Surviving Scotland

Scotland is home to ancient castles, fascinating landscapes and vibrant cities. The country is part of the United Kingdom, yet it feels quite different from England and you will soon see why. Scots are passionate about their country, guarding its uniqueness and refusing to go along with English ideas. While cool and aloof externally, they are extremely sentimental about their family and their country. Overall Scots are free of class consciousness and social elitism, except in religion. They have a keen, subtle sense of humour and value generosity, respectability. They are an independent and proud people who have their own culture and customs. Here are some tips to make travelling in Scotland easy.

Shopping in Edinburgh

Edinburgh offers a shopping experience like no other. Whatever your mood and whatever you're looking for, the city has something for you. From the High Street favourites of Princes Street to the funky boutiques of the New Town and West End, you'll be spoilt for choice. Go shopping in Edinburgh on the Royal Mile, for shops that stock goods made in Scotland, and as Scotland is famous for it's knitwear, you will find specialist shopping for the likes of Scottish cashmere sweaters, and the finest of Scottish lambs wool, offered by any shop in the country. You can shop for antiques, Scottish CDs, tapes and records, gifts made in Scotland, Scottish bagpipes, kilts and tartan woollen products all made in Scotland. A great inexpensive gift from Scotland is Scottish shortbread which you will see in shops all over Edinburgh. Luxury or budget priced you will find it all in the shops of Edinburgh. Shops in Edinburgh are generally open Monday to Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm; Thursday is usually late night shopping when most high street shops stay open until 8 pm. Supermarkets and small convenience stores are often open from 7 am until 8 pm or 10 pm every night. Lots of high street stores are open on Sundays as are most big supermarkets. Most large stores accept major credit and debit cards and use ‘chip and pin’ technology instead of a signature; small shops may prefer payment in cash.

A Taste of Scotland

The Scots have learnt over the years to make best use of the offerings nature handed to them in Scotland, from the rugged mountains, lakes, sea lochs and streams, to the fertile valleys and moorlands. The climate of Scotland is relatively temperate in the southern and central parts but the highlands and islands are subject to particularly harsh winters. Scottish Cuisine has its own characteristic features and is immensely appreciated by food buffs all across the world. Traditionally, Scotland is known for its well-loved whisky, haggis and shortbread.  Today, the country is a major exporter of food, offering top-quality farm, dairy and seafood produce. Like England, food in Scotland today is an eclectic mix of many cultures - English, Italian, Indian and Chinese. In Scotland, the Scots hold on tightly to their culinary heritage still using local, seasonal food. Oats are still widely eaten, as is fish, game, and of course beef. Scottish soft fruits – raspberries, strawberries, are renowned throughout the UK. Scottish cheeses, fruits and vegetables likewise. Wherever you travel in Scotland the opportunity exists to sample the local delicacies - Arbroath smokies, Lochfyne kippers, Scotch broth, Colcannon, Scotch Pies, Crowdie, Porridge, Forfar Bridies, Selkirk bannocks, Orkney cheese, Islay cheese, Galloway cheese, Dundee cake, Moffat toffee and many more.

Art in Scotland

Arts and culture is central to all aspects of our lives. A nation's artistic and cultural life says much about its people and the vibrancy and creativity we display across a wide range of art forms quickly dispels the myth of the dour, downbeat Scot. Scotland has a rich heritage of art and culture and today the traditional and the contemporary, the Celtic and the diasporic, all have their place in the fabric of the country. In successive generations, Scotland has produced writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, composers and dancers whose talents have received both national and international acclaim. Some of these art forms - such as our traditional dance and music - are uniquely Scottish both in style and inspiration and are appreciated chiefly at home. Others - such as theatre, opera and painting - draw on and incorporate influences from elsewhere in the world and consequently receive wider recognition. All, however, have the power to enthral, challenge, provoke and inspire.

Scottish Culture

The rich Scotland culture has gone through many changes. Scotland was mostly inhabited by the Celtic decedents in the Scottish Highlands. Scots dominated the Southern part of the country. Mostly the Scots are smart and vigilant. There is some influence of the Nordic and Anglo Saxon people on the culture of Scotland. The church going majority in Scotland are the members of the Scotland church. The Scottish people always had a thirst for learning. Farmers called crofters live on the north western coastal region of Scotland. They live in houses built of pebbles and stones. Apart from farming the people are interested in forestry, cottage industries and road work. The Highlands are famous for more than 100 clans and these groups of people are famous for sports and athletic shows. There are also some Bagpipers and Highland dancers. Scottish culture, like that of the many of Northern European nations (for example Ireland & England), has been described as a pub culture or drinking culture, whereby consumption of alcohol has deep rooted tradition - along with pride of working class heritage, which is common in all of Britain.

Sights and Sounds of Edinburgh

Capital of Scotland since the 15th Century, Edinburgh stands on seven hills creating the dramatic skyline of this lively cosmopolitan city. What better way to see this fantastic city than from the top of a City Sightseeing Tour Bus. Each tour is tailor-made to offer a distinctive and entertaining experience and provide a great introduction to Scotland's Capital City. What's more, their hop-on hop-off tickets give you the flexibility to visit the famous sights around the City as you pass them. Compare Edinburgh's Old Town, where families lived in cramped conditions and rubbish was thrown out of the windows to the elegant Georgian New Town with its three main streets and a square at either end. Hear about the hangings that took place in the Grassmarket as you marvel at the impenetrable Castle Rock above you and hear about the attempts to capture Edinburgh Castle. See the Royal Mile which joins Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House.

Enchanting Edinburgh

The beautiful city of Edinburgh is an enchanting place to visit with so much to see that you will be spoilt for choice. Located in the south east of Scotland, Edinburgh lies on the east coast near the North Sea. More than 6,200 miles long and with over 760 islands, the jagged Scottish coastline is one of the most dangerous in the world. This is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, draped across a series of rocky hills overlooking the sea. It's a town intimately entwined with its landscape, with buildings and monuments, almost in a poetic manner. The city offers a constantly changing perspective. And it's all small enough to explore easily on foot. Edinburgh is a capital in miniature compared to the other famous European capitals. It's not even the largest city in Scotland. With population of only 500,000, everything is within reach. Traffic congestion is not as bad as in bigger cities like London either. Edinburgh's unique features include two extinct volcanoes, one of them right in the City Centre onto which Edinburgh Castle is built.  Also known as Athens of the North, a name inspired by the great thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment, is a city of high culture and lofty ideals, of art and literature, philosophy and science. The return of a devolved Scottish parliament to Edinburgh in 1999 marked a growing confidence and sense of pride in the nation’s achievements. The UNESCO World Heritage Site at the heart of the city combines the medieval Old Town, the Georgian New Town and award winning modern architecture. Explore Edinburgh at your leisure, you’ll see views that make for perfect picture postcards, mysterious winding streets, elegant terraces and an abundance of shops, bars and restaurants. Edinburgh is a great base from which you can explore the rest of Scotland. Edinburgh is only an hour's drive from Glasgow, Scotland's largest City and 2-3 hours from the Highlands and that says a lot of the size of Scotland.  The bottom line about the city is : great food, great music, great shows, really great pubs, incredibly friendly people and above all, enough attractions to keep even the most energetic tourist busy.