General / Off-Topic The Official FD Scotland tourism agency !

[Remus]

The purpose of this thread, as the name implies, is to talk about that beautiful country that is Scotland.

I've been rooting for a long time for a chance to visit this country, so for all the Scottish residents lurking this forum, this is your chance to talk about your amazing country.

I know that unlike his English neighbour Scotland has A LOT of beautiful spots, haunted castles galore, lakes and landscapes.

In order for a potential tourist to make the most of his upcoming journey, which places would you recomend ?

What culinary marvels should one taste ?

Of course they are no-brainers like Adrian's wall, Edinbourgh.

But what about the country side ?

Share your experiences, Scottish or not. Share the love that you have for this amazing little country.


PS : Scottish accent is appreciated !

Spoiler

[video=youtube;euWfTiYwRB0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euWfTiYwRB0[/video]

Oh, and most important, in which season should one plan his journey ?

 

[Lianachan]

I know that unlike his English neighbour Scotland has A LOT of beautiful spots, haunted castles galore, lakes and landscapes.

There are a lot of beautiful spots in England too! Scotland only has 5 bodies of water which are called lakes - we generally use the word "loch" (which is absolutely not pronounced the same as "lock").

In order for a potential tourist to make the most of his upcoming journey, which places would you recomend ?

Depends on what you're looking for, really. If it's lochs, old castles and landscapes then you need to head for the Highlands (where I'm from, and live).

What culinary marvels should one taste ?

Scottish beef is world famous, and the sea food from the Western Isles is outstanding. Again, this is something where the answer is too big/the question is too general.

Of course they are no-brainers like Adrian's wall, Edinbourgh.

[Archaeologist Mode]That's Hadrian's Wall, unless somebody called Adrian has made a nice wall in Edinburgh. Anyway, Hadrian's Wall is entirely located in England, and there's no part of it that can even be seen from Scotland.[/Archaeologist Mode]

But what about the country side ?

Share your experiences, Scottish or not. Share the love that you have for this amazing little country.

Again, the best countryside is probably to be found in the Highlands & Islands. I'm from the Highlands, and have lived here for most of my life (including in the Western Isles, where some of the best beaches in the world can be found).

Oh, and most important, in which season should one plan his journey ?

Again, depends on what you're looking for. If it's skiing, for example, then you probably should avoid the summer.

 

[goemon]

hands down, take a visit to the orkney islands. will take you at least 3+ days, do insel hopping, watch rare birds, the sea, ancient sites, and don't forget about buying local whiskey. i spent nearby two weeks on rousay ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rousay ) - but not everybody has that much time (and the patience...).

 

[verminstar]

Fortwilliam...downhill mountain biking...ski lift to the top...best biking holiday ever...nuff said ^^

"waves from sunny (haha) Ulster" Home to the biggest inland body of water "lough" in europe...and the best fishing...just sayin ^^

 

[TheAntitheist Crusader]

I'm not Scottish (i'm Welsh, go visit Wales as well) but i lived in Scotland for three years, in fife, if you like golf i can reccomend St Andrews golf course, as for the food, other than haggis (which i love) and a few other things you will see the usual British foods such as the Fish and Chips, back to fife, there are beautiful forests and beaches, good in summer, over in the highlands you can get the snow (in winter) for epic views, then there is Edinburgh, the best city in the entire United Kingdom (that i have visited) a followed by London , Norwich and Lincoln. Yes, i love Scotland, wish i could go back. Note: England is also beautiful (not as beautiful as Scotland and Wales) there are lakes, peaks, there is the norfolk broads, there are nice beaches in southern England as well, up north there is Hadrians wall, but i suggest if you go to England, to stay in the lake district, i vacationed there just three weeks ago, we stayed at a log cabin on a hill near the lakes, breathtaking, ideal for walks as well......another note: If you like castles, Wales has got great ones, so has England, the Welsh castles are better, but yes, Scotland also has great castles. (i don't know if you can tell, but i am an advocate of tourism to Wales, you really should go, the Welsh culture is as rich in Celtic history as Scotland, and we have kept our own language in better shape over the years, not that i can speak or understand it).

 

[Riedquat]

I know that unlike his English neighbour Scotland has A LOT of beautiful spots, haunted castles galore, lakes and landscapes.

Eh?

Have you heard of the 'The lake district' ?

Castles in England - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_castles_in_England , there are plenty of 'haunted' ones also.

Landscapes?...take your pick, you will never visit them all.

My wife is Scottish, we go there twice a year and yes it beautiful in places, the highlands is probably unrivalled, but England is also known for its 'Green and pleasant lands'

Personally, I really enjoyed visiting Eilean Donan castle, we hired a car a drove around the highlands, just booked some bed and breakfasts along the route, I took my fly rod and was in fishing heaven!

 

[Andy Kappa]

On the off chance that you like vegetarian food, David Bann's restaurant in Edinburgh (St. Mary's Street) is outstanding - proper gourmet cooking for vegetarians.

Or, for a different take on the idea you could try Henderson's on Hannover Street.


Ediburgh castle always worth a visit - great views of the city from the battlements.

Prince's Gardens is a great place to just sit and chill.


For a memorable (if pricey) place to stay you might want to look at Cameron House on the shores of Loch Lomond. Get a room with a view of the loch if you can. There's a seaplane service just outside the front door that will fly you over the Western Isles and back (costs a fortune but if money isn't an issue and you're ok being in a small single engined aircraft you won't regret it).

The Highland Whisky Trail is good too if you like nice Scotch. Get somebody else to do the driving though - after a few wee drams you may have trouble seeing straight. [wacky] Coach tours available IIRC - certainly used to be.

Glasgow is a great city - lots of night life and a real buzz to the place even during the daytime. If you want culture there are some great museums and galleries (e.g. Kelvingrove or GOMA - Gallery Of Modern Art). I don't know if the School of Art is open again - they had a big fire there a while back that destroyed possibly the most beautiful library building in the country (designed by John Rennie Macintosh). For eating head for the Merchant quarter - you won't believe the variety of food available.

Just a few thoughts...