Scotland Travel & Tourism

Glasgow is one of the best places to visit while vacationing in Scotland. Tourists have many attractions to choose from and are often impressed with the beautiful Victorian architecture that decorates the popular city.

*Museums: If you feel like appreciating aesthetics, there are many great museums in Glasgow that cater to your artistic needs. The Kelingrove Museum is a popular tourist pick. It boasts 22 themed galleries, and more than 8,000 objects. The Burrell collection is another popular choice.
*Glasgow Speedway: Have the need for speed? Glasgow Speedway is one of the city’s most popular attractions! Watch cars race with your family at an affordable price. This is a great place to visit in good weather!
*City Chambers: The guided tour of the city chambers is free, and the chambers are truly a piece of Scottish history. They were built in the late 1800s, and tourists are often impressed by the beautiful architecture
* Botanic Gardens and Kibble Palace: Those with a green thumb will surely be able to appreciate the lovely gardens at the Kibble Palace. It is a great place to visit if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, or if you want a slower-paced travel site. There are also many events held throughout the year, including Bard in the Botanics, which is a part of the annual Glasgow West End Festival. Also be sure to try out Victoria Park and Fossil Grove, if this attraction piques your interest!
*Ben Nevis Pub: This pub is very friendly to tourists, and has a bunch of artifacts and relics decorating the walls. It is a unique place to visit for those who are of drinking age, and looking for a taste of the true Scottish drinking experience.

These are but a few of the many attractions that Glasgow has to offer!

Anyone planning a travel trip to Scotland in the future must spend a bit of time first familiarizing themselves with the country, its culture and it attractions.  And lucky for travelers, there is plenty of research available online so log in with your laptops and start your research.  Scotland is a beautiful country that is rich in history and culture. It is a favorite destination for world travelers and one of the best vacation spots in the world.

The history of Scotland goes back more than 10,000 years. It was then that the first people arrived in the land. It more modern history is checkered with battles and skirmishes with the neighbor, Great Britain. Many are familiar with what may be the most famous of these battles, the Battle of Bannockburn during which Robert the Bruce led the Scots to victory over the English. England and Scotland where united in 1707 and have sense been a part of Great Britain. Today they retain their close ties to Great Britain while still managing their own affairs through their separate parliament.

Culture is Scotland is closely tied to its history, but there are other cultural influences as well and sports lead the way. Football, or soccer to us American’s, is the favorite sport. Each village, town and city has its own local team and the fighting is fierce among them.

The country is loaded with attractions as well, most notably the many castles and museums. Any visitor to Scotland who is interested in history can literally get lost in the castles and exhibits located throughout the country. Living history is beautifully represented throughout the country.

A visit to Edinburgh is a must as well. It is the capital of the country and home to the most famous of the Scottish castles, the Edinburgh Castle. Scotland may very well be one of the most visited tourist destinations. It is a favorite for historians, tourist and sport enthusiasts.

The development of Scotland is based largely on its geography. From a cultural standpoint as well as economic, social and political, the very land helped to form the county and cultivate its people. Scotland is unique, there is no question about that, and something about the land and its people naturally draws tourists, but defining Scotland is a complicated task.

There are a wide range of factors that have lead to the world that is uniquely Scotland. These elements have joined together and been aged by centuries of hard living, wars, famine and struggle. Her past, her people and the wide diversity found in her culture and art are unlike those found anywhere else in the world.

Most visitors to the country are immediately overwhelmed by the feeling of history and its significance. Its citizens have a deep appreciation for their past and that appreciation is evident almost everywhere you look. While many of its largest cities, like Edinburgh, have been modernized, the arts in Scotland remain seeped in history. Its dancers, composers, musicians, sculptors, painters and writers are as unique as the land that raised them.

Many believe that its unique geography and position in the world play an overwhelming role as well. It sits, perched on the very edge of Europe and sits surrounding on three sides by the sea. This position has affected industry, weather, climate and much more.

Scotland itself has recognized is position in the world of tourism and has cultivated it, much like its citizens once cultivated the land. Public transportation, attractions and a booming service industry now exists to attract tourists to the island. It is a favorite destination of historians and artists and one of the most popular spots for ‘destination’ weddings in the world.

Scotland is unique. It is beautiful and for those that have visited it, unforgettable.

