>C+Scotland

= Some Facts About Scotland = = = = = = Fast Facts = = =

Full Name
Scotland

Area
78772

Population
4996000

Time Zone
UTC:0

Languages
Gaelic English

Currency
Pound Sterling = = = Weather = = =

Overview
'Varied' describes Scotland's climate perfectly. There are wide variations in climate over small distances, and a sunny day will often as not be followed by a rainy one. Although the country nudges the Arctic Circle, the Gulf Stream winds keep the temperature mild (well, relatively mild). The Highlands, however, can have extreme weather at any time. The east coast tends to be cool and dry, with winter temperatures rarely dropping below freezing (but watch out for the bone-chilling winds off the North Sea). The west coast is milder and wetter, with average summer highs of 19°C (66°F). May and June are the driest months; July and August the warmest. In the north the summer sun barely sets; the winter sun barely rises. = = = Health & Safety = = =

Dangers and Annoyances
Scotland is not without the usual big-city crimes (often alcohol and/or drug related), mainly in Edinburgh and Glasgow, so normal caution is advised. Don't wander around unlit city streets at night, and always be aware of your surroundings. Pickpockets and bag snatchers operate in crowded public places, although this isn't a big problem. Never leave valuables in a car, and remove all luggage overnight. Report thefts to the police and ask for a statement, or your travel insurance won't pay out; thefts from cars may be excluded. The most painful problems facing visitors to the Highlands and islands are midges and clegs. The midge is a tiny blood-sucking fly only 2mm long, which is related to the mosquito. Midges are at their worst during the twilight hours, and on still, overcast days. They proliferate from late May to mid-September, but especially mid-June to mid-August - which unfortunately coincides with the main tourist season. Cover yourself up, particularly in the evening, wear light-coloured clothing (midges are attracted to dark colours) and, most importantly, use a reliable insect repellent containing DEET or DMP. The cleg, or horse fly, is about 13mm (half an inch) in length and slate grey in colour. A master of stealth, it loves to land unnoticed on neck or ankle, and can give a painful bite. It can even bite through hair or light clothing. Unlike midges, they are most active on warm, sunny days, and are most common in July and August. You may not have thought of this, but one of the most annoying and frightening aspects of touring the Highlands is the sudden appearance and sound of military jets booming overhead. It's something you never get used to. = = = People & Society = = =

People
Celts, Anglo-Saxons

Languages
Gaelic (other)

Until the 12th or 13th century, Gaelic was spoken in all of Scotland, although Lallans (an English dialect with French and Scandinavian influences) has been spoken in the Lowlands for centuries. Now only about 66,000 people speak Gaelic, mainly in the Hebrides and northwest Scotland. Efforts are being made to halt its decline, and there are numerous Gaelic words that linger in everyday speech and make Scottish English almost impenetrable to foreigners. English (official)

Religion
The two largest religious denominations are the Presbyterian Church of Scotland (47%) and the Roman Catholic Church (16%), with 28% claiming no religious affiliation at all. Non-Christian religions account for only 2% of the population, mostly small communities of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Jews. = = = Culture & History = = =

Modern History
Industrial prosperity lasted through WWI, but the world depression of the 1930s struck a mortal blow. Aberdeen was the only city to show marked prosperity in the 20th century, thanks to North Sea oil and gas discoveries in the 1970s. Continuing economic hardship, rampant unemployment, the depopulation of rural areas and lower standards of health and housing than those experienced in England have all led to a loss of confidence. However, dreams of seceding from the Union with England are stronger than they've been for many years. Strongly Labour, Scotland smarted through the 1980s and 90s under Britain's Conservative-led government, which showed scant regard for Scotland's desire for self-rule. The decisive Labour victory in the 1997 general election resulted in the loss of all Conservative seats in Scotland and the birth of a Scottish Parliament, which first convened in 1999.

Recent History
A new parliament building was constructed at Holyrood in Edinburgh, and opened in November 2003. The Scottish National Party recently won power in Scotland's third election and want full independence from England. They are making plans for a referendum on the issue which will also give voters an option of more devolved powers from London (such as control over North Sea oil and gas revenues).

