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About the Authors

Lesley Anne Rose is a travel and script writer who has lived in and explored Scotland for a number of years. She has written guidebooks, articles, travel columns, and website copy for various publishers and organizations on areas as diverse as Florida and Malta, Canada, the Caribbean, and the U.K., where she specializes in the Lake District and Scotland. While she enjoys writing about independent travel, food, traveling with children, the arts, and eco tourism, her real passion is cycling and exploring new places by bicycle. Lesley Anne has seen her scripts produced in regional theatre and teaches travel and creative writing. Lesley Anne is responsible for the chapters on The Best of Scotland, the Trip Planner, Edinburgh & the Lothians, the Borders & Dumfries & Galloway, Glasgow & the Ayrshire Coast, Fife & the Central Highlands, and she wrote the planning chapter with Michael.

Michael Macaroon is a writer who specializes in travel and the arts, and has written a variety of books and many articles for newspapers and magazines. His Scottish ancestry is on his maternal side: his great-grandfather was a grazier in the Borders, and his grandfather ran an unsuccessful ice-cream business in Glenrothes. Michael wrote the Scotland in Depth chapter, Suggested Scotland Itineraries, Argyll & the Southern Hebrides, Aberdeen & the Tayside & Grampian regions, Inverness & the West Highlands, and the Hebridean Islands.

Vivienne Crow has been a journalist for more than 20 years. She specializes in travel and the outdoors, and has written for a variety of publications including The Scotsman and The Sydney Morning Herald. She is the author of nine guidebooks, and currently lives in northern England, about 8 miles from the Scottish border. Vivienne wrote the chapter on the Orkney & Shetland islands.

Frommer's Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations

Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).

In addition to the star-rating system, we also use eight feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for:

  special finds—those places only insiders know about

  fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun

  kids—best bets for kids, and advice for the whole family

  special moments—those experiences that memories are made of

  overrated—places or experiences not worth your time or money

  insider tips—great ways to save time and money

  great values—where to get the best deals

  warning—traveler's advisories are usually in effect

The following abbreviations are used for credit cards:
AE American Express
DISC Discover
V Visa
DC Diners Club
MC MasterCard
The Best of Scotland

Scotland delivers on every expectation of a deeply romantic land filled with misty lochs, fields of heather, and moody mountain ranges, while its thoroughly modern cities are welcoming cultural hubs. Whether you're in the heart of Edinburgh at Hogmanay, alone in Iona Abbey, or teeing off at Carnoustie, you'll experience a nation that champions its history and believes in its future. Our picks of the best include many world-famous attractions as well as a few well-kept secrets.

Note About Maps

This guide contains dozens of maps of varying sizes and complexity. If you find it hard to read a map on your device, use the zoom function to enlarge. You can also download and/or printout PDFs of all of the maps in this guide. Go to  www.frommers.com/go/ebookmaps and click on the title of your guide.

Scotland

THE CITIES Scotland's cities are among the most dynamic in Europe. Edinburgh never fails to dazzle with its Old and New Towns, port of Leith, and some of the nation's top cultural attractions. Equally vibrant Glasgow claims the top art galleries, best nightlife, and unbeatable shopping. Stirling links Scotland's high and low lands and is a magnet for history lovers.

THE COUNTRYSIDE Strewn with royal palaces (Falkland in Fife), ruined castles (Caerlaverock in Dumfries and Galloway), Neolithic settlements (Skara Brae in the Orkneys), and modern feats of engineering (Neptune's Staircase near Fort William), the wilds of Scotland have something for everyone. Outdoor enthusiasts can choose from mountain ranges, river valleys, and rugged moorland where top golf courses, first-class fishing, and limitless hiking blend with tales of clan feuds and a rich variety of wildlife.

THE COAST Mainland Scotland alone claims 6,158 miles of coastline. Add on the shores of its many islands and it would take a lifetime to discover all the deserted beaches of the Hebrides (Tiree, Harris, and South Uist), the sea lochs of the west coast (Linnhe, Sunart, and Etive), and craggy cliffs to the east (East Neuk). Unbeatable coastal walks lead from Eshaness in Shetland and excellent sea fishing lies off the shores of Portpatrick.

Eating & Drinking Scotland's culinary scene has excelled in recent years with many establishments championing local and in-season produce. Fresh seafood is hauled ashore at Loch Fyne, melt-in-the-mouth lamb is reared in the Borders, and crumbling cheeses mature in dairies across the Highlands. Your local pint could be a dark ale from Traquair or a wheat beer from Glasgow's West. And no visit is complete without a wee dram of the liquor named after the nation itself: Scotch.

The most Unforgettable Travel Experiences

• Edinburgh at Festival Time: Every August Edinburgh erupts into a spectacular celebration of culture, art, dance, politics, music, and street performance as a clutch of festivals—headed by the Edinburgh International Festival, the unstoppable Fringe, and the heart-stirring Military Tattoo—sweep across every venue and public space in the city.

• Haunting the Castles: Scotland is littered with ancient castles. Many—such as Urquhart on the banks of Loch Ness and the cliff-top Tantallon —stand in ruined splendor. Others such as Macbeth's very own Cawdor are luxurious, legendary family homes.

• Horseback Riding Through the Highlands: Travel the romantic way through fragrant heather and over lichen-covered rocks on an equestrian excursion into the Highlands. One of Scotland's biggest stables, the Highland Riding Centre in Drumnadrochit, stands close to the brooding northern shores of Loch Ness.

• Cruising the Caledonian Canal: Connecting three of the Highlands' longest lochs (Ness, Lochy, and Oich), the Caledonian Canal once transported goods between Scotland's east and west coasts. Today you can take in spectacular waterborne views of the Scottish countryside from the decks of the cabin cruisers that ply these calm waters.

• Exploring the Heart of Neolithic Orkney: Discover some of Europe's most mysterious and best-preserved prehistoric sites on the western edges of mainland Orkney. The huge Ring of Brodgar stone circle and imposing Stones of Stenness stand close to Maeshowe chambered cairn and the Neolithic village of Skara Brae.

• Getting in Touch with Your Inner Viking: Join the thousand-strong horde of "Vikings" who march through Lerwick, Shetland, every January as part of Up Helly Aa, Europe's largest fire festival. In a pagan-like desire to light up the seemingly endless winter night, they set fire to a replica longboat in the harbor.

The most Unforgettable City Experiences

• Walk the Royal Mile (Edinburgh): Stunning views, narrow closes, and dark wynds (alleys) spread out in all directions along this street, which forms the backbone of Edinburgh's medieval Old Town. Take in the many free museums and some of Scotland's most well-known attractions along the way.

• National Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh): Fresh faced from a major renovation, this transformed museum is crammed with national icons from the 12th-century Lewis Chessmen to Dolly the sheep, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. Follow the story of Scotland to the top floor and stunning city views.

• Underground Edinburgh: Journey deep into Edinburgh's dark side via a tour through its spooky underground vaults and long-buried city streets. Listen to tales of grim goings-on as you travel through this subterranean realm, home to many of the city's most notorious ghosts.

• The Burrell Collection (Glasgow): Sir William Burrell (1861–1958), a wealthy industrialist who devoted much of his life to accumulating art, is responsible for this fabulous collection. Set in parkland on Glasgow's southside, it's one of Scotland's most admired collections.

• Cathedral of St. Kentigern (Glasgow): St. Kentigern's is mainland Scotland's only complete medieval cathedral. Striking contemporary stained glass adds a modern touch to the heritage of this ancient building, which was cleared of all but a few icons of idolatry in the 1600s. Leave time to lose yourself in the adjacent sprawling Necropolis cemetery.

• Aberdeen Art Gallery: A treasure trove of art from across the globe, this prestigious gallery showcases exhibits from the 1700s to the present, from Hogarth to Reynolds to Picasso. It's also the place to catch the most important temporary exhibits in northeast Scotland.

The best Food & Drink Experiences

• Whisky Tasting: Take a behind-the-scenes tour of one of Scotland's many whisky distilleries where the angels are said to sneak a share from each cask. Or join the Scotch Malt Whisky Society for a day and sample as many as you please at their Vaults bar.

• Edinburgh's Fine Dining: Scotland's capital claims five Michelin-starred chefs whose restaurants are among the best places to eat in the country. Three chefs, including top Scottish chef Martin Wishart, are based in Leith, while the sumptuous 21212 is the latest top-rated addition to Edinburgh's restaurant scene.

• Afternoon Tea: This famed meal is one of the most refined ways to while away an afternoon in Scotland. Recommended spots include Greywalls Hotel in East Lothian and Duisdale Hotel on the Isle of Skye. Alternatively make a day of it on an Afternoon Tea Tour.

• Tucking into the U.K.'s Best Fish & Chips (Anstruther): No place in the United Kingdom makes better fish and chips than the Anstruther Fish Bar & Restaurant. Enjoy a portion of the nation's favorite dish along with views of fishing boats and the North Sea at this busy harborfront restaurant.

• Real Ale and Traditional Music (Lerwick, Shetland): Enjoy a pint of real ale and a taste of traditional music in one of Lerwick's friendly pubs. Many of Shetland's excellent fiddle and accordion players start their careers in these laid-back harborside bars, where visitors can sample some of Scotland's best local brews.

• Scottish Smokehouses: Freshly caught seafood is transformed by Scotland's traditional smokehouses. The smoldering fires of the Marrbury Smokehouse on the banks of the Solway Firth add pungent flavors to hand-caught wild salmon, Kirkcudbright scallops, and succulent mussels.

The best Local Experiences

• Six Nations Rugby Match (Edinburgh): Join the whole of Scotland in cheering its national rugby team on home ground at a Six Nations Championship match in Edinburgh's Murrayfield stadium. If you can't snag a ticket, head to a local pub and watch the action unfold on a big screen.

• An Afternoon in Cramond (Edinburgh): This old waterfront village is a locals' favorite on sunny afternoons. Explore a tiny offshore island, the scant remains of a Roman fort, and Lauriston Castle; and walk the banks of the River Almond, site of the first known human habitation in Scotland.

• The Prince of Wales (Aberdeen): Featuring Aberdeen's longest bar counter (with an old spittoon trough) and a collection of whisky and brewing memorabilia on the walls, this characterful establishment is a perennial favorite with locals and visitors alike. Given the quality of the beer and the hearty lunches, it's no wonder.

• A Highland Game: Held throughout the year, these family-friendly sporting days celebrate Scottish culture like no other event. Highlights include men in kilts tossing cabers (small tree trunks) and local Scottish dancing. The best known is Braemar's late August Royal Highland Gathering, near Balmoral Castle.

• Hootananny (Inverness): This city-center nightspot offers the remarkable combination of traditional Scottish music, a Thai restaurant, and large screens for the latest music videos. Still, it's undeniably popular, and never more so than on Fridays, when local singers and songwriters showcase their talents, or on Saturday afternoons when there's a ceilidh (an evening of traditional music and dance).

• A Boat Trip to Foula (Shetland): Journey across the water to Foula, one of Britain's most isolated and windswept islands. The handful of hardy inhabitants living on this wild but beautiful lump of rock off the west coast of Shetland still follow the old Julian calendar, celebrating Christmas Day on January 6.

The best Activities for Families

• Our Dynamic Earth (Edinburgh): Take your family on a trip through the physical landscapes of the Earth from the Big Bang, through erupting volcanoes to lush rain forests. Leave time for a planetarium show at Future Dome.

• Glasgow Science Centre: Housed in a titanium clad pod-like building on the south bank of the River Clyde, this leading family-focused attraction inspires and informs all ages on the concepts behind science and technology. Learning is fun and interactive and an adjacent IMAX cinema wows every time.

• Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park (near Stirling): Visit the wild side of Scotland and get up close to animals from across the globe at this top family-friendly attraction. Admission includes a journey through wildlife reserves, a sea lion show, and a boat trip around chimp island.

• Loch of Lowes Wildlife Reserve (Dunkeld): Children can view some of Scotland's rarest birds at the hides perched on the shores of this small loch. Or watch a live link of nesting ospreys that migrate from Africa to breed here every year. A visitor center provides interactive information and retail therapy.

• Boat Trips from Mull: Take your family on a sea safari and hop aboard one of the several boats that depart from Tobermory's harbor for the surrounding waters. Tours range from two-hour jaunts to the local seal colony to all-day whale-watching adventures.

• Old Scatness (Shetland): History is brought to fun-filled life at Old Scatness, near Sumburgh Head, Shetland. While archaeologists continue unearthing an Iron Age broch, Pictish homes, and Norse dwellings at this amazing site, children can dress up as Vikings and join in a variety of activities.

The best of Contemporary Scotland

• The Scottish Parliament (Edinburgh): Love it or loath it, there's no denying Scotland's extraordinary new parliament building embodies a thoroughly modern Scotland. Spreading out below Salisbury Crags, this architectural masterpiece cost a cool £414 million and is best experienced via a free tour that includes the hallowed debating chamber.

• Striding Arches (near Moniaive, Dumfries, and Galloway): Contemporary site-specific art and stunning Scottish countryside combine in this memorable piece by landscape artist Andy Goldsworthy. Walk the route between this collection of striking arches that blaze a trail and make a bold artistic statement across Cairnhead.

• Glasgow's Theatre Scene: Be inspired by the best in European contemporary theatre, presented by cutting-edge Scottish artists at Glasgow's hippest performing arts venues including the Tramway, the Arches, and the Tron.

• The Falkirk Wheel: A triumph of ambitious Scottish engineering, this gleaming claw-like structure is the world's first and only rotating boatlift. The Wheel effortlessly swings boats the 35m (115 ft.) between the Union and Forth and Clyde canals using only a fraction of power and Archimedes' Principle.

• Ben Cruachan Power Station: A mountain towering above Loch Awe in Argyll harbors the world's second-largest hydroelectric power station. Enormous turbines pump water from the loch to a reservoir high up above. You can take a guided tour and learn more in an exhibition center.

• Aberdeen Arts Centre: On the outside it's a traditional granite Victorian institution, but inside it's a lively arts complex offering a contemporary and extraordinarily broad program. Catch the latest plays, arthouse films, and exhibitions. If that's not enough, enjoy a drink at the bright cafe-bar.

The best Historic Experiences

• The Borders' Abbeys: Spend a day exploring gentle countryside and the four great ruined abbeys—Kelso, Dryburgh, Jedburgh, and Melrose—that cluster around the heart of the Scottish Borders. Brought to their knees by the English and the Reformation, these former ecclesiastical powerhouses remain magnificent even in ruins.

• Alloway, Birthplace of Burns: Visit the tiny cottage where Scotland's much-loved national poet, Robert "Rabbie" Burns was born and the auld Brig o' Doon immortalized in his epic poem Tam O'Shanter. A swish new museum and grand monument and gardens complete a Burns day out.

• Stirling Castle: One of the most formidable fortresses in the British Isles, Stirling Castle boasts views of the Wallace Monument and played a pivotal role in the battle for an independent Scotland. Its fully restored Renaissance palace is a must-see triumph of its era.

• Innerpeffray Library (Crieff): One of Scotland's hidden historical gems, this Georgian library attached to an old church is lined with the precious leather-bound volumes that once formed one of Scotland's earliest book-lending services. Take a guided tour or don a pair of white gloves to leaf through these old tomes.

• Hugh Miller's Cottage (Cromarty): This ancient thatched cottage is the former home of Cromarty's most famous son, Hugh Miller. Born here in 1802 and largely self-taught, Miller became a pioneer in the field of geology and a celebrated man of letters. Inside his cottage are collections of personal belongings and geological specimens.

• Maeshowe (the Orkney Islands): The enigmatic Maeshowe is one of Europe's largest and best-preserved chambered cairns. Visit at sunset on the winter solstice as the sun's last rays shine down the narrow passageways, lighting the back wall of the 5,000-year-old chamber.

The best of the Great Outdoors

• Fishing the Salmon-Rich Tweed: The River Tweed is one of the world's great salmon rivers and an angler's paradise. These scenic waters, which strike a gentle course through the best of the Scottish Borders, are also famous for brown and sea trout as well as grayling.

• Teeing off on the St. Andrews Links: Known as the "home of golf," St. Andrews claims a collection of prime links courses, including the world-famous Old Course. Book a tee time well in advance of your trip to enjoy a round at this golf shrine, where the courses are shaped by nature and undiminished by time.

• Cycling Through Glencoe: Site of a famous 1692 massacre, Glencoe is a brooding landscape of stark and grandiose mountain scenery. Many consider Glencoe to be at its most mystical when wet. It's a dramatic ride and cyclists should come prepared for rain because around 250cm (100 in.) are recorded here every year.

• Climbing Ben Nevis: Britain's highest mountain looms 3 3/4 miles southeast of Fort William. At 1,342m (4,403 ft.), the snow-capped granite mass dominates this entire region of Scotland and a trip to its summit can be done in a day.

• Bird Watching on Fair Isle: Take your binoculars to the cliffs of Fair Isle, home to some of Europe's largest colonies of seabirds, including guillemots, Arctic skuas, and the comical puffin. More than 340 species have been recorded by the famous observatory at this important staging post for migrating birds.

• Walking Across Papa Stour: For some of the most dramatic and unusual coastal scenery in the British Isles, walk around the island of Papa Stour, Shetland. As well as jagged cliffs, stacks, and arches, you'll see gloups (caves), geos (gulleys), and mysterious subterranean passages that cut right through the land.

The best Countryside Drives

• The A708 from Selkirk to Moffat: This 34-mile route between the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway strikes a scenic course between two very different landscapes of southern Scotland. The road clings to river valley and loch side as it passes Grey Mare's Tail waterfall and old Tibbie Shiels inn.

• The Isle of Arran: Arran combines radically different climates and topographies in a relatively small space. Prehistoric monuments and sweeping vistas of Northern Ireland await along the 56-mile circumnavigation of the island's coastal road which, excluding stopover times, should take half a day to drive. See for more information.

• The Lochs & Mountains South of Oban: Encounter Scotland's longest freshwater loch (Awe), some of the country's most historic buildings (Kilchurn and Carnasserie castles), and one of its most notorious battlefields (the slopes of Ben Cruachan) on the 87-mile route that follows an excellent network of highways along the jagged coast. See for more information.

• The Trossachs: Ruled for generations by the MacGregor clan, the Trossachs combine mist-shrouded lochs with legends of Rob Roy. Spend half a day following the A821 from Callander to Aberfoyle as it threads through dramatic terrain and include detours to Loch Katrine and the Brig o' Turk.

• The Isle of Skye: Follow the A87 west from the Kyle of Lochalsh as it skims past the brooding Cuillin Hills. From Portree loop 20 miles around the Trotternish Peninsula. Known for its odd rock formations, this coastal road travels through rocky seascapes before opening onto Loch Snizort.

• The Road to the Isles (the A830): Leading northwest from Fort William to Mallaig and ferries to the islands, the A830 passes mountains and lochs plus a Victorian engineering triumph—Neptune's Staircase, a network of eight locks that raise the Caledonian Canal 19m (62 ft.).

The best Castles & Palaces

• Edinburgh Castle: One of the country's most famous attractions, Edinburgh Castle embodies a proud, independent Scotland. The ancient volcanic plug it crowns has been occupied since at least 900 b.c. and over the past 3,000 years this historic site has witnessed some of the bloodiest events in Scottish history.

• Palace of Holyroodhouse (Edinburgh): Sealing the foot of Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile and facing Scotland's new parliament building, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is the Queen's official residence in Scotland. Dripping with tales of murder, pomp, fine art, and antique furniture, palaces don't come much finer than this distinguished royal stronghold.

• Linlithgow Palace (West Lothian): Once one of the nation's most glamorous royal residences, Linlithgow is today one of Scotland's most poignant ruins. Mary Queen of Scots was born at this loch-side palace, which despite being roofless and badly damaged in places retains all its ability to impress.

• Scone Palace (Scone): Ancient Scottish kings were crowned here upon the legendary Stone of Scone (now on display in Edinburgh Castle). The palace you see today was rebuilt in 1802 from ruins that incorporated a 1580 structure with stones laid during the dim early days of Scottish and Pictish union.

• Glamis Castle (Glamis): The core of this Scottish Baronial masterpiece was built as a defense against rival clans during the 1400s. As conflicts eased, however, Glamis evolved into a luxurious ancestral home. Haunted by Lady Glamis, who was burned as a witch, the castle also featured in the ambitions of Macbeth.

• Balmoral Castle (Ballater): Queen Victoria's beloved Scottish residence remains a popular retreat for the British monarchy and draws hordes of visitors seeking a glimpse into royal life Highland style. Limited public access is allowed to the castle itself, but the glorious surrounding estate is worth a visit alone.
Scotland in Depth

A small and dynamic nation, Scotland is only 275 miles long and some 150 miles wide at its broadest. Owing to its mountainous interior and deep penetration by sea lochs, no Scot lives more than 40 miles from saltwater. But despite the small size of their country, the Scots have extended their influence around the world, by virtue of their indomitable spirit, distinctive culture, and constant curiosity.

Inventor Alexander Graham Bell and explorers Mungo Park and David Livingstone came from Scotland. This country gave the world entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie, poet Robert Burns, novelist Sir Walter Scott, actor Sean Connery, singer Annie Lennox, and comedian/actor Billy Connolly. But, curiously, for a long time, its most famous resident has been neither man nor woman but Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.

The border is just a line on a map; you're hardly aware of crossing from England to Scotland. Yet even though the two countries have been joined constitutionally since 1707, Scotland is quite different from England and is very much its own country. In fact, on July 1, 1999, Scotland was granted greater independence when British Prime Minister Tony Blair restored regional government, and a new Scottish Parliament was opened by Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh.

Much of Scottish history has been shaped by the country's location in a remote corner of northwestern Europe. Amazingly, Scotland encompasses 787 islands (although only about a quarter are inhabited). Its 6,158 miles of coastline are deeply penetrated by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the often-turbulent North Sea on the east. In fact, the sea has shaped Scotland's destiny more than any other element, and bred a nation of seafarers, many of whom still earn their living on the water.

Scotland Today

Throughout Scotland, there's a mood of change in the air. One reason for this is that expatriate Scots are returning from abroad, because there are now far more opportunities in Scotland despite the recent downturn in the economy. Today, even the population of the Highlands is the highest it's been in a century. The migrations of the 19th century—when Scots people went overseas in order to find a better life—are now slowly starting to reverse. Slowly but surely, some of the estimated 20 million Scots who live outside the country are making the long trip home.

Part of this increased optimism is generated by the prospect of eventual Scottish independence from England. Scotland has had its own Parliament since 1999, but even a Parliament of its own may not satisfy the rising tide of Scottish separatism. Under the present arrangement, the Queen is still the head of state and the British prime minister the head of government. At sporting events, Scots can be heard singing "Flower of Scotland" instead of "God Save the Queen."

Scotland is once again starting to turn a strong face to the world, with a powerful combination of innovation and tradition. Its high-tech industries are playing an important role in the technological revolution, and today the country produces 13% of Europe's personal computers, 45% of Europe's workstations, and 50% of Europe's automated banking machines. The country is also at the forefront of the renewable energy industry, tapping into its considerable potential for wind and tidal power generation. Meanwhile, exports of Scotland's time-tested crafts (woolen tweeds and knitwear) are thriving, the market for Scotch whisky has burgeoned all around the world, and tourists are visiting in record numbers.

One of Scotland's biggest challenges is that half of the country still belongs to just 350 people—the "lairds," who include English aristocrats, reclusive foreign investors, pop stars, desert sheiks, offshore companies, and investment bankers. Dating from the 12th century and reinforced by the infamous Highland Clearances of the early 1800s, the ancient system is coming under review. In 2002, the islanders of Gigha won the fight to own their own land even though they weren't the top bidder for its sale, and their 1,375-hectare (3,400-acre) island has been handed over to a community trust. Something similar happened on South Uist in 2006. As a result, the islands are gradually undergoing a process of social and economic regeneration.

The Making of Scotland

Beyond this brief introduction, readers interested in Scottish history can't do better than Rab Houston's Scotland: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2008) as a first port of call. Concise, informative, unpretentious, and highly readable, this little book provides much food for thought, as it outlines all the main currents in Scottish history and draws out the reasons why the country is the way it is today. The book also benefits from interesting illustrations, a useful chronology at the back, and a handy list of Scottish monarchs.

For more in-depth discussion of places and people, ideas and events, turn to The Oxford Companion to Scottish History edited by Michael Lynch (Oxford University Press, 2011). It's well worth keeping a copy in your car as you drive round the country, so you can consult it as you visit particular historical sites. Compiled from the contributions of over 180 experts, this volume offers the latest research in easily digestible gobbets of text on a wealth of issues, from the historical background to Macbeth to the facts about climate change over the centuries.

Dateline

6000 b.c. The earliest known residents of Scotland establish settlements on the Argyll Peninsula.

3000 b.c. Celtic tribes invade, bringing the Gaelic language with them.

a.d. 82 Roman armies directed by Agricola push into southern Scotland; the Roman incursion is, however, short-lived.

a.d. 90 Romans abandon all plans of conquering Scotland, retreating to England and the relative safety of Hadrian's Wall.

500 Newcomers from Ireland, known as "Scots," invade; their bloodlines are soon mingled with Norse, Pictish, Celtic, and Teutonic tribes.

563 St. Columba establishes a mission on Iona, accelerating the movement established by earlier ecclesiastics to Christianize Scotland.

843 Kenneth MacAlpin unifies the Picts and the Scots.

1005–34 Malcolm II unites the four major tribes of Scotland into one broadly cohesive unit.

1124–53 David I builds monasteries, consolidates royal power and prestige, and imports Norman values.

1266 The Hebrides and the coast of western Scotland are released from Norse control; the Donald clan consolidates power here into a semi-autonomous state within Scotland.

1272 Edward I of England embarks on an aggressive campaign to conquer both Wales and Scotland, but is deflected by Robert the Bruce, among others.

1314 The victory of the Scots over the English armies at Bannockburn leads to the Treaty of Northampton (1328), formally recognizing Scotland's independence from England.

1468 The Orkney and Shetland Islands are given to Scotland as part of the marriage dowry of a Norse princess to a Scottish king.

Late 1400s The Auld Alliance with France, a cynical arrangement based mostly on mutual distrust of England, is born.

1535 At the urging of Henry VIII of England, Parliament officially severs all ties with the Catholic Church, legally sanctioning the Reformation.

1559–64 John Knox lays out the basic outline of the Scottish Presbyterian Church.

1561 Queen Mary returns to Scotland from France.

1568 Mary is defeated and flees to England.

1572 John Knox dies; his work is continued by Andrew Melville.

1587 Mary Queen of Scots is executed.

1603 Mary's son, James VI of Scotland, accedes to the throne of England as James I, and unifies the two countries.

1689 The English Parliament strips the uncompromising Catholic James II of his crowns (England, Scotland and Ireland) and imports the Protestant William and Mary from Holland to replace him. The Union of Parliaments takes place in 1707.

1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie's attempt to reclaim his grandfather's throne ends in defeat by English forces at the Battle of Culloden, destroying any hope of a Stuart revival.

1750–1850 England and Scotland experience rapid industrialization; the Clearances strip many crofters of their farms, creating great bitterness and forcing new patterns of Scottish migrations.

1789 The French Revolution begins; British monarchists tighten their grip on civil unrest in Scotland.

Late 19th century Great successes in science and engineering propel Scotland into the forefront of industrial know-how around the globe.

Mid-20th century The decline of traditional industries, especially shipbuilding, painfully redefines the nature of Scottish society.

1970 The discovery of North Sea oil deposits brings new prosperity to Scotland.

1973 Scotland, as part of the United Kingdom, becomes a member of the Common Market, forerunner of the European Union.

1974 The old counties or shires are reorganized; many regions are renamed.

1981 The largest oil terminal in Europe is launched at Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands.

1988 Pan Am Flight 103 from London crashes at Lockerbie, killing all passengers, as well as some locals.

1997 Scotland votes to establish a legislature of its own for the first time since 1707.

1999 On July 1, Queen Elizabeth opens a new Scottish Parliament for the first time in 300 years.

2003 Scotland joins England in sending troops to fight in Iraq.

2004–5 Scotland grapples with long-overdue land reform.

2007 Scotland marks 300 years of union with England.

2011 Scotland holds its fourth general election since the opening of the new Scottish Parliament.

2014 Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games.

Early History

Although little is known about the early tribes and invaders of Scotland, their impact on the landscape is strikingly apparent. Visit the Callanish Stones, which still stand erect on the windswept Isle of Lewis almost 4,000 years later, and you can't fail to be impressed. But by the time the Romans decided to invade in a.d. 82, we do know that the land was occupied by a people known as the Picts (Painted Ones). Despite spectacular bloodletting, the Romans failed to conquer the country, and the building of Hadrian's Wall marked the northern limits of their influence. Today, however, the remains of Hadrian's Wall (at Housesteads in Northumberland, for example), lie firmly in England, with the Scottish border farther north.

By a.d. 500, the Picts were again attacked, this time by the Dalriada Irish, known as the Scots, who were successful. Ramblers who visit Kilmartin Glen in Argyll today can't help but stumble across some of the 800 forts, cromlechs (stone circles), and burial mounds that litter the region that formed the center of their kingdom. Over time, the Scots intermarried with the Picts, and as Britons emigrated from the south and Norsemen from the northeast, new bloodlines were established and linguistic influences introduced (from Celtic and Norse dialects to Low German and Saxon English).

