VisitScotland: exciting new attractions and experiences for groups in 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re excited to welcome coach and group travellers to Scotland. Group and coach leisure travel remain a key priority for VisitScotland, and our country offers countless attractions and destinations that cater to this market all year round.

There are so many reasons why Scotland should be your destination of choice, and with significant investment in recent years, we’re committed to host you with the warmest of Scottish welcomes.

The much-anticipated Inverness Castle Experience will take centre stage in the Highlands. The multimillion-pound redevelopment has transformed the city landmark into a living history of the region.

To the east, Perth Museum, home of the Stone of Destiny, continues to be a must-visit attraction while the Scottish Crannog Centre, also in Perthshire, will unveil a reconstruction of an ancient crannog at its site on the banks of Loch Tay.

Perth is one of three places in Scotland (along with Inverness and Dunfermline) that is an accredited Coach Friendly destination.

V&A Dundee will bring the style with exhibition Catwalk: The Art of the Fashion Show which looks at 100 years of the catwalk.

Fashion is a theme running through Dundee, the UNESCO City of Design, with major exhibitions on at the McManus Gallery, including the influence of Scottish costume designers on the big screen and stage.

Elsewhere, fashion highlights include the Barbie®: The Exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow (pictured top) and The Biba Story at Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh.

And to the west, the famous Paisley Pattern will be celebrated in the new Paisley Museum. The town is rich with visitor experiences that embrace its major textile industrial past, including the Sma’ Shot Cottages and the Paisley Thread Mill Museum.

Following on from Highland Park and Edinburgh Gin, Glencadam Distillery in Angus is the latest distillery to invest in a new visitor experience.

In Edinburgh, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is entering an exciting new chapter as its historic Palm Houses reopen.

Scotland is renowned as a stargazing destination and in the south, the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory will open at its new home by Clatteringshaws Loch, within Galloway Forest Park.

All of this includes significant hotel developments in Edinburgh and Glasgow, along with new travel trade offerings in East Lothian and Lanarkshire.

Whatever you need, our travel trade team is here to help you craft an unforgettable itinerary showcasing the very best of Scotland. 

Vicki Miller,
Chief Executive, VisitScotland

Find out more by visiting www.traveltrade.visitscotland.org. 

This comment is from the 2026 edition of Who’s Who in Group Leisure. Posted to thousands of our readers it is also available online for everyone by clicking here.