Fun Scottish Facts to Take with you on a Scottish Cruise

From wonderful scenery to a rich and intricate history, there are many reasons to visit Scotland. If taking it easy and travelling in style is on your agenda, there is no better way to discover this unique and beautiful country than on a Scottish Highlands cruise, perhaps aboard the Scottish Highlander or the Spirit of Scotland. As the enchanting scenery passes you by, you can sit back, relax and indulge in all that makes a Scottish hotel barge cruise the luxury holiday choice that it is.

To get you inspired here is a few fun Scottish facts to ease you into the land of Loch Ness and Braveheart…

Dave Annis shares his phot of a Scottish piper playing his bagpipes along the banks of the Caledonian Canal in the Scottish Highlands - fun Scottish facts
Scottish Piper, courtesy of Dave Annis

1. Firey Locks

Scotland has the highest proportion of people with red hair in the world; indeed almost 13% of the population has red hair

2. Nessie's Less-Famous Sibling

Nessie has a sister, known as Morag: The monster of Loch Morar. Apparently this feisty lady serpent attacked fishermen in August 1969 and is said to have rough scaly skin, three humps along her 30ft length and a head that resembles a snake.

fun-scottish-facts-loch-morar-scotland

3. Piercing Peepers

More Scots than English have blue eyes. In the south eastern part of the country 57% of people have blue eyes!

4. Mythical Mysteries

Scotland’s national animal is a unicorn

fun-scottish-facts-unicorn-scotland-flag

5. The Home of Golf

The Scots were the first to play golf back in the 15th century. St Andrew’s is recognised as the ‘home of golf’

6. Islands vs Highlands

Fun Scottish fact #5: There are around 790 islands in Scotland, with only about 130 of these inhabited

Scotland in the autumn months

7. Fascinating Flight Paths

Hard to believe but the shortest commercial flight in the world takes just 47 seconds and yes, it happens in Scotland. You can take the ‘blink of an eye’ 1.5 mile trip from Westray to Papa Westray in Orkney, should you wish to give it a go

8. Edinburgh Calling

Fun Scottish fact #8: The first city in the world to have its own fire brigade was Edinburgh

9. Bonny Sightings

Bonnybridge, only a small town, is now known as the UFO capital of the world. Every year many UFOs are reported and sometimes up to 300 sightings a year are recorded

10. Ingenious Inventors

Many inventors were Scottish. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone back in 1876 was Scottish, and the very first picture to be shown on TV was the work of John Logie Baird, back in 1925

Scottish Highlander and Spirit of Scotland luxury barge cruises

Fun Scottish Facts to Enjoy on Board

A truly fascinating place to visit, especially on a Scottish Highlands hotel barge cruise, this stunning part of the British Isles is often underrated. Steeped in history and proud of its long, rich heritage, it is a destination that lends itself perfectly to exploration at a leisurely pace.

Hopefully some of these fun Scottish facts have offered you some inspiration to visit. If you are planning to travel aboard a Spirit of Scotland or Scottish Highlander barge cruise, you’re in luck; there are some excellent tour operators who provide quality luxury trips to introduce you to the very best that bonny Scotland has to offer.

For further inspiration and the rest of our collection of luxury hotel barge cruises, why not order a free copy of our brochure today or speak to a member of our team directly using our handy Contact Form.

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