The Wonder of Scotland
July 18, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Strangely Edinburgh is not the largest city in Scotland, that honor goes to the nearby city of Glasgow. Glasgow could not be more different to Edinburgh if it really tried and there is strong competition between the two cities. While Edinburgh is quiet and laid back Glasgow is fast and furious at times, especially in the evenings when the town’s nightlife explodes into life with a multitude of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Of course during the day there are plenty of architectural delights, numerous museums and galleries and absolutely amazing shopping to keep you fully entertained.
Obviously there are plenty of other cities in Scotland that are well worth visiting. If you enjoy castles then scotland has plenty of fine examples and one of the best is Stirling Castle in Stirling. If you enjoy sports you are spoilt for choice with plenty of opportunities to enjoy mountain biking, skiing and other sports, including, the most popular Golf and fishing.
Of course Scotland has much too much to offer than can be included in this short article. Amongst the most popular attractions are specially designed tours such as whisky tours and ghost tours of Edinburgh and the likes. The truth is that there is something in Scotland to please anybody and the country’s diversity provides some of the most incredibly opportunities for a vacation of a lifetime.
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