The next chapter in Scottish—and indeed European—history was played out on the small Hebridean island of Iona. The abbey you see there today (and can even stay in) is the legacy of the Christian community established by St. Columba when he arrived from Ireland in 563. The remoteness of this haven of Christianity ensured that the culture and learning of Columba and his followers survives the plundering and barbarism of the Dark Ages.

Among the earliest surviving buildings in Scotland today are the brochs (circular towers), dating back to the Iron Age. Examples such as the Broch of Mousa in the Shetland Islands are among the most sophisticated drystone structures ever built. Their function is the subject of ongoing debate; many archaeologists believe that rather than being defensive in nature, they were the stately homes of their time.

Clans, tartans & Kilts

To the outsider, Scotland's deepest traditions appear to be based on the clan system of old with all the familiar paraphernalia of tartans and bagpipes. This is, however, a romantic memory, and in fact, a good part of the Scots—the 75% of the population who live in the central Lowlands, for example—have little or no connection with the clansmen of earlier times.

The clan tradition dates from the tribal units of the country's earliest Celtic history. Power was organized around a number of chieftains, who commanded loyalty from the inhabitants of a particular region in exchange for protection against exterior invasions. The position of chieftain wasn't hereditary, and land was owned by the clan, not by the chieftain. Clan members had both rights and duties. Rigidly militaristic and paternalistic—the stuff with which Scottish legend is imbued—the clan tradition is still emphasized today, albeit in a much friendlier fashion than when claymores and crossbows threatened a bloody death or dismemberment for alleged slights on a clan's honor.

Chieftains were absolute potentates, with life and death power over members and interlopers, although they were usually viewed as patriarchs actively engaged in the perpetuation of the clan's bloodlines, traditions, and honor. The entourage of a chieftain always included bodyguards, musicians (harpers and pipers), a spokesman (known as a tatler), and—perhaps most important to latter-day students of clan traditions—a bard. The bard's role was to sing, to exalt the role of the clan and its heroes, to keep a genealogical record of births and deaths, and to compose or recite epic poems relating to the clan's history.

The clan system had broken down long before Sir Walter Scott wrote his romantic novels about them and long before Queen Victoria made Scotland socially fashionable. The clans today represent a cultural rather than a political power. The best place to see the remnants of their tradition in action is at any traditional Highland gathering, although battalions of bagpipers seem to show up at everything from weddings and funerals to political rallies and parades throughout Scotland.

The Middle Ages

The Scots and the Picts were united in 843 under the kingship of a chieftain named Kenneth MacAlpin, in the face of invasive pressures from England and Scandinavia and by virtue of the unifying force of Christianity. Under Malcolm II (1005–34), the British and the Angles, who occupied the southwest and southeast of the Scottish mainland, merged with the Scots and the Picts. Malcolm's son and heir, Duncan, was murdered by Macbeth of Moray—an event that would later provide the plotline for Shakespeare's "Scottish play." Visit Glamis Castle, north of Dundee, and you can stroll around "Duncan's Hall," where the Victorians imagined Macbeth killed Duncan.

Malcolm III's marriage to an English princess, Margaret (later St. Margaret), furthered the Anglicization of the Scottish Lowlands. A determined woman of strong ideas, she imported English priests into Scotland and carried out Church reforms that soon replaced St. Columba's Gaelic form of Christianity. Her introduction of the English language laid the groundwork for making Scotland a potential English kingdom.

Cultural assimilation with England continued under David I (1081–1153), who made land grants to many Anglo-Norman families, providing Scotland with a feudal aristocracy and bringing in ancient names such as Bruce, Fraser, and Lindsay. He also embarked on a lavish building spree. The now-ruined abbeys of Jedburgh, Kelso, Melrose, and Dryburgh are his legacy. Parish churches at Dalmeny and Leuchars, and the church of David I in Dunfermline, are other particularly fine examples of ecclesiastical architecture that survive from this period; the Vikings left few Celtic churches intact.

In 1266, after about a century of Norse control, the foggy and windswept Western Isles were returned to Scotland following the Battle of Largs. Despite nominal allegiance to the Scottish monarch, this region's inhabitants quickly organized themselves around the Donald (or MacDonald) clan. The numerous castles you see in the area today—including Dunaverty off the coast of Kintyre, Kildonan on Arran, and Knock on Skye—bear testimony to the fact that MacDonald territory was ruled almost as an independent state. The honorary title of their chief, Lord of the Isles, is still one of the formal titles used on state occasions by Britain's Prince of Wales. To learn more about perhaps the most important clan in Scottish history, visit the Clan Donald Visitor Centre, at Armadale on the Isle of Skye.

In the meantime, real trouble was brewing in the south. Edward I, the ambitious Plantagenet king of England, yearned to conquer the entire island. Successful at first, he set up John de Balliol as a vassal king to rule Scotland for him. Many of Scotland's legendary heroes lived during this period: Sir William Wallace (1270–1305), who drove the English out of Perth and Stirling; Sir James Douglas, the Black Douglas (1286–1330), who terrorized the English borders; and Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), who finally succeeded in freeing Scotland from England. You can still visit the scene of his coronation (in 1306, in defiance of the English) at Scone, just outside Perth, and it's well worth making the journey to Bannockburn near Stirling to see where he finally defeated Edward II of England at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Scotland's independence was formally recognized in the 1328 Treaty of Northampton, inaugurating a heady but short-lived separation from England.

The Orkneys and the Shetlands, Norse to the core, were finally brought into the Scottish web of power as part of the marriage dowry of the Norse princess Margaret to James III in 1468. It was at this time that the Scots entered into an alliance with the French that would later have far-reaching effects. The line of Stuart (or Stewart) kings—so named because the family had become powerful as stewards of the English king—were generally accepted as the least troublesome of a troublesome bunch. Real power, however, lay with Scotland's great lords, patriarchs of the famous clans. Jealous of their bloodlines and territories, they could rarely agree on anything other than their common distrust of England.

The medieval period brought numerous Norman-influenced motte and bailey castles such as Bothwell Castle in Lanarkshire. Many of these were originally built of wood, and were only gradually replaced by more permanent stone structures, with long curtain walls and cylindrical towers. Under the influence of the European Renaissance, castle architecture was adapted to the formation of elaborate fortified palaces. Famous examples include those at Linlithgow, Falkland, and Stirling.

With the building of monasteries and cathedrals came a turn to the Gothic style, which was better suited to larger structures. In Glasgow, Elgin, and Dunblane, you can see pointed Gothic arches, vaulting, and lancet windows. On St. Giles in Edinburgh is one of the few remaining crown spires used in late Gothic ecclesiastical construction. When the barons built churches other than cathedrals, however, they continued to use the traditional Scottish formula of stepped buttresses, crenellated towers, and roofs of stone slab. The Reformation later prompted the stripping of ornamentation from Scotland's churches. Examples of pre-Reformation woodwork does, however, survive at King's College and St. Machar's in Aberdeen.

In the 15th century, Scottish literature really started to make its mark through the poetry of the so-called Scottish Chaucerians Robert Henryson, William Dunbar, Gavin Douglas, Sir David Lyndsay, and King James I (The King's Quair).

Tartan splendor

Although not every visitor to Scotland is descended from a clan, almost all are familiar with plaids and the traditions associated with them. Over the centuries, each clan developed a distinctive pattern to be worn by its members, presumably to better identify its soldiers in the heat of battle. (Today, tartan is used interchangeably with plaid, but the word plaid originally referred specifically to a mantle of cloth draped over the back and shoulders.)

Kilts enjoy an ancient history. Checkered tartans are first mentioned in a 1471 English inventory. The clans developed special dyeing and weaving techniques: for example, Alder bark steeped in hot water produces a black dye; gorse, broom, and knapweed produce shades of green; cup moss produces purple; dandelion leaves produce magenta; bracken and heather produce yellow; white lichens produce red; and indigo had to be imported for blue.

When Bonnie Prince Charlie launched his rebellion in 1745, he used tartans as a symbol of his army. As a consequence, the public display of tartans was banned for a period after his defeat. During Queen Victoria's reign, however, tartans came into high fashion, as she and her kilt-wearing German consort, Albert, made all things Scottish popular.

Today, the Scottish Tartans Authority has registered over 5,000 different tartans, each subtly different from the others. All are available for sale somewhere in Scotland's shops and markets. If you're not fortunate enough to be of Scottish extraction, don't worry: Queen Victoria long ago authorized two Lowland designs as suitable garb for Sassenachs (the English and, more remotely, the Americans). By contrast, though, you should only wear the Balmoral tartan if you're a member of the Royal Family.

On a purely decorative and symbolic level, and with rich interest for anyone tracing genealogical roots, is Robert Bain's The Clans and Tartans of Scotland, enlarged and re-edited by Margaret MacDouglass, with heraldic advice supplied by P. E. Stewart-Blacker and with dozens of illustrations (Collins, 1959).

The Reformation

The passions of the Reformation burst on an already turbulent Scottish scene in the person of John Knox, a devoted disciple of the Geneva Protestant John Calvin and a bitter enemy of both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church. His polemics were famous; in his struggle against the ardently Catholic Queen Mary, he wrote his First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. His was a peculiar mixture of piety, conservatism, strict morality, and intellectual independence, all of which are still pronounced features of the Scottish character. Knox was the writer who probably had most influence during this period; he also authored History of the Reformation.

Knox's teachings also helped shape the democratic form of Scottish government and set the Scottish Church's austere moral tone for generations to come. Later, the Church of Scotland's almost obsessive insistence on self-government would lead to endless conflicts, first with the Scottish and then, after unification, with the British monarchs. In Edinburgh, you can still visit the John Knox House, where the fiery reformer once lived.

Mary Queen of Scots

When Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (1542–87), took up her rule, she was a Roman Catholic of French upbringing trying to govern an unruly land to which she was a relative newcomer. Daughter of Scotland's James V and France's Mary of Guise, she became queen at only 6 days of age. She lived at Stirling Castle as an infant monarch before being sent to be educated in France. At the age of 15, she married the heir to the French throne, but returned to Scotland after his death. Mary then set out on two roads that were anathema to the Scots: to make herself absolute monarch in the French style and to impose Roman Catholicism. The first alienated the Scottish nobles, and the second made her the enemy of John Knox and the Calvinists. After a series of disastrous political and romantic alliances, her life was ended by the executioner's axe in England. The execution order was reluctantly issued by her cousin Elizabeth I, who considered Mary's presence an incitement to civil unrest and a threat to the stability of the English throne. You can follow the dramatic story of her life at the string of palaces where she once lived. In the Borders there's Mary Queen of Scots House, while in Edinburgh, at Holyroodhouse, you can see where her Italian secretary, David Rizzio, was stabbed 56 times in front of her. The Queen also used to stay at Falkland Palace for hunting and hawking.

For the court of such culture-conscious monarchs as Mary Stuart, music was imported from both England and France. The madrigals and choral compositions of the Scottish 16th century can be found in a collection of songs by the Scottish Early Music Consortium, Mary's Music. During the same era, a Scottish-born composer, Robert Carver (1490–1546), created a remarkable body of polyphonic vocal music whose allure grew increasingly fashionable among British early music buffs in the 1990s. Carver's music can be appreciated on Scottish Renaissance Polyphony Vols. 1 & 2, as performed by the Scottish choral group Capella Nova.

Union with England

Mary's son succeeded where his unfortunate mother had failed. In 1603, James VI of Scotland also assumed the throne of England as James I, Elizabeth's heir. His coronation united England and Scotland and finally broke the power of the Scottish lords.

Despite the hopes for peace that accompanied the union, religion soon became the source of discontent. James, and his heir, Charles I, attempted to promote a Church of Scotland governed by bishops, in opposition to the Presbyterian Church's self-ruling organization. So incensed were the Scots that in 1638 they signed the National Covenant, which not only reasserted the Reformation's principles but also questioned the King's right to make laws, a role the Covenanters believed should be filled by Parliament.

Yet Charles I, king of England from 1625 to 1649, believed strongly in the divine right of kings. When the English Parliament stripped away much of his authority in 1642, Charles went north to organize an army against the Parliamentary forces centered in London. A civil war ensued, with the forces of Parliament being led to victory by Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658). Charles fled to Scotland, but the Scots turned him over to Parliament, and in 1649 he was convicted of treason and beheaded. Under the ensuing Commonwealth, Cromwell assumed a dominant political role and became Lord Protector in 1653. King in all but name, he ruled England until his death.

But trouble brewed in Scotland. The death of Charles I led to deep divisions in the country, which eventually led to open defiance of Cromwell, and proclamation of Charles II as king. The Scots even launched abortive invasions of England. Cromwell's forces finally defeated the Scots at Dunbar, to the east of Edinburgh, in 1650. For nearly 9 years (1651–60), Scotland was under Commonwealth military occupation, and the garrisons the English built left a lasting legacy with the founding of the town of Fort William and the building of ramparts at Inverness, among other places. Religious friction continued, however, after the restoration of Charles II to the English throne.

In the arts, decorative painting became popular in houses and public buildings in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Most of this was the work of local artisans, who used bright colors to produce designs of fruit and flowers, scenes from the Bible, and patterns using conventional idioms. Tempera painting on ceilings and paneling can still be seen in such places as Gladstone's Land in Edinburgh and Provost Skene's House in Aberdeen, though the fashion later changed in favor of ornamental plasterwork such as can be seen in Old Moray House on the south side of Canongate on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.

Whereas baronial mansions of the late 16th and early 17th centuries draw on the Scottish architectural heritage of gables, garrets, turrets, towers, and facade adornments, country houses thereafter looked to foreign exemplars. Sir William Bruce (1630–1710) adopted the Classical style exhibited by Kinross House and the courtyard at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. James Smith (1644–1731) developed a more specifically Palladian version that is perhaps best seen today at Dalkeith Palace.

In the literature of the times, most notable were the poets William Drummond—whose work shows the heavy influence of Spenser—and Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty, who was best known as the translator of Rabelais.

The Jacobites

In 1689, when the English Parliament stripped Catholic James II of his crown and imported Protestant monarchs William and Mary from Holland, the exiled ex-king and then his son James Edward (the Old Pretender) became focal points for Scottish unrest. The Jacobites (the name comes from Jacobus, the Latin form of James) attempted unsuccessfully in 1715 to place the Old Pretender on the English throne and restore the Stuart line. Although James died in exile, his son Charles Edward (the Young Pretender), better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, carried on his father's dream. Charismatic but with an alcohol-induced instability, he was the central figure of the 1745 Jacobite uprising. Today, the Glenfinnan Monument at the head of Loch Shiel (west of Fort William) marks the spot where he raised his standard; the grandeur of the memorial is testimony to the inspiration his story would provide to later generations of Scottish patriots.

Although the revolt was initially promising, the many Scottish adherents who crossed religious lines to rally to the cause led to the Jacobite forces being crushed at the Battle of Culloden. You can still walk this battlefield near Inverness today, and a visitor center fills in the background. Fearing a rebirth of similar types of Scottish nationalism, the clan system was rigorously suppressed; clans that supported the Jacobite cause lost their lands, and, until 1782, the wearing of Highland dress was made illegal.

The Young Pretender himself was smuggled unglamorously out of Scotland, assisted by Flora MacDonald, one of the era's most romantic heroines. Her birthplace near the Kildonan Museum on South Uist is now marked by a monument. The Bonnie Prince himself went on to lead a life of dissipation in Paris and Rome, and the hopes of an independent Scotland were buried forever.

Traditional Scottish music

The earliest characteristics of Scottish music are found in the folk tradition. Two traditions exist—the Lowland, where the Scottish version of English is spoken, and the Gaelic music of the Highlands and Hebrides. The first Lowland songs and ballads were written down in the Skene Manuscript (now in the National Library of Scotland) around 1615, and in about 1650 numerous published editions of Lowland tunes began to appear. Gaelic songs were not collected until the 19th century, and because the Highland ballads often differed from clan to clan, you may still hear today a version that has never been written down or recorded.

The folk music of the Orkney and Shetland islands has Scandinavian origins. The ancient Norn language was spoken in Orkney until the late 17th century and in Shetland until the mid-18th century, but was allowed to die out; and since folksongs were in that language, those tunes have also almost disappeared.

A feature of Scottish music is the Scotch snap, a form of syncopation consisting of two notes, the second of which is three times as long as the first. The Scotch snap apparently originated in the 18th century and is found in many authentic Scottish tunes as well as in the 18th century's pseudo-Scottish melodies.

The three national musical instruments of Scotland are the harp, the bagpipe, and the fiddle. The most ancient of these is the harp, which is of Irish origin. It lost its popularity by the 18th century, as the fiddle, flute, and lute took precedence; some harp music even passed to the bagpipes. Interest in the harp has revived, however. The fiddle (derived from the early fedyl) edged out two former competitors, the rebec and the croud (the Welsh crwth), for predominance in the bowed-string instrument category. Today, especially in Strathspey and Shetland, you can hear the fiddle in both solo and concert form.

The bagpipe originated in the Near East. It may have been introduced into Britain by the conquering Romans, who found Scotland too tough to tame. The great Highland bagpipe survived the defeat at Culloden, at which time it was outlawed, partly because it was prized as a military instrument; the dread sound of the piper often sent terror through enemy ranks. Later on, piping was encouraged in new Highland regiments, and the Scots became feared throughout the world for their prowess as soldiers and for the brave skirl of the pipes. The bagpipe is known now chiefly through its use by the pipe bands of Scottish regiments.

Church, court, and concert music also flourished in Scotland. Before the Reformation, most towns of any size had active song schools, mainly under church direction. A major change in church music was brought about by Calvinist reformers who, in the 17th century, denigrated the organ as a "popish instrument" and destroyed them wherever they could. None of this, however, interfered with the Gaelic "long psalms" of Celtic Scotland, in which each line is intoned musically by the leader, with the congregation then singing the line.

Choral and orchestral music are widespread today, and universities have thriving music departments. There is a Scottish National Orchestra as well as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and a Scottish Opera, plus various ensembles and musical guilds. For an excellent introduction to the glories of Gaelic song, try the Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association's album Gaelic Galore, or the Glasgow Phoenix Choir's album With Voices Rising. Alison Kinnaird has been acclaimed as Scotland's finest harpist; on The Quiet Tradition, she teams up with Christine Primrose to produce subtle interpretations of traditional songs. The stirring performances of Hamish Moore, frequently named as one of Scotland's finest pipers, can be appreciated on Cauld Wind Pipes and on a companion recording called Open Ended. A different piper, known as either Pibroch or Piobaireachd (depending on whether you endorse the English or Gaelic spelling of his name), can be heard on a recording entitled The Classical Music of the Great Highland Bagpipe.

The Industrial Revolution

During the 18th century, the Scottish economy underwent a radical transformation of growth and diversification. The British government, fearing civil unrest, commissioned the highly capable General George Wade to build barracks (hence Fort Augustus), roads (from Dunkeld to Inverness, for example), and bridges (notably the Tay Bridge at Aberfeldy), presumably to increase military access from London in the event of a revolt. Their unintended effect, however, was to encourage business and commerce.

As trade with British overseas colonies, England, and Europe increased, the great ports of Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Leith (near Edinburgh) flourished. The merchants of Glasgow grew rich on a nearly monopolistic tobacco trade with Virginia and the Carolinas, until the outbreak of the Revolution sent American tobacco elsewhere. Other forms of commerce continued to enrich a battalion of shrewd Scots.

In the 18th century Scottish literature really started to blossom, with a spate of lucid and powerful prose written in English: novelist Tobias Smollett (Roderick Random and Humphrey Clinker), economist Adam Smith (The Wealth of Nations), philosopher David Hume (Treatise on Human Nature), and James Boswell, friend and biographer of Dr. Samuel Johnson. It was also in the 18th century that Robert Burns (1759–96) produced his famous verses combining the humor and vigor of Scottish speech with the lilt of Scottish songs. Burns, known especially for love lyrics and satires, is Scotland's national bard, though is revered throughout the world. Burns: A Biography of Robert Burns, by James MacKay, is one of the best works devoted to him. MacKay defends the author of Tam O'Shanter and Auld Lang Syne against previously published charges that he was a drunkard and a rake.

The history of native-Scottish portrait painting began with George Jamesone of Aberdeen (1589/90–1644), whose self-portrait can be seen in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. In the early 18th century, a school of portraitists developed in Scotland, following the rich tradition in England. Chief among such artists was Allan Ramsay (1718–84), who is widely held to have influenced England's Sir Joshua Reynolds. Perhaps his best work is a picture of his wife, which hangs in the National Gallery in Edinburgh. Ramsay eventually moved to London, leaving the field for his major successor, Sir Henry Raeburn (1756–1823).

At about this time, a taste for romantic landscapes, historical, and genre painting developed. Perhaps the most famous exponent was Sir David Wilkie (1785–1841), who did much to establish a wider market for Scottish art. Testament to his and his colleagues' efforts was the founding of the Royal Scottish Academy of Art in 1826, through which professional painters could exhibit and sell their works. The most important recent book on the artist is David Wilkie: The People's Painter by Nicholas Tromans (Edinburgh University Press, 2007). This scholarly work presents the latest research on Wilkie, and shows how his visions of Scottish history reached beyond elite patrons to influence popular consciousness. The book also reproduces and discusses the artist's major pictures.

Also in the 18th century, architect William Adam, and his more famous sons, Robert (1728–92) and James (1730–94), continued where James Smith left off. They evolved the so-called Adam style of design, characterized by light, decorative reworkings of Greek and Roman classical motifs. For fine examples of Robert Adam's work, visit Mellerstain near Kelso or Culzean Castle on the Ayrshire coast.

Return of the stone of Destiny

After a rocky journey, the Stone of Scone, or Stone of Destiny, has finally been returned to Scotland. Physically, the stone is a somewhat unprepossessing block of sandstone, measuring 66cm (26 in.) long and 40cm (16 in.) wide and weighing 152kg (336 lbs.). But it's not just a stone: Revered for centuries as a holy relic, it allegedly came from the Middle East, and in biblical times Jacob is said to have used the stone as a pillow.

The stone was used at Dunadd, Iona, and Dunstaffnage for enthroning the Dalriada Irish Monarchs, called Scots. Later it was moved to Scone, and in 1292 John Balliol became the last king to be crowned on the stone in Scotland. So powerful was its legend that Edward I took it to England in 1296, believing possession of the stone gave him sovereignty over Scotland. There it stayed, positioned under the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey in London. In 1328, the Treaty of Northampton, recognizing Scotland's independence, returned the stone to Scotland, but the English reneged on the promise and the stone never moved from Westminster Abbey.

On Christmas Day 1950, however, the stone was stolen from the abbey by a group of Scottish Nationalists. It was found about 4 months later in Arbroath Abbey and returned to Westminster. A rumor spread that the found stone was actually a replica, but this has never been proved.

In 1996, the Stone of Destiny was officially returned to Scotland. It left Westminster Abbey by Land Rover, crossing from England into Scotland at the border town of Coldstream, where a small but moving ceremony was held. On November 30 of that year, the stone proceeded with all due ceremony up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to its permanent home beside the Scottish Crown Jewels in Edinburgh Castle, where you can see it today.

Although Scots in general hailed the return of the stone after 700 years in English captivity, not all are pleased. Some have denounced it as a "cheap political ploy," especially as technically the Queen is merely "lending" it to her Scottish subjects and can call it back to London for a future coronation. Some Scots also want to see the stone returned to Scone. "Edinburgh has no claim, legally, morally, or whatever, to the Stone of Scone," said Andrew R. Robinson, administrator of Scone Castle. "It's not called the Stone of Edinburgh, is it?"

The infamous Clearances between 1750 and 1850 changed Scotland's demographics forever. Small farmers, or crofters, were expelled from their ancestral lands to make way for sheep grazing. Increased industrialization, continued civil unrest, migration to urban centers, and a massive wave of immigration to the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand all contributed to depopulation of the countryside and a dispersal of the Scottish ethic throughout the world. You can still see the ruins of deserted crofts, farmsteads, and villages all over the Highlands.

Meanwhile, rapid progress in the arts, sciences, and education, coupled with the arrival of the Industrial Age, meshed productively with the Scottish genius for thrift, hard work, shrewdness, and conservatism. The 19th century produced large numbers of Scots who made important contributions to nearly all fields of endeavor. Witness the engineering feats of Telford (such as the Caledonian Canal), the lighthouses of the Stevenson family (at Cape Wrath and on the Isle of May, for example), and the architecture of the Adam brothers (at Mellerstain House near Kelso or Culzean Castle in Ayrshire). You will find that the country's Victorian past remains much in evidence; to see what this environment really looked like when it was peopled by its creators, pick up a copy of Victorian Scotland by James Crawford, Lesley Ferguson, and Kristina Watson (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, 2010). This large-format volume presents a fascinating collection of old photographs that show the rich at leisure in their mansions and poor village children with no shoes. It's a smartly produced volume that would make a good present to take home at the end of your stay in Scotland.

In architecture, the 19th century brought the Baronial Revival, pioneered at Sir Walter Scott's Abbotsford House near Melrose. Following the construction of Balmoral Castle for Queen Victoria, the style became a popular export throughout the dominions of the British Empire. Examples can be seen today from New Zealand to Canada. By the end of the century, Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868–1928), combined the revival's more specifically Scottish vernacular idioms with Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts elements to develop a style notable for its strength of form and ornamental restraint. Among his finest creations are the Glasgow School of Art and Hill House, Helensburgh (now owned by the National Trust for Scotland). Sir Robert Lorimer (1864–1929) adapted Mackintosh's ideas in pursuit of the new fashion for restoring old castles.

One of the great Scottish writers of the era was Sir Walter Scott, novelist and poet, known for Medieval Romanticism (Ivanhoe) and perceptive description of character and locales (The Heart of Midlothian). Notable historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle was Scotland-born (Sartor Resartus and The French Revolution). An acclaimed poet, James Hogg, also wrote a famous prose work, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. And in the middle of the century, a lion of the literary world was born in Edinburgh: Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94), who penned such classics as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as poems, especially for children.

At the end of the 19th century, the so-called Kailyard (or "cabbage patch") school of writing developed. Kailyard writing used Scots dialect and idealized village life. J.M. Barrie was perhaps the most famous name associated with the genre, though he is more famous as the dramatist who wrote Peter Pan.

Other notable men of letters who lived and worked in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras were Andrew Lang, poet, essayist, and historian, also known for his collections of fairy tales; John Buchan, who wrote perhaps the first espionage thriller, The Thirty-Nine Steps; and Douglas Brown, author of The House with the Green Shutters, an anti-Kailyard novel. Few people associate that quintessential Londoner, Sherlock Holmes, with Scotland, but the great detective's creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was born in Edinburgh and studied medicine at the city's university.

One of the most important artists of the later 19th century was William MacTaggart (1835–1910), who brought an Impressionist sensibility to his rugged landscapes and seascapes. In turn, it was French naturalism and symbolism that influenced the so-called Glasgow Boys, a group of anti-academic artists whose number included Sir James Guthrie (1859–1930), Sir John Lavery (1856–1941), Sir George Pirie (1863–1946), and William George Macgregor (1855–1923). A large collection of their work can be seen at Kelvingrove Art Museum and Gallery in Glasgow. The definitive book on the subject is The Glasgow Boys by Roger Billcliffe (Frances Lincoln, 2008), a former museum curator and now the owner of his own gallery in Glasgow. Billcliffe presents an authoritative, lavishly illustrated survey of the artists, styles, subjects, and themes of this fascinating art movement.

Queen Victoria, who had a deep love for Scotland (memorably dramatized in the 1997 film Mrs. Brown), popularized the Highland Games, which for many decades had been suppressed after the failure of the 1745 rebellion. Highland Gatherings or Games have their origins in the fairs organized by the tribes or clans for the exchange of goods. The first were held perhaps as long as 1,000 years ago. Such gatherings often featured trials of strength among the men, with the strongest being selected for the chief's army. In 1848, the Queen and her consort, Prince Albert, attended the Braemar Gathering and, as recorded in her journal, saw Duncan, her ghillie, win the race up the hill of Craig Choinnich. (Ghillie originally meant a male attendant or Scottish Highland chief, though today it's used to refer to a hunting or fishing guide; Duncan, incidentally, was rumored to have been the Queen's lover.) The same tradition continues today: throwing hammers, putting rounded stones found in the rivers, tossing the caber (tree trunk), and running in flat races and up steep hillsides, as well as bagpipe playing and dance performances. The Heavies, a breed of gigantic men, draw the most attention for their prowess. Braemar is nowadays the most famous gathering; it is held in late August or early September and is still patronized by the royal family. Other major games are held at Ballater (Grampian), Aberdeen, Elgin, and Newtonmore.

The 20th Century to Present

Scotland endured bitter privations during the Great Depression and the two world wars. Following World War I, a "Scottish Renaissance" tried to reinforce the national identity through the use of a synthetic language called Lallans, a name once applied to Lowland Scots but now consisting of a mix of dialects. Despite these efforts, English remained the language of literature in Scotland, though novelists and poets still often use Scots vernacular.

Twentieth-century writers of note include Edwin Muir, an anti-Renaissance Orkney Islander known for his great metaphysical poetry and his translations of Kafka; James Bridie, playwright and cofounder of the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre; and Eric Linklater, Orkney-born writer of satirical and comic novels. Perhaps the most influential novelists were Lewis Grassic Gibbon, who was most famous for his trilogy, A Scots Quair, and Neil Gunn, author of Morning Tide. Another important writer—though of a very different kind—is Muriel Spark, best known for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie that draws on the experiences of her own school days in Edinburgh.

