Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
up to 1,000 kilted participants strut their
stuff. Call
&
0141/241-4400.
Mid-August.
SEPTEMBER
Doors Open Day,
Edinburgh and Glasgow.
One weekend in the month, the public is
given unique access to landmark buildings
that are normally off limits.
OCTOBER
Glasgay!
Glasgow. One of the U.K.'s largest
festivals of gay, lesbian, and transgender
culture, with club nights, music, and perfor-
mance art. Mid-October-mid-November.
International Story Telling Festival,
Edin-
burgh. Events at various venues in the capi-
tal help to celebrate the oral tradition of
Scotland and other nations. Call
&
0131/556-9579.
Last 2 weeks in October.
NOVEMBER
Edinburgh Christmas.
The capital gets an
early start on the holiday season with
outdoor markets and fairground rides. Late
November-Christmas.
Glasgow on Ice.
An outdoor ice-skating
rink is set up in George Square, along with
carnival rides and gift booths. Late Novem-
ber to Christmas Eve.
DECEMBER
Hogmanay,
Edinburgh and Glasgow. New
Year's Eve—Hogmanay—is traditionally
bigger for the Scots than Christmas. Events
in the capital include a torchlight proces-
sion, a fire festival along Princes Street, a
carnival, and a street theater spectacular.
Both cities stage outdoor concerts on Hog-
manay. The celebration in Edinburgh begins
in the last week of December and continues
past New Year's Day.
3
Visitor Information
Before you travel from abroad, you can get information from
VisitBritain
(www.
visitbritain.com or
VisitScotland
(www.visitscotland.com).
In the
United States:
551 Fifth Ave., Suite 701, New York, NY 10176-0799
(
&
800/462-2748,
or 212/986-2200 in New York; fax 212/986-1188); 625 N.
Michigan Ave., Suite 1001, Chicago, IL, 60611-1977 (
&
800/462-2748
); 10880
Wilshire Blvd., Suite 570, Los Angeles, CA, 90024 (
&
310/470-2782
). In
Can-
ada:
5915 Airport Rd., Suite 120, Mississauga, ON L4V 1T1 (
&
888/VISIT-UK
in Canada; fax 905/405-1835 in Toronto). In
Australia:
Level 2, 15 Blue St., North
Sydney NSW 2060 (
&
02/9021-4400;
fax 02/9377-4499). In
New Zealand:
c/o
British Consulate General Office, Level 17, IAG House, 151 Queen St., Auckland 1
(
&
09/303-1446;
fax 09/309-1899).
If you're in London, you can visit
VisitScotland,
19 Cockspur St., London SW1Y
5BL (
&
020/7930-8661
); it's near Trafalgar Square, open May to September
Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 6:30pm and Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
October to April the hours are Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday
noon to 4pm.
Once in Edinburgh or Glasgow, you will find the Tourist Information Centres
more useful. In the capital, the main office is the
Edinburgh Information Cen-
tre,
atop the Princes Mall near Waverley Station (
&
0131/473-3800
or 0845/225-
5121; fax 0131/473-3881; www.edinburgh.org). It can give you sightseeing
information and also arrange lodgings. The center sells bus tours, theater tickets,
and souvenirs of Edinburgh. It also has racks and racks of free brochures. It's open
