Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Legal Matters
The 1707 Act of Union preserved the Scottish legal system as separate from the law in
England and Wales.
Police have the power to detain, for up to six hours, anyone suspected of having com-
mitted an offence punishable by imprisonment (including drugs offences).
If you need legal assistance, contact the
Scottish Legal Aid Board
(
0845- 122 8686;
www.slab.org.uk
;
44 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh)
.
Possession of a small amount of cannabis is punishable by a fine, but possession of a
larger amount of cannabis, or any amount of harder drugs, is much more serious, with a
sentence of up to 14 years in prison. Police have the right to search anyone they suspect of
possessing drugs.
Travellers should note that they can be prosecuted under the law of their home country
regarding age of consent, even when abroad.
Maps
If you're about to tackle Munros, you'll require maps with far greater detail than the maps
in this guide, or the ones supplied by tourist offices. The Ordnance Survey (OS) caters to
walkers, with a wide variety of maps at 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 scales. Alternatively, look
out for the excellent walkers' maps published by Harveys; they're at scales of 1:40,000
and 1:25,000.
Money
The British currency is the pound sterling (£), with 100 pence (p) to a pound. 'Quid' is the
slang term for pound.
Three Scottish banks issue their own banknotes, meaning there's quite a variety of dif-
ferent notes in circulation. They are legal currency in England too, but you'll sometimes
run into problems changing them. They are also harder to exchange once you get outside
the UK.
Euros are accepted in Scotland only at some major tourist attractions and a few upmar-
ket hotels - it's always better to have sterling cash.