An early 20th-century loose grouping of artists was the Scottish Colourists, whose work took inspiration from the French Fauvists and looked to cafe culture, glamorous women, picturesque scenes, and still lives for their subject matter. The Scottish Colourists: 1900–1930 by Philip Long and Elizabeth Cumming (National Galleries of Scotland, 2000) presents many of their most famous works in glossy reproductions. It also contains useful introductions to each of the figures belonging to the group, and highly readable essays on the art historical background. The work of J.D. Fergusson (1874–1961) can best be seen at the museum dedicated to him in Perth, that of Samuel Peploe (1871–1935) in Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery, and there are good examples of the paintings of Francis Cadell (1883–1937) and Leslie Hunter (1877–1931) in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh and the Kelvingrove Art Museum in Glasgow.

Important figures in post-war Scottish art include Edinburgh artist Anne Redpath (1895–1965) and Leith-born Eduardo Paolozzi (1924–2005), who toward the end of his life donated the contents of his studio to the Dean Gallery in Edinburgh. Scottish Art 1460–1990, by Duncan Macmillan (Mainstream Publishing, 2000), provides a good overview of Scottish art from the royal miniatures of James IV's court to the post-modern experiments of recent decades. In more recent times, architecture in Scotland has increasingly followed international trends. By far the most important new building is the Scottish Parliament. Designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles, the complex has won architectural prizes for its dramatic forms and structures and has quickly become a major tourist attraction.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Scotland found that, like the rest of Britain, its aging industrial plants couldn't compete with more modern commercial competition from abroad. The most visible decline occurred in the shipbuilding industries; the vast Glasgow shipyards that had once produced some of the world's great ocean liners went bankrupt. The companies that produced automobiles were wiped out during the 1930s. Many commercial enterprises once controlled by Scots had been merged into English or multinational conglomerates.

However, in 1970, the discovery of North Sea oil by British Petroleum boosted the economy considerably and provided jobs for thousands of workers. Oil has continued to play a prominent role in the Scottish economy. In 1981, the largest oil terminal in Europe opened at Sullom Voe in the remote Shetland Islands.

As part of the United Kingdom, Scotland became a member of the European Common Market in 1973, although many Scots—perhaps owing to their longtime isolationism—opposed entry. Some voters expressed a fear that membership would take away some of their rights of self-government and determination. In 1974, Scotland underwent a drastic revision of its counties, and many regions were renamed. Tayside, for example, was carved out of the old counties of Perth and Angus.

In 1999, under Prime Minister Tony Blair's devolution reforms, Scotland was allowed to elect its own legislature for the first time since its 1707 union with England. A total of 129 Scots were elected to this newly formed Parliament. Unlike the Welsh Parliament, the Scottish version, centered at Edinburgh, has the power to tax and make laws, as well as to pursue such matters as healthcare, education, public transportation, and public housing. Scotland is still represented in the main British Parliament in London, and must bow to the greater will of London in matters of foreign policy.

The Scottish Parliament got off to a bad start in 2000, with Scotland's 21 robustly competitive newspapers writing of "the silly season." The press noted that members of Parliament awarded lawmakers with commemorative medals before they had done anything, granted bonuses, and fretted about parking spaces and vacation grants instead of tackling the country's problems. Comedian Billy Connolly dismissed the body "as a wee pretendy Parliament." The ridicule was compounded by the fact that the new Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh cost more than 10 times the original budget, in excess of £400 million.

In music, Scottish traditionalists continued to be popular in the 20th century, playing versions of time-tested Scottish melodies, sometimes in Gaelic. A handful of the more reliable favorites included the Alexander Brothers, the Shotts and Dykehead Band, and—perhaps most famous and influential of all (credited with keeping Scottish spirits aloft during and just after World War II)—the inimitable Harry Lauder. One of the most visible of the modern Scottish folk groups was the Corries, whose spirited music was popular in the early 1970s even before its foremost composer, Roy Williamson, composed "Flower of Scotland." The best insight into both their poetry and their patriotism can be gleaned from The Complete Corries or The Best of the Corries.

Many Scottish musicians have found success in the rock and pop scene of the English-speaking world, even if they haven't developed a distinctively Scottish sound of their own or formed an easily recognizable "scene." Among the bands and singers who have achieved commercial success are Primal Scream, Annie Lennox, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Simple Minds, Texas, The Proclaimers, Belle & Sebastian and Franz Ferdinand. Most recently, Scotland has exported the Britain's Got Talent phenomenon Susan Boyle, whose rags-to-riches story has touched millions across the world.

Twentieth-century Scotland has been captured effectively in a number of highly recommended films. The 39 Steps, a novel by John Buchan, has been adapted for film at least four times. By far the best version is also the earliest, made in 1935 by Alfred Hitchcock. The plot is based on the now-familiar thriller archetype of a man on the run—in this case, reluctant secret-agent Richard Hannay, who tries to stay one step ahead of German spies pursuing him over the Highlands of Scotland. I Know Where I'm Going (1945) is a romance set at the end of World War II, made by the famous film-making duo, Powell and Pressburger. The setting is the Hebrides, with lots of scenic backdrops. One reviewer claimed he'd never seen a picture that "smelled of the wind and rain of Scotland in quite this way." Martin Scorsese has hailed it as a hidden masterpiece.

Also set in the Hebrides is Whisky Galore! (1949), a classic Ealing comedy, adapted from Compton Mackenzie's novel. The plot concerns a cargo vessel at the end of World War II, which—with a cargo of 50,000 cases of whisky—is wrecked off the coast of a small Scottish island. Ring of Bright Water (1969) is based loosely on a memoir by wayward Scottish aristocrat, Gavin Maxwell. Set on the rugged west coast of Scotland, it is the humorous yet touching story of a tame otter and his bemused carers (played by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna).

By contrast, The Wicker Man from 1973 is sometimes described as "the Citizen Kane of horror movies." It follows the misadventures of a police officer who comes to a Scottish island in search of a missing girl whom the locals claim never existed.

A coming-of-age romantic comedy film from 1981, Gregory's Girl was written and directed by Bill Forsyth. Set in Cumbernauld, not far from Glasgow, it centers around an awkward teenager (played by Gordon John Sinclair) and his problems finding love. In spite of its low budget, the film is frequently listed among critics' top 100 British films ever made. Another of Forsyth's films, Local Hero (1983), was filmed near Mallaig and features an American oil company executive sent to a Scottish fishing village on a mission. My Name is Joe from 1988 is a gritty realist drama directed by Ken Loach. Peter Mullan stars as an unemployed recovering alcoholic who meets and falls for a health worker. The film was shot mainly in the council estates of Glasgow, and many members of the cast were actual drug addicts. Continuing the theme of addiction but switching the action to Edinburgh, Danny Boyle's 1996 movie, Trainspotting, follows a motley group of heroine addicts led by Ewan McGregor.

Braveheart (1995) has been around long enough to be hailed as a classic in Scotland, resonating with viewers as a stirring call for independence from England. Mel Gibson stars as William Wallace, the 13th-century patriot. It must be noted, however, that the movie is less than faithful to historical fact. Breaking the Waves (1996) directed by Lars von Trier offers an emotional rollercoaster of a far more troubling kind. Set in the 1970s, it follows the relationships of an oil-rig worker (Stellan Skarsgård) and his young wife (Emily Watson) in a remote community in northern Scotland. The acting performances are often considered among the best ever committed to film.

In current literature, Ian Rankin has won well-deserved success for his Inspector Rebus novels, while Alan Warner has fostered a growing readership with novels such as The Worms Can Carry Me to Heaven (2006). Meanwhile, a tradition of representing local speech and urban living runs through the work of James Kelman and Irvine Welsh.

Eating & drinking

From Angus Beef to Haggis The Scottish restaurant scene has undergone a revolution during the last 20 years or so. No longer is the diner subjected to plates of overcooked meat with vegetables boiled for several hours. The emphasis of the new cuisine is on fresh, locally produced food, cooked with a lighter touch and served with presentational finesse. The type of venue has changed too in recent times. Whereas in the past a Scot going out for dinner would head for the nearest hotel, today you have many more options; independent restaurants seem to be opening everywhere, often by newly arrived immigrants, along with bistros and wine bars and gastropubs. Scotland's culinary strength resides in the quality and variety of its raw ingredients, ranging from seafood and freshwater fish to beef and game. One of Scotland's best-known exports is pedigree Aberdeen Angus beef. Scottish lamb is also an important product, renowned for its tender, tasty meat. A true connoisseur can taste the difference in lamb by its grazing grounds, ranging from the coarse pastureland and seaweed of the Shetlands to the heather-clad hills of the mainland.

Game forms an important part of Scotland's food heritage, in all its variety: from woodcock, red deer, and grouse to the rabbit and hare in the crofter's kitchen. And fish in this land of seas, rivers, and lochs is a mainstay, from salmon to the pink-fleshed brown trout to the modest herring that's transformed into the kipper (the best are the Loch Fyne kippers). Scottish smoked salmon is, of course, a delicacy known worldwide. While many restaurants adopt an eclectic approach to cooking, it takes a wise chef to leave well alone. There's nothing to beat Lismore oysters or Loch Etive mussels prepared with the minimum of fuss.

Scotland also produces some excellent cheeses. A particularly good hard cheese is Dunlop, which comes from the Orkney Islands as well as Arran and Islay. From the Highlands, one of the most-acclaimed cheeses is Caboc, creamy and rich, formed into cork shapes and rolled in pinhead oatmeal. Many varieties of cottage cheese are flavored with herbs, chives, or garlic.

Last, but by no means least, is haggis, still Scotland's national dish. One wit described it as a "castrated bagpipe." Traditionally cooked in a sheep's stomach, it's made with bits and pieces of the lung, liver, and heart of sheep mixed with suet and spices, along with onions and oatmeal. Haggis is often accompanied by a shot or two of single-malt whisky.

For an overview of Scottish cuisine, start by consulting Caledonian Feast: Scottish Cuisine Through the Ages by Annette Hope (Mainstream Publishing, 1987). To then try and cook some classic dishes yourself, turn to Traditional Scottish Recipes by Eleanor Cowan (Waverley Books, 2009).

Single Malt or Blend? "It's the only liquor fit for a gentleman to drink in the morning if he can have the good fortune to come by it . . . or after dinner either." Thus wrote Sir Walter Scott of the drink of his country—Scotch whisky. Of course, if you're here or almost anywhere in Britain or Europe, you don't have to identify it as Scotch whisky when you order. That's what you'll get. In fact, in Britain generally, they look at you oddly if you order Scotch as you would in the States.

An important distinction among whiskies is whether they're blends or single malt. Many connoisseurs prefer single malts, whose tastes depend on their points of origin: Highlands, Lowlands, Islay, or Campbeltown on Kintyre. These are usually seen as sipping whiskies, not to be mixed with water (well, maybe soda) and not to be served with ice. Many have come to be used as after-dinner drinks, perhaps served in a snifter, like cognac.

Blended Scotches came into being because the single malts were for a long time too harsh for delicate palates and they were expensive and time-consuming to produce. A shortcut was developed: The clear and almost tasteless alcohol produced in the traditional way could be mixed with such ingredients as American corn, Finnish barley, Glasgow city tap water, and caramel coloring, with a certain percentage of malt whiskies that flavored the entire bottle. Whichever you prefer, both the single malts and the blends must be made within the borders of Scotland and then aged for at least 3 years before they can legally be called Scotch whisky.

When it comes to whisky, the leading writer on the subject for several decades has been Charles MacLean, who is also a consultant to the whisky industry and advises a top auction house on sales of rare whiskies. His latest book Great Whiskies (Dorling Kindersley, 2011) is an A to Z of 500 fine bottles that will make an enthusiast of even the most casual drinker. This beautifully designed and fully illustrated book includes several useful whisky tour itineraries.

The making of Scottish beer—the ales drunk by the common folk in earlier days—almost died out when palates became more adapted to Scotch whisky and when a malt tax was levied in the 18th century, followed in the 19th century by beer duty. The brewing industry has made a comeback in the past 30 years, however, and Scottish beer, or Scotch ale, is being produced in quantity once again. Real ale is beer made from malted barley, hop flowers, yeast, and water, with a fining process (using an extract from the swim bladders of certain fish, vegetarians take note) to complete the brewing. Ales are fermented in casks in a series of steps. Scottish ale, either dark or light, is malty and full of flavor.

When to Go

Weather

You need to give careful consideration to the seasonal weather when you're planning a trip to Scotland. The Lowlands usually have a moderate temperature all year-round. In spring, the average high temperature is 53°F (12°C), rising to about 65°F (18°C) in summer. By the time autumn has arrived, the temperatures have dropped back to spring levels. In winter, the average temperature is 43°F (6°C). Temperatures in the north of Scotland are lower, especially in winter, and you should dress accordingly. It rains a lot in Scotland, but perhaps not as much as age-old myths would have it; the amount of rainfall in Edinburgh is exactly the same as in London. The west of Scotland, however, is subject to the rain-filled clouds that blow in from the Atlantic. September is often the sunniest month.

When You Find Bargains

The cheapest time to travel to Scotland is off-season: November 1 to December 12 and early January to March 14. In the past few years, airlines have been offering heavily discounted fares during these periods, with weekday flights even cheaper than weekend ones.

Rates generally increase between March 14 and June 5 and in October, and hit their peak in the high seasons from June 6 to September 30 and December 13 to the end of December. July and August are when most British people take their holidays, and so in addition to the higher prices, you have to deal with crowds and limited availability of accommodation.

In winter, Scotland is usually rainy and cold—but it doesn't shut down when the tourists leave. In fact, the winter season gives visitors a more honest view of Scottish life. Additionally, many hotel prices drop by 20%, and cheaper accommodation offers weekly rates (unheard of during peak travel times).

Scotland Calendar of Events

You can get details of specific events at many of the festivals below by going to www.edinburgh-festivals.com.

For an exhaustive list of events beyond those listed here, check <http://events.frommers.com>, where you'll find a searchable, up-to-the-minute roster of what's happening in cities all over the world.

January

Celtic Connections, Glasgow. Beginning with a torchlit parade that lights up the wintry streets, the city comes to life with a fortnight of concerts celebrating Celtic music and dance. There are venues throughout the city, but most notably the Old Fruit Market, on Albion Street. For tickets and details, call   0141/353-8000, or visit www.celticconnections.com. Mid-January to late February.

Burns Night, Ayr (near his birthplace) and Dumfries. Naturally, during the celebrations to honor Robert Burns, there's much toasting with Scotch and eating of haggis. For details, call   01292/443-700 in Ayr or   01387/253-862 in Dumfries. See also www.burnsmuseum.org.uk for information. January 25.

Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands. The most northerly town in Great Britain still clings to tradition by staging an ancient Norse fire festival, the aim of which is to encourage the return of the sun after the pitch-dark days of winter. Its highlight is the burning of a replica of a Norse longboat. See www.visitshetland.com. Last Tuesday in January.

February

Aberdeen Angus Cattle Show, Perth. This show draws the finest cattle raised in Scotland. Sales are lively. Call   01738/622-477 or visit www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk. Early February.

Six Nations Rugby Championship, Edinburgh. Sixty-seven thousand cram into the Murrayfield stadium for each of Scotland's home matches. Visit www.scottishrugby.org. Early February.

Fort William Mountain Festival. Films, lectures, music, and exhibitions are staged in Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis. See www.mountainfilmfestival.co.uk. Mid-February.

March

Whuppity Scourie, Lanark. Residents of the Strathclyde get so tired of winter that they stage this traditional ceremony to chase it away. Call   01555/661-661. March 1.

Glasgow Comedy Festival. Glaswegians are certainly not shy in heckling some of comedy's biggest names. Call   141/552-2070 or see www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com. Mid-March to early April.

April

Ceilidh Culture, at various venues, Edinburgh. For details about this traditional Scottish music and dancing festival, call   0131/228-1155 or visit www.ceilidhculture.co.uk. Early April.

Kate Kennedy Procession & Pageant, St. Andrews. A historic pageant is staged annually at this ancient university. See www.katekennedyclub.org.uk. Second Saturday in April.

Beltane Fire Festival, Edinburgh. Join the costumed revelers as they dance around the Calton hill accompanied by drummers and musicians in this modern take on an ancient Celtic fertility ceremony. It's also a good excuse for a party. See www.beltane.org. End of April.

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Special tours and tastings are laid on at various Speyside distilleries. Call   07876/414-046 or see www.spiritofspeyside.com. Late April and early May.

May

Scottish Motorcycle Trials, Fort William. The trials run for 6 days at the beginning of the month, drawing enthusiasts from all over Europe. Visit www.ssdt.org. Early May.

Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition, Edinburgh. Showcase of the best of the academicians' works. Call   0131/225-6671 or see www.royalscottishacademy.org. Early May to late June.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry. Scotland's "theatre in the hills" launches its season in mid-May. Call   01796/484-626 or visit www.pitlochry.org.uk. Mid-May to October.

Gay Pride, Edinburgh or Glasgow. Scotland's annual gay-pride celebration alternates between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Contact Pride Scotia (  0131/556-9471; www.pride-scotia.org). One Saturday in May or June.

June

Lanimer Day, Lanark. A week of festivities features a procession around the town's boundaries, the election of a Lanimer Queen and a Cornet King, a parade with floats, and Highland dances and bagpipe playing. Call   01555/663-251 or visit www.lanarklanimers.co.uk. The Thursday between June 6 and 12.

Guid Nychburris (Good Neighbors), Dumfries. This age-old festival is an event similar to (but less impressive than) the Selkirk Common Riding (see below). Visit www.guidnychburris.co.uk. Mid-June.

Royal Highland Show, at the Ingliston Showground, outskirts of Edinburgh. This show is devoted to agriculture and country pursuits. Call   0131/335-6200 or visit www.royalhighlandshow.org. Mid- to late June.

Selkirk Common Riding, Selkirk. Commemorating Selkirk's losses in the 1513 Battle of Flodden—only one Selkirk soldier returned alive from the battle to warn the town before dropping dead in the marketplace—some 400 horses and riders parade through the streets, and a young unmarried male is crowned at the sound of the cornet, representing the soldier who sounded the alarm. Call   01835/825-060 or visit www.returntotheridings.co.uk. Mid-June.

Peebles Beltane Festival. A town "Cornet" rides around to see if the boundaries are safe from the "invading" English, a young girl is elected Festival Queen, and her court is filled with courtiers, sword bearers, guards, and attendants. Children of the town dress in costumes for parade floats through the streets. See www.peeblesbeltanefestival.co.uk. Mid-June.

RockNess, Loch Ness. For one weekend in June, music lovers descend on the shores of Loch Ness to see great bands, and some comedy acts as well. See www.rockness.co.uk. Mid-June.

Glasgow International Jazz Festival. Jazz musicians from all over the world come together to perform at various venues around the city. Call   0141/552-3552 or visit www.jazzfest.co.uk. Late June to early July.

July

Fèis An Eilein Summer Events, Isle of Skye. This series of concerts, ceilidhs, theatre performances, and children's events helps to maintain the vibrancy of Skye's culture. See www.feisaneilein.com. Throughout July and August.

Hebridean Celtic Festival, Isles of Lewis and Harris. This music festival attracts the biggest names in the Scottish folk world. See www.hebceltfest.com. Mid-July.

Wickerman Festival, near Kirkcudbright. Inspired by Robin Hardy's 1973 cinematic cult thriller-chiller of the same name, this is Scotland's best alternative festival. Don't miss the climactic burning of the wickerman on Saturday night. See www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk. Late July.

August

Lammas Fair, St. Andrews. Ferris wheels and whirligigs are hauled in, cotton candy (candy floss) and popcorn are sold, and palm readers read your future. There's even an opportunity for bungee jumping. Visit www.standrews.co.uk. Five days in early August.

World Pipe Band Championships: Piping Live!, Glasgow. This weeklong festival of bagpiping takes place on Glasgow Green in the city's East End. Contact   0141/221-5414 and visit www.rspba.org or www.pipinglive.co.uk. Mid-August.

Edinburgh International Festival. Scotland's best-known festival is held for 3 weeks. More than 1,000 shows are hosted and 1,000,000 tickets sold. Numerous other festivals are also held in Edinburgh at this time, celebrating everything from books to jazz. Nothing, however, tops the Military Tattoo against the backdrop of the floodlit Edinburgh Castle. Call   0131/473-2099 or visit www.eif.co.uk. Three weeks in August.

September

Ben Nevis Mountain Race, Fort William. A tradition since 1895, as many as 500 runners compete for the coveted MacFarlane Cup by running up the footpaths to the summit and back. Bagpipes rise in crescendos at the beginning and end of the race. See www.bennevisrace.co.uk. First Saturday in September.

Braemar Gathering. The Queen and other members of the royal family often show up for this annual event, with its massed bands, dancing competitions, and trials of great strength by a tribe of gigantic men. Contact   01339/755-377 or visit www.braemargathering.org. First Saturday in September.

Hamilton Flat Races, Hamilton, near Glasgow. This horseracing festival takes place over 2 to 3 days. Call   01698/283-806 or visit www.hamilton-park.co.uk. Mid-September.

Camanachd Cup Final, different venue each year. The finale of the season's games of shinty (a sometimes-brutal hockey variant) is an extraordinary spectacle. Call   01463/226-551 or visit www.shinty.com. Mid-October.

October

Highland Autumn Cattle Show, Oban. Since the days of Rob Roy, Oban has been a marketplace for the distinctive Highland Cattle. Buyers and sellers descend on Oban to buy and sell at the industrial-looking Caledonian Auction Mart, 3 miles south of Oban. Call   01631/563-122 or see www.highlandcattlesociety.com. Mid-October.

Sound Festival, Aberdeen. This festival draws aficionados of avant-garde music. See www.sound-scotland.co.uk. Late October to early November.

November

Dundee Jazz Festival. Jazz musicians from around the world converge on venues across Dundee. See www.jazzdundee.co.uk. Throughout November.

St. Andrews Week, St. Andrews. An annual festival of exhibitions, concerts, sporting events, and fireworks displays. See www.standrewsfestival.co.uk. The week ending November 30.

December

Flambeaux Procession, Comrie, Tayside. This torchlight parade takes place on New Year's Eve. For details, call   01764/652-578 in Crieff. December 31.

Hogmanay, Edinburgh. Hogmanay begins on New Year's Eve and merges into New Year's Day festivities. Events include a torchlight procession, a fire festival along Princes Street, a carnival, and a street-theatre spectacular. See www.edinburghshogmanay.org. December 31.

Responsible Tourism

There are many ways to experience the attractions of Scotland without burning liters of petrol or indulging in an orgy of consumerism. A popular way is to see the Scottish landscape from the saddle of a bike. Touring by bike can be challenging in the Highlands, but the ride is smoother in the Kingdom of Fife, and around Glasgow and Edinburgh, as the countryside is criss-crossed with scenic lanes. Of course, you have to stop for sheep crossings, but that's part of the fun. Most of the Western Isles, and Shetland and Orkney, can also be traversed by bike. Bikes can be rented in most major towns and cities. Transporting them on Scotland's many ferries is easy and inexpensive.

Many visitors come to Scotland just to explore its parks, in particular, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and the Cairngorms. The Association of National Park Authorities (  029/2049-9966; www.nationalparks.gov.uk) provides information on all the U.K.'s national parks, and provides hiking advice.

Other useful organizations worth bearing in mind are the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (  01767/680-551; www.rspb.org.uk), which manages numerous bird reserves in Scotland, and the Scottish Mountaineering Club, whose website offers useful information for hill walkers and climbers (www.smc.org.uk). If you live in the United States, you can get information before you go from The Mountaineers Books (  206/223-6303; www.mountaineersbooks.org), which has an extensive collection of titles on hiking, biking, and mountaineering in Britain, and especially Scotland.

Hiking in Scotland

• The Southern Upland Way: Rivaling the West Highland Way, this is the second of Scotland's great walks. The footpath begins at Portpatrick and runs 341km (212 miles) along the southwest coast to Cockburnspath, on the east coast. It passes through some of the most dramatic scenery in the Borders, including Galloway Forest Park.

• East Neuk: Directly south of St. Andrews lie some of Scotland's loveliest fishing villages, collectively known as East Neuk. The most enchanting walk is between the villages of Pittenweem and Anstruther. It's often breezy here, with wind from the sea, so dress accordingly. The path begins at the bottom of West Braes, a cul-de-sac off the main road in Anstruther.

• The Trossachs: The Trossachs Trail extends from Loch Lomond, in the west, to Callander, in the east, and also from Doune to Aberfoyle and the Lord Ard Forest, to the south. In the north, it's bounded by the Crianlarich Hills and Balquhidder, the site of Rob Roy's grave. Ever since Sir Walter Scott published The Lady of the Lake and Rob Roy, the area has attracted hikers in search of unspoiled natural beauty. Our favorite start for walks is the village of Brig o' Turk, between lochs Achray and Venachar, at the foot of Glen Finglas. From here you can set out in any direction, including one signposted toward the Achray Forest. There's also the Glen Finglas circular walk; and many hikers leave Brig o' Turk heading for Balquhidder via Glen Finglas. See "Callander & a Trio of Lochs."

• The West Highland Way: Unquestionably one of Scotland's great walks, the West Highland Way begins north of Glasgow, in Milngavie. The footpath stretches 153km (95 miles) northward along Loch Lomond, going through Glencoe to Fort William and eventually to Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. Even if you want to walk only part of this path, you need to make plans in advance.

• Ben Nevis: Six kilometers (3 3/4 miles) southeast of the town of Fort William looms Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. At 1,342m (4,403 ft.), the snow-capped granite mass dominates this entire region of Scotland. This trip can be done in a day, but you'll need to massage your feet in the evening at a local pub.

General Resources for responsible Travel

The following websites provide wide-ranging information on responsible travel. For a list of even more tips on the subject, visit www.frommers.com/planning.

• Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) is a good source of sustainable travel ideas; this travel agency is run by a spokesperson for ethical tourism in the travel industry.

• Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) promotes ethical tourism practices, and manages an extensive directory of sustainable properties and tour operators around the world.

• In the U.K., Tourism Concern (www.tourismconcern.org.uk) works to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism.

• In Canada, www.greenlivingonline.com has a useful travel and transport section. The site also profiles of the best green shops and services in Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary for buying essential kit before your holiday.

• In Australia, the national body that sets guidelines and standards for ecotourism is Ecotourism Australia (www.ecotourism.org.au). The Green Directory (www.thegreendirectory.com.au), Green Pages (www.thegreenpages.com.au), and Eco Directory (www.ecodirectory.com.au) offer tips on sustainable travel and directories of green businesses.

• Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org) and TerraPass (www.terrapass.org) provide information on "carbon offsetting," or offsetting the greenhouse gas emitted during flights. Climate Care (www.climatecare.org) is also useful, providing an online calculator for determining the carbon emissions associated with your trip.

• The website www.ecofriendlytourist.com offers a useful list of eco-friendly hotels in Scotland as well as a wealth of other useful information for the conscientious traveler.

• The Slow Food movement is thriving in Scotland, championing fresh local food produced and harvested in sustainable ways. See www.slowfood.org.uk and www.slowfoodedinburgh.co.uk.

• For information on animal-conservation issues throughout the world, visit Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org). For Scottish-based conservation issues, consult the website of Scottish National Heritage (www.snh.gov.uk) and that of the Scottish Wildlife Trust (www.swt.org.uk). The latter also manages over 120 nature reserves across Scotland. For information about the ethics of swimming with dolphins, visit the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (www.wdcs.org).

• For volunteering opportunities in Scotland, visit the websites of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (www.btcv.org.uk) and the National Trust for Scotland (www.nts.org.uk/Volunteering). The following websites also offer lists of volunteering holidays: www.earthwatch.org, www.volunteerabroad.org, and www.idealist.org. Finally, Volunteer International (www.volunteerinternational.org) has a list of questions to help you determine the intentions and the nature of a volunteer program.

Tours & Special Interest Trips

Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation.

Reputable companies offering general tours of Scotland include Abercrombie & Kent (  800/554-7016; www.abercrombiekent.com), Maupintour (  800/255-4266; www.maupintour.com), and Tauck World Discovery (  800/788-7885; www.tauck.com), who all offer luxury escorted tours with prices to match. For less expensive holidays, try Wallace Arnold Worldchoice (  0845/365-6747; www.waworldchoice.com), which is particularly popular with older travelers, and the U.S.-based Trafalgar Tours (  866/544-4434; www.trafalgartours.com). Also worth considering is Globus & Cosmos Tours (  866/755-8581; www.globusandcosmos.com). For more information on escorted general-interest tours, including questions to ask before booking your trip, see www.frommers.com/planning. See also the sections on tours in Edinburgh and in Glasgow.

Many visitors come to Scotland to walk amidst the spectacular mountain scenery. Mountain Innovations (  01479/831-331; www.scotmountain.co.uk) is among the best, offering vacations year-round as well as "skills" courses on navigation and tackling the mountains in the snow. Wilderness Scotland (  0131/625-6635; www.wildernessscotland.com) organizes walking trips at all levels of difficulty, and also offers canoeing, mountain-biking, and sailing breaks.

