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Population
- 5,113,000
There are direct air services from London and other European cities to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness and Kirkwall but it's often cheaper to fly to London then catch a train or bus north. Long-distance buses are usually the cheapest method of getting to Scotland but can take a while! A train from London can get you to Edinburgh in four hours, Glasgow in five. By car the main roads are uncongested from Birmingham northwards - Edinburgh is 600km (373miles) from London and it will take you about eight hours. There are ferry links to Ireland and Orkney and Shetland as well as to the smaller islands off the west coast. Contacts:
Welcome to bonnie Scotland, home to some of the UK's most spectacular mountain, moorland and coastal scenery. As soon as you cross the border you'll hear the proud Scots tongue and in many parts you'll hear the ancient Gaelic language being spoken! The country's turbulent history can be seen in almost every town where you'll find a battle-scarred castle or ancient battlefield. You may even be lucky enough to witness the Common Ridings in the south of the country when hundreds of horse riders take to the streets to mark momentous moments in history. Other important events include the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe and the Royal Military Tattoo, which are staged each summer, and the world famous Highland Gatherings which take place all over Scotland every summer. You may see mass bands, dancing, caber tossing and even the odd member of the Royal family! To the south of Scotland the hills are green and gentle. There are countless ruined castles and fortified buildings to visit and you can also buy good traditional cashmere and woollen goods. The quaint fishing villages and coastal areas of the Solway Firth and Berwickshire are great for wildlife.
Central Scotland is home to the great cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. But it's also an area that's rich in history - the national poet Robbie Burns was born in Aryshire and both William Wallace and Robert the Bruce have close connections with the region. The beautiful Lochs of Lomond, Long and Fyne provide great water sports facilities and the Trossachs and Breadalbane are stunning areas for walking, cycling and horse riding. The North East is famous for castles and whisky. The Cairngorm and Grampian Mountains provide stunning highland scenery and a huge adventure playground. In Fife there are countless pretty coastal villages and Dundee has a rich maritime history to explore. The rolling green Angus Glens are great for walking as is the beautiful Dee Valley with famous Balmoral Castle at its heart. The granite city of Aberdeen has a picturesque old town and Moray Firth is known for its pretty fishing villages and countless famous distilleries!
Scotland's highlands and islands encompass thousands of square miles of remote mountain, moorland and coastal scenery - from wild Rannoch Moor and Glencoe to the jagged cliffs of John O'Groats. The islands each have a character of their own: Mull is romantic, Coll and Tiree are sunny, Skye is great for walkers and the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland are known for their clean beaches, flowers and spectacular wildlife.
There are so many mountainous areas in Scotland that walkers have developed their own categories for the hills here - Munroes are mountains over 1000m and Corbetts are those smaller than 1000m! There are literally hundreds of good way-marked walking tracks all over Scotland. Some of the best known walking includes the Southern Upland Way, St Cuthbert's Way, the Fife Coastal Path, the West Highland Way and the Speyside Way. Scotland also has great skiing - the four main ski areas are Glenshee and the Lecht in the North East and the Nevis Range and Glencoe in the Highlands and Islands area. A National Cycle Network, which will eventually cover more than 12,000 kilometres, is currently being developed in Britain. Some of the best cycling in Scotland can be found on the Tweed Cycleway, the Glasgow to Loch Lomond cycleway, the Glasgow to Greenock and Irvine cycleway, the Highland Lowland trail, the Clyde to Forth Cycle route, the String on Arran and the Great Glen Cycle Route. Of course Scotland is renowed for its golf. There are literally hundreds of golf courses - even on the most remote islands! Famous courses include Troon, Turnberry, St Andrews, Carnoustie and Gleneagles. Scotland is also world famous for its fishing - particularly for salmon and brown trout in the great Rivers Spey and Tay in the North East. There's also great sea angling all around the coast and good wildlife spotting for dolphins, seals, porpoises, whales, puffins and other seabirds. This is only a brief outline of the activities available in Scotland. See our Scottish regional information for more ideas on places to visit and things to do in Scotland. Or if you know what activity you want to do, but don't know where it's available, go straight to the Adventure Britain activities section.
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