Scotland Holidays 2012

Image by Gareth Weeks

If it’s sunny weather you are after on your holiday, then Scotland is not an ideal destination. To say the weather is changeable is something of an understatement. Thankfully, Scotland has other charms.

Glasgow and Edinburgh

Most of Scotland’s population of five million is located in the central belt. The two main cities are also to be found here. Down to earth Glasgow and stately and cosmopolitan Edinburgh are less than fifty miles apart but are so very, very different.

To start with, there’s the weather. Glasgow tends to be milder yet wetter whereas Edinburgh is colder, drier and windier.

Glaswegians pride themselves on their friendliness to visitors and in many ways Glasgow is similar to it’s southern neighbour Liverpool. Both are port towns with large scale Irish immigration, both have also experienced massive urban deprivation and both have also previously been European Cities of Culture.

Glasgow was almost reborn in the nineteen eighties after it’s ‘Glasgow’s Miles Better’ campaign, the Garden Festival and it’s reign as European Culture Capital in 1990.

Today, Glasgow is a vibrant and fun city to spend a few days. There’s not really any major sites to speak of but there are numerous museums and historical buildings to visit including the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Provand’s Lordship (the oldest house in Glasgow), the Necropolis and the newly built Transport Museum.

Edinburgh is one of Europe’s top city break destinations and a true architectural and cultural gem. During late August and September the world famous Edinburgh Festival comes to town and I would thourgouhly recommend visiting the city at this time.

Hotel rooms are ususally at a premium but the city is buzzing with activity and there are world class shows going on all over town.

Apart from the festival, it’s a pleasure just wandering the ancient and historic streets of the city. Of course the castle is a highlight, and at the other end of the Royal Mile, the controversial Scottish Parliament building can be visited on most days and is worth a look.

Highlands and Islands

Away from the cities, the reason that most people visit Scotland is for the wonderful scenery and outdoor activities to be enjoyed in the highlands and islands.

As far as the islands go, they are all quite different, each with their own special attractions. Lewis and neighbouring Harris are visually stunning with beautiful unspoilt beaches and stunning mountain ranges to enjoy.

North and South Uist are quite desolate compared to Lewis and Harris and most of the inland area is boggy but with great beaches dotted around the coast. Skye is the most populated of the islands and after visiting Uist, it seems almost cosmopolitan.