Those who are interested in observing Scotland's extraordinary wildlife should check out the Grant Arms Hotel (  0800/043-8585; www.grantarmshotel.com), which operates as a base for a variety of guided safaris, taking in rare birds, mammals, and flora. A much-loved but all too rare resident of Scotland is the otter; consult the websites of the International Otter Survival Fund (  01471/822-487; www.otter.org or www.ottershop.co.uk) for remarkably good-value trips that allow you a privileged glimpse of this elusive species.

If, on the other hand, your enthusiasm is for cooking, consider a residential course at Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye (  01471/833-333; www.claire-macdonald.com) or at Knowle B&B on Loch Ness (  01456/450-646; www.lochnessguesthouse.co.uk). One-day courses are available at the Port of Menteith Cook School, run by TV chef Nick Nairn (  01877/389-900; www.nicknairncookschool.com).

A good way for aficionados of Scotch whisky to see Scotland is to undertake a tour of distilleries. There are numerous companies that organize tours on this theme. Try Whisky Tours Scotland (www.whisky-tours-scotland.com) or Distillery Destinations (  0141/429-0762; www.whisky-tours.com).

Two reputable companies that offer a range of special interest tours (as well as some general interest ones) are McKinlay Kidd (  0844/804-0020; www.seescotlanddifferently.co.uk), which offers visits to whisky distilleries, a "Scottish seafood trail," whale- and shark-watching breaks, and classic- and sports-car tours; and McLean Scotland (  01738/560-435; www.mcleanscotland.com), who can take you on Scottish cuisine and golfing holidays, clan tours, and circuits of the country's great castles.

Alternatively, for a very personal experience of Scotland, book an Afternoon Tea Tour (  07873/211-856; www.afternoonteatours.com). One of Scotland's top tour operators, this company offers set guided tours taking in historic sites, iconic scenery, and afternoon tea at a country house hotel. It can also organize bespoke tours with itineraries that focus on individual interests and provide a unique glimpse of the more unusual and intimate side of Scotland.

Illustrated travel Books

To see Scotland from a different perspective, pick up a copy of Above Scotland—Cities by James Crawford, Allan Williams, and Rebecca Bailey (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, 2010). This wonderful volume of aerial photographs of Scottish cities includes a set of 3-D spectacles that make some of the pictures pop out of the pages towards you. The book also shows cityscapes at different times over the last century or so. It's extraordinary to compare Glasgow docks in its industrial heyday with the quieter but cleaner version today.

Turning from the most built-up areas of Scotland to the most rural, Hamish Haswell-Smith's labor of love, The Scottish Islands: A Comprehensive Guide to Every Scottish Island by (Canongate, 2008), presents an encyclopedic survey of the Hebrides, Orkneys, Shetlands, and all the other islands. This addictive book details the population, ownership, geology, history, and wildlife of each and every island, and includes a wealth of maps and illustrations. This is an indispensable companion for island hoppers, walkers, cyclists, sailors, and all those who love Scotland's unique natural environment.

A country with such an intricate coastline is of course extraordinarily rich in lighthouses. The Rock Lighthouses of Britain by Christopher Nicholson (Whittles Publishing, 2006) includes Scotland's most spectacular examples, with gorgeous photographs and reproductions of old plans and illustrations. The lively text makes for an enormously enjoyable read, with extraordinary stories of shipwrecks, storms, engineering exploits, and courageous (and sometimes eccentric) lighthouse keepers.

The National Museums of Scotland have a remarkable collection of documents and artifacts relating to lighthouses, and they've recently produced a book that tells their history. Northern Lights: The Age of Scottish Lighthouses by A.D. Morrison-Low (NMSE, 2010) presents a chronological overview from disastrous early efforts to the heroic triumphs of engineers such as the Stevenson family (of which the writer, Robert Louis, was also a member), and the high technology in place today. The text is peppered with curious illustrations that will keep readers engrossed for hours.

Useful Terms & Language

During Scotland's earliest history, the prevailing language was Gaelic, with a smattering of Norse dialects existing alongside. By the 7th century, Northumbrian Old English had established itself in southeastern Scotland, and later, in the medieval period, this was displaced by a variety of northern Middle English, which is often referred to as Early Scots. This language gradually became the dominant language in eastern Scotland until English gained the ascendancy in the 17th and 18th centuries.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Scotland also had close ties to France, and French—considered a literary language of precision and grace—became the language of the aristocracy. Notably, it was the language of Mary Queen of Scots, who spoke no Gaelic at all.

After the Scottish court moved to England in 1603, English—or the Scottish dialect of the language—spread as the ancient and complex Gaelic language declined in importance. The Reformation in Scotland adopted the 1611 Authorized King James Version of the Bible, and the British government pursued a policy of unifying the whole of Britain linguistically. By the 18th century, many educated Scots (the philosopher David Hume for one) came to consider themselves "Northern British" and took pains to rid themselves of their Scottish speech patterns. However, the old Scots language was adapted to form a new literary language. Its distinctive vocabulary and burr live on in the works of the poet, Robert Burns.

Of course, by the end of the 20th century, the great leveling effects of TV and radio had begun to even out some of the more pronounced lilts of the Scottish tongue. Nowadays, only about 1.2% of the Scottish population—around 60,000 people—speak Gaelic. Most of these people live in the northwestern Highlands or in the Hebridean Islands—especially the Isle of Skye, where about 60% of the population still use Gaelic. All the same, the dialect and speech patterns of the Scots are still rich and evocative, and there is now an increasing pride in the Scottish language. Whereas in, say, the 1950s, school pupils were under constant threat of a whack from the tawse (leather strap) if they blurted out a single aye, today they might meet with approval from pro-Scots educators when they say, "Whos all comin tae the jiggin?" ("Who's coming to the dance?"). Below is a section of words you might encounter during your travels through Scotland.

aber river mouth

ach field

aird promontory

alt stream

auch field

auld old

baillie magistrate

bal hamlet or tiny village

ben peak, often rugged

birk birch tree

brae hillside, especially along a river

brig bridge

broch circular stone tower

burn stream

cairn heap of stones piled up as memorial or landmark

ceilidh Scottish hoedown with singing, music, and tall tales

clach stone

clachan hamlet

close narrow passage leading from the street to a court or tenement

craig rock

creel basket

croft small farm worked by a tenant, often with hereditary rights

cromlech, dolmen prehistoric tomb or monument consisting of a large flat stone laid across upright stones

dram 1⁄8 fluid ounce

drum ridge

dun fortress, often in a lake, for refuge in times of trouble

eas waterfall

eilean island

factor manager of an estate

fell hill

firth arm of the sea reaching inland

gait street (in proper names)

gil ravine

glen a small valley

haugh water meadow

how burial mound

howff small, cozy room or meeting place

inver mouth of a river

kil, kin, kirk church

kyle narrows of ancient or unknown origin

land house built on a piece of ground considered as property

larig mountain pass

links dunes

loch lake

machair sand dune, sometimes covered with sea grass

mon hill

muir moor

mull cape or promontory

ness headland

neuk nose

pend vaulted passage

provost mayor

reek smoke

ross cape

schist highly compact crystalline rock formation

strath broad valley

tarbert isthmus

tolbooth old town hall (often with prison)

uig sheltered bay

uisge water

uisge beatha water of life, whisky

way bay

wynd alley
Argyll & the Southern Hebrides

The county of Argyll stretches from the Mull of Kintyre—made famous by Paul McCartney's song—up via Inveraray, seat of the dukes of Argyll, and on to the port of Oban, where ferries depart for the Inner Hebrides. The county also encompasses some of the most beautiful islands, including Islay, renowned for its whisky distilleries; Gigha, with its lush gardens; and Jura, where deer outnumber humans.

Argyll & the Southern Hebrides

Sightseeing Whisky aficionados make a beeline to Islay to the distilleries of Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Bruichladdick, while children marvel at the hydroelectric power station hidden inside Ben Cruachan. Ramblers wander along the picturesque tow path of the Crinan Canal, with its 15 locks, and in late spring, plant-lovers flock to Achamore House Gardens on Gigha to see the rhododendrons in bloom.

Eating & Drinking There's nothing to beat sitting in one of the harborfront restaurants in Tarbert as the fishing boats come in to deliver the catch of the day—the freshest scallops, lobster, halibut, and turbot. On Jura, hunters supply the local hotel with venison, and on the estate of Brodick Castle, on the Isle of Arran, Creelers' smokery cures salmon, scallops, and duck. Pubs and hotels throughout Argyll pride themselves on their array of fine single malts, as well as locally brewed beers.

History There are over 800 ancient sites—from standing stones to burial tombs and forts—in Knapdale and Kilmartin Glen, which 1,500 years ago was the center of the Gaelic Kingdom of Dalriada. More recent history is dealt with at Inveraray Castle, where your imagination is stirred by the armor and weaponry of Clan Campbell. Then in the harbor nearby, children will leap onboard a former lightship, the Arctic Penguin, and learn all about Scottish maritime history.

Nature In the summer, take a guided walk in Knapdale Forest to see the beavers that have recently been reintroduced. In winter, watch the flocks of geese and swans from the hide at nearby Moine Mhor Nature Reserve. On Loch Long, in Argyll Forest Park, hire a canoe and with luck you'll see gray seals, basking sharks, and perhaps even sea otters. For guaranteed success, take a boat trip from Oban harbor to see the seal colony on a small island in the bay.

The Best Travel Experiences in Argyll & the Southern Hebrides

• Enjoy rural Argyll on horseback: For an idyllic retreat, stay in a cottage on a working farm near Loch Gilphead and explore the surrounding countryside on horseback with the Ardfern Riding Centre.

• Become a connoisseur of Islay's famous whiskies: Argue with the locals over the relative merits of the amber nectars of the Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig distilleries on the Isle of Islay.

• Escape from civilization by hiking up the Paps of Jura: These three conical mountains tower dramatically over the Isle of Jura, one of the most sparsely populated and unspoilt islands in the Inner Hebrides.

• Amble down the Kintyre Way through spectacular scenery: Starting from the ruins of the 13th-century Bruce Castle in the pretty fishing village Tarbert, walk all the way down to the Mull of Kintyre through this often-forgotten corner of Scotland.

• Lose yourself amid the exotic foliage of the Crarae Glen Gardens: These extensive gardens bring the lush vegetation of a Himalayan valley to the cooler climes of Loch Fyne.

The Isle of Arran: Scotland in Miniature ★★

The Isle of Arran & the Kintyre Pensinsula

Brodick: 74 miles W of Edinburgh; 29 miles W of Glasgow

At the mouth of the Firth of Clyde is the Isle of Arran, often described as "Scotland in miniature" because of its wild and varied scenery—the glens, moors, lochs, sandy bays, and rocky coasts that have made the country famous. Once you're on Arran, there are local buses to take you from village to village. A coastal road, the A841, runs the 60-mile circuit around the island.

Arran boasts some splendid mountain scenery, notably the conical peak of Goatfell in the north (called the "mountain of the winds"), reaching a height of 869m (2,851 ft.). Arran also has plenty of beautiful glens, especially Glen Sannox, in the northeast, and Glen Rosa, north of Brodick. Students of geology flock to Arran to study igneous rocks of the Tertiary period. Cairns and standing stones at Tormore intrigue archaeologists as well. If you're on a tight schedule, the island, at only 25 miles long and 10 miles wide, can be seen in a single day.

Essentials

Getting There Express trains operate from Glasgow Central direct to Ardrossan Harbour, taking 1 hour. For 24-hour rail inquiries, call   08475/484-950; www.nationalrail.co.uk. If you're driving from Glasgow, head southwest along the A737 until you reach Ardrossan.

From Ardrossan, you make a 30-minute ferry crossing to Arran, arriving in Brodick, Arran's main town, on its east coast. There are up to six boats daily, and the fare is £62 for cars, plus £10 per passenger for a round-trip journey. For information about ferry departures (which change seasonally), check with Caledonian MacBrayne (  0800/066-5000, or 01294/463-470 for the port office at Ardrossan; www.calmac.co.uk).

Visitor Information The Tourist Information Centre (TIC) is at The Pier, Brodick (  01770/303-774; www.ayrshire-arran.com). It's open year-round Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm; from July to October, it's also open on Sundays from 10am to 5pm.

Exploring the Island

After the ferry docks at Brodick, you may want to head for Arran's major sights, Brodick Castle and the Isle of Arran Heritage Museum (see below).

The most popular walks on the island are signposted. But if you're really serious about hiking, buy one of two detailed guides at the tourist office—Seventy Walks in Arran for £3 and My Walks in Arran for £2.50. While at the office, ask about any guided walks the Forestry Commission might be conducting. They're scheduled frequently in summer and range from 2 to 5 hours, costing £5 to £10.

To the south of Brodick is the village of Lamlash, on Lamlash Bay. From here, a ferry takes you over to Holy Island with its 303m (994- ft.) peak. A disciple of St. Columba founded a church on this island. In the north, Lochranza is a village with unique appeal. It opens onto a bay of pebbles and sand, and in the background lie the ruins of a castle that was reputedly the hunting seat of Robert the Bruce.

Brodick Castle ★★ CASTLE The historic home of the dukes of Hamilton, this red-sandstone castle dates from the 13th century and contains important collections of silver, antique furniture, portraits, and objets d'art. Some form of a castle has stood on this site since about the 5th century, when the Dalriada Irish, a Celtic tribe, came here and founded their kingdom. The castle is now the property of the National Trust for Scotland and boasts award-winning gardens. Laid out in the 1920s by the Duchess of Montrose, they're filled with shrubs, trees, perennials, and herbs from Tasmania, New Zealand, Chile, and the Himalayas. Especially noteworthy are the rhododendrons, which are one of the special features of the Country Park, a semi-domesticated forest bordering the more formal gardens.

1 1/2 miles north of the Brodick pier head.   0844/493-2152. www.nts.org.uk. Admission to both castle and gardens £11 adults, £8 seniors, students, and children aged 6–16, free for children aged 5 and under, £27 families. Car parking £2. Castle: Apr–Oct daily 11am–4pm (till 3pm in Oct); Country Park: year round, daily 9:30am–sunset; Reception Centre, shop: Apr–Sept daily 10am–5pm, Oct daily 10am–4pm, Nov–Dec Fri–Sun 10am–3:30pm. Bus: Any labeled brodick castle.

Isle of Arran Heritage Museum MUSEUM Occupying some old outbuildings for the nearby castle, this museum provides an overview of life on Arran from prehistoric times to the present. The museum includes a cottage filled with 19th-century memorabilia, costumes, and artifacts, including a working kitchen. There's also a blacksmith's shop and forge, and an archive room housing historic records associated with Arran.

Rosaburn, 1 1/2 miles north of the Brodick ferry piers.   01770/302-636. www.arranmuseum.co.uk. Admission £3 adults, £2 seniors, £1.50 children aged 5–16, £7 families. Apr–Oct daily 10:30am–4:30pm. Bus: Any labeled brodick castle.

Where to Eat

Creelers Seafood Restaurant SCOTTISH Creelers is located within the small complex of gift shops and cafes created from a 1920s-era farm associated with Brodick Castle, and is about 1 mile north of the center of Brodick Village. This family-run business includes a smokery where salmon, scallops, and duck breast are cured. Many of these products are later served up in the restaurant. Dishes include smoked salmon with capers and horseradish, and mushroom risotto. You can also enjoy some of the freshest seafood in Scotland, much of it pulled in from local fishing boats that day.

Home Farm, Brodick.   01770/302-810. www.creelers.co.uk. Reservations recommended. Main courses £12–£18. MC, V. Tues–Sat 12:30–2:30pm and 6–9:30pm.

Shopping

Divided into three businesses, the Duchess Court Shops, Home Farm, Brodick, comprises the Island Cheese Company (  01770/302-595), Creelers Smokehouse (  01770/302-797), and Arran Aromatics (  01770/302-595; www.arranaromatics.com) selling luxury toiletries and cosmetics made on the island.

About 6 miles north of Brodick in Corrie, Corriecraft & Antiques, Hotel Square (  01770/810-661), sells antiques and pottery. In Lamlash, Arran Fine Foods, The Old Mill (  01770/600-606; www.paterson-arran.com), offers chutneys, mustards, preserves, bakery items, and other locally produced condiments.

The Old Byre Showroom, Auchencar Farm (  01770/840-227; www.oldbyre.co.uk), 5 miles north of Blackwaterfoot along the coastal road in Machrie, sells sheepskin, leather, and tweeds, but its biggest draw is the large selection of locally produced woolen sweaters.

Entertainment & Nightlife

Regulars gather in Brodick's pubs to talk, argue, and drink. The Brodick Bar, on Alma Road (  01770/302-169), is an old pub open Monday through Saturday 11am to midnight. Drop in for some real Scottish ale and a bar meal of local seafood (meals are served Mon–Sat noon–2:30pm and 5:30–10pm). The Pierhead Tavern on Shore Road in Lamlash (  01770/600-418; www.phtarran.co.uk) is a traditional pub, serving real ales and bar meals. On Sunday evenings at 9:30pm, you can join a general knowledge quiz. Occasionally, on Saturday nights, there's live music. Opening hours are Monday through Saturday from 11am to midnight and Sunday from 12:30pm to midnight.

Where to Stay

In Brodick

Auchrannie House Hotel ★★   Acclaimed as the island's finest hotel and restaurant, this Victorian mansion (once the home of the dowager duchess of Hamilton) stands in pristine glory in 2.4 hectares (6 acres) of landscaped gardens and woods, about 1 mile from the Brodick ferry terminal. Guest rooms in the new wing are the most comfortable, but all the rooms are furnished with taste, in the chic style of a modern boutique hotel. Family suites (two bedrooms) and four-poster rooms are available.

The hotel has two leisure clubs, each with its own pools, sauna, and gym. These include smaller pools for children and a large "playbarn." Guests can choose from three restaurants: a bar-brasserie, a seafood grill, and a more formal restaurant called "eighteen69." Children are well provided for in the first two options, with their own menus and even a soft play and games area. Non-guests should reserve ahead.

Auchrannie Rd., Brodick, Isle of Arran KA27 8BZ. www.auchrannie.co.uk.   01770/302-234. Fax 01770/302-812. 64 units. £145–£185 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 3 restaurants; bar; pools (indoor); health club & spa; sauna; babysitting; Wi-Fi (free). In room: TV, hair dryer.

Kilmichael Country House Hotel ★★ Reputedly the island's oldest house, it's certainly the most scenically located. A tasteful combination of the new and antique is used throughout. The guest rooms are beautifully furnished, as are the bathrooms, which are equipped with luxury toiletries. Some rooms have four-poster beds and Jacuzzi tubs. A suite and two other rooms, all with private entrances, are located in a converted 18th-century stable a few yards from the main building.

The food is also noteworthy, made with local produce whenever possible. The fixed-price dinner menu costs £45 per person.

Brodick, Isle of Arran KA27 8BY. www.kilmichael.com.   01770/302-219. Fax 01770/302-068. 9 units. £130–£184 double; £164–£205 suite. No children under 12. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service; Wi-Fi (free). In room: TV, CD player, hair dryer.

In Whiting Bay

Royal Hotel This granite house, located in the center of the village beside the coastal road, was built in 1895, and was one of the first hotels on the island. True to its original function as a temperance hotel, it serves no alcohol, but guests can bring their own wine or beer into the dining room, which serves moderately priced dinners nightly at one sitting. Some of the bedrooms enjoy a vista of the bay and its tidal flats. One room contains a four-poster bed and lots of chintz, while another has a small sitting room.

Shore Rd., Whiting Bay, Isle of Arran KA27 8PZ. www.royalarran.co.uk.  /fax 01770/700-286. 5 units. £95 double. No credit cards. Closed Nov–Mar. Take the Whiting Bay bus from Brodick. Amenities: Dining room. In room: TV, hair dryer.

In Kildonan

Kildonan Hotel The Kildonan was built as an inn in 1760, just a few steps from the island's best beach. Its location is its great asset, with good views of seabirds and gray seals basking on the rocks of Pladda Island opposite. The rooms are basic, and a little old-fashioned, though all do at least have private bathrooms.

The dining room has enormous windows to make the best of the views. The meals are moderately priced; locally caught seafood is a specialty. Less formal lunches and dinners are served in the lively bar. A crowd of locals is likely to compete in a friendly fashion over the dartboard and billiards tables.

Kildonan, Isle of Arran KA27 8SE. www.kildonanhotel.com.   01770/820-207. Fax 01770/820-320. 22 units. £85–£145 double. No credit cards. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service. In room: Hair dryer, no phone.

  Argyll on Horseback

There's no better way to experience the majestic beauty of the moors, Highlands, and headlands of Argyll than on horseback. To arrange an outing, contact the Ardfern Riding Centre, Croabh Haven, Loch Gilphead, Argyll (  01852/500-632). In addition to a stable of around 16 horses, and a working cattle-and-sheep farm between Oban and Loch Gilphead, the center has a cottage that can be rented by groups of up to eight equestrians (from £370 to £650 per week). The center is open all year, but the best times to go are from May to early June and from September to October.

The Kintyre Peninsula

The longest peninsula in Scotland, Kintyre stretches more than 60 miles, with beautiful scenery, sleepy villages, and miles of sandy beaches. It's one of the country's most unspoiled areas, owing perhaps to its isolation. Kintyre was ancient Dalriada, the first kingdom of the Scots.

If you drive all the way to the tip of Kintyre, you'll be only 12 miles from Ireland. Kintyre is joined to the mainland of Scotland by a narrow neck of land near the old port of Tarbert. The largest town on the peninsula is the port of Campbeltown, on the southeastern coast.

Essentials

Getting There Loganair (  0871/700-2000; www.flybe.com) makes two scheduled 45-minute flights a day from Glasgow Airport to Campbeltown, the chief town of Kintyre.

From Glasgow, you can take buses to the peninsula (schedules vary seasonally). The trip takes about 4 hours one-way. Inquire at Scottish Citylink, Buchanan Street Bus Station, Glasgow (  08705/505050; www.citylink.co.uk).

The most efficient way to travel around Kintyre is by car. From Glasgow, take the A82 up to Loch Lomond and cut across to Arrochar and go over the "Rest and Be Thankful" route to Inveraray (the A83). Then drive down along Loch Fyne to Lochgilphead and continue on the A83 south to Tarbert, which is the gateway to the peninsula. You can take the A83 along the western coast or cut east at the junction of the B8001 and follow it across the peninsula to B842. If your target is Campbeltown, you can reach it by either the western shore (much faster and a better road) or the eastern shore.

Tarbert

A sheltered harbor protects the fishing port and yachting center of Tarbert, located on a narrow neck of land at the northern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula. It's between West Loch Tarbert and the head of herring-filled Loch Fyne and has often been dubbed the "world's prettiest fishing port."

The word tarbert derives from a Gaelic word meaning an isthmus, and often denoted a place where Vikings dragged their boats across land on rollers from one sea to another. In 1093, King Malcolm of Scotland and King Magnus Barelegs of Norway agreed the Western Isles were to belong to Norway and the mainland to Scotland. An island was defined as anything a Viking ship could sail around, and so Magnus proclaimed Kintyre an island by having his dragon ship dragged across the 1 mile of dry land from West Loch Tarbert on the Atlantic to East Loch Tarbert on Loch Fyne. After the Vikings gave way, Kintyre came under the control of the MacDonalds, the Lords of the Isles.

Exploring the Area

The castle at Tarbert dates from the 13th century and was later extended by Robert the Bruce. The castle ruins, Bruce Castle, are on a hillock above the village on the south side of the bay. The oldest part still standing is a keep from the 13th century.

One of the major attractions in the area is Skipness Castle & Chapel, at Skipness, along the B8001, 10 miles south of Tarbert, opening onto Loch Fyne. The hamlet was once a Norse village. The ruins of the ancient chapel and castle look out onto the Sounds of Kilbrannan and Bute. It was originally built to control shipping along Loch Fyne. A five-story tower remains.

Where to Eat

Anchorage Restaurant ★   SCOTTISH/SEAFOOD The Anchorage remains unpretentious and dependable, despite its many culinary awards. It's housed in a stone harborfront building that was once a customs house. The daily menu includes dishes such as scallops sautéed with lemon-lime butter; halibut with wild mushrooms and a mussel sauce; and brochette of monkfish with saffron rice. Lunches are simpler and very reasonably priced.

Harbour St., Quayside.   01880/820-881. www.anchorageargyll.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses £10–£19. MC, V. Tues–Sat noon–2pm and 6–9pm, Sun 6–9pm. Closed Jan.

Where to Stay

Stonefield Castle Hotel ★★ Stonefield Castle occupies a commanding position in 24 hectares (60 acres) of wooded grounds and gardens 1 3/4 miles outside Tarbert. It was built in the 19th century in baronial style, with turrets and a steeply pitched roof. The smartly designed guest rooms have plush furnishings in warm colors, and views out over Loch Fyne. Some rooms have four-poster beds; others could be used as family suites. The hotel's gardens are stocked with plants from all over the world; they're particularly renowned for their collection of more than 20 species of tree-size Himalayan rhododendrons, which bloom in April. The formal restaurant serves meals based on produce from the hotel's garden. The hotel also bakes its own bread.

Tarbert, PA29 6YJ. www.oxfordhotelsandinns.com.   01880/820-836. Fax 01880/820-929. 32 units. £130–£170 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service; Wi-Fi (free). In room: TV, hair dryer.

  One of Scotland's Great Walks

The Kintyre Way ★★, opened in 2006, is one of Scotland's best long-distance walks. It stretches for 89 miles, beginning at Tarbert in the north of the peninsula and rambling all the way down to the village of Southend in the south. Hikers generally complete the route in 4 to 7 days. Some of the miles are difficult, although nothing to challenge the serious hiker, but miles and miles are filled with gentle rambles along panoramic scenery and rugged coastline, taking in castles, woodland, and wildlife (especially coastal birds) along the way. Pick up a map of the trail at any local tourist office or visit www.kintyreway.com.

West Loch Hotel This 18th-century coaching inn stands in a rural setting beside the A83, 1 mile southwest of town in low-lying flatlands midway between the forest and the loch. The hotel has two bars, with open fireplaces and wood-burning stoves. The small guest rooms are modestly furnished but are comfortable enough, and many have views of the estuary. The hotel's restaurant serves home-style cooking based on local seafood and game.

Tarbert, PA29 6YF. www.westlochhotel.co.uk.   01880/820-283. Fax 01880/820-930. 7 units. £80 double. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer.

Campbeltown

Campbeltown is a fishing port and resort at the southern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula, 176 miles northwest of Edinburgh and 135 miles northwest of Glasgow. Popularly known as the "wee toon," Campbeltown has long been linked with fishing and has a shingle beach.

The Tourist Information Centre is at MacKinnon House, The Pier (  01586/552-056; www.visitscottishheartlands.com). It's open from late June to mid-September, Monday through Saturday 9am to 6:30pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm; mid-September to late October, Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm; late October to March, Monday through Friday 10am to 4pm; April, Monday through Saturday 9am to 5:30pm; and May to late June, Monday through Saturday 9am to 5:30pm and Sunday noon to 5pm.

Exploring the Area

On the quayside, in the heart of town, is the 14th-century Campbeltown Cross. This Celtic cross is the finest piece of carving from the Middle Ages left in Kintyre. Nearby, on St. Johns Street, is the Cambeltown Museum (  01586/559-017; www.museumsgalleriesscotland.org.uk), which has a small but high-quality collection of paintings by Scottish artists, as well as sections on archaeology and local history. The museum is open from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Admission is free.

One of the area's most famous golf courses, the Machrilhanish Golf Club, is located nearby (  01586/810-277; www.machgolf.com). It's a 6,225-yard, par-70 course. Unfortunately, there's no facility to hire clubs here.

  Escape to the Isle That Time Forgot

Davaar Island, in Campbeltown Loch, is accessible at low tide to those willing to cross the Dhorlin, a 2⁄3-mile run of shingle-paved causeway. Boat trips are also possible (ask at the tourist office; see above). Once on the island, you can visit a crucifixion cave painting, the work of local Archibald MacKinnon, painted in 1887. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to walk around this tidal island, with its natural rock gardens.

Entertainment & Nightlife

The nightlife in Campbeltown revolves around its pubs, two of which host live music events. They can be found in the center of the village, next door to each other. The Feathers Inn, Cross Street (  01586/554-604), hosts bands playing a range of musical styles on Thursday nights. It's open daily from 11am to 1am. The Commercial Inn, also on Cross Street (  01586/553-703), has a variety of live music on Fridays and alternate Saturdays. A specialty here is real ale. It's open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 1am and Sunday from 12:30pm to 1am. You'll find a quieter evening at the Burnside Bar, Burnside Street (  01586/552-306), open daily from 11am to 1am. Conversation and local single malts are the preferred distractions here.

Cambeltown also has its own cinema, the Wee Picture House, 20 Hall St. (  01586/553-800; www.weepictures.co.uk). This Art Deco building dates back to 1913, and is believed to be the oldest surviving purpose-built cinema in Scotland.

Where to Eat & Stay

The Argyll Arms This hotel was originally built as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Argyll; his own suite is now Room 1. The public rooms are now a little dowdy, but the guest rooms have been modernized and, though modest, are quite comfortable. Family rooms are also available. The restaurant specializes in moderately priced dishes based on fish fresh from the quay. There's a lounge bar and a cocktail bar.

Main St., Campbeltown, PA28 6AB. www.argyllarmshotel.co.uk.   01586/553-431. Fax 01586/553-594. 25 units. £65–£90 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; Wi-Fi (free). In room: TV, hair dryer.

