Scotland Airfares

If you’re a sports enthusiast, check out St. Andrews Links, the Mecca of golf courses. If you’re a folklore fan or skeptic, visit Loch Ness lake and gaze for the monster. If you’re a history or movie buff (Braveheart) visit the William Wallace Monument located near his most famous victory over the English at Stirling Bridge.

Scotland is located to the north of England and along with Northern Ireland, Wales and England comprises the United Kingdom. It contains one-third the land mass of the UK, but has only 10% of the inhabitants. This means there is plenty of undeveloped areas to rove including woodlands, bogs and lush, green valleys. Along the western shore are majestic cliffs carved and eroded over time by the Atlantic Ocean. Edinburgh and Glasgow are the biggest cities and located relatively close to each other in the southern part of Scotland. Aderdeen is located up the east coast (North Sea side).

Edinburgh has several notable attractions including the 800-year-old Edinburgh Castle which contains legible French graffiti from Napoleon era prisoners. The National Gallery of Scotland, Royal Museum and Museum of Scotland and the Edinburgh International Festival (every August) are other recommended attractions/events.

Pub tours can be enjoyable and informative but nothing beats straying off the main, tourist drag to a local pub and chatting up the locals. It’s definitely a challenge to blend in with the natives, but it is usually more rewarding than the contrived, pub field trips. Just remember not to refer to Britain as “England”, or even worse, to Scotland as “England”, or you could end up on the wrong side of a head butt! All joking aside, try to get your facts and history straight before visiting a new country. Pick up a Scotland Fodor’s, Lonely Planet or Discovery travel guide and look it through before going. What else are going to do on the 6 to 11 hour (North America – Scotland) plane ride?