Is the rise of the ‘coolcation’ good news for Scottish holiday parks?
For years, the idea of a summer holiday has meant sunshine, high temperatures and heading south. But that is starting to change. With increasingly hot summers across parts of Europe, more holidaymakers are looking north for somewhere cooler. Scotland, with its mountains, lochs, coastline and wide-open spaces, is well placed to benefit from this shift.
The term ‘coolcation’ is being used more often to describe holidays where people are actively choosing cooler destinations to escape the heat. And there are signs that this is more than just a passing trend.
According to the European Travel Commission, visitor numbers to Northern Europe increased by 10% between April and June 2026 compared with the same period the previous year. Travel searches for cooler summer destinations have also been rising.
For Scotland’s tourism industry, this could be a significant opportunity.
Scotland has what ‘coolcation’ visitors are looking for
The appeal of Scotland is not new. People have always travelled here for the scenery, wildlife and outdoor activities. What is changing is the value people place on the climate. A summer day in the Highlands at 15 or 18 degrees might once have been described as disappointing by some visitors. For someone trying to escape temperatures in the high 30s elsewhere in Europe, it can sound ideal.
It also makes Scotland well suited to the growing demand for outdoor holidays. Walking, cycling, fishing, golf, wildlife watching and exploring the countryside are all much more appealing when you are not trying to avoid the midday heat.
For holiday park owners and landowners, this creates an interesting opportunity.
What does this mean for holiday accommodation?
If more people are choosing Scotland for its cooler climate and outdoor experiences, there is an opportunity to provide accommodation that makes the most of it. A good holiday lodge gives visitors somewhere comfortable to return to after a day outside. It needs to work when the sun is shining, but just as importantly, when it is raining.
Large windows can make the surrounding landscape part of the experience. Good insulation and heating keep the lodge comfortable when temperatures drop. Outdoor seating, covered areas and well-designed living spaces allow guests to enjoy their surroundings without having to rely on perfect weather. This is particularly important for higher-end accommodation.
If a guest is paying a premium for a break in the Highlands, the lodge itself needs to feel like part of the holiday, not simply somewhere to sleep.
Could this help extend the season?
The other opportunity is the potential to attract visitors outside the traditional summer months. Scotland has plenty to offer in spring, autumn and winter, but the accommodation needs to support those experiences.
Autumn can bring changing landscapes, wildlife and walking. Winter offers dark skies, dramatic scenery, skiing and cosy breaks. Spring brings longer days and the start of the outdoor season. For park operators, attracting visitors across more of the year can make a significant difference. Rather than relying solely on peak summer demand, the aim can be to create a destination that people want to visit throughout the year.
An opportunity for landowners
For landowners considering tourism or farm diversification, it is worth looking at how this changing demand could fit into your plans. A large development is not necessarily required. In some cases, a smaller number of well-designed lodges can create a more private, higher-value experience.
Depending on the site, this could mean adding accommodation to an existing holiday park, developing a small rural lodge site or creating accommodation alongside an existing tourism business or outdoor activity. The location itself is often the biggest asset. A view across a loch, woodland, hills or open countryside can be a major selling point, particularly when the accommodation has been designed to make the most of it.
Designing for Scotland
Of course, cooler weather does not mean that any lodge will automatically work for year-round tourism. For Scottish sites, the building needs to be designed with the local conditions in mind. Insulation, heating, glazing, roofing and external materials all have an important role to play. The aim is to give visitors the best of both worlds, a comfortable place to stay while still feeling connected to the landscape outside. That could be a particularly strong proposition for premium holiday accommodation.
Could ‘coolcations’ become a long-term opportunity?
It’s too early to say exactly how the coolcation trend will develop, but the wider change in travel preferences is worth paying attention to. People are becoming more conscious of extreme heat and are looking for different types of holiday. At the same time, Scotland already has many of the things these visitors are looking for. For landowners and holiday park operators, the opportunity is to consider how their sites can meet this demand.
Scotland does not need to compete with Mediterranean destinations on sunshine. It can offer something different, cooler temperatures, dramatic landscapes, outdoor experiences and somewhere comfortable to come back to at the end of the day.
For holiday parks looking at their next phase of development, that could be worth considering.