20 Jun 2022

Make the longest day of the year the most exciting yet

Four people in a row in kayaks raise their hands in the air. The water is very still and blue. Tall mountains rise behind them in the distance.

Sea kayaking at Kintail

The longest day (21 June this year) marks the start of summer in Scotland. With daylight lasting late into the evening, it’s the perfect opportunity to explore some of our beautiful places.

To help you plan the perfect way to spend the summer solstice, we’ve selected some activities taking place across the country as well as a range of places you could visit.

Activities

Do you love learning more about Scotland’s history?

The Battle of Bannockburn Experience guides you through a series of films and exhibits that depict the events before, during and after the battle. Witness the sights and sounds of medieval battle first-hand and hear the stories of some of the people who fought on this momentous occasion.

Travel back in time at Glencoe as you explore our reconstruction of a 300-year-old turf house, typical of those that were once home to the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe. The guided tour of the building focuses on the stories of the lost township of Achtriochtan and how past residents of Glencoe used locally sourced materials to build their homes.

Do you love exploring Scotland’s historic houses?

Explore more than 300 years of history at Newhailes House as an expert guides you through the property. Diaries, letters, interviews and the carefully preserved rooms and contents of the house all tell the story of the Dalrymple family’s last 100 years at Newhailes.

A view looking towards a round stone structure with no roof. A very tall flagpole stands inside, flying the Scottish saltire. Grassy banks line the path.

A view taken from inside a reconstructed 17th-century turf house, showing the flagstone floor, the wooden beams on the wall and ceilings, and the tightly woven walls. Light floods in from the small and low doorway.

A grand desk stands in the corner of a wood-panelled library. The walls are covered with floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves. A grand, red-cushioned chair is pulled up at the desk.

Want to explore the great outdoors?

If you want to see some of Scotland’s iconic wildlife species, join one of the Inverewe wildlife cruises. Local fisherman Jamie Elder picks up people from Inverewe Garden and sails around the shores of Loch Ewe to view wildlife on, above and beneath the surface!

Do you love adventure activities?

Kintail is one of the top locations in the Scottish Highlands for adventure activities. A slightly different way to experience the breathtaking scenery in the area is by sea kayaking – why not give it a go with our rangers? We offer day trips or taster days exploring the Kintail coast and other local areas, including Plockton and South Skye. Embark on a family adventure to remember!

A yellow fishing boat is moored alongside a stone jetty on a sea loch. A number of people are inside. The back is open but covered by a light canopy.

Two people in kayaks, one orange and one yellow, paddle across a sea loch with steep mountains in the distance. The water is absolutely clear, and reflects the clouds and deep blue sky above.

Places to visit

Threave Garden & Estate

If you like exploring Scotland’s gardens, then Threave should be top of your list! The garden has been developed by students at the School of Heritage Gardening over the past 60 years – each ‘garden room’ showcases a different gardening style and planting scheme. The surrounding Threave Estate is a haven for wildlife, with an osprey platform and a bat reserve. A guided walk is available around Scotland’s only Bat Reserve, home to eight species of bats.

Culloden

Discover the true story of the Battle of Culloden in our visitor centre, where you can learn about the 1745 Rising from both the Jacobite and Government perspectives, before experiencing the battle in our immersion theatre. Afterwards, you can explore the battlefield itself, as well as take in panoramic views from the roof garden and see the restored 18th-century Leanach Cottage.

Dollar Glen

Spend a wonderful day at Dollar Glen and walk along the network of paths in the shadow of the Ochil Hills. Discover incredible waterfalls as you make your way along the route.

A range of summer flowers, many brightly coloured, grow together in a bed.

A narrow gravel path leads across Culloden Moor. White flagpoles with blue flags flying in the wind are positioned alongside the path.

Moss-covered land surrounds a waterfall of the Burns of Care and Sorrow.

With no shortage of activities, places to visit or new historical objects to discover, spend your summer solstice with the National Trust for Scotland and make it a day to remember!