Best Festivals and Celebrations To Experience in Scotland

We have put together some useful information to give you more ideas about what you can attend when planning a break to Scotland.

With in fact more than five major festivals (the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Edinburgh Art Festival, The Free Fringe, etc.) and important events (The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, The Edinburgh Edge Festival, etc.) all happening at the same time a bit everywhere during almost the whole month of August and the first few days of September.

Street performers in every corners of the country, just aim to be there and you will not believe how lucky you are to experience just a bit of this huge Barnum. Also something you have to do at least once in your life is experience New Year and Hogmany in Edinburgh, expect cold weather but a great fun festival feel with fireworks, live music and entertainment.

Here are some of the best festivals to try to check out:

1. Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

The spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (nothing to do with ink Art, but all to do with masse pipe and drums bands playing on Edinburgh Castle's esplanade most evenings in August; Tattoo is here the abbreviation of old English Tap-toe and was originally the time in the evening when regiments musicians would make the last call of the day and soldiers had to - leave the pub and - go back to their barracks). This is really great to see!

2. Piping Live Festival

You might be surprised to know there is a Piping Live festival that takes place in Glasgow in August. The pinnacle of the event, the World Pipe Band Championships also takes place. 230(!) pipe bands from all over the world (Scotland, England, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Pakistan, France, etc.) of all grades congregated to Glasgow for this massive one day event.

3. World Highland Games

And on top of the piping festival, other disciplines like Scottish Highland dancing and the World Highland Games (that's where strong men throw big rocks as far as possible) hold their competitions around the same day.

4. Saint Andrew's Day

Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, celebrated by the Scots every year on the 30th November and even if it is not as big an event as the Irish's feisty St Patrick's Day, it is still a perfect excuse for merry public displays around the country (and more whisky and beer drinking).

Expect a mixture of traditional and modern Scottish bands performing. There are usually big crowds drinking away til the very end of the mini festivities but at this time of the year the temperatures steadily drop and it can get freezing cold quickly! Snow sometimes brings Scotland to a standstill during this time of the year.

5. Hogmany

Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year's Day or, in some cases, 2 January—a Scottish bank holiday.