The Braemar Highland Gathering should be on every Scotland enthusiast’s bucket list.
In my Braemar Highland Gathering guide I’m sharing my experience at the games, and my best tips for planning your trip!
What is the Braemar Highland Gathering, and why is it famous?
The Braemar Highland Gathering is arguably Scotland’s most famous Highland Games.
It takes place during the first weekend of September, and is attended by members of the Royal Family every year. Queen Elizabeth II would attend every year, missing just two of the games in total- including the last one during her reign where she sadly died one week later in her Scottish home at Balmoral Castle.
My Top Tips For Attending the Braemar Highland Games
1. If you want to see the royals, section D is one of the best places to sit, as this section looks directly onto the pavilion where the Royal Family sit.
2. Bring your binoculars if you want to catch a better glimpse at some of the activities on the other side of the ring (and the Royal Family).
3. Bring your own hand sanitiser and a few tissues of toilet paper in case the toilets run out- which happened to me!
4. Go for a wander into the village of Braemar- one of the most beautiful villages in Scotland!
5. Be sure to make time to explore Royal Deeside and Aberdeenshire- both are incredible regions in their own right.
6. Prices are increased during the weekend of the Gathering- if you want to stay in Braemar but you’re not interested in the Gathering, avoid booking at this time.
7. Tickets go on sale for the Braemar Highland Games in November. Book your tickets in advance!
MY BEST TRAVEL TIPS FOR SCOTLAND
Here is a list of travel resources that I always use that save me time and money. For more tips check out my ultimate guide on planning a trip to Scotland.
💜 Planning: If you’re on a budget I highly recommend grabbing my Ultimate Scotland Travel Planning Bundle. It includes an ebook, digital travel planner, and cheat sheets for planning your trip.
💜 Planning a Trip to Scotland Course: If you are looking for help to plan your trip from start to finish, my Planning A Trip To Scotland course is my absolute best resource for creating your itinerary! It includes 70+ videos about every aspect of planning a trip to Scotland.
💜 Booking flights: I use Skyscanner when researching and booking my flights as I find them to have the best deals. I also use Google Flights to compare flights I’ve found on Skyscanner. I always book direct with the airline.
💜 Accommodation: I use Booking.com when booking my accommodation in Scotland. I also have a list of my recommended accommodation in Scotland here.
💜 Travel insurance: I always recommend booking travel insurance for any trip you take. Personally, I use CoverMore– I used to sell this insurance when I was a travel agent and dealt with claims on behalf of my customers frequently and they were really easy to deal with. World Nomads is also another high-quality insurance provider I recommend.
💜 Tours and Activities: I use GetYourGuide whenever I can to book tours and activities. I also recommend purchasing the Explorer Pass if you plan on visiting a few attractions.
💜 Transport: When hiring a car in the UK I always use Celtic Legend. You can save 10% off your car rental by using the referral code WAYFARINGKIWI when you ask for a quote. For train times and bookings I use Scotrail (Scotland’s main network) and I also compare prices with Trainline. For bus travel, I use Megabus for cheap fares.
💜 What to pack: The weather is changeable in Scotland and you can sometimes have four seasons in one day! I’ve written this comprehensive packing list for Scotland that will tell you everything you need to pack, whether you’re travelling from abroad or living locally and you’re planning a day trip to Scotland.
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