If you’re looking for a romantic and memorable experience, endless historical charm, breathtaking scenery and the warm embrace of Scottish hospitality, the heart of Scotland is for you.
Visit our capital city, Edinburgh, and be immersed in culture, entertainment and excitement. View the UNESCO World Heritage Site Old and New Towns from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle before wandering down the Royal Mile, exploring rambling streets and eclectic shops. Amazing restaurants, fantastic hospitality, countless museums, galleries, historical tours, Edinburgh is a wonderful backdrop for your elopement, grand wedding or for a post celebration getaway.
Less than an hour away, the architecture is the star in Glasgow. Often doubling for New York in movies, the Victorian Classic city centre and tenements sit alongside Charles Rennie Mackintosh Art Nouveau buildings and modern classics like the Zaha Hadid designed Riverside Museum with its resident Tall Ship. Jump on the iconic ‘Clockwork Orange’ subway to the city’s vibrant West End and you’re only a short walk from Glasgow University’s famous cloisters and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Explore the City Centre Mural Trail, relax with a spot of people watching in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens before enjoying an evening in the wide variety of restaurants and bars around Byres Road and Finneston, including the city’s two Michelin-starred restaurants, Unalome by Graeme Cheevers and Chef Lorna McKee’s Cail Bruich.
Head to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park to re-energise with some invigorating wild swimming, spend the day hiking up Ben Lomond or a more gentle boat tour of the Loch Lomond’s twenty three islands. You might even see a wallaby!
From there it’s a short drive to Stirling, home to Stirling Castle and the National Wallace Monument. The iconic buildings are visible from miles around, a striking sight as you approach a city synonymous with bloody battles and revered historical figures, Robert the Bruce and William Wallace.
Next up? A few miles away, you cannot miss the majestic Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel, before continuing on to the Kingdom of Fife, home of golf, award-winning beaches and the best fish and chips in the country. Book a round on one of the many links courses dotted around the coast and after you’ve worn yourself out ruining a good walk, rest easy in one of St Andrews and the East Neuk’s many cosy pubs and excellent restaurants.
From Fife, it’s just a short drive over the Tay Bridge to Dundee with its vibrant waterfront including the first V&A museum in the world outside London and the first ever dedicated design museum in Scotland. Nearby Perthshire, with more than 200,000 acres of woodlands, is the perfect place to explore serene glens, meandering rivers and dramatic waterfalls.
There’s so much to see in central Scotland. Serviced by the two main airports, it’s accessible, has great transport links, iconic landmarks, friendly people…the heart of Scotland has it all!
Did you know you can celebrate your wedding anywhere in Scotland, Edinburgh Castle included? Have a look at our guide to How to Get Married in Scotland and start planning your wedding today. For real life inspiration, check out Erin and Jamie’s spectacular Gosford House wedding here.
Want to get as much out of your visit to the central belt as possible? VisitScotland has inspiration, information and useful guides to help you plan your stay.