Before we begin, the most literal minded people will no doubt object to taking a cruise “around” Scotland. As a part of Great Britain, it isn’t an island nation all unto itself. But if you can forgive one turn of phrase, you can enjoy the fact that Scotland’s 10,000 miles of coastline are an impressive sight to behold. If you are the type of person who enjoys pristine beauty, Scotland is a place you need to see to believe. If your holidays 2011 list is not overwhelmingly booked with the glitz and glamour of Milan and Paris, you need to take some time to enjoy a countryside that thunders with rich history, without beating its chest too much.

If you have the money to charter a boat for your own personal Scottish adventure, you are going to feel truly privileged. There is just something about the green on blue of the rocky coast lines that has inspired a thousand years of poetry. Not to wax too poetic, but you have to admit that after seeing Braveheart, it would be tempting to run up one of those hills and shout, “Freedom!” If you have only seen what England can offer, you need to take a look around more of the Kingdom.

Everybody wants to check out the highlands. But why not also pay a visit to Glasgow, the 700 year old city with some of the friendliest folks in Europe? While it’s common knowledge that Scotland is home to a lot of natural wonder, not many people realize how much grand architecture and artwork also stand proudly here. And just like everything else in life, you are never going to know unless you check it out for yourself. Taking a cruise may just be the best way to see Scotland, after all. That is, until you land and get a little bit closer to it all.

You may be contemplating a trip to Scotland, and are wondering when the best time to visit is. Scotland has four definable seasons, just like other parts of the world, and each of them have their own unique weather.

The summer is considered the best time to visit, because the rainfall is at its lowest. (Scotland does get quite a bit of rain, but it is not constant, even during the wettest seasons.) However, if you want to make sure that you see less rain, then go to the summer.

Summer is the major tourist season, called the “high season” in Scotland, so prices are going to be higher. For this reason, you may want to consider visiting in the spring or fall.

Both seasons are good, both in terms of weather and crowds (or the lack thereof). The spring months are leading up to the “high season”, while it is beginning to wind down as fall approaches, so prices during both these seasons are still low, and crowds are still relatively small.

It is possible to visit Scotland in winter, although this is when you will encounter some of Scotland’s roughest weather. It rains and snows quite a bit during the winter, and the temperatures can be very raw. Combined with the dampness from the rain and snow, they can feel even colder than they actually are.

Still, a lot of people enjoy taking their vacations during the winter months. They don’t mind the weather, and manage to find plenty to do, even if there aren’t that many people to do it with.

Before you visit Scotland, take some time to tour England and see some of the charming English country cottages that still dot the countryside. Some of these are very old, while others are more modern, but they all have their own unique atmosphere.

Some hard-line Scotland devotees would claim that you haven’t experienced the country until you have accomplished all of the following: done some Munro-bagging, attended a ceilidh and stayed in a bothy.
For the first of these challenges, you will need to consult the list of 283 mountain peaks worthy of the prestigious epithet: Munro. Not for the faint-hearted, since they must be over 3,000 feet in height, they are headed up by Ben Nevis. If, rather than tackle these tough hill-walks, which are not without danger in winter, you would like to earn your stripes by another means, chat to the locals in cozy pubs and bag as many munro climbers as you can.
Attending a ceilidh is easily done. The Gaelic word (pronounced kay-lay) denotes a social event with a special flavor: a live band plays traditional fast-paced tunes and a fun evening of Scottish country dancing ensues. Recent years have seen a huge resurgence in the practice of holding ceilidhs and these shindigs can be tracked down online. If you are in Scotland towards the end of the week, you are certain to be able to find a ceilidh. Lack of prior knowledge of the dance steps is no hindrance; a caller will give timely instructions. Sample ceilidhs in as diverse locales as Ullapool, Aberdeen and Tomintoul. Visitors who venture south of the border needn’t miss out; the ceilidh bug has migrated to England, and Bristol, Derby and Sheffield are among the many towns with resident ceilidh bands and a regular program.
An experience to treasure is a night spent in a bothy. Traditionally, these shelters are provided free of charge for walkers. With basic or even in some cases no (!) furnishings, but always equipped with an all-important open fire, each one of these stone cottages stands alone and, rather like an Alpine refuge, is a life-saver when mountain temperatures drop. A walk or mountain-bike ride is mandatory, in order to reach one’s bothy, of course!