Craigard House Built in 1882, this dignified, monastic-looking pile with a bell tower is perched on the northern edge of the loch, about a mile from the town center. The spacious guest rooms are traditionally furnished, and most open onto panoramic views of Campbeltown Loch. One of the rooms has a four-poster bed, and five rooms could be used by families. The restaurant's weekly menu may include savory fish crepes, pan-fried duck breast with brandy and pepper-cream sauce, and chicken cacciatore.

Low Askomil, Campbeltown, PA28 6EP. www.craigard-house.co.uk.   01586/554-242. Fax 01586/551-137. 13 units. £82–£135 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

Southend & the Mull of Kintyre

Some 10 miles south of Campbeltown on the B842 is the village of Southend. From Monday to Saturday, three buses a day run here from Campbeltown. Southend has sandy beaches, a golf course, and views across the sea to the Island of Sanda and to Ireland. Legend has it that footprints on a rock near the ruin of an old chapel mark the spot where St. Columba first set foot on Scottish soil. Other historians suggest that the footprints mark the spot where ancient kings were crowned.

About 11 miles from Campbeltown is the Mull of Kintyre, at the southwestern point of the peninsula. Starting at Southend, you take a narrow road until you reach the "gap," from which you can walk down to the lighthouse, a distance of 1 1/2 miles before you reach the final point. Expect to be greeted with westerly gales as you walk. This is one of the wildest and most remote parts of Scotland, and it's this desolation that appeals to visitors. The Mull of Kintyre is only 13 miles from Ireland. When local resident Paul McCartney made it the subject of a song, hundreds of fans flocked to the area.

  A Journey to Blood Rock

Dunaverty Rock is a jagged hill marking the extreme southern tip of the Kintyre Peninsula. Located 9 1/3 miles south of Campbeltown and called "Blood Rock" by the locals, it was once the site of a MacDonald stronghold known as Dunaverty Castle, although nothing remains of it today. In 1647, it was the scene of a great massacre, in which some 300 citizens lost their lives. You can reach it by a local bus (marked south end) traveling from Campbeltown south about six times a day. Nearby, you'll find a series of isolated, unsupervised beaches and the 18-hole Dunaverty Golf Course (  01586/830-677; www.dunavertygolfclub.com).

The Isle of Gigha & Scotland's Finest Gardens

3 miles W of Kintyre's western coast

The 6-mile long Isle of Gigha boasts Scotland's finest gardens. Often called sacred and legendary, little has changed on the southern Hebridean isle over the centuries. Indeed the island's inhabitants are intent on ensuring that things stay the same, and to this end clubbed together to buy the island in 2002 for £4 million. It is now managed by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust (www.gigha.org.uk). March 15, the day when the purchase was completed, is now celebrated by islanders as "Independence Day."

Essentials

Getting There You can take a ferry to Gigha from Tayinloan, halfway up the west coast of Kintyre on the A83. Sailings are daily on the hour during the summer, and take about 20 minutes, depositing you at Ardminish, the main hamlet on Gigha. The one-way fare is £12 for cars, plus £3.25 per passenger. For ferry schedules, call   0800/066-5000 or 01880/730-253 for the port office in Kennacraig, or log on to www.calmac.co.uk or www.gigha.org.uk.

Visitor Information There's no local tourist office, and so ask at Campbeltown on the Kintyre Peninsula (see "The Kintyre Peninsula," above).

Getting Around Most visitors to Gigha don't take their car, and choose to either walk or take a taxi (call Oliver's Taxi at   01583/505-251). There's no bus service on the island.

Exploring the Island

The main attraction on Gigha is its famous gardens. Be prepared to spend your entire day walking. The Achamore House Gardens ★★★ (  01583/505-400; www.gigha.org.uk), 1 mile from the ferry dock at Ardminish, overflow with roses, hydrangeas, camellias, rhododendrons, and azaleas. The 20-hectare (49-acre) site was created by the late Sir James Horlick, one of the world's great horticulturalists. The gardens are open year-round, daily 9am to dusk. Admission is £5.

The island has a rich Viking past (the Vikings stored their loot here after plundering the west coast of Scotland), and cairns and ruins still remain. Creag Bhan, the highest hill, rises more than 100m (330 ft.). From the top you can look out onto the islands of Islay and Jura as well as Kintyre; on a clear day, you can even see across to Ireland. The Ogham Stone is one of only two standing stones in the Hebrides that bears an Ogham inscription, a form of script used in the Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. High on a ridge overlooking the village of Ardminish are the ruins of the Church of Kilchattan, dating back to the 13th century.

Where to Eat & Stay

Achamore House ★★ Set in the midst of some of the most beautiful gardens in Scotland, Achamore House is a grand baronial mansion built by a sea captain in 1884. It offers a dozen spacious and simply furnished rooms, with fine views. Each room has its own character, ranging from the Tower Suite, with its antique furnishings, to Col. Horlick's Room with its bay windows opening east over the gardens. There's even the Bridal Suite, with a super-king-size four-poster bed, plus an open fireplace and antiques. Guests can relax in the wooden-paneled library with its fine collection of books or else retreat to the TV lounge with some 500 DVDs to choose from. There's also a grand snooker room with a full-size table.

Isle of Gigha, PA41 7AA. www.achamorehouse.com.   01583/505-400. Fax 01583/505-3287. 12 units. £70 double; £130 suite. MC, V. Amenities: Dining room. In room: No phone.

Gigha Hotel ★ Standing in a lonely, windswept location, this hotel is a 5-minute walk from the island's ferry landing. Built in the 1700s as a farmhouse, it's now owned by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust, and contains Gigha's only pub and one of its two restaurants. Each small but cozy room has a private bathroom. Fixed-price dinners are served daily to both guests and non-guests; reasonably priced bar lunches are also available.

Ardminish, Isle of Gigha, PA41 7AA. www.gigha.org.uk.   01583/505-254. Fax 01583/505-244. 13 units. £95–£140 double. Rates include half-board. MC, V. Closed Dec 24–26. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: TV, hair dryer.

The Isle of Islay: Queen of the Hebrides ★★

16 miles W of the Kintyre Peninsula; 2⁄3 mile SW of Jura

Islay (pronounced "Eye-lay") is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, separated only by a narrow sound from Jura. The island is only 20 miles at its widest point, and 25 miles long. Often referred to as the "Queen of the Hebrides," it's a peaceful and unspoiled island of moors, salmon-filled lochs, sandy bays, and wild rocky cliffs—an island of great beauty, ideal for long walks.

Essentials

Getting There Caledonian MacBrayne (  08705/650-000 or 01880/730-253 for the port office at Kennacraig; www.calmac.co.uk) provides a daily ferry service from Kennacraig on the Kintyre peninsula to Port Askaig, on the northeastern coast of Islay. In the summer there are up to four ferries a day. The cost is £51 per car and £9.55 per passenger each way (a 5-day round-trip ticket is more economical). The journey takes about 2 hours.

Visitor Information The Islay Tourist Information Centre can be found at The Square, Bowmore (  01496/810-254; www.islayinfo.com). Opening hours are: April to June, Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 2 to 5pm; July and August, Monday through Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm, Sunday 2 to 5pm; September and October, Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm.

Exploring the Island

The island's capital is Bowmore, on the opposite coast from Port Askaig, down the A846. Here you can see a fascinating Round Church (no corners for the devil to hide in). But the most important town is Port Ellen, on the south coast, a holiday and golfing resort and Islay's principal port. The 18-hole Machrie golf course (  01496/302-310; www.machrie.com) is 3 miles to the northwest of Port Ellen.

About 7 1/2 miles to the northeast of Port Ellen are the ancient Kildalton Crosses in Kildalton churchyard. They're two of the finest Celtic crosses in Scotland. The ruins of the 14th-century fortress, Dunyvaig Castle, are just to the south of Kildalton.

In the southwestern part of Islay, in Port Charlotte, the Museum of Islay Life (  01496/850-358; www.islaymuseum.org) has a large collection of island artifacts dating from prehistory to the present. From Easter to October, the museum is open Monday through Saturday 10am to 4pm. Admission is £3 for adults, £2 for seniors, and £1 for children aged 5 to 16. If traveling without a car, the Portnahaven bus from Bowmore stops here.

Near Port Charlotte are the graves of the U.S. seamen and army troops who lost their lives in 1918 when their carriers, the Tuscania and the Otranto, were torpedoed off the shores of Islay. There's a memorial tower on the Mull of Oa, 8 miles from Port Ellen. There's a fine walk to be had by going along the Mull of Oa Road toward the signposted solar-powered Carraig Fhada lighthouse, some 1 1/2 miles away. The Oa peninsula was once the haunt of illicit whisky distillers and smugglers; the area is filled with sheer cliffs that are riddled with caves.

  For Birders & Ramblers

Loch Gruinart cuts into the northern part of Islay, 6 3/4 miles northeast of Port Charlotte and 8 miles north of Bowmore. As the winter home for wild geese, it has attracted bird-watchers for decades. In 1984, the 1,215 hectares (3,000 acres) of moors and farmland around the loch were turned into the Loch Gruinart Nature Reserve (  01496/850-505; www.rspb.org.uk). The reserve has a hide, nature trails, a visitor center, toilet facilities, and disabled access.

This is another place for great walks. Beaches rise out of the falling tides, but they're too cold and rocky for serious swimming. It's a lonely and bleak coastline, but on a clear day, you can see the Hebridean islands of Oronsay and Colonsay in the distance.

Visiting the Distilleries

The island is noted for its distilleries, which still produce single-malt Highland whiskies by the antiquated pot-still method. Of these, Laphroaig Distillery, about a mile along the road from Ardbeg to Port Ellen (  01496/302-418; www.laphroaig.com), offers guided tours Monday through Friday at 10 and 2pm. The tour costs £3 per person, but the admission to the visitor center is free. Places on tours can be booked by telephoning or filling in the form on the website. Lagavulin, Port Ellen near the south coast of Islay (  01496/302-749), is open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Tours are by appointment only. Admission is £5 per person and comes with a complementary shot of whisky. A distillery gift shop is open Monday through Friday 8:30am to noon and 1 to 4:30pm.

Bowmore Distillery, School Street, Bowmore (  01496/810-441; www.bowmore.com), conducts tours Monday through Saturday at 10 and 11am and 2 and 3pm from Easter to August; during July and August there are also tours at 1pm and 2pm on Sundays; from September to Easter, tours are at 10:30am and 3pm on weekdays, and at 10am on Saturdays. Admission is £5 for adults, and free for children under 18. A whisky tasting is included in the tour (though not for children). You can make purchases without taking the tour by stopping in at the gift shop in the visitor center. It's open Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm between Easter and mid-September, and Sunday noon until 4pm from July to mid-September.

Port Askaig is home to Bunnahabhain (  01496/840-646; www.bunnahabhain.com), which is open year-round Monday through Friday. From April to October, hour-long tours are conducted at 10:30am, 1:30pm, and 3:15pm. Tours cost £4. From November to March, tours can be arranged by appointment. Tasting tours (£15) and VIP tours (£25) can also be booked year-round by appointment.

Where to Eat

The Croft Kitchen ★   BRITISH While this single-story cafe-restaurant on the main highway running through Port Charlotte may seem unprepossessing from the outside, it's well worth venturing across the threshold for its homey cooking and welcoming atmosphere. Situated opposite the Museum of Islay Life, it's a handy place to keep in mind for tea and scones in the afternoon or an unpretentious meal of comforting food. The menu changes daily, and includes lots of fresh fish and shellfish, as well as soups, Islay venison with rowanberry jelly, and fresh scampi and chips. Holding no more than 40 customers at a time, it serves wine, beer, and, of course, whisky, along with generous portions of food.

Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay.   01496/850-230. Sandwiches £5–£8.95; lunch main courses £10–£17, dinner main courses £12–£20. MC, V. Daily 10am–8:30pm (last order). Closed mid-Oct to mid-Mar.

Harbour Inn Restaurant ★ SEAFOOD/MODERN BRITISH The fish and seafood at the Harbour Inn is renowned for its freshness and sure-handed preparation. The catch of the day can include lobster and crab, monkfish, scallops, mussels, and oysters. Dishes include scallops with beetroot jam and a lime dressing, and fillet of monkfish wrapped in oak-smoked salmon on a mushroom risotto with a citrus and honey vierge. If seafood is not to your taste, there's pheasant, pigeon, and venison, or Islay beef and lamb. Vegetarians can feast on celeriac tart with sweet peppers and goat's cheese, or wild mushroom risotto. Desserts include jelly and ice cream—though with a little more sophistication than the old-fashioned children's party staple; the homemade ice cream comes in flavors such as rosewater and honey, basil, licorice, and crème de cassis.

The Square, Bowmore, Isle of Islay, Argyll, PA43 7JR.   01496/810-330. Reservations recommended on weekends. Lunch main courses £8–£17; dinner main courses £17–£26. AE, MC, V. Daily noon–2:30pm and 6–9pm.

Shopping

The Islay Woollen Mill, Bridgend (  01496/810-563; www.islaywoollenmill.co.uk), has been making a wide range of country tweeds and accessories for more than a century. (It made all the tweeds used in Mel Gibson's Braveheart.) The mill shop, open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, sells items made with the Braveheart tweeds as well as smart Shetland wool ties, mufflers, Jacob mufflers and ties, flat caps, travel rugs, and scarves.

Entertainment & Nightlife

After work, distillery employees gather at the pub at the Harbour Inn, Main Street in Bowmore (  01496/810-330). This old-fashioned pub, with stone walls, a fireplace, and wooden floors, is open Monday through Saturday from 11am to 1am and on Sunday from noon to 1am. There is, of course, a good selection of single-malt whiskies, some of which have been distilled on Islay itself. Local seafood is served at lunch and dinner. In summer, reservations for meals are recommended.

Where to Stay

Bridgend Hotel ★ This pretty gabled Victorian house has roses creeping up the walls, and one of the most beautiful flower and vegetable gardens on Islay. It's also one of the oldest hotels on the island, with country charm and an informal atmosphere. Guests enjoy drinks beside the open fireplaces in the Victorian cocktail lounge and in the pub, where locals also gather at the end of the day. The mid-size bedrooms are furnished comfortably in muted colors. The hotel restaurant serves up local produce at lunch and dinner to both guests and non-guests. Game—including pheasant, partridge, and woodcock—are specialties.

Bridgend, Isle of Islay PA44 7PJ. www.bridgend-hotel.com.   01496/810-212. Fax 01496/810-960. 11 units. £90–£150 double; £160 family room. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; room service; Wi-Fi (free). In room: TV/DVD, hair dryer.

Harbour Inn Although this family-run establishment is better known for its seafood restaurant (see above), it also offers seven bedrooms overlooking Bowmore Harbour. Each room is bright and airy, with its own individual decoration. Children over the age of 10 are welcome, and two of the guestrooms are suitable for family occupation. The building dates from the 19th century but is completely modernized. The conservatory lounge adjacent to the street-level dining room has fine views of northern Islay and over to the Paps of Jura.

The Square, Bowmore, Isle of Islay, Argyll, PA43 7JR. www.harbour-inn.com.   01496/810-330. Fax 01496/810-990. 7 units. £125–£155 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; lounge-bar; babysitting. In room: TV, hair dryer.

Port Askaig Hotel Located on the Sound of Islay overlooking the pier from where ferries depart, this inn dates from the 18th century but was built on the site of an even older inn. It offers island hospitality and Scottish fare and is a favorite of anglers. The bar is popular with locals as well as hotel guests, and you can sit outside in the summer on the front lawn. Bar meals are available for lunch and dinner. The guest rooms are simply decorated with pine furniture.

The A846 at the ferry crossing to Jura, Port Askaig, Isle of Islay, PA46 7RD. www.portaskaig.co.uk.   01496/840-245. Fax 01496/840-295. 11 units. £70–£135 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer.

Port Charlotte Hotel This 19th-century hotel—actually a trio of cottages joined together—stands next to the small sandy beaches of Port Charlotte with views over Loch Indaal. The guest rooms are immaculately kept, with recently refurbished bathrooms. The hotel's public areas include a bar serving local ales, a comfortable lounge, and a conservatory with views out over the sea.

The Port Charlotte is also the best place to dine in the area. The menu includes lobster, crab, oysters, and scallops, and there's also a good selection of game from the island's estates, including partridge and woodcock. Vegetarians are also catered for, and packed lunches are available on request.

Main St., Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay, PA48 7TU. www.portcharlottehotel.co.uk.   01496/850-360. Fax 01496/850-361. 10 units. £170 double; £190 family room. MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bike rentals; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer.

The Isle of Jura: Deer Island ★

2⁄3 mile E of Islay

Jura is the fourth largest of the Inner Hebrides, 27 miles long and varying from 1 3/4 to 8 miles in breadth. It takes its name from the Norse jura, meaning "deer." The red deer on Jura—Scotland's largest animals, at around 1.2m (4 ft.) in height—outnumber people by about 25 to 1. The hardy islanders themselves number only about 250, and most of them live along the east coast. Jura is relatively unknown, and its mountains, soaring cliffs, snug coves, and moors make it an inviting place for a peaceful holiday.

  The Gloom & Doom of Orwell's 1984

George Orwell was quite ill when he lived on Jura in the bitter postwar winters of 1946 and 1947, while working on his last novel, 1984. After a close call when he and his adopted son ventured too close to the whirlpool in the Gulf of Corryvreckan—they were saved by local fishermen—he went on to publish his masterpiece in 1949, only to die in London of tuberculosis in 1950.

Essentials

Getting There Visitors to Jura have to catch the ferry from Kennacraig on the Kintyre peninsula to Port Askaig, on the Isle of Islay; from there, they take a second ferry across the Sound of Islay to Feolin at the southern tip of Jura. Caledonian MacBrayne (  08705/650-000 or 01880/730-253 for the port office at Kennacraig; www.calmac.co.uk) operates the ferry for the first leg of the trip. In the summer there are up to four ferries a day. The cost is £51 per car and £9.55 per passenger each way (a 5-day round-trip ticket is more economical). The ferry for the 5-minute trip from Port Askaig to Feolin on Jura is operated by ASP Ship Management Ltd (  01496/840-681; see www.islayinfo.com/jura-ferry.html for details). Ferries run daily, approximately every half-hour during the summer. The round-trip fare for passengers is about £4, and for cars £15. Car spaces must be booked in advance for both legs of the journey.

Visitor Information The Isle of Islay (see "The Isle of Islay: Queen of the Hebrides," above) has the nearest Tourist Information Centre. Otherwise, for information, visit www.isleofjura.com.

Exploring the Island

Jura has only one road, the A846, which begins at Feolin (which is little more than the anchoring place for the ferry) and runs up the east coast of the island as far as the village of Lussagiven. The west of the island is largely uninhabited. Because most of the island is therefore accessible only on foot, visitors should wear sturdy walking shoes and bring rain gear. Most walkers head for the so-called Paps of Jura, the three steep conical mountains of quartzite on the western side of the island. The highest of these is Beinn-an-Oir (or "mountain of gold" in Gaelic), which stands at 786m (2,575 ft.) in height.

For those who prefer a gentler stroll, the Jura House Garden & Grounds (  01496/820-315) at the southern tip of the island is the best place. Situated halfway between Feolin and Craighouse, these gardens were laid out by the Victorians to take advantage of the warmer microclimate on this part of the island. Unfortunately, following the purchase of the property by an Australian hedge-fund manager, the gardens have been temporarily closed; it is expected that they will reopen once suitable arrangements have been made to receive visitors again.

Just off the coast to the southwest of Jura House is Am Fraoch Eilean. This island accommodates the ruins of the square tower of Claig Castle, which in centuries past was used by the Lords of the Isles to control sea traffic around the islands.

The island's capital, Craighouse, is hardly more than a hamlet. It has the island's only shop, church, and hotel (see below). It also has its own whisky distillery (  01496/820-385; www.isleofjura.com). Guided tours are offered to visitors from April to September, Monday through Friday at 11am and 2pm. Advance booking is required.

Where to Eat & Stay

Jura Hotel ★   The island's only hotel is a sprawling white-washed building near the center of the hamlet of Craighouse (due east of Feolin along the coast). Parts of the hotel date from the 1600s, but most of what you see today was built in 1956. The mid-size guest rooms are decorated with all modern comforts. In this remote outpost, you'll get a tranquil night's sleep. Affordable meals are served daily at lunch and dinner; the dining room's specialty is Jura-bred venison. The hotel also incorporates the island's only pub; it too serves hearty and tasty meals at both lunch- and dinnertime.

Craighouse, Isle of Jura, PA60 7XU. www.jurahotel.co.uk.   01496/820-243. Fax 01496/820-249. 18 units, 12 with private bathroom. £78–112 double; £132–192 family room. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed 2 weeks Dec–Jan. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; bikes; room service. In room: No phone.

Knapdale & the Crinan Canal ★

Knapdale is the area of Argyll between Kintyre in the south and the Crinan Canal to the north. Its main feature is Knapdale Forest, planted in the 1930s as a project by the Ministry of Labour to create work for unemployed men from depressed industrial areas of Britain.

The Crinan Canal starts at Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne, and ends 9 miles away at the village of Crinan on the Sound of Jura. It was built to provide a quick link between the Clyde Estuary and the west coast and islands, avoiding the long voyage around the Kintyre Peninsula. It was designed by John Rennie, and completed in 1801 after 7 years of work. The canal's traffic originally comprised commercial sailing vessels and later Clyde puffers; today it's mostly private yachts. The towpath makes a picturesque walk, past fifteen locks, seven bridges, two lighthouses, and numerous lock-keepers' cottages.

Essentials

Getting There The most efficient way to travel around Knapdale is by car. From Glasgow, take the A82 up to Loch Lomond and cut across to Arrochar and go over the "Rest and Be Thankful" route to Inveraray (the A83). Then drive down along Loch Fyne to Lochgilphead and continue on the A83 south. If, on the other hand, you're driving from Oban, simply head south along the A816.

For bus and rail connections, see under "Inveraray" below.

Visitor Information The nearest Tourist Information Centre is located at Lochnell Street in Lochgilphead (  01546/602-344; www.heartofargyll.com). It's open from April to October, Monday through Friday 10am to 5pm, and Saturday and Sunday noon to 5pm.

Exploring the Area

Knapdale is an ancient landscape. It has some of Scotland's best native woodlands—as, for example, at Taynish National Nature Reserve (  01546/603-611; www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/taynish), where you can follow the nature trails (or cycle paths) and see up to 20 species of butterflies, rare birds, and, if lucky, otters. The reserve is located about 1 mile south of Tayvallich village.

You can see a different natural habitat at Moine Mhor or "Great Moss" (  01546/603-611; www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/moine-mhor), which is best approached from the tow path of the Crinan Canal, near Bellanoch, where there's a bird hide. The waterlogged system of pools and bogs are home for hen harriers and ospreys in the summer, and geese and swans in winter.

On the B8025 going south from Bellanoch towards Tayvallich is the information center and observation hide of the Scottish Beaver Trial at Barnluasgan (  01546/602-518; www.scottishbeavers.org.uk). A 5-year trial reintroduction of beavers into Knapdale Forest began in 2009. The animals can best be seen at dusk and dawn. Guided beaver walks are offered on Tuesdays at 6pm from June to August.

To the north of the Crinan Canal is Kilmartin Glen, which is the location of over 800 ancient sites and monuments, including standing stones, burial tombs, and forts. Around 1,500 years ago, it was the center of the Gaelic Kingdom of Dalriada. The best place to start exploring the area is the Kilmartin House Museum (  01546/510-278; www.kilmartin.org), where you can see archaeological finds and get maps and information for going out to see the most important monuments in the field. Museum opening hours are March to October daily from 10am to 5:30pm, November to December daily from 11am to 4pm; closed from Christmas to the end of February. Admission charges are £5 for adults, £4 for seniors, and £2 for children.

Where to Eat & Stay

Cairnbaan Hotel ★★ Occupying an idyllic spot in the hamlet of Cairnbaan, at Lock 5, about halfway along the Crinan Canal, this is certainly the best hotel in the area. It was built in 1801 to coincide with the opening of the canal, and you can still watch the boats progress through the lock from its front windows. All the guest rooms have recently been refurbished, and offer comfortable and cozy accommodation—perfect for a good night's sleep. (The hotel has played host to the Princess Royal, as well as Bill and Hilary Clinton, and so presumably they thought so, too.)

The hotel's wooden-paneled bar is a warm and jolly affair serving real ale, good wine, a wide selection of malt whiskies, and reasonably priced bar meals (from the daily specials on the blackboard). The restaurant offers an a la carte menu using the best seasonal produce. Beef is supplied by the Ormsary Estate, lamb and pork come from local farmers, fresh game from a local hunter, and fish and seafood from local fishermen. The cooking brings out these ingredients with maximum flavor and minimum fuss. To drink, you can select from the wine list of 50 bins (with particular strength in Bordeaux). Lunch and dinner is served daily to both guests and non-guests.

Cairnbaan, near Lochgilphead, PA31 8SJ. www.cairnbaan.com.   01546/603-668. info@cairnbaan.com. 12 units. £98.50–£155 double. AE, MC, V. From Inveraray, drive south on the A83 to Lochgilphead (passing through the villages of Furnace and Minard on the way). At Lochgilphead you come to a small roundabout; follow the signs for Oban and the A816. The Hotel is approximately 2 miles from this roundabout on your left hand side. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service; Wi-Fi (free). In room: TV, hair dryer.

Inveraray ★★

99 miles NW of Edinburgh; 57 miles NW of Glasgow; 38 miles SE of Oban

The small resort and royal burgh of Inveraray occupies a splendid setting on the upper shores of Loch Fyne. It's particularly attractive when you approach from the east on the A83. Across a little inlet, you can see the white buildings of the town lying peacefully on a piece of land jutting out into the loch.

Essentials

Getting There The nearest rail station is at Dumbarton, 45 miles southeast, from where you can take connecting buses to Inveraray. For rail schedules, call   08457/484-950, or visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.

The Citylink-926 Service operates buses out of Glasgow, heading for Dumbarton, before continuing to Inveraray. The journey takes about 2 hours. From Monday to Saturday, three buses make this run each day (only two on Sun). For bus schedules, call   08705/505-050, or visit www.citylink.co.uk.

If you're driving from Oban, head east along the A85 until you reach the junction with the A819, at which point you continue south.

Visitor Information The Tourist Information Centre is on Front Street (  01499/302-063; www.inveraray-argyll.com). It's open from June to mid-September, daily 9am to 6pm; mid-September to October, April, and May, Monday through Saturday 10am to 3pm and Sunday noon to 5pm; and November to March, daily noon to 4pm.

Exploring the Area

At one end of the town's main street is a Celtic burial cross from Iona. The parish church is divided by a wall that enables Mass to be held simultaneously in Gaelic and English.

A local beauty spot is the Ardkinglas Woodland Garden (  01499/600-261; www.ardkinglas.com), 4 miles east of Inveraray, at the head of Loch Fyne. People drive from all over Scotland to see the country's greatest collection of conifers and its masses of rhododendrons bursting into bloom in June. Admission is £4.50 for adults, £3.50 for seniors, and free for under-16s; it's open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Hiking in Argyll forest Park

Argyll Forest Park, in the southern Highlands, stretches almost to Loch Fyne and is made up of Benmore, Ardgartan, and Glenbranter. The park covers an area of 24,000 hectares (59,000 acres), contains some of Scotland's most dramatic scenery, and includes a wide variety of habitats, from lush forests to bleak moorlands and mountains. The Clyde sea lochs cut deeply into the forested areas, somewhat in the way fjord "fingers" cut into the Norwegian coast; in the northern part are the Arrochar Alps (so called), where Ben Arthur reaches a height of 877m (2,877 ft.).

The park attracts not only those interested in natural history and wildlife but also rock climbers and hill walkers. There are forest walks for all degrees of fitness and experience. Trails leading up to the loftier peaks are strenuous and meant for skilled hikers; others are quite gentle, including paths from the Younger Botanic Garden by Loch Eck leading to Puck's Glen.

There's abundant wildlife in the sea lochs: basking sharks, sea otters, gray seals, sea scorpions, crabs, shrimp, sea lemons, and sea slugs, among many other inhabitants. Boats and canoes are available for rent. One of the park's biggest thrills is exploring the underwater caves of Loch Long.

In the early spring and summer, the park trails are at their most beautiful—woodland birds sing out their territorial rights, and the forest is filled with violets, wood anemones, primroses, and bluebells. Sometimes the wildflowers are as thick as carpets. In the rainy climate of the southern Highlands, ferns and mosses also grow in abundance.

To reach the park, take the A83 to connect with the B828 heading for Loch Goll, or follow the A815 to Loch Eck and Loch Long. Both of the Arrochar and Tarbert stops on the Glasgow–Fort William rail line are on the periphery of the park's northeast frontier.

The best place for lodging is Dunoon, to the south on the Cowal Peninsula—an easy gateway to the park. Dunoon has been a holiday resort since 1790, created for the "merchant princes" of Glasgow. Recreational facilities abound, including an indoor pool, tennis courts, and an 18-hole golf course. To pick up information about the park and a trail map, go to the Dunoon Tourist Centre, 7 Alexandra Parade (  01369/703-785; www.visitcowal.co.uk). It's open April to September, Monday through Friday 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm; October to March, Monday through Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday 10am to 5pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm.

