Scotland Events 2024, 2025 and 2026

photosteve101 / CC-by

2024, 2025 and 2026 Events in Scotland

Scotland is home to a range of different festivals and events that take place each year. Many of these events involve sports, live music, arts and more. Better still, many events take place in iconic venues steeped in history or with the stunning scenery of Scotland as a backdrop. In fact, visiting Scotland is incomplete if you don't make it to one of these events. You can opt for a small local event attended by locals or go for one of the more international events where you'll rub shoulders with like-minded travellers. Whatever your decision, there are options for everyone.

To get a good feel for Scottish culture, joining in the festivities on one of the larger annual events is a must. From celebrating the life of the poet, Robert Burns (on Burns Night in January) to taking part in Tartan Day (in April), you'll certainly get a good idea of what Scotland is all about. A popular, albeit, old event is the Highland Games. Running from May to September, with a peak of 30 games a month in July and August, the Games showcase sports, culture and community as you participate in traditional sporting competitions. Rubbing shoulders with the locals is the best way forward at these events as you share a dram (or two!).

Of course, you can always join in the more international events too. Some of these don't highlight Scottish culture or heritage in quite the same way. Nevertheless, the Scots are always up for a good party and are a lot of fun to be with. You can arrive on St Andrew’s Day in November and join in the celebrations for their patron saint. Or, alternatively, you can discover new creative talent, both Scottish and international, by visiting Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival in August. Whatever you choose, the Scots will always welcome you with open arms giving you a full-on authentic experience.

Photo credits: wbayercom / CC-by (Second January Bank holiday) ; Jrtorerenuiarua, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons (Celtic Connections) ; Evelyn Hollow, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons (Burns Night) ; Tom Brogan / CC-by-nd (Glasgow International Comedy Festival) ; Melody Ayres-Griffiths / Unsplash (Tartan Day) ; © ontheroadwithroyalsalute / instagram (Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival) ; Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons (Highland Games) ; alljengi / Flickr CC-by-sa (Royal Highland Show) ; Abi Skipp from London, England, CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) ; MC2 Patrick Grieco, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo) ; Arran Bee / CC-by (Scotland Summer bank holiday) ; © edinburghcollegeofart / instagram (Edinburgh Art Festival) ; Kim Traynor / CC-by-sa (Edinburgh International Book Festival) ; tormentor4555, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons (The Braemar Gathering) ; julien_ortet / CC-by-sa (Saint Andrew's Day) ; pjhunter / CC-by (Hogmanay)