Rick Steves Thinks This Boring Region Is One Of Europe's Worst Destinations

Travelers to Europe have relied on advice and recommendations from Rick Steves for decades, from his guidebooks to his series "Rick Steves' Europe," and have joined his European tours. He loves Europe, but that doesn't mean he thinks every part of it is travel-worthy. In fact, there is one area that he considers one of its worst destinations: southern Scotland. That might be surprising, as there are a lot of beautiful and fascinating places to visit in Scotland. Steves even has a post on his website for a full two-week itinerary through the country, which is a long time to spend in a place that only spans a bit over 30,000 square miles. However, none of that itinerary is in southern Scotland below Glasgow and Edinburgh, the latter of which Steves says is absolutely worth visiting for the history. 

In his post discussing the worst places in Europe, Steves says, "Let's start with the British Isles and its dullest corner, southern Scotland. It's so boring that the Romans decided to block it off with Hadrian's Wall. But don't skip Hadrian's Wall; it covers history buffs like me with goose bumps (or goose pimples, as the Brits say)." Keep in mind that Hadrian's Wall is actually in northern England, and if you do decide to visit southern Scotland, a trip a bit farther down is absolutely worth it.

Just because Rick Steves says it's boring doesn't mean that you'll hate southern Scotland if you visit it yourself. One place that's well worth your time is Melrose Abbey in Roxburghshire. It's the ruin of an 1136 monastery founded by King David I. You can take a tour of this structure that houses the heart of Robert the Bruce and explore the grounds. There's a lovely overview of the surrounding area from the bell tower as well.

Around 63 miles southwest of Melrose Abbey, you'll find another place to explore in southern Scotland, which is the Robert Burns House in Dumfries, as well as the nearby Robert Burns Mausoleum. This was the final home of the national poet of Scotland, who died in 1796. If you've ever sung "Auld Lang Syne," you know his work. While you're in Dumfries, less than 8 miles from the Robert Burns House is the triangular, medieval Caerlaverock Castle, once the home of the Maxwell clan. You can also hit the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, around 60 miles away in Ayr. While you're there, check out the Burns Cottage, where the poet was born, and artifacts from his life in the museum, set between a pedestrian walkway. There is also a cafe and activities for children.

To explore southern Scotland, fly into Newcastle International Airport (NCL) – within driving distance of parts of the Rick Steves-recommended Hadrian's Wall – or Edinburgh Airport (EDI), which is about 2.5 hours north of the area. It's smart to get a rental car for this area. In a post in the Rick Steves travel forum, a commenter mentions that southern Scotland is large and "not easy to get around." Do note, however, that you'll have to make sure you know how to drive on the other side of the road if you're coming from the U.S. 

If you visit, you can hit a few spots in northern England as well (despite the fact that Steves does call England a "minefield of tourist traps"). If you take his advice and visit Hadrian's Wall, you'll find there is plenty of history there to discover. The wall was built by the Roman army at the request of Emperor Hadrian in the second century C.E., and runs around 73 miles across northern England, just south of Scotland. It functioned as a border between the conquered lands and the unconquered north, with gatehouses and troops stationed there. One fantastic place to stop along the wall is Vindolanda, which was a Roman garrison for around 400 years and now has attractions like a museum with uncovered artifacts and the ruins of a bathhouse, headquarters, and a temple.

Finally, if you're traveling to Scotland and want to skip the southern area, Rick Steves suggests hitting places like Edinburgh, Glasgow, Oban, Inverness, Loch Ness (you have to look for the famous monster, of course), and the Isle of Skye. Finally, if you're headed to this area of the world for your next vacation, check out why Steves says not to visit both Scotland and Ireland in the same trip.