Pre 20th Century History
Scotland was first populated by hunter-gatherers who arrived from England, Ireland and Europe around 6000 years ago. They brought the Neolithic Age with them, introducing agriculture, stockbreeding, trade, an organised society and a thriving culture. The remains of elaborate passage tombs, stone monuments and domestic architecture, such as those found on the Orkneys, reveal that this was indeed a vigorous civilisation. Later arrivals included Europe's Beaker people, who introduced bronze and weapons, while the Celts brought iron. The Romans were unable to subdue the region's fierce inhabitants, their failure symbolised by the construction of Hadrian's Wall. Christianity arrived in the guise of St Ninian, who established a religious centre in 397. Later, St Columba founded a centre on Iona in 563, still a place of pilgrimage and retreat today. Around the 7th century, Scotland's population comprised a constantly warring mix of matrilineal Picts and Gaelic-speaking Scots in the north, Norse invaders in the island territories, and Britons and Anglo-Saxons in the Lowlands. By the 9th century, the Scots had gained ascendancy over the Picts, whose only visible legacy today is the scattering of symbol stones found in many parts of eastern Scotland. In the south, Anglo-Norman feudalism was slowly introduced, and by the early 13th century an English commentator, Walter of Coventry, could remark that the Scottish court was 'French in race and manner of life, in speech and in culture.' Despite some bloody reactions, the Lowlanders' tribal-based society melded well with feudalism, creating enormously powerful family-based clans. The Highlanders, however, were another matter entirely. In 1297 William Wallace's forces thrashed the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge, but after a few more skirmishes Wallace was betrayed and finally executed by the English in London in 1305. He's still remembered as the epitome of patriotism and a great hero of the resistance movement. Robert the Bruce threw a punch for Scottish independence next, when, a year after Wallace came to his very sticky end, he murdered a rival and had himself crowned King of Scotland. In the same year, he faced off the English, but they defeated his forces at Methven and Dalry. He had to wait until 1314, when at the Battle of Bannockburn he finally defeated the English. This was a turning point in Scotland's fight for independence. A distinct barrier developed between Highlander and Lowlander, marked symbolically by the Highland Boundary Fault, running between Fort William and Inverness. Highlanders were regarded as Gaelic-speaking pillagers by the Lowlanders, who spoke Lallans and led a less rigorous and more urban existence. In the 16th century, Scottish royal lineage was blurred by opposing matrilineal and patrilineal lines of descent and the jockeying of English and French interests. Fierce resistance to the English and persistent monarchic squabbles led to a virtual civil war, and very few monarchs managed to die a natural death. The 17th century was also coloured by civil war, spurred by the thorny issue of the religious Reformation. Despite all the anti-English sentiment, the Act of Union of 1707 saw the Scots persuaded - by means both fair and foul - to disband parliament, in exchange for preservation of the Scottish church and legal system. Famous attempts were made to replace the Hanoverian kings of England with Catholic Stuarts, although the Jacobite cause lacked support outside of the Highlands due to the Lowland suspicion of Catholicism. James Edward Stuart, known as the Old Pretender and son of the exiled English king James VII, made several attempts to regain the throne, but fled to France in 1719. In 1745, his son, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Young Pretender, landed in Scotland to claim the crown for his father. His disastrous defeat in 1746 at Culloden caused the government to ban private armies, the wearing of kilts and the playing of the pipes. Coinciding with the inexorable changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, the bans caused the disappearance of a whole way of life and the quelling of the Highlanders. In the south, the Industrial Revolution brought flourishing towns and expanding populations, the creation of industries such as cotton and shipbuilding, and booming trade. The spread of urban life coincided with an intellectual flowering, the Scottish Enlightenment, as people fed the energy they'd previously spent on religious issues into their leisure and money-making activities. Literature in particular blossomed. Life for the privileged became increasingly bourgeois, while the poor got poorer, suffering typhoid epidemics and other side-effects of their overcrowded tenement life. Cities grew even bigger following one of the bleakest events in the north's already grim history: the Highland Clearances that began in the late 1700s and continued for more than a century. Overpopulation, the potato famine and the collapse of the kelp industry caused landlords to force or trick people from the land. Waves of Scots emigrated to North America, New Zealand and Australia, taking with them their reputation for thrift and hard work. The few who remained on the land were pushed onto tiny plots called crofts. = = = Places to see = = =

