Scotland could be 'coolcation' hit as Med heats up

SCOTLAND is set to receive an influx of summer holidaymakers as the Mediterranean weather is simply becoming too hot, a tourism expert has said.

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Chris Greenwood, a senior researcher at Glasgow Caledonian University, said with the Mediterranean summer becoming “unbearable” for many, the “coolcation” will become a necessity. He predicted that with some rebranding, Scotland could cash in on people's search for somewhere cooler to spend their summer holiday.

“In 2026, Scotland stops selling itself as ‘rugged’ and starts selling itself as ‘temperate,” he predicted.

“We are seeing a massive shift of high-net-worth families moving their July/August bookings from Tuscany to the Trossachs.”

He also said visitors are likely to seek less crowded alternatives to popular Scottish sites such as the Fairy Pools on Skye and Edinburgh's Royal Mile, which he said are becoming “victims of their own virality” on sites including Instagram.