Glasgow is about to be splashed across our television screens and social media feeds, and Scotland is expecting it to lead to an increase in Aussies booking trips to check out the country for themselves.The Commonwealth Games kicks off in the city on Thursday night and will run for 11 days, shining a spotlight on the destination.“The thing about Australian athletes is that they’re very focused on their sporting events but they also get out and explore around,” VisitBritain’s manager for Australia Kristen Angus told news.com.au, explaining that the athletes’ own online content had the power to inspire travel just as much as the official broadcast.“One of the fantastic things that these major events do is they help shine a spotlight on perhaps places Australians don’t know quite so well.”Ms Angus wants Aussies to know that if they have already visited the UK, they haven’t seen all there is to see as “there’s something new around every corner”.“There’s such strong emotional and cultural ties with between Australia and the UK, but really what we want to do is – and events like the Commonwealth Games do – inspire them to travel beyond the honey pots and experience the breadth of the nations,” she said.“And take the opportunity to see them outside of the main seasons where you can see a different sort of UK, whether it’s the autumnal colours or the dusting of snow and a really beautiful different winter experience. We would just encourage people to consider those as they look to plan their next holiday to the UK.”If you are one of those Aussies who is influenced in the next few weeks to book a trip to Scotland, there are some things you should know.You really don’t want a ‘Glasgow kiss’ and never call it EnglandGraeme Stockton, a driver-guide for Scottish tour operator Rabbie’s, told news.com.au there wasn’t much local etiquette Aussies needed to get their heads around before visiting, but there is one piece of slang all foreign tourists should know.“Scots are generally very friendly and welcoming, so a smile and a chat will get you a long way,” Mr Stockton said.“One thing worth knowing is that a ‘Glasgow kiss’ isn’t quite as friendly as it sounds – it’s local slang for a headbutt.”Meanwhile, Liv Barber, who is co-founder of Walking Tours in Scotland, noted there is one word that can get you in trouble.“Remember that Scotland is not England! It is a country in its own right, with its own culture, history, and national identity,” she said. “Referring to Scotland as England is unlikely to go down particularly well.”Ms Barber explained that visitors are often surprised by how different Scotland’s cities are from one another, and said it was a common misconception that Scotland is permanently cold, dark and rainy.“The weather is of course, unpredictable, and we often experience four seasons in a day, but we also have long summer evenings, beautiful sunny days and remarkably varied landscapes,” she said.“Bring layers and a waterproof jacket rather than relying too heavily on the weather forecast. It is perfectly normal to experience sunshine, wind and rain within the same afternoon.”Ms Barber’s biggest piece of advice is to talk to people.“We are a very friendly and welcoming place. Some of the best travel recommendations, stories and memories will come from conversations with the people you meet along the way,” she said.Ms Angus believes Aussies tend to fit in well with the Scots because they don’t take themselves too seriously.The country’s national animal is a unicorn and so the official mascot for the 2026 Commonwealth Games is Finnie the unicorn. And Finnie’s horn is actually a traffic cone, as a nod to the long-running tradition of locals placing a traffic cone on the head of the Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow. No matter how often it’s removed, it always comes back. However, one thing they do take seriously is their whiskey.What to see in ScotlandGlasgow is known for its music scene and impressive architecture, and it is worth exploring Merchant City, the West End and the streets around Glasgow Cathedral, according to Ms Barber. But one of Glasgow’s biggest hidden gems is its street art.“The city has an ever-changing collection of murals and smaller artworks tucked down lanes and side streets, many of which tell stories about Glasgow’s people, culture and identity,” she said.Both Ms Barber and Mr Stockton recommended Aussies make time to travel beyond the city.“Outside Glasgow, I would encourage visitors not to focus exclusively on Edinburgh and the Isle of Skye,” Ms Barber said. “Places such as Stirling, Inverness, St Andrews, Oban and Scotland’s smaller towns all offer something very different.“Some of the best experiences come from slowing down, speaking to local people and leaving enough room in your itinerary for unexpected discoveries.”One of Mr Stockton’s favourite day trips is the Isle of Arran.He said it’s often described as ‘Scotland in miniature’ because it offers so much of what people love about Scotland in one place.“Arran is Scotland in a one-stop-shop little island. There’s castles, history, standing stones, whisky, hills, glens, beaches and mountains all in one place,” he explained.“It’s also incredibly easy to reach from Glasgow, making it one of the most popular day trips from the city and a fantastic way to experience the variety of Scotland without travelling too far.”Screen tourism, which is when people want to explore places they’ve seen in TV shows and films, is also a major motivator for Australians.Outlander in particular has “driven a huge amount of tourism for the nation”.“With the last season just out at the moment, there’s maps, there’s special tours, there’s walking guides,” Ms Angus said. “You can go and see the standing stones, you can explore the countryside, you can see the battlefields of Culloden – there’s an amazing range of experiences that have been built out on film and TV.”Ms Angus said other unique experiences on offer in Scotland include doing an outdoor yoga class with the Kilted Yogis, monster hunting on Loch Ness, or visiting Britain’s only wild reindeer herd found in the Cairngorm Mountains.Qatar Airways flies from Australia to Edinburgh via Doha, and Emirates flies to both Edinburgh and Glasgow via Dubai.