Pastimes

     Enjoy exciting activities in Scotland on land, in the water and in the air. With a beautiful landscape filled with mountains, hills, lochs and rivers, Scotland is the perfect destination for a range of activities. From white water rafting to kayaking, archery to 4x4 driving, fishing to golf, there are a range of activities to suit everyone, whatever your skill or taste. 

     Scotland is a beautiful country with a lot of variety, which gives the average visitor plenty of activities to choose from. For one thing it is known as a bicycler’s paradise with many quiet country roads and cycling paths that are perfect for this activity. Those traveling light can choose to cycle from town to town and city to city as they discover many beautiful parts of Scotland that would otherwise not be noticed. Hiking is another activity that is certainly very popular – especially in the more rugged parts of the country where cycling is somewhat more difficult. Hiking enables a person to get closer to the natural surrounds without startling creatures nearby and requires only a bit of fitness and a good pair of shoes. Of course, if you are planning to hike for longer than a day, you will also have to invest in a good backpack, but some walking trails even make use of hospitable farmers who gladly provide overnight accommodation and lighten your load considerably. But, what are the most relevant activities and sports in Scotland?

     The most important sport in this country is golf. Golf in Scotland was first recorded in the 15th century, and the modern game of golf was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness. Although golf is often seen as an elitist sport elsewhere in the world, in the land of its birth it enjoys widespread appeal throughout the spectrum of society, in line with the country's egalitarian tradition. For example, the Old Course at St Andrew's and Musselburgh Links are public courses. Council-owned courses, with low fees and easy access, are common throughout the country wherever demography and geography allow. Therefore golf courses, whether public or private, are far more common in the Lowlands than in the Highlands and Islands, where shinty  is often the traditional sport.

     The second one archery which has been a part of the United Kingdom since the earliest times and today it is a much-loved sport. Even if you have never given it a try before, you can certainly attempt some archery in Scotland when you are on your next holiday. Local instructors will provide you with the equipment and instruction necessary to get you started and you may well discover that shooting with a bow and arrow is a whole lot of fun. For those who are a little more adventurous, there are the options of kart racing, off-road driving, paintball and skiing. Kart racing will make you feel like a child all over again as you wind your way around the karting track and do your best to overtake your friends. Paintball will give you a whole new adrenaline rush as you stalk through the bushes and try to outwit and outplay the opposing team, while off-road driving provides a mental and physical challenge that simply cannot be topped.

     In other hand, Association football is the national sport in Scotland and popular throughout the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite bearing the name "football" bear little resemblance to association football. Scotland has the second oldest national Football Association in the world (behind England's FA), and the trophy for the national cup, the Scottish Cup, is the oldest national sporting trophy in the world. Scotland and Scottish football clubs hold many records for football attendances.

     The fourth one is the watersports. Scotland is a great setting for sailing and watersports of all kinds and has well-developed watersports facilities with centers in many parts of the country from sea kayaking around Barra  in the Outer Hebrides to wind-surfing on Loch Ken in Galloway. Instruction and equipment hire are generally available at watersports centers such as The Scottish National Sports Centre.  

     Sea kayaking is another popular watersports discipline, where local knowledge is important. Barra, Skye, Applecross, Rhiconich are some of the hotspots.

     Windsurfing can be enjoyed both on salt water and on inland waters, with several operators offering tuition.

     The fifth one is mountain biking. Scotland is the perfect choice for all levels of mountain biking with miles of trails, tracks and technical trick parks. Scotland is home to a series of world-class mountain bike trails. The 7 stanes - seven mountain biking centers across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway - are legendary and cater for everyone from beginners to experienced mountain bikers.

     The last one is fishing in Scotland. Scotland is one of the world’s top destinations for freshwater and sea angling, with world-class fishing available across the country throughout the year. So if you’re chasing the ‘king of fish’, the Atlantic salmon, or you prefer the hard fighting monster pike or giant common skate, Scotland has you covered. 

     There are a tremendous variety of species when fishing in the hundreds of rivers and lochs around Scotland. From beautiful Highland rivers to secluded island lochs, there are excellent salmon, trout and coarse fishing opportunities in some of the most picturesque areas of the country. You might even have entire water coarse to yourself.

     So we can conclude that Scotland, including the Gaelic-speaking areas, has a very rich tradition of games and pastimes which were a crucial part of life, both in urban and rural environments. They were important elements of young people’s lives and preceded the introduction of more formalized and regulated sports in the late 19^th century. These games and pastimes were often linked to the seasons or to specific times such as New Year, Christmas and other special occasions. They were games of chance and skill, of contest and forfeit; they involved ghosts and witches, courtship and marriage divination and well worship; gambling, feats of skill and strength, ball games and dance games. Many of them involved singing, chanting or clapping, and their musical content very likely forms a basis for many traditional songs and tunes.