Domestic sentiment tracker 

1. Executive summary

The latest report for Scotland is based on data collected from fieldwork conducted between February 2026 to April 2026. It reports on intended UK trips for April to September 2026.

The key findings of the domestic sentiment tracker can be summarised as follows:

• Conflict in the Middle East has had an impact on views of the cost-of-living crisis with a consistent 20% stating they have been "hit hard", and a growing 49% stating they are "OK" but being careful in April 2026.
• Perceptions have also been impacted by the conflict – 62% now believe the worst is still to come, the highest this proportion has been since February 2023.
• Despite this, the proportion stating the cost of living will impact on UK short breaks / holidays remains similar to last year (54%), with the main changes planning to do less, spend less or change accommodation.
• Barriers to taking a trip remain financial. The rising cost of living, cost of holidays and personal finances have all increased in April – unsurprising given soaring fuel costs.
• Looking at intentions between April to September 2026, these have fallen compared to the same period in 2025 (63% vs 68%). Intentions to visit Scotland have also decreased by three percentage points  (13% to 10%) for the same period.

Intentions to visit Scotland (April to September 2026)

Looking forward to the summer (April to September 2026), Scotland is the fourth most-preferred destination to visit (behind London, South West and North West).

Booking levels are lower than last year in general, but also lower for Scotland where only 31% have booked their planned trip. Commitment to visiting Scotland is lower than average with 46% very committed compared to 56% across the UK as a whole.

For Scotland intenders, older independents is now the most common group, with a smaller proportion of families planning a trip.

Destination types

Intentions to visit cities in Scotland has grown this year, alongside growth in those planning to visit the countryside or villages. 3 in 10 plan to visit Edinburgh, and a similar proportion plan to visit Glasgow (28%, up from 17% last year).  

Also consistent with previous research, non-Scotland residents were more likely than Scotland residents to plan on visiting the Edinburgh and Glasgow areas.

Motivations for Scotland trip intenders (April to September 2026)

"To get away from it all and have a rest" and "family time or time with my partner" are the leading motivations for a short break or holiday in Scotland with "walking / hiking" and "trying local food" dominating the planned activities.  Interest in cultural activities has grown this year, in particular visiting cultural attractions and learning about local history and culture.

Accommodation for Scotland trip intenders (April to September 2026)

"Hotel / motel / inn" is the number-one accommodation type for Scotland on a par with last year, with Scotland residents also mentioning staying in rented houses or in caravans on their next trip.

3. Methodology

The study uses a monthly online survey based on a UK nationally representative sample of 1,500 adults aged 16 and over. The sample is then boosted in Scotland to ensure sufficient base sizes for separate national analysis.

In total, 1,750 surveys are completed, of which 250 are Scotland residents. The study is conducted by BVA BDRC. The latest Scotland report aggregates the results from waves of fieldwork conducted between November 2025 and January 2026.

Further information on the methodology is available within the PDF report to download.