Arctic Penguin Heritage Centre MUSEUM Occupying a former lightship, a three-masted schooner constructed in 1911 called the Arctic Penguin, this museum is a mecca for those who love maritime history. Visitors can also see the engine room, the Captain's stateroom, and the Grog Barrels. In stark contrast, there's also the luxurious Lady's Cabin, where the lady of the ship used to spend her time. Exhibits detail the history of Glasgow docks and the launching of the original Queen Mary (now in dry dock in California). There's also all manner of maritime memorabilia—even a handcrafted shell valentine made by a mariner for his love. The ship even has its own cinema, where visitors can see a short film on seafaring history.

The Pier, Inveraray.   01499/302-213. www.inveraraypier.com. Admission £5 adults, £3 seniors and students, £2.50 children 5–16, £14 families. Daily 10am–5pm.

Crarae Glen Gardens ★ GARDEN Lying alongside Loch Fyne, these are among Scotland's most beautiful gardens, comprising some 20 hectares (50 acres) of rich woodland with a burn, waterfalls, and fine vistas over the loch. The exoticism of the vegetation, and the gorges and cascades, create the feeling of a Himalayan valley.

8 miles southwest of Inveraray along the A83, near the hamlet of Minard.   0844/493-2210. www.nts.org.uk/Property/19. Admission £6 adults, £5 children 5–16, £15.50 families. Gardens open year-round daily 9:30am–sunset; visitor center open Apr–Oct Thurs–Mon 10am–5pm.

Inveraray Castle ★★ CASTLE The hereditary seat of the dukes of Argyll, Inveraray Castle has been headquarters of Clan Campbell since the early 15th century. The gray-green stone castle is among the earliest examples of the Gothic Revival in Britain, and offers a fine collection of pictures and 18th-century French furniture, old porcelain, and an Armoury Hall, which alone contains 1,300 pieces. In the grounds is a Combined Operations Museum, the only one of its kind in the United Kingdom. It illustrates the role No. 1 Combined Training Centre played at Inveraray in World War II. On display are scale models, newspaper reports, campaign maps, photographs, wartime posters and cartoons, training scenes, and other mementos. A shop sells souvenirs, and a tearoom serves homemade cakes and scones.

2⁄3 mile northeast of Inveraray on Loch Fyne.   01499/302-203. www.inveraray-castle.com. Admission £9.20 adults, £7.60 seniors and students, £6.20 children 5–16, £25.50 families. Apr–Oct daily 10am–5:45pm.

Where to Eat & Stay

Argyll Hotel This waterfront inn, built in 1755, boasts views over Loch Fyne and Loch Shira. The comfortable, mid-size guest rooms are decorated in a traditional style with reproduction antique furniture and chintz fabrics. Four so-called executive rooms have either four-poster or Queen Anne beds. The hotel has its own public bar, a guests-only cocktail lounge, and a smart restaurant for evening meals (also open to non-guests). The menu features fish and seafood from Loch Fyne.

Front St., Inveraray, PA32 8XB. www.oxfordhotelsandinns.com.   08444/146-600. Fax 01499/302-389. 38 units. £100–£160 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (£12 per day).

The Creggans Inn This inn commemorates the spot where Mary Queen of Scots is said to have disembarked from her ship in 1563 on her way through the Highlands. Painted white and flanked by gardens, the inn is situated across the road (the A815) from the shores of the loch. It is owned by Sir Charles MacLean and his mother, Lady MacLean, author of several best-selling cookbooks, many of which are for sale here. The well-maintained guest rooms are furnished in a cozy cottage style. Guests also have the use of the upstairs sitting room and the garden-style lounge.

The hotel's formal restaurant serves dinner every evening from 6:30 until 8pm. Specialties include Aberdeen Angus steaks, fresh seafood, and venison. Reservations are required in season. The bar offers pub lunches beside an open fire.

Strachur, PA27 8BX. www.creggans-inn.co.uk.   01369/860-279. Fax 01369/860-637. 14 units. £100–£180 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer.

The George Hotel ★ The George is perhaps the most atmospheric hotel in Inveraray. It was formed in 1860 from two private houses that were built in 1770. The street-level welcoming bar was once divided up for use as two churches: one of the Gaelic-speaking congregation and the other for English-speakers. The hotel's public areas are graced with flagstone floors, beamed ceilings, and blazing fireplaces. The guest rooms are cozy, done in old-fashioned Scottish style, some with wooden paneling and tartan carpet. Some also have four-poster beds and claw-foot tubs, full-length Victorian roll-top bathtubs, or Jacuzzis.

The restaurant is among the town's most popular, serving moderately priced lunches and dinners daily. Your options include steaks prepared with pepper or mushroom sauce, grilled halibut, and grilled Loch Fyne salmon with white wine, prawns, and scallops.

Main St. E., Inveraray, PA32 8TT. www.thegeorgehotel.co.uk.   01499/302-111. Fax 01499/302-098. 17 units. £70–£165 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; 2 bars. In room: TV, TV/DVD (in some), Jacuzzi (in some).

Loch Awe & Loch Etive ★

99 miles NW of Edinburgh; 24 miles E of Oban; 68 miles NW of Glasgow

Only 1 mile wide in most places and 22 miles long, Loch Awe is the longest loch in Scotland. It once served as a natural freshwater moat protecting the Campbells of Inveraray from their enemies to the north; along its banks are the many remains of fortifications from times past. The Forestry Commission has vast forests and signposted trails in this area, and a modern road makes it possible to travel around Loch Awe. It's therefore all the more accessible to walkers, anglers, and bird-watchers.

To the north, the waters of Loch Awe drain via the River Awe through the Brander Pass into Loch Etive, which itself flows into the Atlantic at Connel, a village 3 miles to the north of Oban. A large cantilevered bridge spans the mouth of the loch at the Falls of Lora, a tidal race that's particularly popular with white-water kayakers.

Essentials

Getting There The nearest train station is in Oban, from where you need to take a connecting bus. Scottish Citylink, 1 Queens Park Place, in Oban (call   01631/562-856 for schedules), has a service from Oban to Glasgow with stopovers at Loch Awe. During the summer season, services from Edinburgh run to Bridge of Orchy and Dalmally. Services from Glasgow run to Dalmally and Lochawe.

If you're driving from Oban, the A85 takes you north, and then east at the village of Connel, where Loch Etive flows into the sea. Staying all the way on the A85, continue via Taynuilt and Bridge of Awe to the northern end of Loch Awe itself.

Visitor Information Consult the Tourist Information Centre in Oban (see "Oban," below) and www.loch-awe.com.

Exploring the Area

To the east of the top of Loch Awe is Dalmally, a small but historically important town. Its unusual 18th-century church is built in an octagonal shape.

  Castle of the Once Mighty Campbells

The ruins of Kilchurn Castle can be found at the northern tip of Loch Awe, west of Dalmally, and across from the south-bank village of Loch Awe. A stronghold of the Campbells of Glen Orchy in the mid-15th century, it's a spectacular ruin with much of the original structure intact. The ruins have, in recent years, been reinforced and provided with balconies, so you can now explore them when the weather permits.

Kilchurn Castle is owned by Historic Scotland (www.historic-scotland.gov.uk). It's open from April to September (there's no admission charge). The castle is accessible on foot from the Dalmally roadside (the A85) under the railway viaduct.

You can also see the castle from Loch Awe itself, by taking a steamboat cruise. The Ardanaiseig Hotel (  01866/833-333; www.ardanaiseig.com) runs cruises on a chartered basis, costing £100 to £150 per hour; passengers can share the cost. The trip takes about 30 minutes each way.

For reminders of the days when the Campbells of Inveraray held supreme power in the region of Loch Awe, there's a ruined castle at Fincharn, at the southern end of the loch, and another on the island of Fraoch Eilean. The Isle of Inishail has an ancient chapel and burial ground.

The bulk of Ben Cruachan, rising to 1,119m (3,671 ft.), dominates Loch Awe at its northern end and attracts climbers and hikers. The mountain is also notable as the site of the world's second-largest hydroelectric power station, which pumps water from Loch Awe to a reservoir high above. You can join a guided tour of the turbine hall, and there's an exhibition center and cafe (  01866/822-618; www.visitcruachan.co.uk). To find it, drive 19 miles east of Oban on the A85. It's open from April to October daily from 9:30am to 4:45pm. From November to March, opening times are Monday through Friday 10am to 3:45pm. The visitor center is usually closed from mid-December until the end of January. The guided tour costs £6 for adults, £5 for seniors and students, and £2.50 for children aged from 6 to 16 years. In order to encourage low-carbon travel, visitors who arrive by bicycle or by public transport gain free admission.

In the shadow of the mountain are the Falls of Cruachan and the wild Pass of Brander, where Robert the Bruce routed the Clan MacDougall in 1308. The waters of the Awe flow through this pass on their way to Loch Etive. The latter, a sea loch, winds for 19 miles, from Dun Dunstaffnage Bay, at Oban, to Glen Etive and the Moor of Rannoch at the foot of the 910m (3,000-ft.) Buachaille Etive (the Shepherd of Etive).

Where to Eat & Stay

Barcaldine House ★★★ This elegant country house was built in 1709 after the local branch of the Campbell family decided that their nearby castle was no longer comfortable enough. Comfort remains the watchword today, and the welcoming atmosphere and luster of the surroundings make you feel that the hotel is your very own country house. The luxurious guest rooms are decorated with antique furniture, warm fabrics, and plush upholstery. Each has its own character and a wealth of 18th- and 19th-century details, from the cornices to the fireplaces. The public rooms are no less stylish. The lounge, where you can have a champagne afternoon tea, has a roaring fire, fine period furniture, and a grand display of malt whiskies on the sideboard. There's also a grand Victorian games room with a full-size snooker table.

Guests and non-guests can enjoy the exquisite cuisine in the dining room. The chef, Oskars Kalnins, trained with Andrew Fairlie at the acclaimed Gleneagles, and it shows. The six-course dinner (£50) is a sumptuous affair, with the finest local produce (venison, lamb, scallops, halibut, turbot) and a generous array of luxury ingredients, from foie gras to truffles. All the dishes are executed with refinement and precision. The set lunches are a bargain at about £18 per person.

Barcaldine, on the A828 north of Oban, PA37 1SG. www.barcaldinehouse.co.uk.   01631/720-219. Fax 01631/720-540. 11 units. £180–£230 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Drive 3 miles north of Oban on the A85 to the village of Connel, and then cross the bridge over Loch Etive to join the A828. The village of Barcaldine is another 9 miles to the north (going in the direction of Fort William). Look for the signs on the right hand side of the main road. Amenities: Restaurant; lounge; snooker room. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

Hotel Ardanaiseig ★★ Although this gray-stone manor house was built in 1834, the architect, William Burn, designed it along 18th-century lines. He also planted what are now some of the rarest trees in Britain—many of them exotic conifers. Clusters of fruit trees stand in a walled garden, and the rhododendrons and azaleas are a wonderful spectacle in May and June. The hotel retains the country-house elegance and period furnishings of its earlier years as a private house. The formal sitting rooms are graced with comfortable sofas, fresh flowers, and polished tables. The guest rooms are named after various local mountains and lochs, and are also furnished with antiques; some have four-poster beds. In the restaurant, the five-course dinner menu offers guests an impressive display of precision cooking.

Kilchrenan by Taynuilt, PA35 1HE. www.ardanaiseig.com.   01866/833-333. Fax 01866/833-222. 16 units. £138–£428 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Jan to mid-Feb. Drive 21 miles south of Oban by following the signs to Taynuilt, and then turn onto the B845 toward Kilchrenan. Turn left at the Kilchrenan Pub and continue on for 3 3/4 miles, following signs into Ardanaiseig. Amenities: Restaurant; tennis court. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

Oban

85 miles NW of Glasgow; 50 miles SW of Fort William

One of Scotland's leading coastal resorts, the bustling port of Oban can be found in a sheltered bay almost enclosed by the island of Kerrera. A busy fishing port in the 18th century, and a fashionable holiday resort during the Victorian period, Oban is now an important ferry port for visitors on their way out to the islands. The town is also often used as a refueling stop for those exploring the west coast of Scotland.

Oban is the gateway to Mull, largest of the Inner Hebrides, as well as the island of Iona.

Essentials

Getting There From Glasgow, the West Highland train lines run directly to Oban, with departures from Glasgow's Queen Street Station (call   08457/484-950 for 24-hr. info). Three trains per day (only two on Sun) make the 3-hour run to Oban.

Frequent coaches depart from Buchanan Station in Glasgow, taking about the same time as the train. Contact Scottish Citylink at   08705/505-050 in Glasgow, or   01631/563-059 in Oban.

If you're driving from Glasgow, head northwest along the A82 until you reach Tyndrum, and then go west along the A85 until you come to Oban.

Visitor Information The Tourist Information Centre is on Argyll Square (  01631/563-122; www.oban.org.uk). Opening times are April to mid-June and mid-September to October, Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm; mid-June to mid-September, Monday through Saturday 9am to 8pm and Sunday 9am to 7pm; and November to March, Monday through Saturday 9:30am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 4pm.

Special Events The Oban Highland Games are held in August, with massed pipe bands marching through the streets. See www.obangames.com or ask at the tourist office for details. The Oban Pipe Band regularly parades on the main street during summer.

Exploring the Area

Near the little granite Cathedral of the Isles, 1 mile north of the end of the bay, is the ruin of the 13th-century Dunollie Castle (  01631/570-550; www.dunollie.org), seat of the lords of Lorn, who once owned a third of Scotland.

You can also visit Dunstaffnage Castle ★ (  01631/562-465; www.undiscoveredscotland.com), 3 1/2 miles north of Oban, believed to have been the royal seat of the Dalriadic monarchy in the 8th century. It was probably the site of the Scots court until Kenneth MacAlpin's unification of Scotland and the transfer of the seat of government to Scone in the 10th century. The present castle was built around 1263 and it became the castle of the MacDougalls. It's open April to September daily from 9:30am to 5:30pm, in October daily from 9:30am to 4:30pm, and from November to March Saturday through Wednesday from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Admission is £4 adults, £3.20 for seniors and students, and £2.40 for children aged from 5 to 16. You can take a bus from the railway station in Oban to Dunbeg, but it's still a 1 1/2-mile walk to the castle.

Another MacDougall stronghold can be found on the island of Kerrera. Gylen Castle dates back to 1587 and is open to the public free of charge all year round.

To explore the coastal scenery of Oban on two wheels, call in at Oban Cycles, Barr Bheag, Taynuilt (  01866/822-736; <http://rcscycles.co.uk>) or telephone to arrange delivery of a rental bike to your hotel. Alternatively try Flit Self Drive, Glencruitten Road, Oban (  01631/566-553; www.flitselfdrive.co.uk), who also rent bikes by the day or week.

Where to Eat

Expensive

Knipoch Hotel Restaurant SCOTTISH Located 6 miles south of town on the shores of Loch Feochan, this whitewashed Georgian house (the oldest part dates from 1592) offers a choice of three dining rooms with a daily five-course menu. The chef relies heavily on Scottish produce, especially fresh fish. Salmon and halibut are smoked on the premises. Try the cock-a-leekie soup, followed by Sound of Luing scallops. There's also an impressive wine list.

The hotel has 20 somewhat old-fashioned guest rooms, priced at £178 to £204 per night for a double, and with a suite costing £236 to £250.

Just off the A816, Kilninver, Knipoch, by Oban, PA34 4QT.   01852/316-251. Fax 01852/316-249. www.knipochhotel.co.uk. Reservations required. Main courses £15–£20. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 7:30–9pm. Closed mid-Dec to mid-Feb. Drive 6 miles south of Oban on the A816.

The Manor House ★ SCOTTISH Located in an 18th-century house that now functions as a hotel (see "Where to Stay," below), this restaurant is formal but not stuffy, and is one of the finest dining options in the area. The cuisine is traditional Scottish in style, and the chef uses the highest quality ingredients, many of them sourced locally. Signature dishes include venison, which comes with black pudding, caramelized root vegetables, and a rowanberry glaze; and juliennes of veal, with mushrooms in a Riesling sauce with potato rosti and salsify. The menu always includes several vegetarian options as well. Desserts are of the old-fashioned British variety, with sticky toffee pudding and butterscotch sauce, and marinated brambles with whisky custard among the favorites.

In the Manor House Hotel, Gallanach Rd., Oban, Argyll, PA34 4LS   01631/562-087. www.manorhouseoban.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses £16–£22; fixed-price 5-course meal £38. AE, MC, V. Daily noon–2pm and 6:45–9pm.

Moderate

The Gathering BRITISH This imposing building, with verandas all around it, was first opened in 1882 as a private hunting and social club. Today, its street-level functions as "O'Donnells Irish Bar" (Mon–Sat 11am–1am, Sun noon–11pm), and its upper floor as a well-managed restaurant. The cooking and presentation is no-nonsense in style, but the food is very tasty. The dishes are based around local produce, with fish, game, lobster, and lamb all featuring regularly on the menu. Especially noteworthy are the saddle of venison with herb-and-port sauce, and local crayfish grilled in garlic butter.

The restaurant-pub also rents out six simply furnished bedrooms, costing from £30 per person, including breakfast and dinner.

Breadalbane St., Oban, Argyll.   01631/564-849. Reservations recommended. Bar platters £9–£16; fixed-price dinners in restaurant £16–£25. AE, MC, V. June–Sept daily noon–2pm; year-round daily 5–10pm.

Shopping

Many of the crafts items produced by local crofters eventually end up at gift shops in Oban. One of the best outlets is McCaig's Warehouse, Argyll Square (  01631/566-335), where the tartan patterns of virtually every clan in Scotland are for sale, either by the meter or in the form of kilts, jackets, or more modern interpretations of traditional garb.

Celtic-patterned jewelry, made from gold, silver, or platinum, and sometimes studded with semi-precious gems, is featured at The Gem Box, Esplanade (  01631/562-180). Kranenburg Fine Art, Star Brae, off Argyll Square (  01631/562-303; www.kranenburgfineart.com) sells contemporary paintings, sculptures, prints, and jewelry.

If you want to have your own kilt, cape, or a full outfit made, head for one of the town's two best tailors: Hector Russell, Kiltmaker, Argyll Square (  01631/570-240; www.hector-russell.com), and Geoffrey Tailors, 35 Stevenson St. (  01631/570-557; www.geoffreykilts.co.uk).

Entertainment & Nightlife

A popular hangout in Oban is O'Donnells, an Irish pub on Breadalbane Street (  01631/566-159), where you're greeted by a friendly atmosphere. As well as Guinness, the bar's well stocked with a variety of Irish and Scottish whiskies. From Thursday to Saturday, there's entertainment in the form of a live band or a DJ. Over the busy summer period, something is scheduled almost every night. Opening hours are 3pm to 1am daily.

Where to Stay

Very Expensive

Isle of Eriska Hotel ★★★ The grandest place to stay in the Greater Oban area is this turreted Victorian mansion at the end of a sweeping drive. In the Middle Ages, this 121-hectare (300-acre) forested island was a church-protected sanctuary. However, in the 19th century, an industrialist purchased it and planted hundreds of beech trees, building a bridge to the mainland. Today you can enjoy a panorama of the surrounding waterways and the forest park with its herds of deer.

Inside the hotel, you encounter a formal sitting room and library/bar. A wide staircase leads up to the baronial bedrooms. Each of the rooms is individually styled, with plush furnishings and chic bathrooms. Families might consider renting the beautifully kitted-out 2-bedroom cottages, which are 100m (328 ft.) from the main building and come with their own private gardens and a hot tub. There is also a 3-bedroom self-catering cottage for rent.

The hotel is known for its refined Scottish cuisine, made primarily from local produce. A fixed-price dinner at the restaurant is available for £44 per person; men are required to wear a jacket and tie. Adjoining the hotel is the Stables Spa with its large heated pool.

Ledaig, by Oban, Argyll, PA37 1SD. www.eriska-hotel.co.uk.   01631/720-371. Fax 01631/720-531. 17 units. £297–£970 double; £4,440 cottage for 1 week; 3-bedroom self-catering cottage from £1,000 per week. MC, V. Located 6 1/4 miles north of Oban. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; 6-hole golf course; tennis court; health club & spa; room service; babysitting. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

Expensive

Manor House Hotel Located on the outskirts of town, and opening onto panoramic views of Oban Bay, this stone house was built in 1780, and was once owned by the Duke of Argyll. The good-size guest rooms are decorated in traditional style with floral-patterned curtains and upholstery and reproduction antique furniture. Guests enjoy the use of a beautiful conservatory and the well-kept gardens.

The hotel is well known locally for its restaurant. See "Eating in Oban" above for more details.

Gallanach Rd., Oban, Argyll, PA34 4LS. www.manorhouseoban.com.   01631/562-087. Fax 01631/563-053. 11 units. £115–£215 double. No children under 12. AE, MC, V. From the south side of Oban, follow the signs for the car ferry but continue past the ferry entrance for about 2⁄3 mile. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service; smoke-free rooms; Wi-Fi (free). In room: TV, hair dryer.

Moderate

Alexandra Hotel Situated on the promenade 1 mile from the train station, the late-1860s Alexandra evokes Oban in its Victorian heyday. The vast facade with its gables, turreted towers, and Regency front veranda make it something of a landmark in the town. From its public room you can look out onto Oban Bay, and two sun lounges overlook the seafront. The mid-size guest rooms are modestly furnished but pleasant enough, with small bathrooms. About half of the rooms have sea views. Some rooms are specially equipped for those with limited mobility.

Corran Esplanade, Oban, Argyll, PA34 5AA.   01631/562-381. Fax 01631/564-497. 78 units. £95–£240 double. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; pool (indoor); exercise room; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer.

Columba Hotel This red-brick hotel is one of the most impressive Victorian buildings in Oban. It was built in 1870 by the same McCaig who constructed the hilltop "amphitheatre" known as McCaig's Tower. The location is among the best in town, and its "Alba Restaurant" offers views of the port through its large windows. The small guest rooms are unremarkable but have everything you need. Live folk music is sometimes performed in the Harbour Inn Bar (which is also open to non-guests).

The Esplanade, North Pier, Oban, Argyll, PA34 5QD.   01631/562-183. Fax 01631/564-683. 50 units. £90–£135 double. AE, MC, V. Free parking. The Scottish Midland Bus Company's Ganavan bus passes by. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; car rental; room service; babysitting. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).

Dungallan House Hotel One of the town's more upmarket hotels, the Dungallan House was built for the Duke of Argyll as his Oban residence in around 1870. It was used as a hospital during World War I and as a naval office during World War II, but today it's a venerable family-run hotel. The public rooms have high-ceilings and reproduction antique furniture, which evokes the high Victorian style. The guest rooms are bright and comfortable, and most have fine views. Breakfasts are served in the formal dining room; and if you book ahead, dinners can be arranged. Two hectares (5 acres) of woodland and gardens surround the house, and views stretch out over the Bay of Oban. The town center is about 10 minutes' walk away.

Gallanach Rd., Oban, Argyll, PA34 4PD. www.dungallanhotel-oban.co.uk.   01631/563-799. Fax 01631/566-711. 13 units, 11 with private bathroom. £156–£174 double. No children under 12. MC, V. Closed Nov–Mar. From Oban's center, drive 2⁄3 mile, following the signs to Gallanach. Amenities: Dining room; bar. In room: TV, no phone.

Inexpensive

Dungrianach ★   This little B&B is one of the best places to stay in Oban. In Gaelic, Dungrianach means "the sunny house on the hill," and the description is apt: the hotel sits in the midst of a wooded area, overlooking Oban Bay and some of the islands of the Inner Hebrides. The location is tranquil and seemingly remote, and yet it's only a few minutes' walk from the ferry terminal. The walk up is, however, a steep one, but that at least enables you to work off all those hearty Scottish breakfasts. The house is furnished with antiques and reproductions. The owners rent a double and a twin-bedded room, each with a little private bathroom. Guests can meet fellow guests in the sitting room, which has a collection of books on Scotland.

Pulpit Hill, Oban, Argyll PA34 4LU.  /fax 01631/562-840. 2 units. £70 double. No credit cards. Free parking. In room: TV, no phone.

Foxholes Far from being a foxhole, this is actually a spacious country house set in a tranquil glen about 3 miles south of Oban. The cozy, tasteful, and comfortable bedrooms are painted in soft pastels and furnished traditionally. All the rooms have panoramic views of the countryside and the hotel's well-maintained gardens. The peace and quiet ensures that guests have a good night's sleep. A five-course fixed-price dinner is available for an additional £21 to £28 per person.

Cologin, Lerags, Oban, Argyll PA34 4SE. www.foxholeshotel.co.uk.   01631/564-982. Fax 01631/570-890. 7 units. £102–£110 double. MC, V. Free parking. Closed Nov–Easter. Take the A816 3 miles south of Oban. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: TV, hair dryer, no phone.

Glenburnie Hotel This rambling Victorian house on the seafront esplanade is just a 5-minute walk west of the town center. Built in 1897 of granite blocks, it was originally designed as the surgical hospital and home of a prominent doctor. Today, it's a family-run guesthouse, with comfortable furnishings in a traditional style and fine views over the bay, which allow you to watch the ferries coming and going.

The Esplanade, Oban, Argyll PA34 5AQ. www.glenburnie.co.uk.  /fax 01631/562-089. 14 units. £90–£110 double. MC, V. Closed mid-Nov to Easter. In room: TV.
Planning Your Trip to Scotland

A wealth of practical information is available to help ensure that your trip to Scotland goes smoothly. Whether it's understanding how local taxes work or how much you can take home through customs, it always helps to have some quick guidance on hand. This chapter provides information on the practicalities of everyday life, which seem so simple at home and yet in another country can sometimes be perplexing.

Getting There

By Plane

FROM THE U.K. A choice of airlines operates regular and often inexpensive flights from cities around the U.K. including all London airports, Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol. These services link with both Edinburgh Airport (EDI; www.edinburghairport.com) and Glasgow Airport (GLA; www.glasgowairport.com), and to a lesser extent Aberdeen (ABZ; www.aberdeenairport.com), Inverness (INV; www.hial.co.uk/inverness-airport), and Dundee (DND; www.hial.co.uk/dundee-airport). The most frequent services are run by easyJet, British Airways, BMI, Flybe, and CityJet. These airlines also run regular services from Ireland and many other European destinations.

FROM NORTH AMERICA Limited flights from the U.S. and Canada connect directly with Scotland. Continental Airlines operates direct flights between Newark and Glasgow and Edinburgh airports; Virgin Atlantic Airways connects Orlando with Glasgow in the summer; and Canadian Affair flies directly to Glasgow from Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Most other services between the U.K. and U.S. operate out of London Heathrow (LHR; www.heathrowairport.com) or Gatwick (LGW; www.gatwickairport.com). Virgin Atlantic Airways is known for consistently offering excellent fares and flies directly to Heathrow from Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle and to Gatwick from Orlando, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Seattle. American Airlines offers flights to Heathrow from many U.S. gateways including New York, Newark, Chicago, Boston, Miami, and Los Angeles and to Gatwick from Orlando and Tampa.

Depending on the season, Delta Air Lines runs nonstop flights from Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, and New York to Heathrow and between Atlanta and Gatwick. Continental Airlines operates direct flights from Houston, Newark, Chicago, and San Francisco to Heathrow. United Airlines fly nonstop from Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C. to Heathrow.

For travelers departing from Canada, Air Canada flies nonstop to Heathrow from a number of major cities including Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto. Canadian Affair flies directly to Gatwick from Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver. American Airlines offers flights to Heathrow from Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver. British Airways has direct flights from Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Some passengers opt for flights into Manchester, England because it's closer than London and has good air, rail, and coach connections with Scotland.

FROM AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND For travelers departing from Australia, British Airways operates flights to Heathrow from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. Qantas offers flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Heathrow. Many flights between Australia and the U.K. have the bonus of a stopover in Singapore.

Departing from Auckland, Air New Zealand flies to Heathrow via Shanghai or Hong Kong.

By Car

If you're driving to Scotland from London or anywhere in eastern England to Edinburgh, the A1 is the fastest route. This road heads directly north from the M25, London's ring road, and crosses into the Scottish Borders before leading into Edinburgh from the east. For Glasgow from London take the M1, which leads northwest from the M25. At junction 19 of the M1 head west to join the M6 which journeys west through Birmingham before heading directly north up the west side of England into Scotland. If you're traveling from the southwest of England the M5, which begins at Exeter (Devon), leads into the M6 at Birmingham. As the M6 crosses the border into Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, it becomes the M74 and heads directly north into Glasgow. All major routes into northern Scotland lead from either Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Rail Information

National Rail Enquires (  08457/484-950; www.nationalrail.co.uk) is a central service offering information on all routes, timetables, and fares in England, Scotland, and Wales.

By Train

Two main rail lines link London to Scotland. The East Coast Mainline connects London's King's Cross Station with Edinburgh via York, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Durham. Trains depart at regular intervals throughout the day and cross from England into Scotland at Berwick-upon-Tweed. The journey from London to Edinburgh takes around 4 1/4 hours with some services traveling an additional hour on to Glasgow, and others continuing north to Dundee (an additional 1 1/2 hr.) and Aberdeen (an additional 2 1/2 hr.).

The West Coast Mainline leads from London's Euston Station for Glasgow by way of Preston, Oxenholme in England's Lake District, and Carlisle. Trains depart roughly every hour throughout the day and take around 4 1/2 hours to reach Glasgow.

In addition, a Cross Country route leads from Penzance in Cornwall, England through Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, and other cities to Scotland. For more information on this service, contact   08477/369-123 (www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk).

