Vacation Scotland

The Kingdom of Scotland is really a patchwork of territories: of counties and regions, of Earldoms and Lordships, of Clan lands and great provinces. Each in its own way reflects the diversity of our small country; from the old Scandinavian world of the Northern Isles, to the Gaelic communities of the Hebrides and all the [...]

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 [...]