Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Author Picks
Scotland has its poster places: Edinburgh's Royal
Mile or Eilean Donan castle for example. But the
cherished memories of a country are usually
more personal discoveries. Here are those of
Rough Guides' authors as they travelled down
every lane and supped in every pub in the cause
of researching this guide.
Mill on the Clyde
Glasgow's prosperity wasn't
just built on iron and ships. In the late eighteenth
century, the Utopian mill village of New Lanark
(see p.219) inspired the Cooperative movement
and introduced adult education.
Seafood sensation
Look for the wooden shack
in Crail harbour (see p.310), select your lobster
(caught that day), and have it cooked to order.
Seafood doesn't get fresher than this.
Subculture
Release your inner bohemian in the
caverns beneath Edinburgh's South Bridge,
rediscovered after two hundred lost years and
turned into entertainments venue
The Caves
(p.98).
Skye crafts
The mountains are marvellous, but
Skye also appeals for its modern art and crafts
scenes; pick up a booklet of galleries in Portree
tourist o
ce (p.492) or visit
W
art-skye.co.uk.
Autumn blaze
Catch Dawyck's Botanic Garden
(p.130) in all its shimmering, spectral glory and
inhale the scent of summer's retreat. All set
against a stunning hillside backdrop beside a
rushing burn.
Stonehaven
This coastal town (p.373), best
known for its annual folk festival, is also near
Scotland's finest medieval ruin, Dunnottar Castle.
Beaver Trial
Beavers are back in Scotland after a
four-hundred-year absence and the Beaver Trial
at Knapdale (see p.259) is a rare opportunity to
seek out these hard-working creatures in the wild -
the 60ft-long dam is a feat of engineering.
Flying visit
The trip in an eight-seater plane to
North Ronaldsay, Orkney (p.552), is worth it to
see seaweed-eating sheep, even without a
night at the eco-friendly bird observatory.
Our author recommendations don't end
here. We've flagged up our favourite places
- a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric
café, a special restaurant - throughout the
guide, highlighted with the
Ì
symbol.
FROM TOP
DUNNOTTAR CASTLE
P.374
; LOBSTER CREELS, CRAIL
P.310
; NEW LIGHTHOUSE, NORTH RONALDSAY
P.552
