Ceud
Mile
Fàilte!
That's
Gaelic for "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes".
Did you know the Scots are world famous for
their friendliness, as well as their spectacular
scenery, cities and towns rich in heritage and
history, culture and cuisine?
There
are tours
and packages to every region of Scotland
and to suit almost any special interest or activity...golf,
walking, hiking or even skiing. Scotland offers
an unlimited choice at any time of year. Do
you have Celtic
Connections? Why not look up those long
lost relatives? Wondering
where to stay? How about a castle, a manor
house, cottage, hotel or even a lighthouse.
There are plenty of charming local B&Bs and
guest houses, too.
Fly
direct from the US to Glasgow, Scotland's
city of culture, with its striking Victorian
architecture, Royal Concert Hall, Theater Royal
and great galleries and museums--many celebrating
the work of the 20th-century architect, designer
and artist, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. There's
also great nightlife and shopping, too. Edinburgh,
the capital city, is home to the new Scottish
Parliament and Edinburgh Castle--check out the
Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.
The Royal Mile sweeps down from the castle through
the medieval old town to the Palace of Holyroodhouse,
the Queen's official residence in Scotland.
Every summer the city hosts the annual Edinburgh
International Festival, the Fringe
Festival and the Military
Tattoo.
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The
Military Tattoo, Edinburgh
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Getting
around is easy...rent a car, or take a train,
plane, bus or ferry. Explore the South of
Scotland, with its rugged seacoasts and
rolling farmland, where Robert the Bruce, Sir
Walter Scott and Robert "Robbie" Burns--Scotland's
national poet--lived. There are ancient abbeys,
castles, historic houses and 44 golf courses,
including Royal Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick.
Less than one hour north of Glasgow is the start
of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National
Park, encompassing one of Scotland's most famous
Lochs, Stirling's Old Town, and castle to the
Glorious Gardens of Argyll and Bute in the west.
Here the lowlands meet the mountains of the
north and west.
Just
north of Edinburgh across the Firth of Forth's
famous bridge, is Perthshire, Angus, Dundee
and the Kingdom of Fife. Here you'll
find the "Home of Golf": St
Andrews, a beautiful old university town
on the windswept east coast.
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Loch
Lomond, Strathclyde
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There
are also numerous castles and gardens, palaces,
potteries and whisky distilleries around the
area, although Dundee is famous for its weaving
industry--and Dundee cake. Aberdeen,
the "Silver City", due to the sparkling
silver granite of the buildings, and the surrounding
Grampian Highlands area, offer a series
of self-guided car trails for visitors: The
Castle Trail, which follows the River Dee--a
great spot for salmon fishing--along Royal Deeside
to Balmoral, the Scottish summer home of the
Royal family; the Malt Whisky Trail featuring
seven local distilleries; and the Coastal Trail.
The
Highlands of Scotland offer one of the last
wildernesses in Europe. Don't miss the soaring
beauty of Glencoe, the windswept heather clad
moors or the majestic Ben Nevis--the highest
mountain in Britain. John O'Groats is the most
northerly town on the mainland. Nearby, there's
the Caithness
Glass Center at Wick, and Ullapool and the wooded
ravine gardens at Inverewe, which despite the
northerly location enjoy a mild and gentle climate
(you'll find palm trees and other exotic plants
growing here). The highland "capital"
city is Inverness, on the banks of the River
Ness. Follow this down the Caledonian Canal
to Fort William and Loch Ness--where you may
not see the Loch Ness monster but are sure to
enjoy the stunning Urquhart Castle. From Fort
William westwards to Mallaig, "The Road
to the Isles" passes the Glenfinnan monument
where Bonnie Prince Charles rallied the Clans,
and runs alongside an impressive viaduct of
one of the "Great Railway Journeys of the
World"--the Fort William to Mallaig railway.
Island
Hopping
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Braemar
Gathering, Grampian
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The
Scottish Islands offer some of the most beautiful
and breathtaking scenery with mountains, lakes,
ancient castles and monuments, and miles of
unspoiled beaches. Explore the northern isles
of Shetland and Orkney, with their prehistoric
remains at Skara Brae and Jarlshof, the fiery
Viking festivals and the southern isles of Arran,
famous for the sheep and woolen sweaters. The
island of Mull, and the adjacent tiny
island of Iona is the birthplace of Christianity
in Scotland. Climb the Cuillin Mountains on
the Isle of Skye, or take a trip to Fingal's
Cave on Staffa.
Windsurf
off the beaches of Tiree or explore one
of more than 50 islands within the Hebridean
chain, including the mysterious stone circle
at Calanais on the Isle of Lewis--it's far more
impressive than Stonehenge! With wild, windswept,
unspoiled white sand beaches, abundant wildlife
and thousands of seabirds, spinning, weaving,
whisky and fabulous seafood, there's always
plenty to see. Getting around is easy with ferry
services that connect the islands to the
mainland; there are even special Hopscotch
Tickets available to get the most from Island
Hopping.
