Scotland lies in South Central Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley, an area known for year-round outdoor activities and important historical sites. The town is small, with a population of less than 1,500 people, and offers easy access to numerous sights within Franklin and Adams counties.
This part of the state has excellent farmland. Pick your own apples from orchards in Adams County and stock up on fresh produce at farm stands. Listen for the Pennsylvania Dutch accents of descendants of early immigrants who arrived in Pennsylvania seeking religious freedom. Sample their fresh baked goods and homemade jams at summer fairs and festivals.
Chambersburg, a 10-minute drive south of Scotland, is the Franklin County seat, a larger city with many cultural offerings. Visit the community theater, amusement park, skydiving center, shopping mall, historical society and arts center. Select from several churches of varied denominations for weekend services.
Just east of Scotland is Michaux State Forest, a wilderness area of more than 85,000 acres (34,000 hectares). Follow some of the 100 miles (kilometers) of hiking trails, including 37 miles (60 kilometers) of the Appalachian Trail. Enjoy all seasons in the park. Look for birds and wildflowers or have a picnic. Ride horseback, mountain bike or ATV. Camp, hunt, fish and play golf. Snowmobile and cross-country ski when the snow falls.
Gettysburg is about a 30-minute drive east of Scotland. Union and Confederacy soldiers met on this famous site in 1863 in a decisive battle of the American Civil War. Tour Gettysburg National Battlefield to understand the events of the battle, the overall war and President Lincoln’s desire for reunification. Thousands of Union soldiers are buried in the cemetery within the Gettysburg National Military Park. Drive around the site to see memorials from states that fought on both sides of the war.
Scotland is about a 1-hour drive southwest from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and 2 hours northwest from Baltimore, Maryland. Enjoy the green spaces and fascinating history of this Pennsylvania region.
