With that in mind here are some of the Top 10 reasons to holiday or vacation in Scotland:

1.     The festivals – Edinburgh festival
For three weeks each August, Edinburgh is taken over by a selection of festivals running concurrently celebrating and promoting all sectors of the Arts. During this month there are a host of activities and events designed in part to both endorse and engage the population in the Arts, from music to theatre (classical to contemporary), from dance to comedy, to pantomime and children’s shows, art displays and the visual arts, free street theatre and caberet, musicals and opera there is something for everyone of all ages and budgets.
During the day the streets are filled with free street entertainment, art exhibitions and events for all the family, while at night Edinburgh comes alive with theatre, opera, shows, acts and parties held across various venues while the pubs are often filled with live music and some comedy acts.

2.    The cities – Nightlife
As well as magnificent and unspoiled countryside, Scotland has a trio of large cities in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow that in terms of shopping and, most importantly, nightlife can rival the cities of it’s counterpart over the border England. Of the three, Glasgow is the largest,  most bustling and vibrant of all with a busy nightlife, consisting of earthy, traditional pubs, trendy cafe bars and a range of all night discos and super-clubs.
As evidenced by the strength of the Edinburgh festival, Edinburgh, the capital, is a city renowned for the Arts and classical entertainment whilst hosting a range of cool designer bars and restaurants. Aberdeen, the third largest city, is a university city with a wealth of art galleries, museums and a thriving youth scene, and is well known as being the centre of live music in Scotland with live music of all types being catered for in many music bars and venues.
Also of special note in these cities is the Scottish celebration of Hogmanay (or New Year’s Eve) a party that combines tradition with modern hedonism. Starting early on New Years Eve people take to the streets to celebrate with live bands, dancing, and street theatre. As the countdown to the New Year begins, the street celebrations descend into a flurry of wild parties and revelry that last long after the ringing in of the New Year, the singing of Auld Langs Syne and the fireworks. Overall it is a party not to be missed.

3.    Scenery  and Wildlife– the lochs and the highlands
While the cities of Scotland are a-buzz with activity, by contrast the countryside and rural communities have for the most part remained unspoiled by time and industrialisation, still retaining the wild mysticism of old. With the most spectacular scenery in the UK and a magical variety of flora and fauna, the rugged, uncompromising Scottish landscape is a nature lovers’ haven. As well as a stunning landscape Scotland possess a wealth of undisturbed wildlife such as eagles and osprey, mountain goats, hares and deer. Along the coast and on the Scottish islands, particularly Mull and Skye, there are many opportunities to observe various species of birds and puffins, seals, whales and dolphins whether on foot or on whale watching excursions along the coast. With this range of scenery and wildlife it is no wonder that Scotland is one of the most photographed countries in Europe, a point proven with the 2009 landscape of the year photograph being awarded to a picture taken of the Old man of Storr on the Isle of Skye.

4.    Loch Ness – mystery of the monster
Mention Loch Ness and the first thing that comes to mind is “Nessie” the legendary Loch Ness Monster that is said to lurk in the dark depths of this vast loch. Since the controversial “surgeons photograph” appeared showing a plesiosaur–type creature (ancient underwater dinosaur)  emerging out of the loch in the 30’s the legend of Nessie has continued to baffle and intrigue visitors to the loch to this day inspiring a string of stories and film. If you want to check out the story of Nessie and the Loch for yourselves, why not visit The Original Loch Ness Monster Exhibition Centre. There you will find a wealth of documented sightings and facts, reports from respected investigative search expeditions such as Operation Deep-scan and audio-visual displays that show the history and the main sightings of the monster, hints that there may be more to this legend than what you may have thought.
Alternatively for those with no interest in the legend one can also avail of a Jacobite cruise into the heart of the loch and witness the stunning panoramic views it offers of the surrounds including the majestic Urquhart Castle and the surrounding mountains. Whether a believer or a sceptic one cannot deny nonetheless that there is a haunting beauty to be found in this vast mysterious loch.

5.    Castles – Edinburgh, Stirling, Eilean Donean

With its bloodied and romantic history it is no wonder that the Scottish landscape is dotted throughout with castles of varying quality steeped in legend. From the iconic castle of Eilean Donan Castle on the Isle of Skye, famous for its appearance in many films and photos worldwide, the elegance of the now manor residence Culzean Castle to the dominating spectacle of Stirling castle with views to the highlands, lowlands and the capital, castles dominate Scottish landscape and history. Of all the castles in Scotland, however, the most famous and best loved is, of course, Edinburgh Castle perched on an ancient volcanic rock and overlooking the capital. Inside, it is a living reminder of Scottish history where Scottish kings and Queens reigned and where the Scottish crown jewels reside to this day. It is a must see for visitors to Edinburgh offering both a wealth of history and legend and holds stunning views over the entire domain of Edinburgh from its man-made urban skyline to the north to it’s geological landscape to the south.

