fiogf49gjkf0d The Scottish capital,
Edinburgh
, is a handsome and ancient city, famous for its magnificent
castle
and
Palace of Holyroodhouse
as well as for a world-acclaimed international arts festival and some excellent museums - not least the outstanding
National Museum of Scotland
. A short journey west is
Glasgow
, a sprawling industrial metropolis that has done much to improve its image in recent years and can now boast a range of fine museums and galleries to complement the impressive architectural legacy of its eighteenth- and nineteenth-century heyday.
Southern Scotland
, often underrated, features some gorgeous scenery, but nothing quite to compare to the shadowy glens and well-walked hills of the
Trossachs
, or to the
Highlands
, whose multitude of mountains, seacliffs, glens and lochs cover the northern two-thirds of the country.
Inverness
is an obvious base, although
Fort William
, at the opposite end of the Great Glen near
Ben Nevis
, Britain's highest mountain, is an alternative.
Some of Britain's most thrilling wilderness experiences are to be had on the Scottish islands, the most accessible of which extend in a long rocky chain off the Atlantic coast, from
Arran
through
Skye
(the most visited of the Hebrides) to the
Western Isles
, where the remarkably hostile terrain harbours some of the last bastions of the Gaelic language. At Britain's northern extreme lie the sea- and wind-buffeted
Orkney
and
Shetland
islands, whose rich Norse heritage makes them distinct in dialect and culture from mainland Scotland, while their wild scenery offers some of Britain's finest birdwatching and some stunning archeological remains.
Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections):
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