ArticleZones.com » Travel » Vacations » Considering a Vacation in Scotland
View PDF | Print View
Article By: FrankGoddard
Total views: 10
Word Count: 758
Considering a Vacation in Scotland
Think of Scotland and the vast majority of folk will bring to mind images of bagpipes, tartan, kilts and the likes, younger folk may think of the "Tartan Army" and the massive support for the national football club of Scotland, but all will have rather similar thoughts of what is truly Scottish. Sadly much of the quaint biscuit tin lid pictures of Scotland are little more than a very clever marketing campaign which started a long time ago when the likes of Sir Walter Scott (a famous poet and novelist) worked hard to promote Scotland as a vacation destination to the British Royal Family and the English upper classes. To discover the true Scottish culture we need to take a closer look at the country's history but, more importantly, we can take a look at the different regions and the most important cities which often have distinctive differences.
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.
One of the most famous Scottish landmarks is Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh is Scotland's capital city and the home of the Scottish Government. While Edinburgh is a thoroughly modern city it's facade is ancient, with truly awesome architecture to be found along the Royal Mile and in the New Town. One of the reasons why the city is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe is the shear number of important multi-national festival which seem to take place continually through the year ranging from the International Book Festival to the Hogmanay celebrations
Glasgow is vastly different to Edinburgh, it is certainly larger (Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland), but the architecture is more Victorian with little any older. This is due to the fact that the city developed extremely quickly from a small village to a large town and then a city, during the industrial revolution. The Act of Union in 1707 opened up markets which had previously been closed to Scotland and the tradesmen of Glasgow took full advantage, especially the tobacco merchants who made massive fortunes in a very short space of time. Many of the merchants invested in the building of wonderful civic buildings which are still used today and can be seen throughout the city.
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.
Article Source: ArticleZones.com
About the Author
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.
Comments
No comments posted.Add Comment
You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you will be able to comment.More articles in this Category
1. Consider Staying At Any One In This List of Colorado Ski Resorts2. The Outer Hebrides of Scotland
3. Tips for Italy Travel
4. Recommended Family Sporting Adventures
5. Considering a Vacation in Scotland