School Trips to Scotland

Scotland is a country of rich history and breathtaking scenery. Both its leading cities provide a great base for school trips to Scotland, with easy access to sites of interest like Fort Augustus and Loch Ness. 

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and always offers ample scope and opportunity to build a memorable school visit. The city boasts numerous world-class museums, galleries and several award-winning visitor attractions like the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Riverside Museum. Entry to many attractions is free, and there’s no charge for taking in the iconic architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Equally spectacular is Edinburgh, a vibrant city of culture, offering stunning scenery, striking neoclassical architecture and several iconic historical sites for pupils to explore. At WST, we arrange itineraries that ensure every school group gets the most out of a visit to Scotland, and helping to relieve the pressure on tour leaders. 

We offer the following educational tours and school trips to Scotland:

• Edinburgh
• Glasgow

Top Attractions

Edinburgh Castle

With its commanding presence overlooking the city below, Edinburgh Castle is an essential destination for educational tours. Steeped in Scotland’s national history, parts of the fortress date from the 12^th century. Students embark on a journey through history, from the Royal Palace, home to Mary Queen of Scots and birthplace of her son, James VI, to the stone vaults beneath the Great Hall, where prisoners of war were once held. Pupils are sure to be captivated by the stunning Scottish Crown Jewels – a collection which boasts a diverse and thrilling past.  

Edinburgh Playhouse

A must-visit for theatre and performing arts students embarking on a Scotland school trip, the Edinburgh Playhouse hosts a number of big theatre productions each year. With Edinburgh famous for its dedication to celebrating the arts, there are also a number of performance workshops your students can get stuck into. Take a look at the range of stage productions set to make their way to Edinburgh to see what performances are available this year.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Kelvingrove Gallery hosts one of Europe's great art collections. One of the top three free-to-enter visitor attractions in Scotland, The Kelvingrove is one of the UK’s most popular museums outside of London. WST can pre-book one of two educational workshops for art and design students at the gallery, both of which will allow them to exercise their critical thinking and develop new artistic techniques.

The Lighthouse: Scotland's Centre for Design and Architecture

Situated in the heart of Glasgow, not far from the Style Mile, The Lighthouse is a visitor centre, exhibition space and events venue and provides a beacon for the creative industries in Scotland.

Promoting design and architecture through a vibrant programme of exhibitions and events, many of which are specifically aimed at school tours and students, The Lighthouse building was Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s first public commission, making it the perfect venue in which your art and design students can consider his work and contribution to architecture. 

Accommodation

Scotland is well served with good quality branded hostels and hotels which are suitable for school groups. These include Premier Inns, Travel Lodges and Ibis hotels. Get in touch with one of our destination specialists for more information about all our accommodation options, suitable for a range of budgets.

Dining

Scotland’s local cuisine is as unique as the country itself – and should be experienced fully. One national dish that always divides opinion is haggis. Traditionally made with oatmeal and tender lamb offal (including the heart, liver and lungs!), the mixture is flavoured with onions, salts and spices, giving the dish a peppery kick. It’s a truly unique and satisfying Scottish dish.

For your school trip to Scotland, we can provide you with a board basis that suits your needs, from Bed & Breakfast to Full Board. There’s also a range of popular local restaurants you can dine at for lunch or dinner, all of which we can book on your behalf.

Hidden Gems

Camera Obscura and the World of Illusions

Camera Obscura is a fascinating and unique destination for school trips. It’s one of the city’s oldest attractions, presenting intriguing optical illusions over several floors. Marvel at breathtaking panoramas of Edinburgh from the ‘periscopic projector’ in the rooftop observatory or delve into the mind-boggling ‘trompe l'oeil’, tricks of the light and puzzling effects in the World of Illusions. There’s even a walk-through Vortex Tunnel – where pupils will literally be staggered!

St Mungo Museum

The widely acclaimed St Mungo Museum is a haven of calm, in quiet contrast to the hectic life of Glasgow itself. Named after Glasgow's patron saint, the museum building was constructed in 1989 in Scottish baronial style by Ian Begg. The St Mungo Museum boasts several galleries your students can explore, with numerous important artefacts and works of art documenting the historical importance of religion in people’s lives around the world.

Why WST?

At WST, our subject and destination experts will work with you to create an itinerary for your Scotland school trip that meets your students’ specific learning objectives. Here are just a few reasons why many teachers choose WST as their school travel provider:

• We’ve won Best School Tour Operator at the School Travel Awards four years running, an award voted for by teachers
• We’re the only school travel provider to hold a Government Standard Customer Service Excellent Award
• All our destinations have been visited by our in-house experts, ensuring they can always offer you first-hand advice when helping you with your itinerary
• We have a 24-hour emergency response service, so that should any issues arise during your school trip to Scotland, we can solve them as soon as you need us to

If you’d like to book an unforgettable Scotland school trip with us, get in touch with one of our friendly travel team today, and we’ll be happy to help.

Request a quote today