Glasgow Cathedral
The site was blessed for Christian burial in 397 by St Ninian. In the following century Kentigern, also known as Saint Mungo, accompanied the body of a holy man from Stirlingshire to be buried here. He stayed to found a monastic community, and built a simple church. The first building was consecrated in 1136, in the presence of King David I, but it burned down in 1197 and was rebuilt as the lower church. The entry is through a side door into the nave, which is hung with regimental colours. The wooden roof above has been restored many times since its original construction but some of the timber dates from the 14th century. The cathedral is divided by the late 15th-century stone choir screen, decorated with seven pairs of figures to represent the Seven Deadly Sins. The most interesting part of the cathedral, the lower church, is reached by a stairway. Its forest of pillars creates a powerful atmosphere around Saint Mungo's tomb, the focus of a famous medieval pilgrimage that was believed to be as meritorious as a visit to Rome. Edward I paid three visits to the shrine in 1301. Categories: religious/spiritual; architectural highlight; Tel: 0141 552 6891

Address: Cathedral Sq Glasgow East End

Hours: Apr-Sep: Mon-Sat 09:30-18:00, Sun 13:00-17:00; Oct-Mar: Mon-Sat 09:30-16:00, Sun 13:00-16:00

Staffa Island
When composer Felix Mendelssohn visited the cave, the sound of waves crashing inside made such an impact on him that he composed his //Hebridean Overture//. This led to a series of other visitors - Turner who painted it, Wordsworth who eulogised it, and Queen Victoria, who brought the masses in her wake. You can land on the island and walk into the cave via a causeway if the sea is calm, but if it's rough, the journey is still worth making - and some of the caves, such as Boat Cave, can't be reached on foot. Staffa also has a sizable puffin colony, north of the landing place. Categories: island; Tel: 01681 564710

Address: 10km (6mi) west of Mull Hebrides

Ring of Brodgar
These old stones still attract elemental forces - on 5 June 1980, one of the stones was split in two by a bolt of lightning. It's a powerful place, with two lochs standing still and serene on either side. Legend has it that the stones are the petrified bodies of giants who danced here too long one night and were turned to stone by the setting sun. Categories: monument; folklore/occult; Address: 1.6km (1mi) N of Stenness Orkney Island

Loch Ness
The A82 running along the western side of the loch is choked with buses and hire-car traffic in summer, while on the southeastern shore the more tranquil, picturesque B862 is quiet (and agonisingly slow) year-round. A complete circuit of the loch covers about 113km (70mi) - travel anticlockwise for the best views. Categories: null; lake; folklore/occult; Address: btwn Inverness & Fort Douglass central Highlands A82

Writers' Museum
The museum contains portraits, letters and a varied collection of memorabilia, including Burns' diminutive writing desk and Scott's dining room table. Head downstairs to the Stevenson display for a look at the tall mahogany cabinet that was built by none other than the notorious Deacon Brodie. It sat in Robert Louis Stevenson's bedroom when he was a child, and no doubt its history played a part in the author's inspiration for //The Strange Tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde//. Categories: museum; significant house; literary; Tel: 0131 529 4901

Address: Lady Stair's Close Lawnmarket Edinburgh Old Town

Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00 Sun 14:00-17:00 during Edinburgh Festival

John Knox House
The Royal Mile narrows at the foot of High St beside the jutting façade of John Knox House. This is the oldest surviving tenement in Edinburgh, dating from around 1490; John Knox is thought to have lived here from 1561 to 1572. The labyrinthine interior has some beautiful painted-timber ceilings and an interesting display on Knox' life and work. Categories: building; Tel: 0131 556 9579

Address: Edinburgh 43-45 High St Old Town Royal Mile

Hours: May-Jul: Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00

Melrose Abbey
The abbey was founded by David I in 1136 for Cistercian monks from Rievaulx in Yorkshire. It was rebuilt by Robert the Bruce, whose heart is buried here. The ruins date from the 14th and 15th centuries and were repaired by Sir Walter Scott in the 19th century. The adjoining museum (free for abbey ticket holders) has many fine examples of 12th- to 15th-century stonework and pottery found in the area. Note the impressive remains of the 'great drain' outside - a medieval sewerage system. Categories: religious/spiritual; architectural highlight; Tel: 01896 822562

