Well for those of you visiting Scotland in June there is such a treasure trove of activities happening you may need to stay longer just to fit them all in!. Traditional Highland Games are back in place, Festivals and Tattoos are happening again and of course, we have the Platinum Jubilee celebrations to look forward to.
As June is one of the warmest months in Scotland, with average maximum temperatures ranging from approximately 15°C (59°F) to 17°C (63 °F). Scotland’s high latitude means that we enjoy lovely long summer days and often an extended twilight giving all visitors maximum opportunity to enjoy the Scottish Landscape.
Guests often ask when is the best time to visit Scotland to avoid midges, well the good news is that not only is June one of the best times to visit Scotland but that in this part of Scotland notably east of the A9 we are virtually midge free!
June starts off with the nationwide Platinum Jubilee Celebrations to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. At a local level, that means special events, cream teas in village halls, street parties and a truly national celebration. Of course, Balmoral Castle will be offering special celebrations with the opportunity to partake in a Balmoral Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea – a once in a lifetime event for many of us.
Here at Blervie House, we have our own unique Jubilee event taking place with a group of guests holding a quiet family wedding here at the house that has been long put off and delayed due to Covid.
Here in Moray, we have the wonderful Moray Outdoor Walking Festival taking place from the 17th of June. You don’t need to be super fit, you just need to plan and be organised and book one of the many special guided events that take place throughout the week. Expect to choose from historical walks, evening walks, and wildlife walks and all of them will be scenic so bring your camera.
Then if you are wondering what to do in Scotland in June it is easy to make up your own list depending on your own personal interests. Here are some of my favourites:
- Walks – long, short, river, beach, forest, mountains we have them all. Here are some ideas or we can help you plan more.
- Castles – with over 2000 castles in Scotland then Castles should always be on your visit list. Locally we have a number of fabulous Castles that are available to visit. My local suggestion would be the ABCD tour which includes Auchindoun, Ballindalloch, Balmoral or Brodie, Cawdor and Duffus. And of course, further afield you can include Dunnottar, Edinburgh, Eilean Donan and Stirling
- Historic Sites – How far back into history would you like to go? For Neolithic try Clava Cairns, for Pictish try Burghead or Suenos Stone, for more recent history try Culloden Battlefield or Fort George and make a whole day of it.
- Special Tasting at a Distillery – part of being on holiday is treating yourself so instead of just booking a standard Distillery tour why not visit a Distillery and enjoy a specialist tasting of premium whiskies. These will need to be booked in advance and some only occur on certain days but if you have a special distillery or whisky in mind this might be the year to try it.
- Combine a Munro and Distillery visit into one day – if you are not into Whisky but feel you are in Speyside so ought to visit a Distillery then why not book a VIP experience at Glenrinnes Distillery. Spend time learning about their prize-winning gin and vodka production then be driven around the organic Estate and head to the top of Ben Rinnes mountain for exception views of Eight Lands. Gin and Mountain views sound like a perfect combination to me.
- Daytrip – for me you cannot beat driving in Scotland and since we are a small country it is so easy to find yourself a comfortable base then take the time to plan a day out exploring the scenery. Blervie House makes a great base from which to explore the Cairngorms, Loch Ness, and Applecross or to venture further afield into the Highlands just absorbing the scenery.
- Shopping – just has to be done when you are away from home so you may treat yourself to a bottle of whisky or a specialist whisky product. Perhaps a memorable piece of tweed or cashmere. Take the time to explore the local shops. It is easy to plan a mixture of all of the above so you get the chance to absorb Scotland’s history and heritage.
- Food – Scotland’s fresh produce is available to try in all its various formats from fresh seafood to Highland Beef or Venison and delicious soft fruits to scones, cakes and more. Scones for some reason known as wee scones are never wee and will be featuring highly on the Jubilee menu with delicious cream and jam. Might be an idea to add more walking to your list to work off the calories!
Depending upon how long you are staying in Scotland and which areas you visit how about picking 3 suggestions from above and making up your own reasons for visiting Scotland in June.