
Travel influencer reveals favourite summer day in Scotland where you can beat the crowds
'WE LOVE IT' Travel influencer reveals favourite summer day in Scotland where you can beat the crowds
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
WITH summer well and truly underway, hundreds of families will be waiting for the sun to return so they can head to the beach.
When it's hot and bright outside, there is nothing better than building canoes and going for a dip in the sea.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
3
Beaches can quickly become super busy when the sun is out
Credit: Alamy
3
Which is why influencer Howey Ejegi prefers to visit a quieter spot in the summer
Credit: Howey Ejegi
3
And he says it's great for families on a budget
Credit: Andrew Barr
But chances are, most of the country will have the same idea, which means they will quickly become swamped with people when the temperature rises.
So it's no wonder that more and more people are looking for lesser-known, hidden gem spots to enjoy a peaceful day out.
And one travel influencer has revealed his perfect Scottish location where there are no crowds - and he swears it's his favourite summer day.
Howey Ejegi is a digital creator at @howeydon and howeydon.com and a dad from Dundee.
And he revealed that while he loves visiting Aberdour Silver Sands in Fife, it usually gets too busy in the summer months.
So he likes to save it for the cooler, and when it gets hot outside, he heads to the Scottish Deer Centre near Cupar, in Fife, with his son, Jaivon, instead.
We love it. It's really educational and you can easily spend the whole day there, staying for lunch or bringing your own picnic
Howey Ejegi
Howey told The Sun: "Living on the Fife coast, we have some of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland a short drive from us.
"However, in summer, everyone has the same idea and they get really packed, with traffic jams and car parks all full.
"Aberdour Silver Sands is probably the most popular beach but we prefer to go in spring or autumn.
"It's not as hot, but sometimes we get the place almost to ourselves, so it feels like a secret beach.
Rare giant 'spaceship-like' sea creature that grows up to 2.5 metres spotted off Scots coast
"When it starts to get busy with locals and tourists, Jaivon and I prefer to head inland to the Scottish Deer Centre near Cupar."
Howey gushed over the massive wildlife park and said it's perfect for families on a budget because of its 'pay as you please' policy.
He added: "This wildlife park spans 55 acres and has 12 species of deer, wolves, otters, elk and bears.
"What's great about this place is that they have a 'pay as you please' admission, so guests pay what they can afford.
"It's a great incentive to encourage visitors from lower-income areas to experience the park without worrying about the admission price.
"We love it. It's really educational and you can easily spend the whole day there, staying for lunch or bringing your own picnic.
"I know people head to the beach for a cheap day out in the school holidays.
"But this is our favourite local spot when the coast gets too crowded."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
From trains to buckets and spades – three seaside tips to ensure you're digging in the sand and not your pockets
Plus scroll down to find out how to save 116.34 on Boots beauty products SUN SAVERS From trains to buckets and spades – three seaside tips to ensure you're digging in the sand and not your pockets Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HEAD to the seaside for a fun-packed day out this summer. Sea, sand and sunshine is a winning combination, but costs can creep up if you're not careful. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up So here's how to stick to a budget. . . BE TRAVEL SMART: Taking the train can cut the hassle of finding and using pricey parking spots. And if there's a group of between three and nine adults, you can get a third off the price of off-peak travel through GroupSave. Another option is FlixBus which connects UK cities with selected UK beach destinations including Brighton and Bournemouth. Tickets start from around a fiver. If you're driving, research the cheapest parking spots ahead of your day out. Don't forget and similar sites through which you can pay other people to use their driveways. GET IN GEAR: There's plenty to keep kids entertained for hours at the seaside but arrive prepared. Challenge children to find the prettiest shells and stones or to dig big holes or draw things on the sand. Take your own bucket and spade or you'll pay an arm and a leg in beach shops. The same goes for suntan lotion. I've saved £15k on trips to Ibiza, Mallorca & Turkey with term time holidays - I'll never stop, fines are a tax on the working class 5 Heading to the beach? We've three tips to keep the cost under control Credit: Getty If you take your own towels and parasol, you can avoid expensive sun lounger rental. You can get a beach