Visiting Scotland’s Gay Islay – The Nomadic Boys

Visiting Scotland's Gay Islay - The Nomadic Boys

When we travel anywhere, we like to blend in. Do as the locals do. Experience a new place from its roots. Some may say turning up on a Scottish island dressed in fluorescent-colored tank tops contradicts our “blending in” mantra, but hey, whoever said blending in meant stop being fabulous?

Regardless, learning about the culture, getting the lingo down, and unearthing all of the hidden gems are of utmost importance to us. At the very least, we want to pronounce the name of our destination correctly… Duh!

Yet, despite numerous back-and-forths of us practicing the correct pronunciation of Islay; “EYE-Lah, EYE-Lah, EYE-Lah,” aloud to ourselves, we (of course) marched up to our hotel check-in, confidently announcing our excitement to be in “I-slaaaaayyyy”! facepalm We sounded like a bunch of gay guys cheering a drag queen performing a lip-sync… Luckily, the check-in lady laughed it off.

Visiting Gay Islay

The Isle of Islay is a Scottish island in the lower Hebrides, famous for rain, wind, cold, and more rain. Such weather is ideal for creating good quality peat… which in turn, makes a superbly delicious whisky, which gay Islay is super famous for. So, all in all, it’s rather worth it.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Scotland Gay Travel Resources

Kilting It Up in Gay Scotland – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Scotland - Nomadic Boys

With landscapes full of drama and wonder, accents so heavy and thick they sent ripples down our spines, and gorgeous men who go full commando under their kilts, is it any wonder gay Scotland will always have our hearts?

We’ll never forget our road trip around the rugged Scottish countryside, the natural phenomena that we got to witness up close, and the wonderful people that we met along the way.

Visiting Gay Scotland (in a Kilt)

An outsider’s perception of Scotland may be that it’s nothing but rolling hills, a few lakes, fields of sheep and cows, and tiny villages full of red-headed bearded men. It couldn’t be further from the truth! While there is plenty of nature (and gingers, but hey, we think they’re very hot), Scotland has an incredible history and mythical side to it.

There’s Nessie, the legendary Loch Ness monster. The shape shifting kelpies. The piercing shrieks from the banshee – or maybe that sound was just me having to work through a muddy field in a rainstorm!

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Scotland Gay Travel Resources

Hanging Out in Gay Edinburgh – The Nomadic Boys

Hanging Out in Gay Edinburgh - The Nomadic Boys

Here is our fabulous gay guide to Edinburgh, with the best places to sleep, eat, drink, party, and more.
We hold our hands up…we are kilty of falling in love with Edinburgh!

From the ever-present visual of the castle that looms over the city to the faint sound of bagpipes you can hear on most street corners, we couldn’t help but look around in love and say aloud to ourselves “thistle do nicely.”

We spent hours wandering about the bustling Royal Mile, down the winding Victoria Street (which famously inspired JK Rowling in creating Diagon Alley), and into the thriving Grassmarket courtyard, where we found a bountiful selection of pubs and cafes. But it was the electric and kind spirit of the Scottish people that loch-ed in our deep love.

This was our second trip to Scotland together – last time focusing on the gay scene of Inverness and the gorg beauty of the Scottish Highlands. We really fell in love with the Scottish capital. Edinburgh is a city steeped in history and mysticism, with a stunning photo opportunity on every street corner.

Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Gay Edinburgh Travel Resources

Stay in a Scottish Castle – Go Girlfriend

Dalmunzie Castle

For me, the essence of Scotland is in it’s beautiful landscapes and it’s castle-icious history. From the Orkney Islands in the north through the Highlands to Hadrian’s wall in the south, historic castles sit lochside and hillside in some truly spectacular locations.

Historic clans like the MacDonalds, the Stewarts, the MacKenzie’s or the Robertson’s, just to name a few, cover the countryside with their clan lands. The clan chieftains castle is Clan Regions of Scotland (click any to enlarge)always the grandest estate on these family lands perched majestically on a beautiful loch or amongst amazing mountainous views. 

Most stone castles have their roots in the 1300-1600’s as fortified clan strongholds. As technologies and workmanship improve, renovations, refurbishments or expansions happening til the mid-1700’s. At this point in history clans and castles sympathetic to the Jacobites were seized and destroyed by the opposing British so it couldn’t be used as a stronghold against them into the future. Many still sit in ruins today – some have been purchased and painstakingly restored. Some have even been slept in by Bonnie Prince Charlie or Mary Queen of Scots!

