Inverness Leisure

Considering a Vacation in Scotland by Frank Goddard

The United Kingdom of Great Britain is an extremely popular vacation destination. The kingdoms are England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland with each having unique differences in architecture, culture, language, accents and much much more. The citizens of each country are both proud of their own country but also very proud to be British so a person from Scotland can declare himself both Scottish and British with the vast majority placing “Scottish” first and foremost. Scotland was a fiercely independent nation until the Act of Union in 1707 brought it into union with England. Even today there is a strong movement for independence. Even though Scotland has a devolved government with some important and influential powers, the nationalists feel that the Scottish peoples will be better served by a free and independent government with total power over the country’s destiny.

Throughout the world the typical images of Scotland include a Scottish piper dressed in a tartan kilt and most probably situated in front of a famous castle or in a Scottish glen with a stag clearly visible in the distance. While some of this is obviously Scottish most of what we class as “typically Scottish” is but a recent creation, or recreation, by the likes of Sir Walter Scott. Scott was a famous, and incredibly popular, poet and novelist in Victorian times and he worked extremely hard to promote Scotland to the English gentry, including the Royal Family, as a recreational playground and vacation destination. In actual fact the country of Scotland has a number of different and distinctive cultures and there can be incredible differences as you move from one region to the next and from one city to another.

Much of what Sir Walter Scott recreated as traditional Scottish was taken from the region of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The traditional dress of the region was, and still is, the tartan plaid/kilt and the bagpipes were played extensively since first promoted by the MacLeods. When visiting the Highlands one can not fail to be in awe of the most amazing scenery of mountain and glen and, as you travel from one place to another, you will be enthralled by the lovely little villages found dotted around. If you prefer larger towns and cities then you could always base a vacation in Fort William or in Inverness. If you enjoy the remote then a visit to the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides or the islands of the Outer Hebrides should not be missed, especially if you wish to experience the culture of the Gaelic Heartland.

The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh and it’s roots can go back thousands of years. Surprisingly there are still some fine examples of old buildings to be found in this thoroughly modern city of culture. Of course the city is dominated by Edinburgh Castle but there is much, much more to entice the tourist not least the incredible number of festivals spread throughout the year from the Edinburgh Festival in the summer to the New Year’s Hogmanay celebrations in the winter.

Glasgow is a much more modern city in that it sprang up, from what was little more than a village to the metropolis it is today, during the industrial revolution. The height of the city’s success was during the Victorian period when the tobacco merchants made their fortunes which they invested in large civic buildings which remain in use today and give Glasgow it’s distinctive looks. Strangely it is Glasgow, rather than Edinburgh, which is the largest city in Scotland.

Besides the two cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow there are plenty of other towns and cities, such as Sterling, Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen, that are worth visiting as each are very different from one another. Each has it’s own tourist attractions such as St Andrews and it’s famous golf courses. One of the most popular tourist attractions is actually a modern work of engineering, the Falkirk Wheel but, in the main, most tourist attractions in Scotland are historical buildings or sites such as Stirling Castle.

Scotland is such a diverse country that a small article such as this can not do it justice and can only introduce you to the most basic. The country as a whole is incredibly geared towards tourism with a multitude of interesting tours available. There are typical historical tours, including ghost tours of Edinburgh, and the ever popular whisky tours. In fact Scotland is capable of providing the perfect vacation for almost anybody.

If you are visiting Scotland then you should take a look at our listings of Glasgow Hotel or, for the Isle of Harris, Harris Hotel listings.

Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Considering-a-Vacation-in-Scotland/347659

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