Guidebook Updates for Scotland

For books printed before September 2024, the following may apply:

• Most visitors from outside the UK and Ireland are now required to register for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arriving in the UK. Travelers need to submit an online application ahead of their trip and pay a fee of about $20 (£16). Applications must be completed for every traveler, regardless of age, and a fee is required each applicant. Once approved, you'll be notified that the authorization is electronically linked to your passport. It's wise to take care of this minor bureaucratic hassle a week or two before your trip. Note that you don't need to register if you're simply changing planes at a UK airport. For more information, and to apply, see the UK government's ETA page. You may find it easiest to apply via the UK ETA app.
• Visitors to the UK are no longer able to get a VAT (value-added tax) refund on purchases made in UK shops, and tax-free sales at airports, Eurostar train stations, and in ports have been discontinued. In Great Britain, overseas visitors can still buy items tax-free at stores that offer this service, provided that the items are sent directly to an overseas address outside the UK. (Visitors to Northern Ireland may shop tax-free if the items are sent directly to an address outside the UK and the EU.) The UK's rules around tax-free shopping may evolve further as the UK continues to adjust to the fallout from Brexit.
• Jurys Inn has rebranded as Leonardo Hotels.
• The phone number for English Heritage is now +44 3703 331 182.
• The Loch Fyne restaurant chain has closed.

• All tourist information offices ("iCentres") in Scotland will close permanently by the end of 2025. Check Visit Scotland for a continually updated map of offices that remain open.

For books printed before September 2024, the following may also apply:

• The Historic Scotland app has up-to-date prices and hours for almost 80 sights in Scotland; users can even buy tickets from within the app.
• The RingGo parking app lets you pay for street parking on your phone. It works in cities including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, St. Andrews, and others.
• The Canadian consulate in Edinburgh has a new phone number: +44 3305 001 224.

• The Edinburgh tourist information office has closed permanently.
• The former "Queen's Gallery" at the Palace of Holyroodhouse is now called the King's Gallery. Admission is £11, which includes a multimedia guide. There is no longer a combo-ticket for the palace and gallery.
• The Stone of Scone is no longer housed in Edinburgh Castle. (It's now in the Perth Museum.)

For books printed before September 2024, the following may also apply:

• A handy new tram runs from the airport all the way to the port at Leith, with stops in downtown Edinburgh and the West End, plus at the Royal Yacht Britannia.
• Buses to the B&B neighborhood south of the city center no longer stop on North Bridge but do stop in front of the Marks & Spencer near Waverly Station. (From the station, cross the street and head left to find two bus stops in front of the store.)
• Advance timed-entry tickets for Edinburgh Castle are now required, not simply recommended. Book online as far ahead as possible.
• There is no longer a secondary entrance to see the Crown Jewels at Edinburgh Castle (and the Disney-esque "Honours of Scotland" exhibit is gone, too).
• The Scottish National Gallery has reopened, with 12 new galleries, after a years-long renovation.
• Tours of the Scottish Parliament Building generally run Mon–Sat throughout the day, and are best booked ahead.
• The Fringe Festival's Half-Price Hut building has "retired"; half-price offers are now available at the Fringe box office.
• The Museum of Childhood has reopened.
• The Princes Street Gardens Dancers have ceased performances for the foreseeable future.
• The Taste of Scotland at Prestonfield House is no longer putting on its kitschy folk show.
• The Saboteur restaurant has closed.
• Hanedan restaurant has closed.
• Apiary restaurant is closing, to be replaced by an eatery called "Wine Hive," which may only offer snacks, not full meals.

This older update still pertains to our Royal Mile audio tour:

• Gladstone's Land can only be visited by booking a one-hour tour. Travelers can book ahead to ensure a spot in person or by phone (+44 131 226 5856).

For books printed before September 2024, the following may apply:

• Mackintosh at the Willow tearoom discourages pop-in visits (enjoy it by booking a meal or guided tour there).
• The Lighthouse (Charles Rennie Mackintosh's first public commission) remains closed to visitors for the foreseeable future.
• The Good Spirits Company now offers tasting events in their shop (book online well in advance — these can sell out weeks ahead).
• Brasserie at Òran Mór is now Fonn Mór.
• Baffo restaurant (near the Kelvingrove Museum) has closed.

For books printed before September 2024, the following may apply:

• The Jacobite Steam Train no longer sells one-way tickets from Fort William to Maillaig; only round-trip fares are sold.
• Glencoe Café has closed.
• Callart View B&B has closed.
• Glencoe Indepdendent Hostel is now Heart of Glencoe Holidays and offers cabins, permanently parked caravans, cottages, and private rooms in a bunkhouse.
• Crank It Up Gear bike rental has closed.

For books printed before October 2024, the following may apply:

• The Rose Street Foundry has reopened.

For books printed before September 2024, the following may also apply:

• Working Sheepdogs now charges £15 for demos (cash only), generally offered several times a day May–Oct (including Saturdays), but it's still important to contact them ahead of your visit to confirm the schedule. The farm has new contact info (+44 7888 314 412, [email protected]) and signage for finding it: Once you've continued through Kincraig on the B-9152, watch on the right for a brown Working Sheepdogs sign; from the access road look for signs reading Welcome to Working Sheepdogs—Leault Farm.
• SoBar has closed.
• The correct URL for the website of Gellions Bar is www.gellions.com (not .co.uk).
• The correct email address for Heathmount Hotel is [email protected] (some editions of our guidebooks are missing the M).

For books printed before September 2024, the following may apply:

• Skye Minibus Tours has gone out of business.
• Easdale B&B in Portee has closed.

• The Scottish Crannog Centre has reopened on the north banks of Loch Tay, just southwest of Kenmore (now £15, guided tours leave every 30 minutes, +44 1887 830 583).

For books printed before September 2024, the following may also apply:

• The Whisky and Heritage Centre in Dufftown has closed.
• Pitlochry's Edradour Distillery remains closed to the public (no tours) and as of September 2023 has no plans to reopen to the public before 2025. (Consider touring the Blair Atholl Distillery in town instead.)
• Kenmore Hotel is closed until some point in 2026.

For books printed before September 2024, the following may apply:

• Backpackers Plus hostel has closed.
• The Fish Box and Taco Bay restaurant has closed.

• You must now reserve in advance to visit Maeshowe on Orkney.

For books printed before September 2024, the following may also apply:

• The Tomb of the Eagles has closed to visitors, with no definite plans to reopen. Its artifacts are now in the Orkney Museum.
• The dig at the Ness of Brogdar is closing at the end of 2024, after which the site will be covered back up.
• Hildeval B&B in Kirkwall no longer rents rooms to the general public.
• The tourist information office in Durness Town may have closed.

• The town's tourist information office has permanently closed.

For books printed before September 2024, the following may also apply:

• Recommended guide Richard Falconer has expanded his tour options beyond ghost tours and now offers six daily itineraries with themes including history, the Old Course, a town walk…and ghosts.
• The Doll's House restaurant is now The Bothy and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

• Munro Guest House has been sold and is currently closed while its new owners renovate.

For books printed before September 2024, the following may also apply:

• The city has introduced the Stirling City Pass, which includes discounted admission to major attractions including Stirling Castle, the Old Town Jail, and the Wallace Monument.
• Argyll's Lodging remains closed for renovation.