All United Kingdom Scotland

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Scotland

647 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Scotland

Updated May 25, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Aberdeen
  2. Aberdeenshire
  3. Anstruther
  4. Argyll And Bute
  5. Ayr
  6. Beauly
  7. Birnam
  8. Blantyre
  9. Comrie
  10. Crail
  11. Crieff
  12. Dalmally
  13. Dumfries And Galloway
  14. Dunbar
  15. Dundee
  16. Dunfermline
  17. Dunmore
  18. Dunure
  19. East Ayrshire
  20. East Lothian
  21. Edinburgh
  22. Falkirk
  23. Fraserburgh
  24. Glasgow
  25. Glencoe
  26. Glenfinnan
  27. Glentrool
  28. Highland
  29. Inverkeithing
  30. Inverness
  31. Isle Of Skye
  32. Johnstone
  33. Kilmartin
  34. Lendalfoot
  35. Lerwick
  36. Melrose
  37. Millport
  38. Musselburgh
  39. North Berwick
  40. Orkney
  41. Outer Hebrides
  42. Paisley
  43. Peebles
  44. Perth
  45. Perth And Kinross
  46. Port Charlotte
  47. Prestonpans
  48. Renfrewshire
  49. Saddell
  50. Saint Andrews
  51. Scottish Borders
  52. Shetland Islands
  53. Stirling
  54. Stonehaven
  55. Wallyford
  56. Wanlockhead
  57. West Dunbartonshire
  58. Wigtown

Unusual Attractions in Scotland

See All 647 Things To Do in Scotland

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Scotland

See all 10 Places to Eat in Scotland
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Scotland : Highland Clans and the Trail of Tartan

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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Hidden Edinburgh

Crowds clog Edinburgh's Royal Mile, the main artery between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. The road is dotted with stores selling Nessie trinkets and lined with bagpipers and street performers pulling off dazzling tricks. But look beyond the tartan tourist traps, and you’ll discover tucked-away gardens, remnants of the city’s medieval past, and much more.

View Itinerary

Explore Scotland

History & Culture 133
Art 60
History 51
Ruins 51
Monuments 40
Statues 40
Memorials 39
Castles 36

Scotland Leaderboard

Recent Scotland Activity

Stories About Scotland

There were many hotspots of alleged witch activity in Central Scotland.

Explore This Map of More Than 3,000 Scottish Witches

An Edinburgh University project uses data to track the victims of Scottish "witch-prickers" in the 16th and 17th centuries.
by Frank Jacobs, Big Think
Bonfires and revelry dominate modern Beltane celebrations, but the origins of the event are more mundane.

Beltane Is About More Than Fire and Fertility

The ancient “Celtic” start of summer is rooted in animal husbandry—and it’s not on May 1.
by Gemma Tarlach
A performer, deep in his feels, reciting "Address to a Haggis" at a Burns Supper.

Celebrating Scotland's Bard? Break Out the Haggis.

Every January 25, Scotland pays tribute to its most famous poet and an offal-y delicious dish.
by Sam O'Brien
Can garlic help you win a soccer match?

5 Must-Read Football (or Soccer) Stories

Who needs the World Cup when we have so many con men, trendsetters, superstitions, and architectural rivalries?
by April White
A Halloween party in Scotland in 2004.

In Scotland, Trick or Treaters Sing (And Tell Jokes) For Their Candy

This tradition dates back hundreds of years.
by Jemma Beedie

Podcast: The Places Team's Favorite Atlas Entries

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
In the late 16th century, the quaint coastal town of North Berwick, Scotland, depicted here in a 1591 print, became an early hotbed of witch accusations. Some 60 people were accused, both nobles and servants, and many were executed.

Why Is Scotland Apologizing Now for Witch Trials 300 Years Ago?

The gender politics of attempting to right a historic wrong.
by Sarah Durn
For 17 days in Scotland's remote Cairngorms mountains, British traveler Elise Wortley retraced the journey of early-20th-century writer Nan Shepherd.

Returning to the Valley of the Assassins in the Footsteps of Explorer Freya Stark

British adventurer Elise Wortley is about to retrace a historic journey through Iran.
by Sarah Durn

Lists Featuring Scotland

Callanish Standing Stones.
A close up photo of several stones in one of the larger circles.
Lundin Links Standing Stones.
Ring of Brodgar

7 of Scotland’s Most Enchanting Standing Stones

These ancient monuments have captivated the imagination for thousands of years.

7

Including Callanish Stones, Machrie Moor Standing Stones, and Lundin Links Standing Stones

Fierce little cat.
Elephants playing in the mud at Elephant Nature Park.
Oh, hello!
Little Spotted Kiwi

10 Ethical Animal Places to Visit in 2019

Unique experiences from Nairobi to Chiang Mai.

12

Including Cat Island, Elephant Nature Park , and India's Giant Technicolor Squirrels

Bolivia's Witch Market
Dubrovnik Maskeron
The Statue of St. Anthony's Pig
The Guardhouse Monkey

15 Unlikely Places to Re-Up Your Luck

Luck be a... llama fetus?

15

Including Bolivia's Witch Market, Dubrovnik Maskeron, and Statue of St. Anthony's Pig

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