Edinburgh
Edinburgh is one of the world's greatest cities. Its dramatic
site, extraordinary architectural heritage and cultural vigour
soon charm all visitors. The crowded tenements of the historic
Old Town contrast with the orderly grid of the Georgian New
Town, which in most cities would be a historic enclave by itself.
Backdrops include glimpses of the Firth of Forth, the Pentland
Hills and classically draped Calton Hill.
 Edinburgh
is best seen on foot, and the best place to start is Edinburgh
Castle: beautiful, romantic and a reminder of the city's
bloody past. Its foundations date back as far as 850 BC, and
the oldest surviving section dates from 1130. From the 11th
to 16th centuries, the castle was the symbolic seat of Scottish
royalty, and today it's still home to the army's Scottish Division.
It sits at the western end of the Royal Mile, which runs down
to the more comfortable royal accommodation at the Palace
of Holyroodhouse. This thoroughfare contains an extraordinarily
intact streetscape, which has survived from the 16th and 17th
centuries. A walk down some of the alleys that run off it is
to rediscover the vital city of that time. Several museums and
restored town houses in this vicinity give fascinating insights
into urban life of the 17th century.
Nearby Calton Hill is worth climbing for its superb views
and romantic monuments dating from the Enlightenment, when the
city was known as the 'Athens of the North'. Before you walk
down into the New Town, have a look at Greyfriars Kirk,
site of the signing of the National Covenant in 1638. The graveyard
was the backdrop for one of Disney's most heart-rending films,
Greyfriars Bobby, the story (based on legend) of a little
Skye terrier which held vigil for 14 years over the grave of
his master.
New Town lies to the north, separated by the sunken railway
line and Princes St Gardens, which feature the supremely Gothic
Sir Walter Scott Monument. Georgian order and elegance
are reflected in New Town's beautiful squares, circuses and
terraces. The National Gallery of Scotland has an impressive
collection of European art, while the pageant of Scottish history
can be seen at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Edinburgh has a rich and varied cultural life, from the Tattoo
to the International and Fringe festivals. These are times to
be sure to book accommodation well in advance. B&B accommodation
is one of the best ways to get an insight into the daily life
of Edinburgh's residents. There is a handy concentration north
of New Town and in the suburb of Newington, south of the city
centre. Numerous youth hostels are sprinkled on the city's outskirts.
Surprisingly, the Royal Mile has numerous good-value and enjoyable
eateries, with everything from Singaporean satays to traditional
Scottish cuisine.
Glasgow
Long overshadowed by Edinburgh, a mere 30 miles (48km) away,
Glasgow actually has a lot to offer. It has left its reputation
as a black hole of unemployment, economic depression and urban
violence far behind. The 1980s and '90s saw the city reinvent
itself culturally and socially. You're in no doubt that this
is a Scottish city, brimming with vibrancy and energy.
The city centre is built on a grid plan on the north bank of
the shipbuilding river Clyde. Sights are spread over a wide
area, with Sauchiehall St the place to go for shops,
pubs and restaurants.
The oldest part of the city is to the east, around the intact
Gothic masterpiece of Glasgow Cathedral, St Mungo's
Museum of Religious Life & Art and the oldest house in Glasgow,
15th-century Provand's Lordship. Heading back west, an
interesting walk takes you through the gracious houses and commercial
structures of 18th-century Merchant City. Busy Sauchiehall
St is home to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Art Nouveau masterpieces
of the Glasgow School of Art and the still-operational
Willow Tearoom. The Tenement House is an extraordinary
time capsule, providing vivid insight into middle-class city
life at the turn of this century.
Also not to be missed is Glasgow's top cultural attraction,
the Burrell Collection, housed in the Pollok Country
Park 3 miles (5km) south of the city. Its idiosyncratic collection
includes Chinese porcelain, medieval furniture and impressionist
paintings, housed in one of the world's few inspirational buildings
to be built in recent times.
St Andrews
This beautiful and unusual town melds the heady concoction
of medieval ruins, a golfing mecca, windy coastal scenery and
a schizophrenic university. Once the ecclesiastical capital
of Scotland, today golfing is the town's religion. It's home
to the Royal & Ancient Golf Club and the world's most
famous golf course, the Old Course. A ruined castle sits above
the bay, around the ruins of what was once the country's largest
cathedral: it was pillaged during the Reformation. In the town
centre, medieval closes lead off the cobbled streets, with the
city gate, chapels, a medieval cross and museums within easy
walking distance. Like the contemporary universities of Cambridge
and Oxford, the university has no campus and its buildings are
scattered in the centre of town.
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides, off the western coast of Scotland, are
the country's most accessible and bewitching islands.
Jura lies near the coast of Strathclyde, yet it is magnificently
wild and lonely, with desolate walks, breast-shaped mountains
(the Paps of Jura), a whisky distillery and a lethal offshore
whirlpool its prime attractions. Islay is the most southerly
of the Inner Hebridean islands, and is best known for its smoky,
single-malt whisky. The Museum of Islay Life in Port Charlotte
relates the island's long history, while the 8th-century Kildaton
Cross is one of the finest surviving Celtic crosses. Castle
ruins and over 250 species of birds add to its attractions.
Further north, Taransay, where BBC TV marooned a community
of volunteers for all of 2000, is one of the Inner Hebrides'
most remote islands, an unspoilt place of cliffs, rocky coastlines
and sandy bays. Grey seals and wild goats are the most commonly
glimpsed inhabitants. Mull is one of the most popular
islands, with superb mountain scenery, castles, a railway and
small-town charm. The island's capital, Tobermory, is a particularly
picturesque fishing port. The spiritual retreat of Iona,
an early Christian centre founded by St Columba, lies off the
southwestern tip of Mull. Further north, Coll has a popular
walking trail, good sunshine, lots of wind, few people, two
castles and a bird sanctuary. Tiree, just southwest,
is a low-lying island with beautiful, sandy beaches and one
of the best sunshine records in Britain.
Skye attracts lots of visitors and has very changeable
weather. However, the large, rugged and convoluted island is
ringed by spectacularly scenic coastal walks, and inland the
rocky Cuillins attract serious climbers.
Aberdeen
An extraordinary symphony in grey, almost everything in Aberdeen
is built of granite - even the roads. When drenched with sun
and rain, the silvery stone has a fairy-tale shine; when suffocated
by cloud it can be a wee bit depressing. A spotless place, brimming
with civic pride, Aberdeen is the service port for one of the
world's largest offshore oilfields. Its already large population
is mixed with multinational oil workers and a vital student
population - a heady mix! An evocative fish market and
important maritime museum cluster around the busy harbour.
In the vicinity of the city's main thoroughfare, Union St, there's
historic Castlegate, late-medieval Provost Skene's
House and the Aberdeen Art Gallery, which houses
an important Pre-Raphaelite and modern art collection.
Aviemore Area
The Highland resort town of Aviemore is the stepping-off point
for the hiking and skiing paradise of the Cairngorm Mountains.
Lying on the only arctic plateau in Britain, the area attracts
rare animals such as pine marten, wildcat, red squirrel, osprey
(particularly around the Boat of Garten) and deer. Fishing for
salmon is popular in the pure mountain water of the River Spey
and surrounding lochs, while the Rothiemurchus Estate and Glenmore
Forest Park preserve acres of pine and spruce, with guided walks
and trails and a range of water sports. |
