TRAVEL TO EDINBURGH

For its magnificent scenery of soaring rocky mountains, rolling green hills, romantic lakes and rugged coastlines, often scattered with picturesque cottages or dramatic castles.
This is a spectacular walking country if you are either weatherproof or lucky in your timing.
Scotland offers wild urban cultures in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, especially the world's most intensive arts experience, the Edinburgh Festival - and particularly its delightfully bonkers 'Fringe' element.
And finally Scotland is a place to meet fine, interesting and mostly hospitable people, though tread warily around a Scot after he's had a few drinks.

Downsides:
- Unpredictable weather, often wet or cold or both.
- Limited local cuisine.
- Voracious midge [like small mosquitoes] attacks in the summer in the countryside, especially near fresh water.
- Scotland has very short daylight hours in the winter.
- The Scottish accent can be tricky to understand.

Climate:
Best: May-Sept. August for the Festival.
Worst: Jan-March [wet, cold, grey, and very short of daylight]. Many small museums close Nov-March.
Edinburgh has an accommodation problem around Hogmany [Dec 29-Jan 2] and during the Festival [August], so, book rooms well in advance.

Main attractions:
***Edinburgh, a dramatic city with the world reputation for its cutting-edge arts scene.
***The Highlands, another splendid landscape, wilder and more dramatic than the Lake District, covering two-thirds of Scotland, with mountains, glens [valleys] and lochs [lakes]. Ideal for hiking and driving.
The highlights are the Great Glen, across from *Inverness to Fort William [both are obvious bases for the Highlands], Nessie-spotting? at *Loch Ness, climbing **Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak, and walking around ***Glen Coe - it's astonishing beautiful with a tragic history [Picture top right].
**Glasgow, a big industry city with a bad reputation, but actually one of the most cultured and lively urban spaces in the UK. There's some remarkable architecture by C. R. Mackintosh and brilliant museums and galleries - especially the Burrell Collection of art and antiquities including Rodin's The Thinker.
**St Andrews, a university town with the famous old golf course - the Royal & Ancient Golf Club - that is a mecca for golfers.
***The Borders, a tranquil pastoral area with delightful towns such as **Melrose, Kelso and Peebles. The highlights are Abbotsford House [Sir Walter Scott's house], Floors Castle [the Scotland's biggest inhabited castle], Traquair House [the oldest inhabited house]. Ideal for walking, cycling, and driving.
**Stirling, a compact and historic town with an imposing castle, is a perfect base for outdoor travel activities in the Trossachs lowland countryside - ' Rob Roy country'.
**Famous Castles: Eilean Donan near Kyle of Lochalsh, Floors in Kelso -The Borders [picture below], Urquhart by Loch Ness, Cawdor [Macbeth] near Inverness.
Try to stay in a castle-become-hotel if you can afford it. e.g. Leslie Castle, Insch, Aberdeenshire or Borthwick Castle, North Middleton, Midlothian.
*The Orkneys and Shetlands, good for viewing seabirds such as gannets and puffins and prehistoric sites. If lucky you could see the Northern Lights from there.


Main festivals:
Dec 31-Jan 2, Hogmanay, a truly wild New Year's celebration.
Last Tuesday of Jan, Up-Helly-Aa [Viking fire festival] in Lerwick, Shetland.
End of Jan, Burns Night [celebration for Scotland's greatest poet with special dinner]
May, Mayfest, the UK's 2nd largest arts festival in Glasgow.
May- August, Highland Games, traditional sport, folk music and dance, nationwide.
Most of August, Edinburgh International Festival, and the more wacky Fringe Festival, certainly the UK's and maybe the world's best arts festival. Early Sept. Braemar Royal Highland Gathering/Games.



Scottish Note:
There are plenty of themed tours and trails [both guided and non guided] such as 'Castle Trail' and 'Whisky trail'.