Vacation Scotland

The Glenfinnan Viaduct in the west Highlands is an iconic image: a long, curving bridge spanning a deep valley amid a stunning backdrop of mountain and lake. You’ll find it on postcards, calendars, tourist board advertising and in several movies. Perhaps the most famous is in the Harry Potter films, when the train is crossing [...]

A great thing about a Vacation Scotland tour is that it takes you to corners of the country that perhaps you would never venture to otherwise. As well as scenery and history, what I love as much as anything are the local tales and folklore – and no tale is more bizarre, indeed more gruesome [...]

There are an estimated 90 million people around the world who claim to have Scottish ancestry; either through a known family tree or by having a familiar Scottish surname in the mix. The reasons for the great diaspora are legion: economic opportunities, displacement and a myriad of motivations personal and public. But, the influence and [...]

Edinburgh Castle, sitting high on its rock dominates the city; an icon of the nation and the top tourist attraction in Britain outside London. But, Edinburgh has another castle, less well known, less frequented but also steeped in the rich and often bloody history of Scotland: Craigmillar Castle. Craigmillar sits on a rocky outcrop about [...]

Edinburgh in 1800 was a grim place to be: disease was rife and life expectancy was low. The Old Town had degenerated into a horrific slum with death-trap wooden tenements stretching 14 storeys into the sky. Murderous crime and punitive punishment was a part of every day life; and all the while there was a [...]

Running a travel company, I’m often asked – when is the best time to travel to Scotland; when will I see Scotland at its very best; and there is no right answer to that. Yes, the summer is warmer, but then the roads are busy, and it’s harder to find places to stay. May or [...]

25,000 years ago Scotlandwas buried under a huge ice-cap over 4000ft thick; and as it slowly flowed towards the oceans the action at the base ground away nearly everything in its path, carving through the bedrock. As the ice moved down the Forth valley it reached an immovable object: Edinburgh Castle Rock; a tough plug [...]