UCLA Study Abroad | International Education Office | Scotland

By Caitlyn Pickard

Five fun and free things to do in Scotland:

Hairy Coo

The Hairy Coo offers a FREE Highland tour online! When I first signed up for this tour, I expected it to be a rerun of all the things I’ve seen and done in Scotland. FALSE. This tour was pretty darn amazing. It took us off the super touristy scenes and gave a little Scottish-insider looks at the Highlands. We went on a short hike to a waterfall, learned about the gory past of the Wallace monument, and, best of all, we got to feed some hairy coos! This was an amazing little one-day tour of the Highlands and cannot recommend it enough. Whether you’ve seen a lot of the Highlands or it’s your first time in Scotland, you’ll love this tour. Just make sure to sign up in advanced! They only have it during specific days, so check it out online to see what works for you. If you aren’t able to book the day you want, try going to the check-in point! You will get put onto a wait-list and, if the people who booked don’t show, you can take their seat!

Ghost tours in Edinburgh

They aren’t exaggerating that Edinburgh has a dark, bloody past. This free walking tour will take you back into the history of Edinburgh, with a focus on murder and death. FUN! We went when it was still daylight outside because I’m a total scaredy cat, but it still had the creepy aura to it. A few stories include grave robberies, gruesome murder, and a little magic. My favorite story was about the close we visited. The story goes, if you bring a vial of your blood and throw it at the wall, you gain access to this magical market place. This market place will grant you anything you want, at a price of course. The price is usually a piece of you, like an eye, a hand, etc. What would you wish for?

NOTE: all these tours are free, which means the tour guides are doing it without pay. Their income = TIPS. Now, generally, tipping is not customary in Scotland; however, free tours are an exception. If you thoroughly enjoyed a tour, give them a £5 tip or more. I avoid giving change because it feels weird; however, that’s totally a personal preference.

Arthur’s Seat

Arthur’s Seat is like a staple of Edinburgh. You just have to do it. The hike itself is relatively beginner, so you won’t have to worry too much about physical exertion; however, if you go during the winter after it’s rained and frozen over, it may be a bit of a challenge and you will probably wipe out on your butt once or twenty times. But it is so worth it. If the hike didn’t make you breathless, the view will. At the top of Arthur’s Seat, you can see most of Edinburgh city. Some cool history about Arthur’s Seat is that it’s an extinct volcano. That makes it especially cool in my opinion. It’s also a quick escape from the city if you just need a little nature in your day.

Dr. Neil’s Garden

Hilary, the most amazing UCEAP employee ever, told us about this hidden garden. It’s a little outside of the city, which is why it took me forever to go and visit. Regrets. This garden is perfect and so serene. When I went, it felt like I was breaking in since it was so secluded, but it is totally open to the public. It kind of reminded me of the Secret Garden. There’s ponds and fountains, with a variety of different flora, and it’s right next to a loch. It’s perfect for some alone time or just a pause from the busyness of life. There’s swans and geese in the loch, which sits in front of the picturesque Arthur’s Seat.

Portobello Beach

The day I went it was sunny, which meant it was about 60 degrees. Hello summer! I met with this group called The Wild Ones. And wild they are. What do the Wild Ones do you ask? Well, they go swimming in the freezing cold water. Ever swam in the Pacific during the winter? THAT’S NOTHING. I went in for 20 minutes and was frozen to the bone for the next 3 hours. I couldn’t stop shivering! Granted, some of the members wear wetsuits, which is not what I packed for my time abroad, but a lot of them didn’t. Also, some were training for a triathlon in this water. Serious props to these members. After wading through the water and getting completely numb to the fingertips, you kind of get this adrenaline rush. It feels amazing! Like I walked out of the water feeling like a baddie. I was down to wrestle a lion at that point. I felt invincible. Until the shiver came on about 30 min later. The amazing feeling still remained, just with less invincible-like feelings. After our dip, a few of the members and I went to this little café on the promenade called Miro Café. They have a full menu, coffee, and cakes. Holy moly, their CAKES. I had a banana toffee cake and it was positively scrumptious. I can’t even begin to describe how delicious it was, so I’ll leave it to your envious imagination. After overloading on sugar, I decided to chill out at the beach and just enjoy the sun. It was a great day. Definitely one of my favorites.