6.    Chapels and Cathedrals
While maybe not as romantic as castles, Scottish cathedrals and chapels carry their own tale of history as most were the scenes of as many battles as worship. They can be found throughout the Scottish landscape and islands, for the most part in a state of ruin. Some of the most noteworthy are Melrose Abbey, a Cistercian Abbey said to be the place where Robert the Bruces heart is buried, and Dryburgh Abbey, the resting place of Sir Walter Scott, Scotland’s most famous writer. Perhaps one of the most intriguing abbeys and one of the few fully standing intact is Rosslyn chapel brought to public attention recently with the worldwide success of the book and film the “Da Vinci Code” in which it plays a central role to the plot of the story. Whether or not the allusions to freemasonry, the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail are true or not, there is no denying that the intricate architecture and carvings sculpted inside Rosslyn Chapel are fascinating. All of the details involved in the chapel appear to be steeped in symbolism from many different sources, biblical, pagan, and Masonic, all of which appear to add to the legend of its position in the tales of the Knights Templar and freemasonry

7.    History
As evidenced by the various castles and cathedrals situated across the landscape Scotland is a land steeped in history made famous on film through the film Braveheart. All the castles and ruins are open to the public. Also of considerable note are some of Scotland’s famous battle sites such as Stirling and Bannockburn of William Wallace legend and the desolate moors of Culloden where Bonnie Prince Charlies highland armies met their end at the hands of English forces. On each of these sites one will find monuments in honour of the brave souls who died for their country and nearby visitor centres at Culloden and Bannockburn provide more detailed accounts of these events which helped to shape Scotland’s history.

For those of us whose idea of history is more ancient there are many examples of prehistoric landmarks around the country and, in particular, on the Scottish Islands. The most noted of these is Orkney Island with its World Heritage sites such as the Neolithic dwellings of Skara Brae (predating the Egyptian Pyramids) the ancient tomb of Maes Howe and the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar all built long before Stonehenge.

8.    Cultural festivals  – Highland Games, EE
Scotland has a distinctive and unique culture and nowhere is this better highlighted than in traditional festivals such as the Highland Games. Although considered on first glance as a festival for tourists, the highland games are actually a range of festivals held in Scotland and Scottish communities worldwide that celebrate Scottish and Celtic culture & heritage, especially that of the highlands.
Certain aspects of the games have in turn come to epitomize the worldwide view of Scottish culture, such as the bagpipes, the kilt, and the Scottish dancing. In the these games, which take place in Scotland throughout the summer, one will find a variety of events ranging from the actual games themselves (involving the cable toss and Scottish hammer throw to name just two) to Scottish dance competitions highlighting the Scottish country dances and highland dances to the country fairs and cattle shows. At the end of these local festivals the rendition of traditionally favorite songs are played by the pipe bands creating a sound that has come to symbolize the games and Scotland.
Another event where one can hear the music of the bagpipes and especially the haunting lament of the lone piper is at the Edinburgh military tattoo held in Edinburgh castle grounds in August during the height of the Edinburgh Arts Festival, where the history of Scotland is played out in a spectacular and colorful array of music and dance.

9.    Food and Drink– haggis and beyond, the whisky distilleries
For a country with a rich rural and coastal landscape and temperate climate it is not surprising that Scotland has a reputation as a food producer of quality foods such as beef, lamb, game, dairy produce, fruit and vegetables all of which can be found in various recipes in the finest eateries in Scotland and worldwide. And that is forgetting its traditional foods such as Haggis, neeps & tatties and Abroath Smokies (famous local haddock specially smoked over woodchips for a distinctive flavour). Haggis from it’s description (a sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, minced and mixed with oatmeal, onion and salt and served encased in a sheep’s stomach lining) sounds more stomach curdling than mouthwatering but description aside it’s actually a delicious treat while tatties and neeps which are often served with Haggis may sound likewise unappetizing but they are actually Scottish names for mashed potatoes (tatties) and mashed turnip (neeps).

But Scotland is more famous as a producer of fine Whisky with a plethora of distilleries around the country. These distilleries are now well known as tourist attractions which give the visitor a guided tour and a complimentary taste of the produce, while shops on the distillery grounds provide a nice sample to take home.

