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Scotland Mini Guide
by Darren Craig. A guide for those heading to Scotland with backpacking or
budget travel in mind. |
It is worth looking,
if you have not already, at the example layout
to see the guidelines each section of information is based on - or for other travel
advice and site home head for
http://travelindependent.info
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Scotland
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Intro: Scotland's a country with a reputation of friendly people
- full of superb
countryside and scenery. Public transport is generally very good, allowing you
to get to almost any area using train, bus, plane (hardly required for internal
transport) and post bus in remote areas (where you share a lift with the postal
delivery). There has been a recent revival in the traditional patriotic nature
of the Scots with the introduction of a Scottish Parliament with devolved
powers.
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Highlights: Fast train connections between Edinburgh and Glasgow, a mere 35 miles away,
make it essential to visit both as they are both very different cities.
Edinburgh's is more like a large town than a capital city and generally
considered to be the most cosmopolitan city. Its annual festival month of
August plays host to several arts festivals with shows starting every couple of
minutes in venues ranging from public toilets to the back of cars to large
theatres, culminating in a fantastic fireworks display over the castle. Glasgow
on the west coast is more of a sprawling industrial city with a very distinct
character, yet a very fashionable city, and provides easy access to the
Highlands and Islands of Scotland providing some of Europe's last remaining true
wildernesses. Despite often experiencing four weather seasons in a day, Scotland
has a great love of the outdoors and almost everything is possible from
mountaineering to mountain biking to Caribbean style white sandy beaches to clay
pigeon shooting. The tradition of a booze loving nation is apparent by their
liberal drinking laws compared to some other parts of the UK. The country has
the rolling hills of the central lowlands and Borders to rugged mountainous
terrain further north.
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 Lowlights: Don't expect everyone to be walking around in kilts, eating deep fried Mars
bars, shooting drugs as in the film 'Trainspotting', or bouncing around the
streets after being intoxicated by Whisky. Ginger hair and bushy beards are not
as common as you are lead to believe!
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Visa strategy: Despite what some Scots will tell you, Scotland is part of the UK and does
not require separate visas for entry. The only placed you can get a Scottish
passport is the souvenir shop. Being part of the EU, visa requirements will be
similar to other EU countries. Check with your local embassy.
Please note that some Scottish people resent being called British, and don't
generalise and call them English!
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Typical tourist
trail: Typical tourist trails will involve a visit to Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Inverness, Skye and Mull with the more adventurous heading to Aberdeen and
outlying islands known as the Outer Hebrides, or further up the west coast. A
brief introduction to each area is providing by joining the minibus tours such
as the Haggis tours:
http://www.haggisadventures.com, MackBackpackers:
http://www.macbackpackers.com, or Rabbies trail burners:
http://www.rabbies.com.
These provide hop on, hop off itinerates.
Those who make the effort to get off the beaten trail will be rewarded with
remote stunning scenery that resembles Mediterranean beaches and sea and you'll
have it to yourself. Islands and parts of the west coast are almost like
visiting a different country to the central lowlands that contain the bulk of
the population. If you don't have a lot of time you could do worse than visit
the Isle of Arran - "Scotland in Miniature". A 7am train from Glasgow can get
you on the island via ferry by 9am, and on the mountains by 9.30am.
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As the home of golf, Scotland has over 500 courses in a nation of around 5
million people - you could always splash out and treat yourself to some rounds
on world famous courses if thats your game.
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Dangers: No real dangers to speak of. Although petty crime will happen, there is not
generally the same risks as in some other western countries.
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Hot/cold, wet and dry: Four seasons in a day. Generally cold and wetter in the winter months, but
not as cold as other countries lying this far north. Summer can vary from
beautiful hot days to snow on the mountain tops. Sometimes all this happens in a
day. Be prepared for damp weather any time of year, particularly if you venture
more into the hills or the west coast. The Scottish Midge can become very
prevalent in the countryside in the summer, and some people say 100% DEET won't
even repel them. Don't be put off adventuring but buy a midge net if camping on
a non windy day in summer. Avon "Skin so Soft" comes as an unusual
recommendation to ward them off from the outdoor community!
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Costs: Arriving from other countries, some may find Scotland expensive, but it is on
a par with other western countries. Hostels and campsite cost around US$15-US$30 a
night and hotels can cost anything from US$45 to hundreds of dollars a night.
All travel is on relatively modern transport. The rail network is notorious
for making it difficult to purchase tickets well in advance. Competition has
driven down the prices of intercity bus services to the point where you can
travel between Edinburgh and Glasgow or Perth for as little as US$1.50. If using Megabus or CityLink it can be far cheaper to buy online if you can print your
own ticket.
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Money: Banks and ATMs are everywhere unless you venture to very remote parts of the
Highlands and Islands.
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What to take: There's no special recommendations except a midge net and cream if camping in
the summer months. A lightweight waterproof jacket or umbrella always comes in
handy!
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What to buy: This is the land of Whisky and golf. Unfortunately due to UK taxes, Whisky
they are probably cheaper to buy in your home country! Pick up some tacky tartan
souvenirs from the souvenir shops, or your very own mini bagpipes.
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 Guide book: The best guidebook and if you can pick it up there or on the way.
You can and hopefully will click through links to buy or view books. There are hundreds more guidebooks and walking books on Scotland.
Here are a few recommended ones. Please note the below links are for Amazon in
the UK, to view
Canadian version click here, for
USA version here.
