The best accommodations Scotland

Budget & Tips

Traditional camping, glamping or wilderness camping: Some have only a few pitches, others are real vacation villages. The website of the national tourist office, www.visitscotland.com, lists many of them. Be aware that wild camping is allowed in Scotland, under certain obvious conditions: do not stick to the road or to a house, do not leave your waste behind, do not be too numerous... It is also preferable to ask the authorization to the nearest house. In any case, keep in mind that the weather conditions are not always mild and that midges are tough in summer. In some mountainous regions, small, very isolated and basic huts/houses are available to hikers. They are often open to the public and free of charge (or for a small fee) and allow a stay in the heart of nature. Most of the time there is only a fireplace and no electricity, but it is always better than spending the night outside. They are called bothies and some are listed by the MountainBothies Association (www.mountainbothies.org.uk). You can find others on backpacker forums or by word of mouth.

Student residences: During school vacation periods, consider checking the availability of student housing in major cities. The supply is very affordable, often excellent and available by the night. The website www.universityrooms.com lists this service worldwide, but for more choices, you can directly consult those of the universities city by city (or private residences). Some of them also offer their services online through the classic hotel and hostel reservation system.

Bed & Breakfasts and guesthouses: Scotland is "fond" of these Bed & Breakfasts (it is very common to convert part of your house into rooms for rent) and you will have no problem finding one to sleep in. Larger than Bed & Breakfasts, guesthouses often have more than a dozen rooms that are located separately from the family home. Breakfast is taken in a dining room with service that often lasts several hours.

Self-catering: In Scotland, we speak of self-catering. They are available absolutely everywhere, especially on the islands. Check the VisitScotland website (www.visitscotland.com) to find them by region.

Hotels: From standard to very luxurious accommodation, including global chains (Hilton or Novotel), you will find hotels in all Scottish cities, but also near tourist areas (for slightly higher prices).

To be booked

It is always best to book your stay if you want to ensure budget accommodation or access to certain tourist sites. Indeed, the Isle of Skye, extremely busy in summer, may close its bridge to tourists who cannot justify an overnight reservation. However, if you wish to let the magic of the meetings and the places speak for itself, you should know that most guesthouses, B&Bs, campsites and hotels mention their availability at the entrance of their establishment: a sign " vacancies " indicates that there is room and a contrario " no vacancies " that it is full. They will also tell you if they have ensuite rooms or single rooms.

What's very local

The rooms, whether in guesthouse, B&B or hotel, all have their own courtesy tray with a kettle, something to prepare coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and some sweets.

For food lovers

Breakfast is usually included in the room rate. The day before, you may be asked to fill out a form indicating what you would like to include in your Scottish breakfast, or you may be offered a menu of cooked breakfast dishes. The breakfast is divided into two parts: a buffet with fruit, dairy products, cereals, porridge, and then the cooked dish. The full Scottish breakfast includes eggs, beans, bacon, toast, sausages, mushrooms, haggis and black pudding. You can have vegetarian versions or have a variation with smoked salmon.

Smokers

The various accommodations and public places are non-smoking.