10    Sport – Home of Golf
Scotland is known as the ancestral home of golf with the first recorded game of golf being originally played at St Andrews (allegedly by shepherds knocking stones into rabbit holes in their spare time) and developed from there into the game it is today. Today, St Andrews holds the seat of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the game’s governing body and its old golf course is one of Scotland’s most famous links courses, the others being Royal Troon, the Old Course, Muirfield, Carnoustie and Turnberry all of which often hold the British Open Championship. As well as the above, Scotland has a variety of golf courses across the countryside making golf a sport accessible to everyone and if you’re a golf buff the British Golf Museum at St Andrews holds information on the roots and history of the game.
Other than golf, Soccer and Rugby are the other main components in the Scottish sporting calendar. In soccer old-firm rival Glaswegian clubs, Celtic and Rangers and to a lesser extent Aberdeen, dominate the sport having reached international acclaim and watching the matches can be a lively event in itself. The main soccer stadiums are mainly situated in the Glasgow homes of Celtic (matches held at Celtic Fc) and Rangers (matches held at Ibrox). Also in Glasgow, Hampdon Park is the venue for the Scottish national team. As for Scottish Rugby, Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh is where one can find most of the action with the main rugby events to look out for being the Six Nations Championship and European (Heineken) Cup.

All of the above reasons are just the basics, for more in-depth analysis of Scotland one has to go there and see it for themselves.

Surprisingly it’s not the same everywhere as there are some isolated areas of Britain where broadband looks to be many moons away. For instance one of the b&b’s that we use for those of our guests that want to get away from the pressures of the mobile phone and the PC Is The Lion Hotel in Gwytherin.

Gwytherin is a village of 200 people in situated near Llanrwst in Snowdonia, North Wales and is the setting for Ellis Peters’ first Cadfael novel “A Morbid Taste for Bones”. The Lion, a classy 6 roomed b&b and restaurant is also the village pub so a great place to meet up for a pint with the locals after a hard day’s walking or visiting the castles of Conwy, Caernarfon and Beaumaris .

The thing about Gwytherin is that not only does it lack broadband and a mobile phone signal – the normal phone reception suffers when more than a handful of the villagers use their phones at the same time. Little wonder that the red public phone box is also a meeting point for villagers. It’s also conveniently close to the pub and the only phone box that I know that always has a vase of fresh cut flowers.

This lack of signal must be a little annoying for the villagers but for the rest of us this is just perfect for a few quiet days.

Once inside the Entrance Hall I was immediately stunned by the high ceilings and just the general feel of the place, so welcoming and relaxed. My room was particularly large (I think they may have made a mistake as my Manager, Darryl was given a smaller room than me!) with a king sized bed, original fireplace (not operational) and a huge plasma screen TV. Probably the favourite part of my room was the huge Chandelier that hung above my bed, dominating the room. Completely fantastic and I must say MUCH better than I expected.

I have got to say the highlight of my stay in the Castle was the evening meal. You start off in the Library Bar where you can relax in the comfort of the leather seats provided and take a sneaky peak at the dinner menu before you are shown through to Bertie’s Dining Room. If I had to think of one word to describe Bertie’s Dining room it would have to be ‘Amazing’! As soon as you enter your eyes immediately dart upwards towards the huge chandeliers that provide lighting in this room, once I had time to adjust to my surrounding I focused in on the Dinner Menu. The service of the Waitress on duty was great; our coats taken away to the cloak room, our drinks were carried through to the dining room from the bar and our napkins were broken for us and placed on our laps at the start of our meal. I finally decided (after much deliberation) on the Chicken Parfait to start with the Toasted Brioche, having the Local Rump of Lamb with Red wine Jus for my main meal and Wow! That’s all I can say- everything was just perfect.

After a very relaxing night sleep it was time for a little tour around the castle. They offer four feature rooms in the main castle area, all named after famous people from history who have stayed here. I have got to admit it was amazing to view all the different rooms especially the Prince of Wales room which was by far the largest hotel room I have ever seen! We were shown around all the different styles and Standards of rooms and I was very impressed! We were told that the standard rooms were in the new Annex of Ruthin Castle, but as we were led through the corridor you would never be able to tell you were entering a newer part of the Castle, which is great. Furnishings throughout were traditional and kept in line with the theme of the Castle, real suits of Armour could be seen in the main castle areas. We were also given a tour around the Mediaeval Banqueting Halls inside the Castle. Here you travel back in time, enjoy a traditional Mediaeval feast in the dungeons of the Castle, followed by mead served in clay cups and wine in Pewter goblets. No Knife and Forks allowed!

I very much enjoyed the walk in the grounds of the castle. Now in the early morning light, we could see just how impressive Ruthin Castle is. There was so much to explore in the grounds alone. Alot of the Castle’s old ruins can still be seen and explored in your own time, and the wild peacocks that roam around in the grounds are just incredible. You can just imagine in the old days the Knights pacing around the gardens, looking out on to the local village, guarding this castle. What an amazing last night stay to an incredible 5 night Trip around the UK!