One of the things on my to-do list for 2025 is to visit Scotland. Right after the article was published, we decided to visit Scotland. We had our first trip there last Monday.

Since we decided to visit Edinburgh 3 days before the trip, and we only had 5 days, including the transportation time, we didn’t plan much. We booked a 1-day tour to the West Highland, visited a local whisky distillery, and spent the rest of the time wandering around the city. This was quite similar to our trip to Sapporo.

Long before we decided to move to the UK, I had already thought of visiting Scotland. Having lived in a hot and humid place for over 30 years, I enjoyed staying in Sapporo, where it is cold in winter yet still cool in summer. Throughout the trip to Scotland, I couldn’t stop comparing Scotland to Hokkaido. Both places share similarities whilst having their own unique features.

Hotels

This was my first time staying at a hotel in the UK, and when we arrived, we realised 3 things were missing: a fridge, slippers and a washing machine. I didn’t expect that, as these are provided in almost any 3-star or above hotel in Japan. Worse still, we couldn’t find any budget slippers for sale in Edinburgh. We had no choice but to walk barefoot in the hotel room. Luckily, we didn’t spend much time there.

Climate

Both Scotland and Hokkaido have cool climates. I like staying in cooler places, so both are suitable for me. Scotland is located at a higher latitude than Hokkaido. Combined with other geographical factors, Scotland is generally colder throughout the year. The average temperature of Edinburgh during summer is 20˚C, and 0˚C in winter. We chose the coldest days to visit Edinburgh. The weather was nice, with no snow, although we did encounter black ice.

In contrast, Hokkaido has distinct seasons, with temperatures in Sapporo ranging from -10˚C to 30˚C. I visited Sapporo twice, and neither trip was during winter, so I didn’t experience heavy snow. Sapporo Snow Festival is a famous annual event, and the drivers need snow tyres to navigate the icy roads.

Natural Landscapes

Both Scotland and Hokkaido share many similarities. They aren’t central business areas, with most people living in cities. The rest of the land is either undeveloped or used for agriculture. The population density is very low.

We booked a one-day bus tour to the West Highlands, similar to our trip to Shakotan, a rural area in western Hokkaido. It took several hours to travel from Edinburgh to places like Kilchurn, Inveraray, and Rest and Be Thankful. The views were stunning, with many mountain ranges, although some were inaccessible to regular visitors.

Hokkaido also offers plenty of breathtaking scenery, thanks to its distinct seasons. You can visit beautiful farms and enjoy saffron, cherry blossoms, tulips, lavender, garden cosmos, and ginkgo throughout the year.

Choosing between Scotland and Hokkaido is like choosing between stunning mountain ranges and a rich variety of flowers.

History and Culture

The development of Hokkaido began in the 18th century, making it relatively “young” compared to Scotland, which has been developing since the 1st century. Edinburgh has both a New Town and an Old Town. Before visiting, I thought New Town was a modern area built in the past 50 years. In fact, this “New” Town was built in the 18th century. Old Town, on the other hand, dates back to the 7th century.

There were many wars between England and Scotland over 900 years. In 1707, Scotland and England united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.

In contrast, the 200-year conflicts between the Yamato people and the Ainu people in Hokkaido had a different outcome. In 1789, the Ainu were defeated, Ezo was occupied, and the region was renamed Hokkaido, marking the assimilation of the Ainu culture into the dominant Japanese society.

Today, both Scotland and Hokkaido strive to preserve their unique identities. Scottish Gaelic nearly disappeared but is now seeing preservation efforts. For example, I noticed a TV channel broadcasting in Gaelic. In contrast, Ainu is nearly extinct, with fewer than 5 people able to hold a conversation in the language as of 2023. However, many place names in Hokkaido originate from Ainu, such as Sapporo (札幌), which means “dry, great river” in Ainu.

Whisky

Whisky is one of the well-known products in Hokkaido. Nikka whisky can sell for double the price in Hong Kong. During my first trip to Hokkaido, I visited the Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery. The founder learned whisky production techniques in Scotland and brought them back to Japan. This inspired me to visit Scotland, the birthplace of whisky.

There were many whisky shops on the Royal Mile – both authentic shops and tourist traps. We also found a young whisky distillery, established in 2019, offering tours. We joined one and learned about whisky production and how new distilleries start their businesses.

During the tour, we tasted several single malts. While they couldn’t match the exclusive whiskies at Nikka Yoichi Distillery, we were impressed by the quality from such a young distillery. It’s no wonder Scotland is the home of whisky.

We learned a lot during the 5-day trip and felt a distinct difference between London and Edinburgh. While Hong Kong is so small that domestic travel isn’t part of Hongkongers’ vocabulary, it’s quite common in the UK. We look forward to exploring more of the country places and learning about its culture, history and nature. Perhaps we’ll visit Scotland again in the summer.