Address: Borders district, southern Scotland Melrose Melrose

Hours: Apr-Sep: 09:30-18:30; Oct-Mar: 09:30-16:30

Museum of Edinburgh
Built in 1570, Huntly House is home to the Museum of Edinburgh, which covers the city's history from prehistory to the present. Exhibits of national importance include an original copy of the National Covenant of 1638, but the big crowd-pleaser is the dog collar and feeding bowl that once belonged to Greyfriars Bobby, the city's most famous canine citizen. Categories: museum; Tel: 0131 529 4143

Address: Edinburgh 142 Canongate Old Town Royal Mile

Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00 Sun 2-5pm during Aug = = = Activities = = = = =

Cycling
The Hebridean Islands in particular provide superb cycling opportunities. Less intrepid cyclists will favour the lochs and glens of the central and southern areas.

Hiking
The 95-mile (153km) West Highland Way takes hikers through spectacular Highland scenery, leading all the way from Glasgow to Fort William - very handy for those aiming to climb Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak. The Trossachs, in the heart of //Rob Roy// country, are also popular with walkers.

Downhill
Britain's biggest ski centre is in Aviemore, but there are also skiing opportunities in Glencoe, Nevis, Glenshee, The Lecht, and Nevis Range.

Golf
Scotland has more golf courses per capita than in any other country in the world.

Surfing
Britain's best surf can be found around Thurso.

Fishing
The Spey and surrounding lochs in the Cairngorm area present good opportunities to catch a couple of trout or salmon. = = = Events =

Christmas Day
Date: 25 Dec Type: official holiday

New Year's Day
Date: 1 & 2 Jan Type: official holiday

Good Friday
Date: Mar/Apr Type: official holiday

Easter Monday
Date: Mar/Apr Type: official holiday



Transportation

Ge ​ tting there and​ away**

There are direct air services from Europe to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness or Kirkwall, and from the States to Glasgow or Edinburgh. Long-distance buses are the cheapest way of getting to Scotland; alternatively you can take a train from London which will get you into Edinburgh in four hours and Glasgow in five - it's comfy but it's not cheap. Coming from Ireland, you also have the option of taking a ferry. In summer there is a weekly ferry between Aberdeen, the Shetlands and Norway, and a twice-weekly ferry from Aberdeen to the Faroes. For those with their own transport, main roads are busy but flow quite well - a drive from London to Edinburgh will take about eight hours of driving.
 * Getting around**

There are domestic flights within Scotland, but it's hardly worth the price unless there's no other option. Buses are thick on the ground. Scotland's train routes are picturesque but somewhat limited and expensive. Driving around Scotland is generally easy and far less busy than in England, although petrol stations may be few and far between (as well as pricey). If you want to hit the water, boats run to most of the islands or you can get a ferry from Aberdeen to Orkney or Shetland. = = = = = Costs =


 * National Currency in Scotland is Pounds Sterling (£) as well as all prices listed below and should be accepted everywhere within scotland.

WorldGuide Index Price** //Item:// cappuccino //Price:// 1.80 //Item:// glass of wine //Price:// 2.50 //Item:// bottle of malt whisky //Price:// 25.00 //Item:// pint of beer //Price:// 2.20 //Item:// souvenir t-shirt //Price:// 10.00 //Item:// dorm bed //Price:// 12.00 //Item:// B & B double //Price:// 40.00 //Item:// hotel double //Price:// 70.00 //Item:// cafe breakfast //Price:// 4.00 //Item:// fish and chips //Price:// 3.50 //Item:// car hire per day //Price:// 25.00

//Deluxe:// 100+ //High:// 65-100 //Mid:// 20-65 //Low:// 10-20
 * Relative room cost**

//Deluxe:// 32+ //High:// 20-32 //Mid:// 10-20 //Low:// 3-10
 * Relative meal cost**