parasol for £4.99 in Home Bargains, which you'll be able to use time and time again. BRING SUPPLIES: Food and drink can push up the cost of a day out. Try freezing your own plastic bottles of squash beforehand and they'll make a cooling refreshment through the day as the squash melts. Ice lollies from home can be popped in a cooler mug which will keep them frozen for a limited time. Pack plenty of snacks that won't spoil in the heat, such as crisps, nuts, slices of pitta or breadsticks. All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability. Deal of day 5 Bag £161.34 worth of beauty items for a cut-price £45 with this Boots Festival Edit Credit: Boots GET your hands on nine full-sized beauty items worth £161.34 for a cut-price £45 with Boots Festival Edit. The set includes setting mist, dry shampoo and mascara, and is online only. SAVE: £116.34 Cheap treat DIGESTIVE biscuits have a new twist, with pink raspberry and cream flavour, £1.85 from Sainsbury's with a Nectar card but £2.25 without. WHAT'S NEW? SET the tone at home with this good vibes 43cm cushion. It's cotton-rich, has a fibre filling and is new in at Dunelm for £14. Top swap 5 Choose between £149 on the left, or £54.99 on the right STAY on time with the Abbott Lyon Essence two-tone 23 watch £149, from Or try Sekonda's Monica watch, £54.99 from Argos. SAVE: £94.01 Shop and save 5 This embroidered top is down from £45 to £22.50 at Accessorize Credit: Accessorize TEAM this pretty blouse with white jeans for an easy style win. The embroidered top is down from £45 to £22.50 at Accessorize. SAVE: £22.50 LITTLE HELPER THE Real Greek chain has a new menu. To celebrate, diners have the chance to win a meal every day this month if they receive a 'golden menu' when sitting down. Hot right now MIX and match five food staples for £5 at B&M, includes Heinz and Warburtons products, saving around £2. . PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 5 Join thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!


The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
New bus service confirmed for Scottish city
Councillor Ken Gowans, Chair of the Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee said: 'Following recent route changes by Stagecoach, our in-house team have stepped in to create this new service so residents and visitors can still enjoy regular and reliable public transport in and around [[Inverness]].' The 100 service will operate Monday to Friday, providing an off-peak connection between the city centre, Crown. Kingsmills, Raigmore Hospital, Inshes Retail Park, the Stevenson Road area, the UHI Campus and Inverness Retail & Business Park, with three journeys each way per day. READ MORE: Scottish Government intervene in Glasgow O2 ABC site plans 'Another significant step forward' for city centre transformation Cllr Gowans added: 'I'd like to thank our team for their work to set up this service so quickly in response to the needs of communities. Having the ability to be flexible and to react to customer demands is one of main benefits of investing in council bus services.' The timetable for the 100 service will be made available on the Council's website


Scotsman
5 hours ago
- Scotsman
How SNP and Labour are putting future of Scottish tourism industry at risk
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Not that you would think it from the torrential rain showers we've been experiencing recently, but we are at the height of the Scottish tourist season. Driving up the A9 north at the weekend, I could not help but notice the number of visitors' vehicles parked in laybys along the road, as people took photographs of mist-covered hills. These scenes, welcome as they are, rather belie the real underlying story affecting Scottish tourism and hospitality sectors. Because what we hear from the industry is that while international visitor numbers have generally held up well, there are very real concerns about the domestic market, which won't be helped by another wet and windy summer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish families are once again crowding to our airports in search of sunnier climes rather than holidaying at home, and the cost of living means that visitor spend for those staying home is being squeezed. Edinburgh in August is a boom-time for the tourism sector, but in many parts of the country this important industry is struggling (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images Industry warnings and job losses According to the Scottish Tourism Alliance, in 2024 the 16,000 businesses operating across the tourism and hospitality sectors in Scotland employed a total of 245,000 people, and generated revenues of £16.5 billion, 9 per cent of Scotland's economy. But Marc Crothal, STA's chief executive, warns that in recent months trading conditions have become far more difficult for many operators, and only look set to become more challenging still. Government measures are undoubtedly having a detrimental impact on the sector. