Discover ScotlandScotland is a wild and untamed country stretching from rolling farmlands in the South and East to the dramatic highlands and islands in the West, where the craggy coastline is pocketed with beautiful beaches and rises up to rugged, empty mountains divided only by shimmering lochs and deep rivers. This ancient land has a brutal history and is studded with ancient castles and strongholds.

Although part of the United Kingdom, the Scots are a fiercely independent and proud nation. They have their own legal system and more recently have their own parliament and are developing into an economic force in their own right - Aberdeen is the hub of the North Sea oil industry and Edinburgh is now home to Europe’s largest bank.

Scotland is the home of golf and whisky, and has a cultural heritage stretching from the festivities of the clans, to the poetry of Robert Burns. Scotland’s rich traditions can be best seen over the summer months at the cutting-edge Edinburgh festival or at one of the many, more low-key, highland games. Whether visiting for fishing, stalking, sailing or hiking, Scotland is a paradise for the outdoor enthusiast.

Generally, Scotland is cool, damp and cloudy, but daily weather is unpredictable and extremely changeable. January and February are the coldest months, averaging 41°F (5°C), and summer has average temperatures of 66°F (19°C) during its warmest months of July and August. Scottish weather is on average cooler than that of England. The coldest areas are the highlands and the northern latitude means short winter days and very long summer evenings. The east coast experiences more sunshine, but colder winters, compared to the west

Things to See and Do

Visiting Scotland implies making choices. Where to go, what to do and most of all what to see? Scotland offers its visitor a vast range of activities and attractions that it would takemany years to have seen them all, if ever.

The stunning and overwhelming nature itself comes in many varieties and there is something new and different around each corner, from lovely rural countryside to steep mountains and glens, deep Highland lochs and beautiful remote islands. There is no country in the world that has so many castles and a lot of them are still inhabited. From grand countryhouses to dark and mystic ruins, everything is ready to be discovered. Apart from castles and nature there is a world to discover in Scotland and I have tried to sum them up in a couple of pages that highlight some of the most interesting tourist attractions in Scotland but believe me, there are many more, all yours to discover.