Scotland

Scotland has a variety in its peoples, customs and geography that is unrivalled by any other state of its size worldwide. Scotland owes this to it mountain network and harsh climate that have traditionally and continue today to slow travel and communication. As soon as you cross the Scottish border you will know; the accent changes almost immediately and different names for every day items are often used. Instantly you start to feel Scotland's personality. The hazy blue hills, the forest and wild moors of upland Galloway and the vivid green of Ayrshire's pastures all tell you that you have arrived. Many of Scotlands restaurants and hotels are the finest in Great Britain with beautiful views over lochs and valleys making your stay in the country one to remember. Whatever you chose to do, visiting the battle sites of the different areas or mountaineering and walking scotland is the ideal holiday or short break destination and you will certainly enjoy a very relaxing retreat in scotland.

The southern area is characterised by rich rolling farmland, rugged sea coasts and the Clyde coast islands and will provide a fabulous relaxing retreat in scotland. This is the homeland of both Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott and offers up a wealth of ancient abbey's, castles and historic houses. Look out on the short breaks page for details of short hotels breaks in Scotland as hotels sometimes offer themed breaks which may incorporate reading weekends or tours. Many of Scotlands restaurants and hotels also offer traditional Scottish meals such as 'haggis and neaps' or Salmon and Venison.

Edinburgh is Scotland's historic and cosmopolitan capital and there are many spring & summer short breaks in scotland available in Edinburgh. It is bordered by the Pentland hills to the south, the scenic Lothian coastline to the east and rich Lothian countryside to the West. There is a wealth of edinburgh city centre accommodation and corporate accommodation in edinburgh is well priced and varied. Hotels such as the Sheridan and the Caledonian provide high-quality corporate accommodation in edinburgh whilst hotels such as Travel Inn provide edinburgh city centre accommodation at an affordable price.

Argyll and Stirlingshire form the crossroads of Scotland where the lowlands meet the West Highlands. Fife and Perthshire are areas of dramatic contrasts which combine the rich farming patchwork of Fife with the high hills of Perthshire and the city bustle of Dundee with the quiet angus glens. The highlands area of Scotland remains as probably the last true wilderness in Europe with its stunning peaks in the Northern highland to the gentle sublime beauty of the Islands. The Islands are rich in history with settlements dating back to 3100BC still surviving in Orkney and similar but later settlements in Shetland. The undisturbed environment makes it a haven for a wealth of birds and wildlife and the peace and tranquillity of the islands, combined with their stunning beauty, makes for a truly relaxing retreat in scotland. Aberdeenshire provides a rich and unique corner of Scotland with historic castles, royal connections and whisky distilleries. Mountaineering and walking scotland wide is ideal in any part of Scotland but the further north you go, the more exciting the climbs and treks become.

History

Scotland is believed to have been originally settled about 10,000 years ago by settlers from England and Scandinavia but the first evidence of settlement is in the Northern Islands of Orkney and Shetland which dates back to 3500BC. The Romans failed to get much further North than the current border and eventually cut their losses and built Hadrian's wall to keep the Scots in Scotland and prevent them from invading England. Centuries of feuding followed with the English. The Treaty of Union with England was signed in 1707 which led to a union of Scotland with England under one parliament, one sovereign and one flag. The industrial revolution led to Scotland becoming a world leader in the production of textiles, iron, steel, coal and, above all, in ship building and marine engineering. Glasgow became known as the second city of the British Empire as a result of its status as an industrial powerhouse. More recently Scotland has re-established its own parliament which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on the 1st of July 2002. There are so many castles in Scotland it would be impossible to visit them all in one trip. Short hotels breaks in Scotland are often available in the vicinity of many of the castles which would allow you to begin on your tour of the country's many fine buildings. Visiting the castles can make for a really relaxing retreat in scotland which can be combined with more active day trips to provide the full holiday package.

Culture

Scotland's long history has left a deep and diverse culture. The arts scene in Scotland is dominated by Edinburgh and Glasgow, both of which have an energetic cultural calendar. In literary terms, Scotland's success has been disproportionate to its size with many literary giants coming from this small nation. They include Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and, of course, poet Robbie Burns. The Fringe Festival is held each year in Edinburgh just prior to the Edinburgh Festival where you can see a variety of performance arts, comedy acts, plays and readings as well as sampling some of the finest of Scotlands restaurants and hotels.

Walking

Scotland offers a diverse range of walking routes, from the challenging mountains of the highlands to the gentle coastal paths on the Western Isles. If you're into mountaineering and walking scotland is the ideal place for you. There are nearly three hundred 3,000ft peaks in Scotland called the Munros and it has become a popular exercise to try and complete a full circuit of these. This pastime is popularly known as Munro Bagging and around 200 people compete the circuit each year. There are a variety of short hotels breaks in Scotland on offer throughout the year, many of which are located in excellent walking areas. Mountaineering and walking scotland breaks are available throughout the year and are well worth investigating.

Family Attractions

Scotland has a range of attractions from historic buildings and castles to botanical gardens and adventure parks. There is a fabulous safari park at Blair Drummond near Stirling and the world famous shopping experience of shopping on Princes Street in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is also host to a zoo, a selection of museums including the Edinburgh Dungeon, and Holyrood Palace - the royal residence of HM The Queen when in Scotland. With a selection of five star hotels, including the Caledonian Hilton, Edinburgh boasts many of the best of Scotlands restaurants and hotels. Or why not take a trip to see Loch Ness where the Loch Ness Monster is reputed to live, only coming out to show himself every so many years. Nessie the sea monster is one of the greatest legends in Scotland and the world with various pictures of the loch ness monster claiming to prove its existence. Whether or not the loch ness monster does exist is a point of great debate in Scotland and, if you want to take your own nessie the sea monster pictures, why not have a look on the web as there are thousands of pictures of the loch ness monster on show so at least you know what you're looking for before you arrive to take your own loch ness monster or nessie the sea monster pictures. Whether you're into investigating the loch ness monster or taking a one of many romantic valentine breaks in Scotland that are on offer, there will always be something for you in Scotland.

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