Train routes from Edinburgh and Glasgow lead across the rest of Scotland and are mostly operated by ScotRail (  08457/550-033; www.scotrail.co.uk). ScotRail also operates Caledonian Sleepers, overnight trains between London and Scotland that offer both seated and sleeping berth accommodation. Services can be booked up to 12 weeks in advance either by telephone or online.

To truly travel to Scotland in style, consider a trip on the Orient Express' Northern Belle. Each carriage is as sumptuous as a stately home, and the trains—which carry a maximum of 252 passengers—feature six luxury dining carriages. For more information and to make a reservation, call   0845/217-0799 in the U.K. or 800/524-2420 in the U.S., or go to www.orient-express.com.

By Train from Continental Europe London's fully restored, iconic St. Pancras Station is the hub for high-speed Eurostar train services from Paris and Brussels traveling to the U.K. from Belgium and France via the multibillion-dollar Channel Tunnel. Recent upgrades to the line mean you can now reach London from Brussels in 1 hour and 51 minutes and from Paris in 2 hours and 15 minutes. In London, make reservations for Eurostar by calling   0843/2186-186; in North America, book online at www.eurostar.com or contact Rail Europe (  800/622-8600, or 800/361-7245 in Canada; www.raileurope.com). U.S. visitors arriving from Continental Europe should remember that the validity of the Eurorail pass ends at the English Channel. You need to purchase a separate BritRail pass if you plan to tour the U.K. by train; visit www.britrail.com.

By Bus (Coach)

Long-distance buses, or "coaches" as they're more generally known in Britain, are the least expensive means of reaching Scotland from other parts of the U.K. but also take the most travel time. The majority of routes and services are operated by National Express (  0871/781-8181; www.nationalexpress.com), which links with most decent-sized communities in the U.K. The budget operator MegaBus (  0871/266-3333; www.megabus.com) also runs long-distance coach services to Scotland from a limited number of U.K. destinations. In London most coaches depart from Victoria Coach Station at 164 Buckingham Palace Rd. (  020/7730-3466), and take 8 to 8 1/2 hours to reach Edinburgh or Glasgow. Regardless of the company you travel with, it's always wise to make reservations in advance, especially during peak times such as the summer months and over the festive season. National Express also offers three different Brit Xplorer passes that allow unlimited travel on their services for a set period of time and for a set fare; the Hobo ticket costs £79 and is valid for 7 days, the Footloose ticket costs £139 for 14 days, and the Rolling Stone ticket costs £219 and lasts for 28 days.

Getting Around

By Car

Driving in Scotland is straightforward and often enjoyable as, once you get away from the central belt around Edinburgh and Glasgow, you encounter far less traffic than in many other parts of the U.K. A small network of motorways link the main urban areas in the middle of the country and, where the landscape allows, "A" roads that are often "dual carriageways" (divided highways) spread out over the rest of Scotland. In more remote areas—especially the islands of western Scotland—single-lane roads are often the only link to small communities or off-the-beaten-track attractions. Passing places are provided but caution is important because many of these roads are unfenced and livestock such as sheep often wander into the road.

Car Rentals If you're considering hiring a car in Scotland shop around, compare prices, and have a clear idea of your needs. Rates are often discounted if you reserve in advance and return the vehicle to its point of origin, although many companies will pick you up and drive you to their location. Some companies require drivers to be at least 23 years old, although 21 is more standard. To rent a car in Scotland, you must present your passport and driver's license along with a deposit; special British or international licenses aren't needed. Be aware that a further 20% VAT (Valued Added Tax) will be added to your bill. For a list of car rental companies, see "Car-Rental Agencies" at the end of this chapter.

Scenic Scotland by Motor Home

When it comes to exploring Scotland, many visitors prefer to rent a motorhome. Car Rental Scotland (  0141/427-5475; www.carrentalscotland.com) rents four-, five-, and six-berth motor homes and can arrange transfers from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Prestwick airports. Fill out an online enquiry form for details on rates and all the optional extras.

Car-rental rates vary even more than airline fares. The price you pay depends on the size of the car, where and when you pick it up and drop it off, length of the rental period, whether you purchase insurance against excess in the event of a claim, and a host of other factors. For a useful car rental comparison website, see www.carrentals.co.uk and consider asking a few key questions that could save you hundreds of dollars:

• Are weekend rates lower than weekday rates? Ask if the rate is the same for pickup Friday morning, for instance, as it is for Thursday night.

• Is a weekly rate cheaper than the daily rate? If you need to keep the car for 4 days, it may be cheaper to keep it for 5, even if you don't need it for that long.

• Does the agency assess a drop-off charge if you don't return the car to the same location where you picked it up? Is it cheaper to pick up the car at the airport compared to a downtown location?

• Are special promotional rates available? If you see an advertised price, be sure to ask for that specific rate; otherwise, you may be charged the standard cost. The terms change constantly, and representatives may not volunteer information.

• Are discounts available for members of AARP, AAA, frequent-flier programs, alumni organizations, or trade unions? If you belong to any of these organizations, you could be entitled to a discount.

• What is the cost of adding an additional driver's name to the contract?

• How many free miles are included in the price? Free mileage is often negotiable, depending on the length of your rental.

• How much does the rental company charge to refill your gas (petrol) tank if you return with the tank less than full? Though most rental companies claim these prices are "competitive," fuel is almost always cheaper in town. Try to allow enough time to refuel the car yourself before returning it.

  Car-Rental Excess

It's illegal to drive without insurance in the U.K., and the cost is included as standard in rental rates. However, the excess (deductible) against this insurance is often as high as £600 unless you pay for a reduced excess which can, if you take the car rental company's policy, often be as much again as the cost of the car. A number of companies offer insurance against car-rental excess. Under these policies you still have to pay the excess to the car rental company, but you then claim it back from the insurance company. You can often choose between annual and single trip coverage. Companies that provide this insurance include Insurance 4 Car Hire (  01883/724-001; www.insurance4carhire.com) and Car Hire Excess (  0818/444-447; www.carhireexcess.com).

Gasoline There are plenty of gas ("petrol") stations in and around main urban areas, but in more remote locations they're few and far between and so always make sure you have a good supply before venturing away from larger towns and cities. At press time, prices charged for gasoline in the U.K. stand at around £1.35 per liter (1 U.S. gallon = 3.785 liters) and are ever increasing.

Driving Rules & Requirements In Scotland and the whole of the U.K., you drive on the left and pass on the right and always give way to traffic coming from the right at a roundabout. If you're driving on a single lane road, you must use the passing places on the left side of the road, give priority to traffic traveling uphill, and never park in a passing place. Pedestrian crossings not controlled by traffic lights are marked by white striped lines (zebra striping) on the road and sometimes flashing lights near the curb. Drivers must stop and yield the right of way to any pedestrian waiting to cross or has already stepped out into the zebra crossing. Before driving in the U.K., it's a good idea for overseas visitors to read the British Highway Code, which can be bought at most gas stations and bookshops or viewed online at www.direct.gov.uk.

Maps Up-to-date maps can be bought at most gas stations, bookstores and newsagents, or online from the Automobile Association (  0870/600-0371; www.theaa.co.uk). The best maps, especially if you're trying to locate some obscure village, are produced by Ordnance Survey (www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk) and can be bought via the website or at most bookstores. Other excellent maps include the Collins Touring Map of Scotland.

  Look Both Ways!

North American visitors should remember that in Great Britain, cars drive on the left. Always look both ways before stepping off a curb.

Breakdowns Breakdown coverage is normally included as standard with any car rental. Otherwise a number of organizations offer this service, including the Automobile Association (AA) (  0161/333-0004; www.theaa.com), the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) (  08000/722-822; www.rac.co.uk), and Green Flag (  0845/246-1558; www.greenflag.com). All these organizations also provide online route planners via their websites, and the Highways Agency features online traffic news via its website at www.highways.gov.uk. Roadside emergency telephone boxes are located roughly every mile along motorways. If you don't see one, walk in either direction until you spot a blue-and-white marker with an arrow that points to the nearest box. The 24-hour number to call for the AA is   0800/887-766; for the RAC, it's   0800/82-82-82; and for Green Flag, call   0800/051-0636.

By Plane

Scotland's relatively small scale makes internal flights between cities impractical. However, to reach some of the farthest flung regions of the Highlands and Islands, an internal flight is often the quickest option. Flybe operate routes from Glasgow and Edinburgh to destinations including the Shetland Islands, Stornoway, Wick, and Tiree. For information on traveling to Scotland by plane, see "Getting There."

  Eurorail Pass Warning

Note that your Eurorail pass is not valid on trains in Britain.

By Train

Traveling by train is one of the best ways to see Scotland and travel between different regions. The cost of rail travel is generally quite low and services are normally frequent, punctual, and reliable, while some routes such as the line from Glasgow to the West Highlands are among the most scenic in the world.

The main train operator in Scotland is ScotRail (  0845/601-5929; www.scotrail.co.uk), with a network of rail routes around the country. Information on routes, timetables, and fares is available through its website or at any staffed station; some of the smaller stations are unstaffed and tickets must be purchased on the train from the conductor. In addition to standard single and return fares, ScotRail offers a number of ticket deals. With the Kids Go Free deal (www.scotrail.co.uk/kidsgofree), two children between ages 5 and 15 can travel free with an adult as long as you travel during off-peak hours and make the return journey on the same day. A number of attractions in Scotland are linked with this deal and allow free entry for children traveling on these tickets. Tickets can be bought in advance on the day of travel. Discount fares are also available for groups of three or four adults traveling together, and vary depending on whether you book in advance or travel during off-peak hours; to find out more about possible savings, ask about Friends Fare and GroupSave when purchasing your tickets.

Young adults between ages 16 and 25 can purchase an annual 16-25 Railcard, which saves a third of the price on all rail tickets for a year. A yearlong pass costs £26 and can be bought in advance online at www.16-25railcard.co.uk or at any staffed station. You need to have two passport-sized photographs and to show your actual passport as proof of age and identity.

Hop aboard the Royal Scotsman (  800/524-2420 or 401/884-0090; www.royalscotsman.com) and you can truly experience the romance of rail travel and Scotland's scenic rail routes in style on one of the most luxurious trains in the world. Known as "a country house hotel on wheels," the Royal Scotsman offers a choice of routes that depart from Edinburgh's Waverley station and sweep past ancient mountains and misty lochs and through glens and villages. The train carries a maximum of 36 guests, allowing each passenger plenty of sumptuous space to spread out, and travelers can expect plush beds and opulent en-suite bathrooms. Tours range from the 2-night Highland Journey at £2,140 per twin cabin to the 7-night Grand North Western Journey at £6,360 per twin cabin. Prices include all meals, drinks, and sightseeing excursions.

BritRail Travel Passes BritRail Passes allow unlimited travel in England, Scotland, and Wales on any scheduled train over the whole of the network during the validity of the pass without restrictions. BritRail Consecutive Pass allows you to travel for a consecutive number of days for a flat rate; a more versatile pass is the BritRail FlexiPass allowing you to travel when you want during a 2-month period of time. Prices can vary significantly between first and second class (with second class anywhere from £100 to £250 less expensive), and discounts are available for seniors age 60 and over. Passengers age 25 and under qualify for a 2nd Class Youth Pass; one child between ages 5 and 15 can travel free with each adult and any additional children pay only half the regular adult fare. All children aged under five travel for free.

BritRail Passes and trip packages are available through www.britrail.com. To call BritRail in the United States, dial   877/677-1066.

Traveline Scotland

Traveline Scotland is a centralized service that assists travelers in planning their journeys across the whole country and all forms of public transport. Routes can be planed either online at www.travelinescotland.com or via the helpline at   0871/200-2233.

Other train Passes for Scotland ScotRail (  0845/601-5929; www.scotrail.co.uk) offers a selection of passes across Scottish rail networks. The Freedom of Scotland Travelpass allows unlimited travel across all routes in Scotland from Carlisle, England (near the western Scotland–England border) and from Berwick-upon-Tweed, England (near the eastern Scotland–England border). This pass also includes rides on ferries operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (www.calmac.co.uk) and travel on a limited selection of bus (coach) routes operated by Scottish Citylink (www.citylink.co.uk), Stagecoach in Fife and Inverness (www.stagecoachbus.com), and First Edinburgh (www.firstgroup.com). Passes for 4 days of unlimited travel over 8 consecutive days cost £122, and 8 days of unlimited travel over 15 consecutive days cost £164. Children aged 5 to 15 travel for half the cost of an adult ticket and under-5s travel for free.

Five other similar ScotRail touring passes are available, each covering a different section of the country and working with different ferry and bus operators. With a couple of exceptions, travel isn't permitted on any train before 9:15am Monday through Friday. Anyone planning to travel on ScotRail's Caledonian Sleeper trains with these passes is strongly advised to make reservations. More information is available on ScotRail's website or pick up their Touring ticket guide leaflet. Tickets can be bought online via ScotRail's website or from any staffed station.

  Budgeting Adventure

If you're planning to visit a number of Scotland's many historic properties, you could save money by purchasing one of Historic Scotland's Explorer Passes (www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/explorer.htm). Passes allow entry into their most visited historic attractions, including Edinburgh, Stirling, and Urquhart castles, Iona Abbey, and Skara Brae. There are two types of passes: The first is good for 3 days within a 5-day period and costs £25 for adults, £20 for seniors, £15 for children aged 5 to 15, and £50 for families. The second pass is available for 7 days within a 14-day period and costs £34 for adults, £27 for seniors, £21 for children and £68 for families. Explorer Passes can be bought at any staffed Historic Scotland property, at Tourist Information Centres (TICs) across the country, or online at Historic Scotland's website at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk. For more information, call   0131/668-8600.

Another good choice for visitors on a budget is the Great British Heritage Pass, which allows entry to around 400 heritage attractions across Britain including the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, Balmoral and Blair castles, and many National Trust for Scotland properties. In addition to free entry, pass holders also receive a 40-page guidebook and a map of Great Britain. Passes start at 4 days for £39 for adults and £23 for children; for 7 days it's £69 for adults and £40 for children; and for 15 days it's £89 for adults and £52 for children. The month-long pass costs £119 for adults and £70 for children. You must use the pass on consecutive days, and it can be purchased online at www.britishheritagepass.com. For more information, call   0870/242-9988.

By Bus (Coach)

Bus or coach travel is one of the cheapest ways to travel around Scotland, but it's also one of the slowest. All major towns and cities operate their own bus services, and these are often the best way to travel around urban areas. Also in rural areas buses are often the only means of reaching smaller communities unless you rent a car. In very remote regions, Royal Mail post buses provide a lifeline of public transport for locals and visitors and are one of the most fascinating ways to travel around Scotland. For more information on this service, visit www2.royalmail.com/you-home/your-community/postbus or   08457/740-740. Local post offices can also provide details of routes.

Scottish Citylink (  08705/505-050; www.citylink.co.uk) operates a frequent and inexpensive coach service for all Scotland's cities and large towns. Explorer Passes allow unlimited travel on a set number of days within a consecutive time period; for example, 3 travel days within 5 days costs £35, 5 travel days within 10 days costs £59, and 8 travel days within 16 days costs £79. Tickets can be bought on the day of travel, or you can save by purchasing in advance via Citylink's website or customer service telephone line (see above).

Stagecoach also runs many services across Scotland; for full details of its routes and timetables, visit www.stagecoachbus.com. Megabus (  0871/266-3333; www.megabus.com) also operates a number of routes between many of Scotland's towns and cities.

biking in Scotland

For details on biking around the country, see "Biking, Walking & Other Outdoor Activities".

• The Galloway Region: Southwestern Scotland doesn't draw the most visitors, but its beauty is unrivaled. A land of fields, verdant forests, and mist-shrouded hills, Galloway offers endless biking possibilities. All tourist offices in the area carry Cycling in Dumfries and Galloway, which describes the best routes. A free leaflet published by the Scottish Forest Enterprise gives trail routes through the various forests.

• The Isle of Arran: The largest of the Clyde Islands, Arran has been called "Scotland in miniature." And indeed, if you don't have time to see the whole country, you can get a preview of its various regions by biking this island. The northern part is mountainous, like the Highlands, while the south, with scenery akin to the Borders, resembles the Lowlands. The full circuit around the island takes about 9 hours. The tourist office distributes the free Cycling on Arran, which indicates the best routes. See "Exploring the Island."

• The Trossachs: Scotland's most scenic stretch for biking (not to mention for driving and bucolic walks) is the Trossachs, famed as Rob Roy MacGregor country. The ideal biking spot is along Loch Katrine, 16km (10 miles) long and 3km (1 3/4 miles) at its widest.

• Glencoe: Site of a famous 1692 massacre, Glencoe features stark and grandiose mountain scenery. Rent a bike in the village and embark on an adventure, though you're likely to get rained on, as some 100 inches of rain a year are recorded. But as one local said, "Biking through Glencoe in the rain is when it's at its most mystical—we Scots have done that for years."

• The Isle of Skye: Part of the Hebrides, Skye is the land of the Cuillins, a brooding mountain range you see at every turn as you pedal along. The most unusual place to bike is the 32km (20-mile) Trotternish Peninsula. It's known for its odd rock formations, and its coastal road passes an area of beautiful but often rocky seascapes, opening onto Loch Snizort and the Sound of Raasay.

  Dear Visa: I'm Off to Aberdeen!

Some credit card companies recommend that you notify them of any impending trip abroad so that they don't become suspicious when the card is used numerous times in a foreign destination and block your charges. Even if you don't call your credit card company in advance, you can always call the card's toll-free emergency number if a charge is refused—a good reason to carry the phone number with you. But perhaps the most important lesson here is to carry more than one card with you on your trip; a card might not work for any number of reasons, and so having a backup is the smart way to go.

Tips on Places to Stay

There's a vast amount of styles and types of accommodation to choose from in Scotland: modern city center boutique hotels to remote farmhouses and lighthouse cottages. It's advisable to book as far in advance as possible even in what might be considered the slow months from November to April, because these times of the year are now often popular with retired travelers. Also the farther in advance you can book, the greater the discounts you can bag. If you're particular about the type of room you require, always ask at the time of booking; for example if you're sensitive to noise, request a quieter room, perhaps at the rear or garden side of the hotel so you won't hear street noise. Remember that in the older hotels and inns, guest rooms tend to be small and some en-suite bathrooms come with only a shower, and so confirm that your room has a bathtub if it's important to you.

Visit Scotland provides an accommodation booking service, Advance Reservations Service (  0845/225-5121). It's free to use, but 10% of the accommodation fee is required to secure your accommodation, which can be booked last minute or secured as soon you like.

Accommodation prices quoted throughout this guide include breakfast unless otherwise stated and represent the hotels' rack rates, the maximum price charged. However, when it comes to the larger hotels and chains, it's unlikely you'll end up paying that rate. Booking online through the hotel's website often brings significant discounts, especially at quieter times when you can get up to 75% off the rack rates particularly at the luxury end of the market. Booking through websites such as www.laterooms.com or www.expedia.com can also save a significant amount of money. For tips on surfing for hotel deals online, visit www.frommers.com/planning.

Classifications

In Britain regional tourist boards classify the standard of accommodation through a star rating system, with five stars being the highest rating and one star the lowest. Each property is judged on its standards, facilities, and quality, and its rating is usually posted on its website and via a plaque at the entrance. All establishments from two stars upward are required to provide en-suite bathrooms, and in one-star accommodation hot and cold running water must be provided in all rooms. Rating is voluntary and some hotels choose not to participate. However, the vast majority do and although some accommodation still lags behind when it comes to modern standards, on the whole most have upped their game and provide a good standard of amenities, customer service, and comforts. If you have any doubts on the facilities provided, always check and request confirmation at the time of booking.

Bed & Breakfasts

A mainstay of accommodation in all areas of Scotland and the U.K. are bed-and-breakfasts, which can be found all over the country from big cities to the most remote communities. Sometimes this type of accommodation can be an extension of a family home; at other times the property can be a modern stylish guesthouse. What they all have in common is that they're small, typically offering between two and 15 rooms, and they rarely offer evening meals or any restaurant or bar facilities. Rates for this type of accommodation are often on a per person per night basis rather than per room, and usually with a single person supplement. As such, although they're often touted as one of the cheapest types of accommodation going, it's worth doing the math to check that the price per head is actually cheaper than an alternative that charges per room. However, economy isn't the only reason to stay in bed-and-breakfasts, because they can also be far friendlier than many big chains or large hotels.

Bed and Breakfast Nationwide (  01255/672-377; www.bedandbreakfastnationwide.com) is an agency specializing in privately owned bed-and-breakfasts all over Britain. Properties range from small cottages to large manor houses and prices vary accordingly. Remember that these are often private homes and that hotel-level services aren't available. You will, however, be assured of a warm welcome, a comfortable bed, a hearty breakfast, and, for foreign visitors in particular, a glimpse of British life. Properties can be searched online or you can request a copy of their brochure, which features all 160 homes and can be mailed for US$5 to addresses outside the U.K.

A unique take on bed-and-breakfast accommodation is Bed and Fed (www.bedandfed.co.uk), a network of affordable guest rooms throughout the U.K.—often in private homes—through which guests are provided with dinner, a bed for the night, and breakfast at rates from £30 per person per night.

Farmhouses

Many farmhouses across Scotland and the U.K. set aside rooms for paying guests on a bed-and-breakfast basis. These traditional farmhouses might not boast all the modern conveniences and luxuries of hotels but they're packed with rural charm, provide a unique insight into Scottish life off the beaten track, and are famous for some of the best home-cooked breakfasts in Scotland. Staying in farmhouses, which are often also private homes, can be cheaper than many other types of accommodation, and many farms also offer self-catering accommodation in converted barns or cottages as well as camping and caravan sites on their land.

Farm Stay UK (  024/7669-6909; www.farmstayuk.co.uk) is the main national organization that deals with accommodation of this type and you can search all the farm stay accommodation options registered with them via the website, which also provides details on what do in the area around the properties. Alternatively you can order a free copy of the annual directory (published in early December) through the Farm Stay UK website; listings include quality ratings, number of bedrooms, nearby attractions and activities, and prices, as well as images of each property. Also listed are special details, such as rooms with four-poster beds or activities on the grounds (fishing, for example). Many farms are child-friendly and young guests are often invited to tag along when gathering eggs or at feeding times.

The approximate prices range from £30 to £60 per person per night and include a full home-cooked breakfast and usually private facilities. Farm stay self-catering accommodation costs from £200 per week and usually include amenities such as dishwashers and central heating. Each property is inspected annually by both Farm Stay UK and regional tourist boards, and most are open year-round.

Holiday Cottages & Villages

Throughout Britain, fully furnished studios, houses, cottages, "flats" (apartments), and even trailers suitable for couples, families, or groups can be rented by the day, week, or for longer periods. This type of holiday accommodation can often be an economical option, not least because you can cook all your own meals and rental rates are generally far cheaper outside of school holidays.

Companies that offer this type of accommodation include Cottages 4 You (  0845/268-0760; www.cottages4you.co.uk), representing thousands of rental properties in the U.K. from thatch-roofed cottages to castles. Companies specializing in Scotland accommodation include Embrace Scotland (  01866/822-122; www.embracescotland.co.uk), Unique Cottages (  01835/822-277; www.unique-cottages.co.uk), and Wilderness Cottages (  01456/486-358; www.wildernesscottages.co.uk).

The National Trust for Scotland (  0844/493-2108; www.ntsholidays.com) also rents many incredible historic properties around the country from flats in old tenements on Edinburgh's Royal Mile to lighthouse cottages and castles. In addition, the Landmark Trust (  01628/825-925; www.landmarktrust.org.uk), a national building preservation charity, also has a large collection of historic buildings available for holiday lets.

Also search the "self catering" options listed in the "Accommodation" section of Visit Scotland's website at www.visitscotland.com for details of local companies.

Chain Hotels

Major chains such as Best Western, Hilton, Sheraton, and Travelodge, are found throughout Britain. In addition, Britain has a number of leading chains with which North American travelers are generally not familiar. These include Thistle Hotels (www.thistle.com;   020/7138-0000), a well-regarded chain of moderate-to-upscale full-service hotels that caters to business and leisure travelers alike, and Premier Inn (www.premierinn.com;   0871/527-8000), a chain of modern, moderately priced accommodation located across the U.K., each one featuring a licensed restaurant. See "Major Hotel & Motel Chains" at the end of this chapter for a full list of options.

House Swapping

A number of companies organize home exchanges. Florida-based HomeLink International (  800/638-3841 or 954/566-2687; www.homelink.org) is the oldest and largest home-exchange holiday organization in the world. Membership costs $119 for 1 year or $190 for 2 years. Competitors include Intervac U.S. & International (  800/756-HOME 4663]; [www.intervacus.com), with membership rates of $100 for 1 year or $180 for 2 years, and Home Exchange (  800/877-8723; www.homeexchange.com), with fees of $10 a month for an annual membership or $16 a month for a 3-month membership.

  Scotland

American Express There's an office at 69 George St. in Edinburgh (  0131/718-2505); hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 9am to 4pm. Another office is at 115 Hope St. in Glasgow (  0141/225-2905); it's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5:30pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Area Codes The telephone country code for Britain is 44. The area code for Edinburgh is 0131; for Glasgow, 0141; for Aberdeen, 01224; and for Inverness, 01463.

Business Hours With many exceptions, business hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. In general, stores are open Monday through Saturday from 9:30am to 5:30pm, and on Sunday from 11am to 5pm. In country towns, there's usually an early closing day (often on Wed or Thurs), when the shops close at 1pm, and most shops don't open at all on Sundays.

Car Rental See "Getting There by Car," earlier in this chapter.

Cellphones See "Mobile Phones," later in this section.

Customs Non-E.U. nationals can bring into Scotland duty-free 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars, or 250 grams of smoking tobacco. You can also bring in 4 liters of wine and either 1 liter of alcohol over 22% proof or 2 liters of fortified wine under 22% proof. In addition, you can bring in up to £390 of other goods (including perfume) without having to pay tax or duty. Check www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingnoneu.htm for further details. (Customs officials tend to be lenient about general merchandise, realizing that the limits are unrealistically low.)

For information on what you're allowed to take home from Scotland, contact one of the following agencies:

U.S. Citizens: U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20229 (  877/CBP-5511; www.cbp.gov).

Canadian Citizens: Canada Border Services Agency (  800/461-9999 in Canada, or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

U.K. Citizens: HM Customs & Excise at   0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult the website at www.hmce.gov.uk.

Australian Citizens: Australian Customs Service at   1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

New Zealand Citizens: New Zealand Customs, The Customhouse, 17–21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (  04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).

There are no restrictions on the amount of goods (including alcohol and tobacco) that E.U. nationals can bring into Scotland. However, you must transport the goods yourself, the goods must be for your own use or intended as a gift (any form of payment received invalidates this claim), and the goods must be duty and tax paid in the E.U. country where they were acquired. Failure to meet any of these conditions may result in the goods being seized.

Disabled Travelers Facilities for disabled people in Britain are improving all the time. Legislation requires that new public buildings are fully accessible to wheelchair-users. It is not, however, permitted for listed buildings to widen entrances or build permanent ramps. New public buses and black taxis are generally wheelchair-friendly. Many theatres and cinemas have induction loops available for the hard of hearing. People with disabilities are often granted special discounts ("concessions") at attractions and, in some cases, nightclubs. It always pays to ask. Free information and advice are available from Tourism for all, c/o Vitalise, Shap Road Industrial Estate, Shap Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 6NZ (  0845/124-9971; www.tourismforall.org.uk).

Flying Wheels Travel (  877/451-5006; www.flyingwheelstravel.com) offers escorted tours and cruises that emphasize sports, and private tours in minivans with lifts. Access-Able Travel Source (  303/232-2979; www.access-able.com) offers extensive access information and advice for traveling around the world with disabilities. Accessible Journeys (  800/846-4537 or 610/521-0339; www.disabilitytravel.com) caters specifically to slow walkers and wheelchair travelers and their families and friends.

Organizations that offer assistance to travelers with disabilities include the Moss Rehab Hospital (  800/CALL-MOSS 225-5667]; [www.mossresourcenet.org), which provides a library of accessible-travel resources online; and SATH (Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality;   212/447-7284; www.sath.org), which is now partnered with AirAmbulanceCard.com (allowing you to preselect top-notch hospitals in case of an emergency). Flying with Disability (www.flying-with-disability.org) is a comprehensive information source on airplane travel, and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB;   800/232-5463; www.afb.org) provides information on traveling with Seeing Eye dogs.

Also check out the quarterly magazine Emerging Horizons (www.emerginghorizons.com) and Open World Magazine, published by the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (see above for contact details).

Drinking Laws The legal drinking age is 18. Children 15 and under aren't allowed in pubs, except in certain rooms, and then only when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Don't drink and drive; the penalties are stiff. Pub opening hours are generally from 11am to 11pm, but within these limits there's wide variation, according to the discretion of the pub owner. Licensed premises in certain areas are allowed extended opening hours—up to 4am, on a "local need" basis. On Sundays, some pubs, particularly in city centers, are closed; those that do remain open usually do so from noon to 10:30 or 11pm. Restaurants are allowed to serve liquor during these hours, but only to people who are dining on the premises. The law allows an additional 30 minutes for "drinking-up time." In hotels, liquor may be served from 11am to 11pm to both guests and non-guests; after 11pm, only guests may be served.

Driving Rules See "Getting There" and "Getting Around," earlier in this chapter.