»
Scotland The Best - Not your standard guide, this book gathers together what
is best about Scotland. If on a budget and public transport you may want to
compliment it with a Rough Guide or Lonely Planet.
The best bit is it's not "Scotland the Most Expensive", it's
not "Scotland the Twee-est", it's exactly what it says on the cover.
 »
Rough Guide To Scotland - Where this guide is especially useful is in its
travel and accommodation listings for the highlands and islands--areas
geographically not far from Glasgow and Edinburgh yet in holiday terms a world
apart.
From the lochs to the glens, and
from the Isle of Iona to the Shetland Isles, the authors suggest places to stay
off the beaten tourist track. What the guide lacks in photographs it makes up
for with its quirky contexts section containing fascinating information on
Scotland's history, architecture, music and literature.
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 »
Munros
SMC guide - This is a fully illustrated guidebook to the principle
hillwalker.' Routes on all the 3000 ft. mountains of Scotland.' This book
offers an inspiring description of some of the most striking mountains in
the UK, useful to both experienced Hill Walkers and newcomers alike, after
offering a brief introduction and history of the mountains the book gives
a series of excellent one to two day walks, offering perhaps the best
route for ascent in each case.
 »
Rough Guide to the Scottish Highlands and Islands - Third edition a
complete handbook to this dramatic and varied region. There are lively
accounts of every attraction, from castles, lochs and mountains, to
deserted beaches and classic train journeys. For every town and village
there are insightful reviews of places to stay, eat and drink that give a
refreshingly candid opinion. Less used than the LP, find practical tips on
the many outdoor activities available, from munro bagging to skiing and
mountain biking.
 »
Lonely Planet Scotland - Last but not least is the best selling, popular
guide with details of the historic and rugged Scottish Highlands and the
hundreds of idyllic Shetland islands for anyone visiting the area.
Also included here
is a concise Gaelic language guide, plus details on golf, fishing, etc.
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These tours do generally stop in the
same spots so you'll have to go it alone at some points if you really want to
experience the remote Scotland but its easy to get away from the crowds. As a
one off you could always take the Glasgow to Barra flight - around 20 mins, but
it drops you on the island's beach at low tide
Booklets covering accommodation in each area of the country are
available from tourist offices although they only cover accommodation of
members. Specialist booklets are also available from the tourist board. The best
place to view and book hostels is through hostel world.
Click here.
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Communications: Internet cafes are plentiful in the main towns and cities. International
phone calls, as always, can be expensive from a call box.
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Tourist factor: Scotland gets reasonably busy in the main summer months with tourists, but
nothing like some other western countries which is one of its joys. Edinburgh
during the festival month of August is mayhem and you are advised to book
accommodation months in advance, or be prepared to travel out of the city where
you won't experience the festivals to the full. The same advice applies to New
Year in Scotland. It is very easy to get off the beaten track and have whole
areas of countryside or pockets of cities and towns to yourself.
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....just one small
tip, best recommended not to turn up in Edinburgh on Six Nations rugby weekends
as well (just like the Festival) with no hotel room booked - especially if
there's 35,000 Welsh or Irish fans in town! Finding a room can be a total
nightmare!! For people to check when these weekends are, suggest they visit
scotland rugby's website, www.sru.org.uk where they'll find the fixtures. (thanks Owen)
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Bus:
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Rail:
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Tickets:
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Timetables:
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Postbus:
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Other useful links:
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People vibe: Generally Scottish people are renowned throughout the world as being friendly
as shown by the national football (or soccer!) team's following fan base The
Tartan Army. The west coast are generally known as being a bit more friendly
than the east, and in Edinburgh sometimes you'll think its been invaded by the
upper class English. You will experience a huge range of dialects and accents
spoken throughout the country, to the point you may wonder whether they are
speaking a different language. There's a good social pub culture throughout the
country and if you are in smaller west coast communities you could find yourself
a lot more immersed in their traditions than in the big cities.
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Foreign newspapers are available in some newsagents, and for Edinburgh that
is McColls in the St James Centre, and the cigar shop on the Royal Mile.
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Food: A wide variety of foods for all tastes and budgets are available. A sandwich
will cost £2-4, main courses £6-15 on average. Look out for pre-theatre and Bring
Your Own Booze restaurants to limit the cost.
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Hassle and annoyance factor: Compared to other western regions there are not any significant dangers. The
most chance you'll have of getting hassled is in the early hours of the morning
when the nightclubs kick out.
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Drugs,
cigarettes and alcohol: Cigarettes and alcohol are all over the place. There is a huge pub culture in
Scotland with the pub being the common meeting place for friends whatever the
night of the week, although the weekend and the run up to it are busiest in the
towns. Smoking is destined to be banned in pubs with legislation coming in from
2006 onwards. Unfortunately some areas (Glasgow as an example) have banned
drinking alcohol in public to cut down on nuisance.
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Despite what some people may think, Cannabis is still illegal although due to
a recent downgrading to a class 'C' drug you are unlikely to be arrested if
found in possession with very small amounts although this is not a general rule.
If you flout it in public you are still asking for trouble, although at large
outdoor music festivals you'll see it in abundance. Other drugs are likely to be
available if you go looking although you're asking for trouble if caught.
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If the country got more predictable weather it would be pushing on a ten. For
sheer diversity considering the size and population, it's a winner, although be
prepared to go off the beaten track, and enjoy the outdoors, to experience the
most of the country and its stunning character.
 Scotland Mini Guide: © Darren Craig -
subs 'at' darrencraig.com
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