For those that were not destroyed, the 1800’s brought a change in castle perspective and architecture. As the Industrial era was changing the global landscape, these centuries-old stone castles (draughty, small winding staircases, not warm and inviting – more strongholds) were now considered ‘brutish” and more elaborate Georgian, English-style “modern” castle homes were built.

Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Scotland Gay Travel Resources

Gay Inverness: Bars, Hotels & Things to Do – The Nomadic Boys

gay Inverness - The Nomadic Boys

“Stefan your crotch is completely showing under your kilt – be careful!”

Oh crap! Well, you try squatting down trying to position the tripod camera correctly, clad in a Scottish kilt worn “authentically”…!

The Scottish Highlands are the stereotypical image of Scotland you imagine, with rolling hills, mountains towering over large glittering lochs and lots of thick lush green woodland. This is the place where the Scottish kilt originated from, haggis is a local speciality and, of course, a famous monster is rumoured to reside down in the deep dark waters of Loch Ness.

We did a road trip to Inverness and the Scottish Highlands surrounding the city. It’s utter bliss. Whether it’s the (sexy!) heavy thick Scottish accent or the lush rolling hills of the Highlands, we guarantee you’ll love gay Inverness as much as we did.

Where exactly are the Scottish Highlands?

The main regions of Scotland are usually referred to as the Highlands and the lowlands. The exact boundaries between the two are not clearly defined, but generally, if you’re heading north of Edinburgh and Glasgow or west from Aberdeen, then you’re going to the Highlands. This is also a very scenic part of Scotland, with lots of tall mountains, deep glens, waterfalls and beautiful forests.

Inverness is the main big city in the Highlands, generally considered to be the capital of the region. It’s also a major transport hub with the main international airport for the area, receiving flights from within the UK as well as from other parts of Europe. There are bus and rail connections to other parts of Scotland too, so it’s a great spot to base yourself for further exploration.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Scottish Highlands Gay Travel Resources

Gay Speyside & the Scottish Countryside – Gay Star Travel

gay Speyside - Tom Capon

Most of us want to escape our small towns for lives in the big city.

For some it was watching Sex and the City growing up, for others it’s loading up Grindr and seeing so many men that you have to upgrade to premium to see beyond 500 meters. For most it’s to escape the close-minded homophobia of little communities.

Whatever the reason for moving, after a few years of pollution, towering buildings and angry, angry people, we eventually beg for a sweet escape to the countryside.

Not permanently, sure. But a short retreat, to de-blacken our lungs and widen our eyes to the majesty of nature. And no place is better for this than Speyside, in the Scottish highlands.

The area gains its beauty from its sheer strength, combining stunning, rolling hills, adorable cottages, and a well-known weapon of mass-jubilation: Scotch whisky.

Speyside is cute, cute, cute 

The ride from the airport to your hotel is often one of the more exciting parts of the trip. In the city, you can see the layers of culture and society unfold, like a giant onion. In gay Speyside, it’s nearly all countryside.

Rivers run alongside the roads, so smooth and pure they look like they’re made of glass. The hills are bold and emerald, thriving in the wet climate. Harsh winds batter against the cars, whistling through the glass almost in warning.

By Tom Capon – Full Story at Gay Star Travel

Northern Scotland Gay Travel Resources

 

Gay Urban Scotland – Towleroad.com

Kilts - Deposit Photos

When you think of Scotland, you may think of a rustic, romantic countryside with rolling hills and majestic Lochs. But in addition to the country’s picturesque pastoral views, there’s tons to discover in Scotland’s urban centers.

LGBTQ travelers in particular should put gay urban Scotland at the top of their travel to-dos. Scotland has been considered one of the best countries in all of Europe for LGBTQ equality, legalizing same-sex marriage in 2014 and banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity since 2010.

Scotland’s urban centers boast outstanding culinary options, vibrant nightlife, world-class arts and thriving LGBTQ communities.

Check out some highlights of Scotland’s urban metropolises below, and visit VisitScotland to plan your trip today.

Home to the world’s largest arts festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland’s capital is the perfect place to see the most exciting artists of today and tomorrow alongside a city so rich with history its Old Town and New Town have been designated World Heritage sites by UNESCO.

By Andy – Full Story at Towleroad.com

Southern Scotland Gay Travel Resources

 

Hiking in Scotland – Go Girlfriend

Hiking in Scotland

I’m a down-to-earth, see-the-world-from-a-different-perspective kinda traveller and find a hike deep into the back-country of a destination an enriching exhilarating experience. Both from the benefit of the awesome geography and scenic beauty to be found right at ground level to a day out of the bustle of crowded tourist hot spots, this breath of fresh air and a chance to stretch my legs re-invigorates me for the next leg of the journey.