Drug Laws Both hard and soft drugs are illegal in Britain. People arrested for possession of even very small quantities of marijuana can be refused entry to the country. Possession of larger quantities or of harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine carry much stiffer penalties including fines and imprisonment.

Drugstores There are very few 24-hour pharmacies in Scotland (none in Edinburgh, for example). Some large supermarkets remain open until very late (or even 24 hours) and may have in-store pharmacy counters. Every police station in the country has a list of emergency chemists. Dial "0" (zero) and ask the operator for the local police, who will give you the name of one nearest you.

Electricity British electricity is 240 volts AC (50 cycles), roughly twice the voltage in North America, which is 115 to 120 volts AC (60 cycles). American plugs don't fit British wall outlets. Bring suitable transformers and/or adapters—if you plug an American appliance directly into a European electrical outlet without a transformer, you'll destroy your appliance and possibly start a fire.

Embassies & Consulates All embassies are in London. However, there's a U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh at 3 Regent Terrace (  0131/556-8315; <http://edinburgh.usconsulate.gov>), open Monday through Friday from 1 to 5:30pm; appointment required. The Canadian High Commission is at 50 Lothian Rd. (  0131/473-6320; <http://canada.embassyhomepage.com>), open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. The Australian Consulate is at 5 Mitchell St. (  0131/538-0582; www.uk.embassy.gov.au), open Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 11:30am and noon to 4:30pm. The Irish Consulate is at 6 Randolph Crescent (  0131/226-7711; <http://ireland.embassyhomepage.com>). New Zealand doesn't have a consulate in Scotland.

Emergencies For police, fire, or ambulance, dial   999. Give your name, address, phone number, and the nature of the emergency. Misuse of the 999 service will result in a heavy fine.

Family Travel Note that all children must have their own passport for entry into the U.K. See "Passports," below, for further information about acquiring or renewing passports.

It's worth asking hotels whether they have family suites available. Otherwise, there are plenty of self-catering options (cottages, cabins, and apartments) in Scotland, particularly in rural areas. To locate hotels, restaurants, and attractions that are particularly child-friendly, refer to the "Kids" icon throughout this guide. Note that some castles and some luxury hotels don't receive young children as guests. Such instances are noted in reviews.

Recommended family travel websites include Take The Family (www.takethefamily.com), Family Travel Forum (www.familytravelforum.com), Family Travel Network (www.familytravelnetwork.com), Family Travel Files (www.thefamilytravelfiles.com) and Kids Can Travel (www.kidscantravel.com). Also, check out Frommer's Scotland With Your Family, packed full of advice.

Health Travel in Scotland does not pose any extraordinary health risks for a Western European country.If you need a doctor, your hotel can recommend one, or you can contact your embassy or consulate. Most health treatment is free for E.U. nationals (including maternity care). However, it may still be worth acquiring additional medical insurance so that you're covered for unforeseen needs such as dental care, mountain rescue, and repatriation.

U.S. visitors who become ill while in Scotland are eligible for free emergency care only. For other treatment, including follow-up care, you'll be asked to pay. Contact the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT;   716/754-4883 in the U.S. or 416/652-0137 in Canada; www.iamat.org) for tips on travel and health concerns, and for lists of local doctors. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (  800/232-4636; www.cdc.gov) provides up-to-date information on health hazards by region or country and offers tips on food safety. Travel Health Online (www.tripprep.com), sponsored by a consortium of travel medicine practitioners, can also offer helpful advice on traveling abroad. You can find listings of reliable medical clinics overseas at the International Society of Travel Medicine (www.istm.org).

See also "Emergencies," earlier in this section for further information.

Holidays The following public holidays are celebrated in Scotland: New Year (Jan 1–2), Good Friday and Easter Monday, May Day (May 1), spring bank holiday (last Mon in May), summer bank holiday (first Mon in Aug), St Andrew's Day (Nov 30), Christmas Day (Dec 25), and Boxing Day (Dec 26). Almost everything is closed on Christmas Day, and most business (except pubs) are closed on New Year's Day. Many shops remain open on other public holidays.

Insurance Before leaving home, find out what medical services your health insurance covers. You may have to pay all medical costs up front and be reimbursed later. As a safety net, you may want to buy travel medical insurance, particularly if you're traveling to a remote or high-risk area where emergency evacuation might be necessary. If you require additional medical insurance, try MEDEX Assistance (  410/453-6300; www.medexassist.com) or Travel Assistance International (  800/821-2828 or 410/987-6233; www.travelassistance.com).

Canadians should check with their provincial health plan offices or contact Health Canada (www.hc-sc.gc.ca) to find out the extent of their coverage and what documentation and receipts they must take home if they're treated overseas.

Travelers from the U.K. should carry their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which replaced the E111 form as proof of entitlement to free/reduced-cost medical treatment abroad (www.ehic.org.uk). Note, however, that the EHIC covers only "necessary medical treatment," and for repatriation costs, lost money, baggage, or cancellation, travel insurance from a reputable company should always be sought (www.travelinsuranceweb.com).

For information on traveler's insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and medical insurance while traveling, please visit www.frommers.com/planning.

Internet & Wi-Fi There are abundant opportunities to connect to the Internet in cities and major towns, with plenty of Wi-Fi access as well Internet-connected terminals in cafes and many hotels. In most airports and at some chain cafes (such as Starbucks), wireless access is available for a subscription charge. You can log on for free, however, at numerous hotspots in towns and cities; visit www.myhotspots.co.uk or use an iPhone/iPod Touch Wi-Fi finder app such as www.jiwire.com/iphone.

Although even most of the Scottish islands have Internet connectivity, you may find that some hotels in remote areas don't offer access to their guests. Likewise, in small towns and villages, there may not be any connections that are readily accessible to visitors.

Legal Aid Contact your consulate, embassy, or high commission (see above) if you run into trouble. They can advise you of your rights and even provide a list of attorneys (whom you'll have to pay if services are used), but they can't interfere on your behalf in the legal processes of Great Britain. For questions about American citizens arrested abroad, including ways of getting money to them, call the Citizens Emergency Center of the Office of Special Consulate Services, in Washington, D.C. (  202/647-5225). Other nationals can go to their nearest consulate or embassy.

LGBT Travelers Edinburgh and Glasgow have thriving gay communities, with bars, clubs, shops, and gyms. Gay and lesbian visitors may sometimes experience bigoted attitudes in rural areas. There are also occasionally incidents of gay bashing, mostly in the grimier industrial areas of towns and cities. Governments have introduced tougher legislation to try to combat such occurrences. Generally, though, visitors will find the Scots open and welcoming to all comers.

Useful resources for visitors include ScotsGay (www.scotsgay.co.uk) and QSLifestyle (www.qsmag.com) magazines. There's also the LGBT Youth Scotland organization (www.lgbtyouth.org.uk) and the Strathclyde Gay and Lesbian Switchboard (  0141/847-0447; www.sgls.co.uk) for advice, information, and social events.

The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA; U.S. head office:   954/630-1637; contact in Scotland: 0131/220-5353; www.iglta.org) is the trade association for the gay and lesbian travel industry, and offers an online directory of gay- and lesbian-friendly travel businesses; go to the website and click on "Members." Many agencies offer tours and travel itineraries specifically for gay and lesbian travelers. Now, Voyager (  800/255-6951; www.nowvoyager.com) is a well-known San Francisco–based gay-owned and operated travel service. Within the U.K., try Amro Holidays (  01462/434-663; www.amroholidays.com).

Mail Most post offices and sub post offices are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday from 9:30am to noon. British mailboxes are painted red and carry a royal coat of arms. All post offices accept parcels for mailing, provided they're wrapped properly and securely.

Mobile Phones The three letters that define much of the world's wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), a big, seamless network that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use throughout Europe and dozens of other countries worldwide. In the U.S., T-Mobile and AT&T use this quasi-universal system; in Canada, Microcell and some Rogers customers are GSM, and all Europeans and most Australians use GSM. GSM phones function with a removable plastic SIM card, encoded with your phone number and account information. If your cellphone is on a GSM system, and you have a world-capable multiband phone such as many Sony Ericsson, Motorola, or Samsung models, you can make and receive calls across the habitable areas of most of the globe. Just call your wireless operator and ask for "international roaming" to be activated on your account. Unfortunately, per-minute charges can be high—usually $1 to $1.50 in western Europe.

In Scotland, it's often cheaper, however, to purchase a cellphone. In general, tariffs run from as low as £25 a month, or even less, for unlimited calls with a pay-as-you-go card. Alternatively, if you have an unlocked phone, you can also purchase just a SIM card with a local Scotland phone number. For more information, contact Mobal (  888/888-9162; www.mobal.com) or Cellular Abroad (  800/287-5072; www.cellularabroad.com), or visit a mobile phone shop (of which there are many in major towns and cities).

Money & Costs Britain's monetary system is the pound Sterling (£). There are 100 pence (written as "p") to a pound. Colloquially, pounds are also referred to as "quid". Scotland issues its own pound notes, but English and Scottish money is interchangeable. Coins come in denominations of £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, and 1p. Banknotes are issued in denominations of £5, £10, £20, and £50.

It's always advisable to bring money in a variety of forms on your trip: a mix of cash, credit cards, and perhaps, if you're particularly worried about security, traveler's checks. You should also exchange enough petty cash to cover airport incidentals, tipping, and transportation to your hotel before you leave home, or withdraw money upon arrival at an airport ATM.

In Scotland, ATMs usually offer the best exchange rates. Avoid exchanging money at commercial exchange bureaus and hotels, which often have the highest transaction fees. You can find ATMs at almost all bank branches, as well as at most large supermarkets, some petrol stations, in shopping malls, and some post offices. Small towns and villages may not have banking or ATMs, and so take care to have enough cash with you if traveling in rural areas. ATMs require you to input a four-digit personal identification number (five- or six-digit numbers aren't valid), so be sure to request the valid PIN (personal identification number) from your card issuer before traveling.

Frommer's lists exact prices in the local currency. The currency conversions quoted below were correct at press time. However, rates fluctuate, so before departing, consult a currency exchange website such as www.oanda.com/convert/classic to check up-to-the-minute rates. Alternatively, for help with currency conversions, tip calculations, and more, download Frommer's convenient Travel Tools app for your mobile device. Go to www.frommers.com/go/mobile and click on the Travel Tools icon.

Chip & PIN is the system adopted in Britain for the use of credit and debit cards. Vendors ask customers for a four-digit PIN, which will be entered into a keypad near the cash register. In some cases, a waiter will bring a hand-held model to your table to verify your credit card.

In order to use a credit card in Britain, the following tips may be useful:

• Typically, only a card with an embedded computer chip can be used.

• Get a four-digit PIN from your credit card's issuing bank before leaving home, or call the number on the back of your card and ask for a four-digit PIN.

• Keep an eye out for the right logo displayed in a retailer's window.

• Know that your Amex card will work where an Amex logo is displayed, but the card isn't as widely accepted as Visa and MasterCard.

• As a last resort, make sure you have enough cash to cover your purchase.

Beware of hidden credit-card fees while traveling. Check with your credit or debit card issuer to see what fees, if any, will be charged for overseas transactions. Recent reform legislation in the U.S., for example, has curbed some exploitative lending practices. But many banks have responded by increasing fees in other areas, including fees for customers who use credit and debit cards while out of the country—even if those charges were made in U.S. dollars. Fees can amount to 3% or more of the purchase price. Check with your bank before departing to avoid any surprise charges on your statement.

Newspapers & Magazines Each major Scottish city publishes its own newspaper. All newsagents (newsstands) carry the major national papers as well. In summer, you can generally pick up a copy of the International Herald Tribune, published in Paris, along with the European editions of USA Today, Time, and Newsweek.

Packing If you're venturing beyond the major cities, bring robust footwear and some waterproof clothing. Many smarter restaurants in Scotland request that customers don't wear jeans or trainers (sneakers), and so do bring nice clothing.

Passports All U.S. citizens, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, and South Africans must have a passport with at least 2 months' validity remaining. South African visitors must also have a visa. For all non-E.U. visitors, the immigration officer will also want proof of your intention to return to your point of origin (usually a round-trip ticket) and visible means of support while you're in Scotland. If you're planning to fly from the United States or Canada to the United Kingdom and then on to a country that requires a visa (India, for example), you should secure that visa before you arrive in Britain.

For information on how to get a passport, consult the relevant national passport office. The websites listed provide downloadable passport applications, as well as the current fees for processing applications.

Australia Australian Passport Information Service (  131-232, or visit www.passports.gov.au).

Canada Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (  800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

Ireland Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (  01/671-1633; www.foreignaffairs.gov.ie).

New Zealand Passports Office, Department of Internal Affairs, 47 Boulcott St., Wellington, 6011 (  0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100; www.passports.govt.nz).

United Kingdom Visit your nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency, or contact the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), 89 Eccleston Square, London, SW1V 1PN (  0300/222-0000; www.ips.gov.uk).

United States To find your regional passport office, check the U.S. State Department website (<http://travel.state.gov/passport>) or call the National Passport Information Center (  877/487-2778) for automated information.

Petrol (Gasoline) Pumps dispense in liters, not gallons. Expect to pay over £1.30 per liter (subject to change, of course). The British Imperial gallon is about 20% more in volume than the gallon as measured in the United States. One British gallon is about 4.5 liters. Most petrol stations in Scotland are self-service; almost all accept major credit cards.

Police The best source of help and advice in emergencies is the police. For non-life-threatening situations, dial "0" (zero) and ask for the police; dial 999 for emergencies. If the local police can't assist, they'll usually have the contact details of a person who can. Losses, thefts, and other crimes should be reported immediately.

Safety Although rural Scotland is quite safe, the big cities are no more immune from crime than any other European city. If visitors do find themselves victims of a crime, it's likely to be one of pickpocketing; mugging; "snatch and grab" theft of mobile phones, watches, and jewelry; or theft of their unattended bags, especially at airports and from cars parked at restaurants, hotels, and resorts.

Pickpockets target tourists at historic sites and restaurants, as well as on buses and trains. Unattended cars are targeted, too. Visitors in Scotland aren't expected to produce identity documents for police authorities, and so feel free to secure your passport in the hotel or room safe.

Senior Travel Many discounts are available to seniors. Be advised that in Scotland you often have to be a member of an association to get discounts. Public-transport reductions, for example, are available only to holders of British Pension books. However, many attractions do offer discounts for seniors (women 60 or over and men 65 or over). Even if discounts aren't posted, ask if they're available.

If you're over 60, you're eligible for special 10% discounts on British Airways (BA) through its Privileged Traveler program. You also qualify for reduced restrictions on APEX cancellations. Discounts are also granted for BA tours and for intra-Britain air tickets booked in North America. British rail companies offer seniors discounted rates on first-class rail passes around Britain.

Don't be shy about asking for discounts, but carry some kind of identification that shows your date of birth. Also, mention you're a senior when you make your reservations. Some hotels offer seniors discounts. In most cities, people over the age of 60 qualify for reduced admission to theatres, museums, and other attractions, and discounted fares on public transport.

Smoking Since 2006, smoking has been banned in public places, including pubs, restaurants, workplaces, and public transportation. Ignoring the ban may incur a fine of £50.

Student Travel Check out the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) website (www.istc.org) for comprehensive travel services information and details on how to get an International Student Identity Card (ISIC), which qualifies students for substantial savings on rail passes, plane tickets, entrance fees, and more. It also provides students with basic health and life insurance and a 24-hour helpline. The card is valid for a maximum of 18 months. You can apply for the card online or in person at STA Travel (  800/781-4040 in North America; 132-782 in Australia; 087/1230-0040 in the U.K.; www.statravel.com), the biggest student travel agency in the world; check out the website to locate STA Travel offices worldwide. Travel CUTS (  866/246-9762; www.travelcuts.com) offers similar services for both Canadians and U.S. residents. Irish students may prefer to turn to USIT (  01/602-1906; www.usit.ie), an Ireland-based specialist in student, youth, and independent travel.

Taxes Although there's no local sales tax in Britain, a standard value-added tax (VAT) of 20% is imposed on most goods and services. Hotel rates and meals in restaurants are taxed at 20%; the extra charge will show up on your bill unless otherwise stated. For non-EU residents, this amount can be refunded if you shop at stores that participate in the Retail Export Scheme (signs are posted in the window). When you make a purchase, show your passport and request a Retail Export Scheme form (VAT 407) and a stamped, pre-addressed envelope. Show the VAT form and your sales receipt to British Customs when you leave the country—they may also ask to see the merchandise. After Customs has stamped the form, mail it back to the shop in the envelope provided before you leave the country. Your VAT refund will be mailed to you.

Remember: Keep your VAT forms with your passport; pack your purchases in a carry-on bag so that you have them handy; and allow yourself enough time at your departure point to find a mailbox.

Several readers have reported a VAT refund scam. Some merchants allegedly tell customers they can get a refund form at the airport on their way out of the country. This is not true. The form must be completed by the retailer on the spot, or you won't get a refund later. For information, contact Global Blue, (  866/706-6090 in the U.S. or 800/3211-1111 in E.U. countries; www.global-blue.com).

Britain imposes a flight departure tax (Air Passenger Duty). The rate depends on destination and the airline class in which you're traveling. At the time of writing, economy-class passengers pay £12 for short-haul flights, whereas passengers traveling standard-class (or above) pay up to £170 for the longest international flights. This tax is accounted for in your ticket.

Gasoline (petrol) is subject to combined fuel duty and VAT.

Telephones To call Scotland: If you're calling Scotland from outside of the U.K.:

1. Dial the international access code: 011 from North America; 00 from Ireland, Europe, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia.

2. Dial the country code 44.

3. Dial the local 3- or 4-digit area code (drop the initial "0").

4. Dial the 7-digit number. The whole number you'd dial for a number in Edinburgh would be 011-44-131-000-0000.

To make calls within Scotland: Cities and localities have area codes. If you're calling within the same area code inside Scotland, simply dial the local 7-digit number. However, if you're calling from one area code to another, you must dial 0 and then the area code.

To make international calls: To make international calls from Britain, first dial 00 and then the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64, South Africa 27). Next, dial the area code and number. For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800. Or call through one of the following long-distance access codes: AT&T USA Direct (  1800/CALL-ATT [225-5288]), Canada Direct (  0800/890-016), Australia (  0800/890-061), and New Zealand (  0800/890-064).

For directory assistance: For U.K. directory enquiries, dial   118-500; for international directory enquiries, dial   118-505. Note that these are premium-rate numbers. Consult www.192.com for a free online service.

For operator assistance: If you need an international operator or to call collect, dial   155.

Pay phones & phone cards: There are three types of common public pay phones: those taking only coins, those accepting only phone cards (called Cardphones), and those taking phone cards and credit cards alike. At coin-operated phones, insert your coins before dialing. The minimum charge is 20p. Phone cards are available in varying denominations, from £2 to £20, and are reusable until the total value has expired. Cards can be purchased from newsstands and post offices. Finally, the credit-call pay phone operates on credit cards—Access (MasterCard), Visa, American Express, and Diners Club—and is most common at airports and large railway stations.

Caller beware: Some hotels routinely add outrageous surcharges onto phone calls made from your room. Inquire before you call! It'll be a lot cheaper to use your own calling card number or cellphone, or to find a pay phone.

Time The United Kingdom follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, with British summertime lasting (roughly) from the end of March to the end of October. For most of the year, including summer, Britain is 5 hours ahead of the time observed in the eastern United States. Because of different daylight-saving-time practices in the two nations, there's a brief period (about a week) in autumn when Britain is only 4 hours ahead of New York, and a brief period in spring when it's 6 hours ahead.

Tipping For cab drivers, add about 10% to 15% to the fare shown on the meter. If the driver personally unloads or loads your luggage, add 50p per bag.

You should tip hotel porters at least a couple of pounds even if you have only one small suitcase; give £5 to £10 if you have substantial amounts of luggage. Hall porters are tipped only for special services. Maids receive £1 per day. In top-ranked hotels, the concierge often submits a separate bill, showing charges for newspapers and the like; if he or she has been particularly helpful, tip extra.

Hotels often add a service charge of 10% to 15% to bills. In smaller B&Bs, the tip isn't likely to be included. Therefore, tip for special services, such as the waiter who serves you breakfast. If several people have served you in a B&B, a 10% to 15% charge will be added to the bill and divided among the staff.

In upmarket restaurants and nightclubs, a 15% service charge is often added to the bill. To that, add another 3% to 5%, depending on the quality of the service. Sommeliers (wine stewards) get about 10% of the cost of the wine served. Tipping in pubs isn't common, although in cocktail bars the waiter or barmaid usually gets about £1 per round of drinks.

Barbers and hairdressers expect 10% to 15%. Tour guides expect £2, but it's not mandatory. Theatre ushers don't expect tips.

Toilets Public toilets are usually clean and often have an attendant. Hotels can be used, but they discourage non-guests. Garages (filling stations) generally don't offer toilet facilities. There's no need to tip, except to a hotel attendant.

VAT See "Taxes," earlier in this section.

Visas See "Passports," earlier in this section.

Visitor Information Before you go, you can get information and maps from Visit Britain (www.visitbritain.com). Offices in other countries can be contacted as follows: USA and Canada,   212/850-0321; Australia,   02/9021-4401; and New Zealand,   09/357-6620.

Within the U.K., the main Britain and London Visitor Centre is at 1 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4XT (  0870/1566-366]. It's open Monday through Friday 9:30am to 6pm and at weekends from 10am to 4pm. If you're in London and are contemplating a trip north, you can visit the Scottish Tourist Board, 19 Cockspur St., London SW1 Y5BL (  020/7930-2812; www.visitscotland.com); it's open Monday through Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday noon to 4pm. Once you're in Scotland, you can stop by the Edinburgh & Scotland Information Centre, Princes Mall, 3 Princes St., Edinburgh EH2 2QP (  0131/473-3800; www.edinburgh.org). In July and August, it's open Monday through Saturday 9am to 8pm and Sunday 10am to 8pm. May, June and September, hours are Monday through Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sunday 10am to 7pm. In April and October, hours are Monday through Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm. From November to March, opening times are Monday through Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm.

There are more than 170 tourist centers in Scotland, all well signposted in their cities or towns; some are closed in winter, however.

Water Tap water is considered safe to drink throughout Scotland.

Websites A wealth of information is available at www.travelbritain.com, which lets you order brochures online, along with travel cards and rail passes. There's even an e-mail service that provides prompt answers to any queries. All of Great Britain is covered. If you're surfing the Web for hotels, a good site to browse is www.visitscotland.com (site of the Scotland Tourist Board).

Several regional tourist board websites are also helpful. The best include www.scot-borders.co.uk; www.visithighlands.com; www.ayrshire-arran.com; www.visitscottishheartlands.com (for Argyll and the Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling, and the Trossachs); www.perthshire.co.uk; www.angusanddundee.co.uk; www.seeglasgow.com; www.edinburgh.org; and www.aberdeen-grampian.com.

Travel information for the whole of Scotland is offered on Visit Scotland's national telephone hot line, available for inquiries from the U.K. and overseas. Travel advisors are available to help you book accommodation throughout Scotland—hotels, guesthouses, or bed-and-breakfasts—or find out about special offers, events, and attractions to visit. Advisors are available Monday through Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 5:30pm (U.K. time). In the U.K., call   0845/225-5121; from overseas, call   +44-845/225-5121 or go online to www.visitscotland.com.

Other useful websites include www.bbc.co.uk for news and weather; www.streetmap.co.uk for locating addresses; and www.theaa.com, especially for its route planner for drivers.

Wi-Fi See "Internet & Wi-Fi," earlier in this section.

Airline, Hotel & Car-Rental Websites

Major Airlines

Air Canada

www.aircanada.com

Air Europa

www.aireuropa.com

Air France

www.airfrance.com

Air New Zealand

www.airnewzealand.com

Alitalia

www.alitalia.com

American Airlines

www.aa.com

British Airways

www.britishairways.com

China Southern Airlines

www.cs-air.com

Continental Airlines

www.continental.com

Delta Air Lines

www.delta.com

Etihad Airways

www.etihadairways.com

Finnair

www.finnair.com

Gulf Air

www.gulfair.com

Iberia Airlines

www.iberia.com

Japan Airlines

www.jal.co.jp

Lufthansa

www.lufthansa.com

Malaysia Airlines

www.malaysiaairlines.com

North American Airlines

www.flynaa.com

Northwest Airlines

www.nwa.com

Qantas Airways

www.qantas.com

Qatar Airlines

www.qatarairways.com

Royal Dutch Airlines

www.klm.com

SAS Scandinavian Airlines

www.flysas.com

South African Airways

www.flysaa.com

TAP

www.flytap.com

Thai Airways International

www.thaiair.com

United Airlines

www.united.com

Virgin Atlantic Airways

www.virgin-atlantic.com

Budget Airlines

Aegean Airlines

www.aegeanair.com

Aer Arann

www.aerarann.com

Aer Lingus

www.aerlingus.com

Air Malta

www.airmalta.com

Austrian Airlines

www.aua.com

BMI

www.flybmi.com

Brussels Airlines

www.brusselsairlines.com

Canadian Affair

www.canadianaffair.com

Cimber Air

www.cimber.com

CityJet

www.cityjet.com

easyJet

www.easyjet.com

Flybe Flights

www.flybe.com

Germanwings Airlines

www.germanwings.com

Loganair

www.loganair.co.uk

LOT

www.lot.com

Malèv Airlines

www.malev.com

Norwegian

www.norwegian.com

Ryanair

www.ryanair.com

Thomson

<http://flights.thomson.co.uk/>

Wizz

wizzair.com

Major Hotel & Motel Chains

Apex Hotels

www.apexhotels.co.uk

Best Western International

www.bestwestern.com

Clarion Hotels

www.clarionhotel.com

Comfort Inns

www.comfortinn.com

Courtyard by Marriott

www.marriott.com/courtyard

Crerar Hotels

www.crerarhotels.com

Crowne Plaza Hotels

www.crowneplaza.com

Days Inn

www.daysinn.com

De Vere Hotels

www.devere.co.uk

Doubletree Hotels

www.doubletree.com

Embassy Suites

www.embassysuites.com

Hilton Hotels

www.hilton.com

Holiday Inn

www.holidayinn.com

Hyatt

www.hyatt.com

Marriott

www.marriott.com

Novotel Hotels

www.novotel.com

Quality

www.qualityinn.com

Radisson Hotels & Resorts

www.radisson.com

Ramada Worldwide

www.ramada.com

Residence Inn by Marriott

www.marriott.com/residenceinn

Scotland's Hotels of Distinction

www.hotels-of-distinction.com

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

www.sheraton.com

Swallow Hotels

www.swallow-hotels.com

The Townhouse Collection

www.townhousecompany.com

Thistle Hotels

www.thistle.com

Travelodge

www.travelodge.com

Car-Rental Agencies

Alamo

www.alamo.com

Arnold Clark

www.arnoldclarkrental.com

Avis

www.avis.com

Budget

www.budget.com

Dollar

www.dollar.com

Enterprise

www.enterprise.com

Europcar

www.europcar.com

Hertz

www.hertz.com

Kemwel (KHA)

www.kemwel.com

National

www.nationalcar.com

Thrifty

www.thrifty.com
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# Argyll and the Southern Hebrides, Scotland: Frommer's® Shortcuts

**Table of Contents**

The Best of Scotland

The Most Unforgettable Travel Experiences

The Most Unforgettable City Experiences

The Best Food and Drink Experiences

The Best Local Experiences

The Best Activities for Families

The Best of Contemporary Scotland

The Best Historic Experiences

The Best of the Great Outdoors

The Best Countryside Drives

The Best Castles and Palaces

Scotland in Depth

Scotland Today

The Making of Scotland

Early History

The Middle Ages

The Reformation

Mary Queen of Scots

Union with England

The Jacobites

The Industrial Revolution

The 20th Century to Present

When to Go

Weather

When You Find Bargains

Responsible Tourism

Tours and Special Interest Trips

Useful Terms and Language

Argyll and the Southern Hebrides

The Best Travel Experiences in Argyll and the Southern Hebrides

The Isle of Arran: Scotland in Miniature

Essentials

Exploring the Island

Where to Eat

Shopping

Entertainment and Nightlife

Where to Stay

The Kintyre Peninsula

Essentials

Tarbert

Campbeltown

Southend and the Mull of Kintyre

The Isle of Gigha and Scotland's Finest Gardens

Essentials

Exploring the Island

Where to Eat and Stay

The Isle of Islay: Queen of the Hebrides

Essentials

Exploring the Island

Visiting the Distilleries

Where to Eat

Shopping

Entertainment and Nightlife

Where to Stay

The Isle of Jura: Deer Island

Essentials

Exploring the Island

Where to Eat and Stay

Knapdale and the Crinan Canal

Essentials

Exploring the Area

Inveraray

Essentials

Exploring the Area

Where to Eat and Stay

Loch Awe and Loch Etive

Essentials

Exploring the Area

Where to Eat and Stay

Oban

Essentials

Exploring the Area

Where to Eat

Shopping

Entertainment and Nightlife

Where to Stay

Planning Your Trip to Scotland

Getting There

By Plane

By Car

By Train

By Bus (Coach)

Getting Around

By Car

By Plane

By Train

By Bus (Coach)

Tips on Places to Stay

Classifications

Bed and Breakfasts

Farmhouses

Holiday Cottages and Villages

Chain Hotels

House Swapping

Airline, Hotel and Car-Rental Websites

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