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that the UK hospitality sector has lost 84,000 jobs since Rachel Reeves' Budget and the increase in employers' National Insurance, with the industry the hardest hit sector of the economy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad That was a decision taken by the UK Labour government, but the SNP administration in Holyrood cannot be exempted from the blame for the current difficult situation. The botched introduction of short-term let licensing has led to many smaller operators choosing to withdraw from the market altogether, given the additional costs and bureaucracy involved in complying with an overly complex scheme. Those who remain face additional financial burdens. All this for a system which was far too broad in its reach and should never have been applied on a national basis, but introduced only where there was specific local need. The same Scottish Government has failed to pass on the rates relief available to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England from the UK Government to Scottish businesses for two years now, putting our operators at a competitive disadvantage. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad READ MORE: New push to highlight significant benefits of visitor economy to Scotland 'Unnecessary and avoidable' And now we have the visitor levy currently being considered by council administrations across Scotland. First out of the traps has been Edinburgh, setting the levy at 5 per cent, plus VAT, on all accommodation bookings in the city, to apply from April next year. It is a scheme which has been heavily criticised by the industry as 'unworkable', with no guidance having been issued to operators as to how to apply and pay the levy back to the council. According to tourism leaders, the current timeline for those required to apply the levy 'places unnecessary and avoidable strain on the sector', which is already struggling with rising costs. Other councils are following suit, with consultations being launched across Scotland on whether the levy should be introduced. Fortunately, some, like Aberdeenshire, are extending their deadline for responses, after starting to realise the issue is more complex than it first appears. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But the question of a visitor levy goes beyond simply the matter of the administrative burden of collection. There is a much more serious matter to be considered: whether Scottish tourism can really afford, in a competitive international market, to make itself even more expensive with this new tax. A recent survey showed that Edinburgh is now Europe's most expensive short-break destination. We know Scottish families will choose package holidays overseas, not just because of the guarantee of sunshine, but because these often work out considerably cheaper than staying within our own shores. By imposing a visitor levy, are we not at risk of doing even further damage to an already struggling sector? Perthshire is famous for its trees and scenery, including the Meikleour Beech Hedge, the world's tallest, on the A93 Perth to Blairgowrie road (Picture: Peter Thompson/Heritage Images) |A sensible plan It may be that Edinburgh during the festival period can well sustain a visitor levy without a detrimental impact. But that certainly does not apply to Scotland as a whole. Complaints about 'over-tourism' ring hollow in many parts of Perthshire and Fife that I represent in the Scottish Parliament, where we would be delighted to see greater visitor numbers than we currently have, particularly outwith the hot-spot season of July and August. One self-catering operator I spoke to recently told me he would bite off my hand to have a bit of the 'over-tourism' that is deemed such a problem in places like Edinburgh and Skye. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Last month the Scottish Conservatives, for whom I speak on tourism matters, published a policy paper with four proposals to assist Scotland's tourist sector. Firstly, to ensure there is significant rates' relief for hospitality that's at least as generous as that applied south of the Border. Secondly, changes to the short-term let licensing regime to exclude letting rooms within your own home, remove B&Bs and guest houses from the scope of the rules, and introduce a lighter touch to the regulations as a whole. Thirdly, to change the visitor levy rules so that any sums applied would be a fixed rate rather than a percentage, which would help address the concerns about affordability. And fourthly, a new initiative to promote careers in the hospitality industry, particularly to younger people. Taken together, this is a package of support which has been warmly welcomed by the sector, and would help address many of their concerns. Without this or something similar from the Scottish and UK governments, we are likely to see further job losses in an industry which should be our national flagship.