The United Kingdom is an immensely popular place to visit for a vacation. The United Kingdom consists of four countries; England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland and each are very different with distinctive cultures accents and languages. The vast majority of the citizens readily place their own country above all others within Britain stating their nationality but all can also call themselves to be British. So, a person from Scotland can be both Scottish while also being British. However, even since Scotland first joined the Union in 1707 there have been a large number of Scottish folk who wish to be independent of England.
When most folk think of Scotland pictures of a tartan clad piper, or something similar, spring to mind. Much of what we see as wholly Scottish was, in fact, a Victorian creation with influential characters such as the famous novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott, did much to promote Scotland and all things Scottish. While the majority of Scottish Highlanders did indeed wear tartan it was not until the marketing exploits of a Lowland company, William Wilson, that specific tartans were assigned to the different clans or regions. Unfortunately a great many patterns for historical tartans that were in existence before 1746 are now lost forever having been replaced with newer patterns. So what is truly Scottish, well to discover this we need to study the history of the nation and understand a little more about the different regions and cities of Scotland which can differ considerably within only short distances.
Sir Walter Scott took much of the culture of the Highlands of Scotland and recreated it into a presentable form to the English nobility. The tartans, kilts and bagpipes are essentially from the Highlands and if you visit the area today you will still see many wearing the traditional plaid. However the Highlands, and especially the islands, are heavily influenced by the Gaelic culture and as you move further north and west it becomes more prominent. As you move through the glens and arrive at places such as Inverness and Fort William you begin to notice the differences between the Highlands and the Lowlands. The Highlands of Scotland are extreme with huge mountains and massive expanses of glens and moorland. As you move further out to the West the islands such as those of the Outer Hebrides become even more dramatic and it is in the Hebrides that the Gaelic language is most common.
Of all the cities in Scotland Edinburgh, being the nation's capital and where you will find the seat of the Scottish Government, is the most important. The city is also one of the most historical with Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and the New Town being of extreme interest to those who enjoy architecture. Edinburgh is actually rather a small city and you are within easy reach of some of the most incredible scenery with "Arthur's Seat" being one of the best places to get a view of the whole of Edinburgh.
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.
Edinburgh might be the capital and Glasgow the largest but there are numerous other cities in Scotland that merit investigation if you are planning a vacation in Scotland. Stirling has one of the finest castles to be found in the United Kingdom, St Andrews has some of the finest, and most historic, golf courses in the world and all other towns and cities have their own tourist attractions. One of the most unusual, but incredibly popular, is the amazing piece of engineering called the Falkirk Wheel.
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.
When most folk think of Scotland pictures of a tartan clad piper, or something similar, spring to mind. Much of what we see as wholly Scottish was, in fact, a Victorian creation with influential characters such as the famous novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott, did much to promote Scotland and all things Scottish. While the majority of Scottish Highlanders did indeed wear tartan it was not until the marketing exploits of a Lowland company, William Wilson, that specific tartans were assigned to the different clans or regions. Unfortunately a great many patterns for historical tartans that were in existence before 1746 are now lost forever having been replaced with newer patterns. So what is truly Scottish, well to discover this we need to study the history of the nation and understand a little more about the different regions and cities of Scotland which can differ considerably within only short distances.
Sir Walter Scott took much of the culture of the Highlands of Scotland and recreated it into a presentable form to the English nobility. The tartans, kilts and bagpipes are essentially from the Highlands and if you visit the area today you will still see many wearing the traditional plaid. However the Highlands, and especially the islands, are heavily influenced by the Gaelic culture and as you move further north and west it becomes more prominent. As you move through the glens and arrive at places such as Inverness and Fort William you begin to notice the differences between the Highlands and the Lowlands. The Highlands of Scotland are extreme with huge mountains and massive expanses of glens and moorland. As you move further out to the West the islands such as those of the Outer Hebrides become even more dramatic and it is in the Hebrides that the Gaelic language is most common.
Of all the cities in Scotland Edinburgh, being the nation's capital and where you will find the seat of the Scottish Government, is the most important. The city is also one of the most historical with Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and the New Town being of extreme interest to those who enjoy architecture. Edinburgh is actually rather a small city and you are within easy reach of some of the most incredible scenery with "Arthur's Seat" being one of the best places to get a view of the whole of Edinburgh.
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.
Edinburgh might be the capital and Glasgow the largest but there are numerous other cities in Scotland that merit investigation if you are planning a vacation in Scotland. Stirling has one of the finest castles to be found in the United Kingdom, St Andrews has some of the finest, and most historic, golf courses in the world and all other towns and cities have their own tourist attractions. One of the most unusual, but incredibly popular, is the amazing piece of engineering called the Falkirk Wheel.
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.
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If you are visiting Scotland then you should take a look at our listings of hotels in Glasgow or, for the Isle of Harris, Harris Hotel listings.
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