Bagpipes and castles: 8 surprising experiences await in this Canadian city

One of the most successful Scots to emigrate to Canada was Robert Dunsmuir. Orphaned as a seven-year-old, he worked his way up from a coal miner to progenitor of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in western Canada. By the time of his death in 1889 at age 64, he was both a coal baron and a railway tycoon. His funeral stopped the city. Schools and shops - with windows draped in black - were closed and 12,000 people lined the streets. It's a fascinating story brought to life at Craigdarroch Castle - the grand home he built for his family but never got to live in. The story goes that he promised his wife, Joan, he would build her a castle if she left Scotland for a new life in Canada. He fulfilled his pledge but died before it was completed in 1890. The castle is now a time capsule of its transition from a mansion to a military hospital and then conservatorium. thecastle.ca

On the Royal BC Museum site is the oldest preserved house in Victoria - the Helmcken House, which was built in 1852 by surgeon Dr John Sebastian Helmcken. Alongside the St Ann's Schoolhouse, built in the same era and moved to the museum, it gives insight into early colonial life in Victoria. Inside the museum is a replica of the HMS Discovery, which Captain George Vancouver commanded on an expedition to map the Pacific west coast of North America in the 1790s. The museum is also home to one of Victoria's most famous residents, Woolly - a replica of a woolly mammoth, which once roamed the island. Victoria is set on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen people and while the museum is updating its indigenous displays, visitors can explore the re-creation of the house of Chief Kwakwabalasami. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Take a walk along Government Street with its collection of tourist shops, jewellery stores, ice-cream vendors and historic pubs, where you can order a plate of poutine - the Canadian dish that combines French fries, cheese curds and hot gravy. Or order a Caesar - a cocktail created and consumed primarily in Canada, which typically contains vodka, Clamato (clam tomato juice) and hot sauce. Government Street also leads to Chinatown, which is home to Fan Tan Alley - North America's narrowest commercial street at just 0.9 metres at its slimmest.

Take time to sit down to a high tea - either at the popular Empress Hotel, where it's been a tradition since 1908, or at the more quaint Pendray Inn & Tea House. Also essential: grab a bite at the colourful Fisherman's Wharf - a collection of floating homes and eateries serving seafood, Mexican and pizza. To get there, jump on a water taxi, which looks much like a yellow cab on the water.

Beacon Hill Park, 80 hectares of gardens in downtown Victoria, is home to peacocks, squirrels and the 11-metre-long Moss Lady sculpture, a local icon beloved by locals. If you're keen to get more active, a sunset paddleboarding tour with Brian Raymer at South Island SUP should be at the top of your list. During the paddle-out from beaches littered with large tree logs that have washed ashore, you may be lucky enough to spot dolphins. There's something mindblowing about being on a board in the middle of a calm bay, knowing Canada is behind you and the US is almost within reach just ahead. Vancouver Island Hikes, Bites + Beers offers guided hikes and mountain-bike tours. Inspired by their adventures hiking into Machu Picchu, Peru and through the jungles of Thailand, Cecily and Cory Meausette decided to share their love of the outdoors and their own backyard with visitors. Depending on which of their hikes you choose, you might find yourself on coastal trails with views of the US coastline, or encountering petroglyphs - ancient drawings carved by Canada's first nations people into coastal rocks hundreds of years ago. southislandsup.com; hikingvancouverisland.ca

Visitors can get to Victoria on the ferry or via an 11-minute plane flight from Vancouver airport, but taking a float plane from Vancouver's harbour to Victoria's inner harbour is the best of both worlds. More than just a way to get from point A to point B. It's an experience in itself. Having taken off from asphalt runways and frozen lakes, landing on water is something else again. Harbour Air has regular flights between Vancouver and Victoria. harbourair.com

While Victoria is stunning by day, by night it is transformed into a magical light show. Fountains are illuminated with ever-changing coloured lights, while the parliament building is outlined in fairy lights, making it one of the city's most photographed attractions. The luminous red lanterns of Chinatown are yet another reason to visit that historic area.

The writer was a guest of Destination Greater Victoria