Scotland has a busy year ahead, and its national tourism body wants visitors to take it slowly. Speaking at World Travel Market in London, VisitScotland's marketing director Jill Walker described tourism as a "force for good" — something that should benefit local communities as much as the people passing through — and set out what's coming in 2027.
The headline event is historic: Edinburgh will host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France, the northernmost start in the race's history. Later in the year, Aberdeenshire gets its moment when the inaugural Rally Scotland runs in September and October, marking the first time anywhere in the UK has staged a World Rally Championship round since 2019.
Sports aside, the cultural calendar is filling up too. Perth Museum has opened relatively recently, and the Inverness Castle Experience welcomed its first visitors in February, after a multi-million-pound conversion of the old prison and sheriff court into an interactive attraction.
The quieter story is where Scotland is pointing its marketing: immersive, hands-on stays and experiences. In Wigtown — Scotland's book town, in Dumfries and Galloway — you can book an Airbnb inside a working bookshop and help run the counter while chatting to locals. Elsewhere, visitors can learn sheep shearing, sleep beside fields of Highland "coos", or cook Cullen Skink, the smoked haddock and potato soup that's a staple of Scottish home cooking.
Dumfries and Galloway is the region to watch. It's the only UK entry in National Geographic's Best of the World 2027 list, and Walker pitches it at adventurous travellers: gorge scrambling, water sports and ziplines over hilly countryside.
Walker says Scotland isn't chasing any particular type of visitor — families, young professionals and older travellers are all welcome. Her only requests: come in the shoulder seasons, travel responsibly and, if possible, stay longer and slow down. The pitch is that Scottish hospitality isn't staged for tourists; it's just how the country operates, from the food to the scenery to the general willingness to make sure visitors have a good time.
Why it matters: if you've been putting off Scotland because of July crowds or packed Highland car parks, 2027 is a nudge to go in May, June or September instead — ideally pairing a big event like the Tour de France start with a few slow days somewhere like Wigtown or the Galloway hills.
