Sweltering Southerners Head to Scotland for ‘Coolcations’ – BBC News
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Coolcations: ‘They used to joke about our weather – now they can’t wait for the rain’
Image caption: A peaceful scene on Loch Leven near Glencoe, where cool temperatures are welcomed by visitors.
By Lorna Gordon, Scotland Correspondent
Scotland correspondents
Reporting from Glencoe
Published 19 August 2026
Updated 4 hours ago
While much of Europe and large swathes of England and Wales have experienced record-breaking heatwaves this summer, a different scene unfolds in Scotland. Here, mild and overcast weather has become a draw for tourists seeking respite from the scorching sun.
Increasingly, visitors are flocking to Scotland for what are now being called "coolcations". These trips are not about sunbathing but rather enjoying cooler temperatures and exploring outdoor activities in a more comfortable climate.
Esther and Nick Cochrane, who run a self-catering holiday cottage business called Beside the Loch, have noticed a significant shift. They’ve seen guests from France, Italy, Spain, and increasingly from southern England, all seeking cooler retreats.
"At first, they were mostly from the continent," Nick explains. "Now, many UK residents are also joining them on these ‘coolcations’."
Seizing this opportunity, the Cochranes have marketed their cottages as coolcation destinations. Esther recalls a recent arrival who exclaimed, "Is it going to rain at any point because this is what we came up for?"
"They hadn’t experienced rain for months, and they loved it," she adds with a laugh.
"At one point, we were apologising for the Scottish weather, but people now want it. It’s no longer a joke; it’s a serious part of their holidays," Esther says.
‘We get to sleep under a duvet here, it is quite nice’
Caroline and Christian Grant, from southern England, are enjoying their coolcation with their children.
"When it gets to plus thirty, you tend to just sit around here. You can’t do too much," Christian says.
Caroline agrees, "We get to sleep under a duvet here, it is quite nice."
The trend towards coolcations appears to be more than a fleeting fad. Chris Greenwood, from the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism, notes that early data for 2026 shows increasing flight searches to Scotland and international credit card spending.
Searches for cooler holiday destinations on trip.com have skyrocketed by 74% from the first four months of 2025, indicating a growing desire to escape the heat and discover a more temperate climate.