Clearly fitness is a major partnership with the degree of strenuousness of a hike you wish to undertake, but couples can enjoy non-strenuous adventures on thousands of hikes loch-side or along a seashore trail, girlfriends can join a girls-only trip into wondrous and more remote areas with a dedicated tour guide (Wilderness Scotland offers designated women-only tours throughout the year), or if you are up to a new competitive challenge you and a partner can challenge each other to break a new record together while exploring some profound geography. Either way, there is amazing insight to be gathered from every perspective.

There’s so much beauty to see in Scotland – grand Highland valleys both moorish and mountainous contrasting with the stark wild differences of the coastal cliffsides and lowland greenery. Here’s a few of our perspective points that brought Scotland into a special place in our travel hearts!

By Stacy Rosien – Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Northern Scotland Gay Travel Resources

Stay in a Scottish Castle – Go Girlfriend

Scottish Castles - Eilean Donan - Pixabay

For me, the essence of Scotland is in it’s beautiful landscapes and it’s castle-icious history. From the Orkney Islands in the north through the Highlands to Hadrian’s wall in the south, historic castles sit lochside and hillside in some truly spectacular locations.

Historic clans like the MacDonalds, the Stewarts, the MacKenzie’s or the Robertson’s, just to name a few, cover the countryside with their clan lands. The clan chieftains castle is Clan Regions of Scotland is always the grandest estate on these family lands perched majestically on a beautiful loch or amongst amazing mountainous views.

Most stone Scottish castles have their roots in the 1300-1600’s as fortified clan strongholds. As technologies and workmanship improve, renovations, refurbishments or expansions happening til the mid-1700’s. At this point in history clans and castles sympathetic to the Jacobites were seized and destroyed by the opposing British so it couldn’t be used as a stronghold against them into the future. Many still sit in ruins today – some have been purchased and painstakingly restored. Some have even been slept in by Bonnie Prince Charlie or Mary Queen of Scots!

By Stacy Rosien – Full Story at Go Girlfriend

Scottish Gay Travel Resources

 

Lesbian Edinburgh in 3 Days – Go Girlfriend

Lesbian Edinburgh - pixabay

Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-borough, not Edin-burrr), Scotland – the name for me conjures a mental image of a turbulent medieval history with stone fortresses, ancient battles and has it’s roots easily dating back to pre-Norse and Roman expansion. Kings, Queens and historic nobility have crowned Edinburgh as Scotland’s capital on the notable bay of the Firth of Forth and shops on the Royal Mile have made their mark evolving Edinburgh into a modern city rich in it’s arts, sciences, and cultural offerings.

The Royal Mile is Edinburgh’s tourist gem – the mile-long stretch of markets, shops and restaurants that tempt tourists as they explore grand Edinburgh Castle atop Castle Rock at one end and the Palace of Holyroodhouse aside majestic Arthurs Seat and the Salisbury Crags at the other end. To catch the flavor of what Scotland has to offer, Edinburgh is where you begin.

Since Scotland is such a wonderous country offering spectacular scenic vistas, vibrant castle-icious lochs and Scottish clans and their kilts, Edinburgh wraps all of these up to give you just a taste of what’s in store across it’s moory lands. Here’s Edinburgh in a 3-day weekend …

How to Explore Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in 3 days
Book your accommodations (or an Airbnb on the Royal Mile) and get set to see the highlights in 3 days.

Day 1 – Get acquainted with the Royal Mile

Hop On, Hop Off Bus (Edinburgh Tours) – you’ve arrived in Edinburgh, stepped on to the cobble-stoned Royal Mile (almost being hit by a passing bus if you’re touring on the Royal Mile from North America as you look the wrong way stepping off the curb!) and are overwhelmed with the options both right and left. Our recommendation is to head down to the Waverley Station bridge and get a ticket for one of Edinburgh’s Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours. For £15 (British Pounds) per adult you get a 24-hour pass and guided CitySightSeeing Tour of the Royal Mile’s highlights to get your bearings and determine what you want to include in your explorations. See something right away you want to explore, hop off at the next stop, explore and resume your CitySightSeeing Tour. If you’d like a broader view of greater Edinburgh, consider the Edinburgh Tour, the Majestic Tour or the 3 Bridges Tour.

By Stacy Rosien at Go Girlfriend – Day One

By Stacy Rosien at Go Girlfriend – Day Two

By Stacy Rosien at Go Girlfriend – Day Three

Edinburgh Gay Travel Resources