About Wander Scotland
Fàilte!
Hello, I’m Lesley - the person behind Wander Scotland. I’m a Scotland travel specialist with a background in the Scottish tourism industry, and I’ve spent years helping people plan trips around this country.
Before running Wander Scotland full-time, I worked as a travel advisor with VisitScotland, helping visitors put together everything from their first Scottish road trip to more in-depth, carefully planned itineraries.
Since then, I’ve created and refined hundreds more, learning not just how to get around Scotland, but how to put together a trip that feels right for the person taking it.
I love the planning side of travel: mapping the best route, finding the places worth a detour, and uncovering lesser-known spots that often become a trip's highlights.
That experience is at the heart of everything I share here.
Since I started Wander Scotland in 2019, it has grown to more than 150,000 readers every month, and I now help hundreds of travellers plan their own Scottish adventures each year.
About Wander Scotland
Wander Scotland is here to help independent travellers plan better trips around Scotland, without spending endless hours buried in research.
We’re all about thoughtful travel planning, carefully designed itineraries and well-curated road trips for people who want to experience Scotland properly - not simply tick off a list of places.
That means building in time to explore, choosing places for a reason, and sharing recommendations you can genuinely trust, from where to stay and eat to the landscapes, towns and experiences that are worth making time for.
We’re a small team of experienced Scotland travel planners, and we believe the best trips come from the right context, not simply more options.
Scotland is full of places to go, but knowing where to go, when to go and how it all fits together can make all the difference.
So rather than overwhelming you with endless choices or recycling the same Scotland checklists, we share clear, considered advice shaped by firsthand experience and a deep understanding of how people actually travel around the country.
Our mission
We believe the best way to experience Scotland is slowly - with time to savour, take the scenic route, make a detour and look beyond the obvious. Not rushing from one landmark to the next, but leaving space to discover the places you might not have planned for.
We champion the independent businesses, local makers, characterful places and small-scale experiences that give Scotland its personality. We seek out the cafés worth lingering in, the stays with a story, the restaurants worth travelling for and the landscapes that make you want to pull your hiking boots on.
We believe these are often the places that turn a good trip into a memorable one.
Everything we share is chosen with that in mind: thoughtful recommendations, considered routes and experiences we genuinely believe are worth your time. Our aim is to help you travel Scotland with more curiosity, more connection and a little more time to wander.
What you’ll find on Wander Scotland
Across the site, you’ll find:
Scotland travel itineraries and route planning guides to help you make the most of your time
Detailed regional travel advice covering where to go, what to see and how to get around
Café, food and local discoveries for finding the good stuff along the way
Carefully selected boutique accommodation recommendations for places with a little more character
Destination guides designed to help you look beyond the obvious and discover more of Scotland
Ultimately, Wander Scotland is about helping you have a trip that feels like your Scotland — with the right places, the right pace and a little less time spent figuring it all out.
How we help travellers
Wander Scotland helps at every stage of planning, whether you’re just starting to dream about a trip or ready to turn your ideas into a proper itinerary.
Through our travel guides, itineraries and digital resources, we share practical, experience-led advice to help you plan independently and with confidence. If you’d rather have someone help shape the trip with you, our Scotland travel planning services offer personalised guidance around your route, pace and priorities.
We also create small-group journeys that bring together carefully chosen experiences in some of Scotland’s most memorable locations, with the planning taken care of so you can concentrate on enjoying the journey.
