Summer is the ideal time to go away on holiday. The school holidays coincide with the summer, so this is usually the time that families with children pack their leisure wear and head for somewhere exciting. Even young couples or singles take to the road at this time as the weather is generally great and places look their best.
Scotland in the summer is an exciting place with an extraordinary variety of activities. The cities have excellent accommodation ranging from cheap hostels to luxurious hotels. Public transport is on hand and cars are easy to rent. The nightlife is vibrant and there are a large number of very good restaurants, pubs and clubs to entertain you. The Edinburgh Festival is one of the most popular in the world.
But the true charm of the country probably lies in its stunning natural beauty. Lochs and hills, cliffs and forests form part of the only remaining true wilderness in the UK. Whether you live in one of the many charming self catering cottages, a farm house or a comfortable caravan, your day trips will excite and amaze you. Beach cottages are the ultimate homes in which to relax. Visiting the islands will enchant you with interesting archaeological sites and snow white beaches. Golfers will rejoice to know that there are 550 courses to choose from. And whisky lovers will find enough distilleries to visit to last them for a lifetime.
"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life". Samuel Johnson was right - the capital has so much to see and do that it would take you an entire year to explore it all. The Natural History Museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew are just two of the fascinating places to visit; and of course the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and many more. The shops in London are legendary - whether you visit the famous ones like Harrods or the quaint little shops in Camden Town, you can spend days in a daze of retail therapy.
Visiting the theaters for the many excellent plays will keep you busy every night for weeks. Some of the longest-running plays can still be seen, such as The Phantom of the Opera. Transport to and in London is varied and very well-developed. Accommodation outside the city centre is cheaper yet still very good.
Alternative places to visit for a great summer holiday include the coast of Spain with its stunning beaches and lively party life. Portugal will give you much of the same but at a fraction of the cost. France offers a fascinating contrast between the sophisticated cities and the rural towns. Italy and Germany are also geared towards tourists. For a cheaper and very different experience, visit Romania or any other of the previously communist countries.
For those holiday makers who enjoy activity weekends, going backpacking or cycling in the UK or Europe, or camping in nature could be the ideal holiday. You could either join a tour group or grab a map and compass and go off by yourself. Stopping to swim in the heat of the afternoon or fishing for your supper that you can fry over your own fire is adventurous yet relaxing.
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scotland. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Scotland Holiday Guide
As a holiday destination there are fewer places which offer greater contrasts than Scotland.
Although just a couple of hours flying time from much of Europe and a simple train journey from much of the UK, this ancient kingdom contains the last wilderness to be found in the British Isles. It's a land of mists, myths and legends, yet this nation of fable and fantasy gave the world some of its most hard-headed, pragmatic and stunningly brilliant people - soldiers and scientists, explorers and engineers, poets and politicians.
It's home to exciting cities, too. There's the Victorian industrial virility of Glasgow and the River Clyde; Aberdeen - the 'Granite City'; Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands and, of course, Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, surrounded by its seven hills and presided over by its formidable castle.
Yet this same small land is home, in the far north, to the unpeopled and desolate beauty of Cape Wrath and the highest cliffs in the UK which plunge 900ft down into the wild and unfettered North Atlantic. Just down the western coast, though, the residue of the Gulf Stream waters lap sandy beaches in sheltered coves which, on a hot day of summer, could be anywhere in the Mediterranean.
Scotland is a land that can take a lifetime to discover and yet is ideal for both weekend-breaks and longer stay holidays. Its towns and cities make excellent bases from which to venture out and explore some of the most dramatic landscapes in the UK.
There's Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis and the Great Glen which runs from Inverness on the east coast to Fort William on the west coast. Part of the Glen is the long, narrow, very deep and always mysterious Loch Ness which still draws thousands of people every year hoping to catch a glimpse of the monster said to live somewhere down in the dark waters.
Scotland has a rich history with an army of ancient and strikingly beautiful castles, many of them built in seemingly impossible locations high on cliffs or overlooking lochs and rivers, a reminder of the country's volatile, violent and bloody past.
Today, though, the welcome extended to visitors from 'outside the borders' is a warm one and the Scots are known as some of the friendliest and most hospitable people in the world.
Tour a distillery and see how Scotch whisky is made - it's Scotland's second greatest export after its people! Try haggis; experience the raw passion of a football derby match in Glasgow or Edinburgh on a Saturday afternoon; go skiing at Aviemore; travel the beautiful West Highland Line from Glasgow to Fort William and on to Mallaig; see the salmon leaping and the golden eagle hunting.
Whenever you go and however long you get to spend there, Scotland is easily accessed with direct flights from all over Europe and the UK, too.
There's no better place to begin your discovery of Scotland than in the historic capital city. Hop into an Edinburgh airport taxi, get a good night's sleep in your chosen hotel and dream of exploring this amazing country.
Although just a couple of hours flying time from much of Europe and a simple train journey from much of the UK, this ancient kingdom contains the last wilderness to be found in the British Isles. It's a land of mists, myths and legends, yet this nation of fable and fantasy gave the world some of its most hard-headed, pragmatic and stunningly brilliant people - soldiers and scientists, explorers and engineers, poets and politicians.
It's home to exciting cities, too. There's the Victorian industrial virility of Glasgow and the River Clyde; Aberdeen - the 'Granite City'; Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands and, of course, Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, surrounded by its seven hills and presided over by its formidable castle.
Yet this same small land is home, in the far north, to the unpeopled and desolate beauty of Cape Wrath and the highest cliffs in the UK which plunge 900ft down into the wild and unfettered North Atlantic. Just down the western coast, though, the residue of the Gulf Stream waters lap sandy beaches in sheltered coves which, on a hot day of summer, could be anywhere in the Mediterranean.
Scotland is a land that can take a lifetime to discover and yet is ideal for both weekend-breaks and longer stay holidays. Its towns and cities make excellent bases from which to venture out and explore some of the most dramatic landscapes in the UK.
There's Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis and the Great Glen which runs from Inverness on the east coast to Fort William on the west coast. Part of the Glen is the long, narrow, very deep and always mysterious Loch Ness which still draws thousands of people every year hoping to catch a glimpse of the monster said to live somewhere down in the dark waters.
Scotland has a rich history with an army of ancient and strikingly beautiful castles, many of them built in seemingly impossible locations high on cliffs or overlooking lochs and rivers, a reminder of the country's volatile, violent and bloody past.
Today, though, the welcome extended to visitors from 'outside the borders' is a warm one and the Scots are known as some of the friendliest and most hospitable people in the world.
Tour a distillery and see how Scotch whisky is made - it's Scotland's second greatest export after its people! Try haggis; experience the raw passion of a football derby match in Glasgow or Edinburgh on a Saturday afternoon; go skiing at Aviemore; travel the beautiful West Highland Line from Glasgow to Fort William and on to Mallaig; see the salmon leaping and the golden eagle hunting.
Whenever you go and however long you get to spend there, Scotland is easily accessed with direct flights from all over Europe and the UK, too.
There's no better place to begin your discovery of Scotland than in the historic capital city. Hop into an Edinburgh airport taxi, get a good night's sleep in your chosen hotel and dream of exploring this amazing country.
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