I need to get an international driver's license and insurance

[@aventuralina]

Hey, thanks a lot for the feedback. I used my German license that doesn’t include a single word in English 😅 So I would assume that your US license should be fine as well, but honestly, I can’t tell you for sure… I don’t know if there are some “special” regulations or laws in between EU countries and the UK

[@ChristopherMckissack-e2y]

Wee diamond 🎉🎉

[@minervagutierrez4123]

Alina estos tips de visitar Escocia son fabulosos r impresionantes, Escocia es un lugar que me gustaría conocer algún día, voy a esperar el vídeo de Edimburgo y espero que hayas disfrutado bastante ese viajé por Escocia. Alejandro Gutierrez Perozo

[@aventuralina]

Es un país muy bonito! Le he disfrutado mucho 😊 Gracias Alejandro, espero que te vaya a gustar el video de Edimburgo también 🤗

[@minervagutierrez4123]

@@aventuralina !!!! Claro que me voy disfrutar bastante el vídeo de Edimburgo !!!! Alejandro Gutierrez Perozo

[@alzyerpal-TV]

Glasgow definitely wins in terms of its people, vibe, bars, restaurants, music scene, media, football etc etc. It also has some really hip suburbs in the west end and southside, plus easy access to the west highlands, the islands, Ayrshire etc. Edinburgh has all that ancient architecture, a castle and international festival in August to attend. Not coming from either place, I feel Glasgow seems a bit more 'real', a New York City vibe at times. You're generally hard pressed to hear a local accent in Edinburgh in August.

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for sharing your opinion here! I think that both cities clearly have their pros and cons and it really depends on your personal preferences ☺️

[@alzyerpal-TV]

@@aventuralina Pros and cons absolutely. It's good to have alternatives so close together.

[@aventuralina]

@@alzyerpal-TV definitely true! This way you don’t really need to choose as it’s easy to frequently visit each city ☺️

[@brok328]

Because its an International Festival maybe? And full of visitors? That said, nothing (much) wrong with Glasgow, maybe its football "fringe" though.

[@sukottora]

I live in the Highlands and a couple of things. I have never had a problem spending Scottish notes in England. You hear stories. - it's only because it looks different from English currency - not for any other reason. Midges.. you can't really stop them despite people suggesting everything from essential oils to eating garlic or using something called SkinSoSoft... Smidge is pretty good, but none of them are 100% effective. If you get nibbled, the best thing to take is an antihistamine tablet, which will stop the itch.

[@aventuralina]

Thanks a lot for your comment! I’ve heard someone say that the Scottish bill got refused in England. It would be a shame if that would happen regularly. Of course the bills look differently and it could be confusing but I suppose in the UK this is very well known. And about the midgets… Yeah, they are simply evil and resist everything 😅 Luckily I only had very few bites but I’ve heard that in some areas it gets extremely bad 🥲

[@sukottora]

​@@aventuralinaI think it's pretty rare. I was in a small shop in East London years ago, and the shop assistant waved it at the guy on the register, and he just said, 'Yes, it's a Scottish note'. I have had conversations with friends about this in the past, it is a question that does pop up from time to time, and they have never had a problem, and we travel down to various parts of England several times a year. Yes, midges can be really annoying, if the air is damp and still, then they are savage. If it's hot and dry or there is a breeze, they stay in the bracken. So the trick is to keep moving!

[@Phlegmwahn]

Our midges are not the problem, it's your body's reaction to the bite that is the issue. Before visiting an area known for midges, start taking a daily antihistamine pill a week before. Once there, continue with the antihistamine and use 'skin so soft'. You'll still get bitten, but you'll be much more comfortable and much less itchy!

[@sukottora]

@@Phlegmwahn Naa... skin so soft' is rubbish and they changed the recipe a while back.

[@aventuralina]

@@Phlegmwahn thanks a lot for these tips! I’ll apply this the next time 🤓

[@TheMadmacs]

instead of haggis, go to any snack shop and get a roll on egg and tatty scone.

[@gabbymcclymont3563]

Yep the money thing is truebut as Scotlish people regularly say 'it is leagle tendency' they have to take it. Scottish money is fabulus and no Queen or King on it. TEA TREE OIL gets rid of midies and dabbing a bit on bights stops the itch, midgies are horrid wee beastys, some people who live on the West Coast where fine nets over there faces, thay are that bad.

[@aventuralina]

I can’t believe that about the money! As you said it’s legal tendency and there’s no reason to refuse it 😤 I will keep the tea tree oil in mind for the next time! My repellent didn’t help that much 😅

[@gabbymcclymont3563]

Midgies are sneeky gits, as a kid they loved me, on one holiday age 5 i looked like i had chicken pox. Now they hate me too much Morphine and Kettermine in my syste, haha stuff you midgies.@@aventuralina

[@teddynash]

Jaja, du möchtest viele Leute erreicht und redest deshalb in englisch... Naja, kenne ich auch von anderen Leute.

[@aventuralina]

Ich rede Englisch, weil ich selbst nicht mehr in Deutschland lebe und so gut wie nie deutsch spreche 🙈 Außerdem glaube ich, dass English sich als „Reisesprache“ längst etabliert hat und da ich Reisende inspirieren möchte, spreche ich somit auch English in meinen Videos. Hat also primär nichts mit der Reichweite zu tun 😉

[@teddynash]

@@aventuralina Ok... ich glaube dir ! Ich kenne auch nur dieses eine Video hier. Nice sunday. 🙂

[@aventuralina]

@@teddynash Danke dir! Ich wünsche dir auch noch einen schönen Sonntag ☺️

[@MayankMishraJi]

nevertheless

[@seanlaporte6496]

Nevertheless, Nevertheless, Nevertheless..

[@Medicina2024]

Avon skin so soft is the best thing for Midges- they hate it

[@aventuralina]

Good to know for the next time 🤩

[@derekallen3979]

Re: currency . And just what do you do when somebody refuses to accept Scottish money ? Just saying " ...but you have to " isn't going to get you very far. Spend your Scottish money in Scotland.

[@MIEJ4]

Technically, any shop can refuse any form of payment. They don’t have to. I have experienced it, and I tell them that it is legal currency and valid payment and make the point how silly they are being. If they still refuse, I simply walk out and try somewhere else. Their loss.