Considering a Vacation in Scotland
July 18, 2008
Great Britain is a most popular tourist destination. The “United Kingdoms” are England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and each country has it’s own distinctive identity making each considerably different. The population of each country are, in the main, fiercely proud of their roots and happily declare their relevant nationalities while also calling themselves to be British. While most people in the UK are happy to remain part of the Union there are a large number, especially in Scotland, who would wish to become independent.
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.
While Sir Walter Scott took much from the Highland way of life and repackaged it, in what he considered a more suitable form for the English aristocracy, the basic elements are distinctively Highland. The tartan kilt is the traditional dress of the region and is still seen throughout the area today, though more often at weddings and in traditional pipe bands. Besides the tartan cloth, kilts and bagpipes, there is much to interest the tourist in the Highlands not least the most incredible countryside which consists of the most spectacular mountains and misty glens. Towns such as Fort William and the city of Inverness are few and far between with little more than rough open countryside, dotted with numerous tiny villages, between them. Even more remote are the islands of the Hebrides, while the Isle of Skye (Inner Hebrides) may be the most popular the islands of the Outer Hebrides are increasingly popular with tourists keen to enjoy the distinctive Gaelic culture.
Of all the cities in Scotland Edinburgh, being the nation’s capital and where you will find the seat of the Scottish Government, is the most important. The city is also one of the most historical with Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and the New Town being of extreme interest to those who enjoy architecture. Edinburgh is actually rather a small city and you are within easy reach of some of the most incredible scenery with “Arthur’s Seat” being one of the best places to get a view of the whole of Edinburgh.
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.
Edinburgh might be the capital and Glasgow the largest but there are numerous other cities in Scotland that merit investigation if you are planning a vacation in Scotland. Stirling has one of the finest castles to be found in the United Kingdom, St Andrews has some of the finest, and most historic, golf courses in the world and all other towns and cities have their own tourist attractions. One of the most unusual, but incredibly popular, is the amazing piece of engineering called the Falkirk Wheel.
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.
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