Stuck for ideas for a gift for the outdoor lover in your life or want to take home a little memento of Scotland? My gift guide will hopefully help you find something, even if it’s a treat for yourself.
Gifts, homeware and jewellery
The Sticker Atlas of Scotland
Children love a sticker book but so can adults! I actually bought this for myself and love it, it’s informative so would make a great gift for those new to Scotland and for younger ones too.
Scot Bucket List Scratch Maps
A satisfying gift for those that love making a note of their achievements. These maps can be hung up and when scratched show a lovely gradient of colours.
Hill Patches and Pins from The Adventure Patch Company
Know a Munro bagger? They can show off their achievements with iron-on patches from The Adventure Patch Company. If you know exactly the hills they’ve climbed you could put the patches on a jacket or bag.
Rois Sea Glass Jewellery
Now you can really take a piece of an island home with you! I was gifted a lovely sea glass necklace for Christmas one year which was a lovely gift and it came with a little card to say where the glass had been found – mine was from Skye! Rois has necklaces and earrings all featuring sea glass from beaches across Scotland.
Support an island business
Buying a gift from a Scottish island business can be very thoughtful, especially if you have just recently visited that island. Isle20 is a social enterprise that is supporting small island businesses – their website features gifts from food and drink to jewellery. You can also shop by island which is a nice little feature.
Gie it Laldy Mugs
Mugs with a bit of personality! Gie it Laldy mugs have Scottish slang – great for that legend or rocket in your life.
Love a Tunnock’s Teacake? Gillian Kyle is a Scottish artist who sells homeware printed with teacakes and irn-bru!
Give the gift of decent coffee
Scotland has a great choice of coffee roasters – from the Highlands to the Borders. Here are some of my favourites.
The Indy Coffee Guide is a good book for those who like trying out new coffee spots – you can buy a Scotland one as well as other regions.
Send bakes and sweet treats
- Edinburgh Fudge Kitchen – build your own box of fudge, it might be difficult trying to choose which ones you want to try!
- Quirky Chocolate – handmade in Scotland, this is no ordinary chocolate. Taking inspiration from Scotland, there are chocolate bars based on caramel wafers, Dundee cake, irn-bru and tablet.
- Three Sisters Bake – send a box of decadent brownies or a mixed box which will satisfy that sweet tooth!
For the person that has everything…
There can come a time when the person you’re buying for seems to have all the gear or maybe you’ve known them for years and feel like you’ve run out of ideas. Below are my recommendations!
A charity donation
Gifting a donation to a charity, especially one that is close to your recipient’s heart, is a lovely gesture. Picking a charity can be quite a personal thing, however, if you’re not sure I’ve put some ideas below or you can search the OSCR (Scottish Charity Regulator) to find a charity based on their charitable purpose or who they benefit.
Charity ideas
OS Maps Subscription
A digital OS Maps subscription is great for those looking for more walks or who want to explore a particular area better. As it’s digital, you have access to a map of the UK and you can then print out any areas you like. Or you can simply follow the map on your phone.
Mountaineering Scotland Membership
Love the hills? A membership with Mountaineering Scotland Membership comes with a lot of benefits such as discounts on outdoor equipment and access to courses.
Plant a Tree
Trees for Life is rewilding the Scottish Highlands. For a special occasion, you can buy a tree and dedicate it to someone or you can start a grove where others can also add trees and dedications.
An adrenaline adventure
Gift something a bit different and see Scotland from a different viewpoint – whether that’s doing a bungee jump or ziplining between the trees.