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.

The build-up is very much the same both sides of the pond and will remain so until a few minutes prior to kick off when it’s time for the National Anthem. In Colorado the crowd will unite with Jordin Sparks (sorry I don’t know her either but she won “American Idol” if that means anything to you) and stand proud in the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner”. In the rugby matches a sub competition occurs at this point when each nation involved sings its own anthem. It’s a proud moment with the power to bring tears to the eyes. I know I’m not the only one.

For instance take the match between England and Wales at Twickenham, London tomorrow afternoon. This is the one match that every Welshman wants to win. Wales beating England at “Twickers” (say this in a posh English accent) the home of rugby. As the Wales rugby coach Warren Gatland summed up “It’s not just a game of rugby. It’s nation against nation and bragging rights – not for a few days, but for a whole year”. Over in the USA I can imagine that Patriots supporters will have bragging rights for a lifetime if their team wins!

In Twickenham, when the brass band hits the opening chords the thousands of visiting Welshmen will, as one, launch into “Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau” (“Land of our Fathers”) with all their hearts . Then, they’ll be respectfully quiet as the English sing “God Save the Queen” knowing full well that the Welsh Anthem wins hands down with its power to stir the soul. This respectful scene on the playing of the Anthems will also play out in Croke Park, Dublin where Ireland entertain Italy and in Murrayfield, Edinburgh where Scotland play France.

In the singing of the Anthems in all of the above matches I’m sure of one thing – most of the crowd will not know more than one verse of their own National Anthem.

C’mon Wales…… and Go Patriots.

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!
Aboon them a’ yet tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’a grace
As lang’s my arm.

As a Welshman I can’t say that I understand much of what is being said above any more than I understand why people eat haggis. Washing it down with a wee dram though is a splendid tradition. To all of you celebrating Robert Burns’ birthday, have a great night.

You may not get points on your license, as we natives do, but you will get fined through your rental company who will legally pass the fine on to you through your credit card. As the majority of roads in Britain have signs telling you that there are speed cameras ahead (whether there are some or not) please take this warning seriously. Do not become contributors to the British Government’s coffers. STICK TO SPEED LIMITS. You never know when one of these yellow perils will appear to take an unwanted photo of you on vacation.

There’s one thing for certain – we don’t want to see any of these photos appearing in our great $1400 January photography competition. Drive safely!

Anyway, last week I was pinned down by our marketing team to come up with a list of specific locations that I would class as my real honest favourites for some clever project on which they were working. Go and ask Darryl, I say……… No, they say! ***$£&% ***! , I say………. No, they repeat! They were very determined to get their list. So we came to a compromise. I’d list places that I’d visited this year that had impressed me. Their smiles suggested they’d got what they wanted.

So here’s my list with some comments.

1. Snowdonia, North Wales: I’ve travelled the world extensively and have yet to find a place that compares to it. Confession: I was born here, visit regularly, and this will always be #1 (and justifiably so).

2. North Norfolk coast: Wide open sandy beaches; Fantastic bird life; Sandringham, the Queen’s country home (open to public); Mix with the English country set in the village of Burnham Market.

3. London’s Soho district: Great pubs, Restaurants, Theatres and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz club in Frith Street.

4. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: Big boys’ toys. Play pirates on real ships.

5. St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales: Wild surf, Whitesands beach and coasteering in the smallest city (read big village) in Britain.

6. Bath, Thermae: Took long enough to build but now a great Spa. Pretend you’re Roman for the day -but don’t forget your swimming trunks.

7. Clovelly, Devon : Just a cool, cobbled street fishing village. Note: It’s perched on a 400ft cliff and narrow streets are steep. A Land Rover will take you up/down if your knees are not what they were!

8. Islay, Scotland: Malt whisky mecca. See my previous blog

9. Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland: Lose yourself here on deserted windswept white sandy beaches. Callanish standing stones rank up there with Stonehenge and what’s more – you can touch them.

10. Wembley stadium: If you’re a sports fan this place has the “Wow” factor.

Next year’s list will be totally different of course (apart from Snowdonia!). You see how clever these marketing bods are. It looks as if I’ve agreed to a list for 2008 without them having to ask!

If anyone out there has some 2007 favorites that they wish to share then feel free to post me as I’m already in the planning stages for next year’s travels.

I used to live in Louisville, Kentucky and my first daughter was born there so it holds a warm place in my heart. It was in Loretto, Kentucky on a bright autumn day of that year that I discovered hard liquor ….. and Maker’s Mark is still my whisky of choice. Try it and be convinced.

With an increasing number of our Guests looking for whisky tours of Scotland I decided that a bourbon drinker from Wales should really see for himself if these Scottish malts really compared to the smooth elixir from Loretto.With only a few days to sample as many malts as possible I headed for Islay (pronounced I-la not Iss-lay) and Jura where you’ll find the greatest concentration of malt whisky distilleries in Scotland namely Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and Jura in a few square miles. So I boarded a flight from Bristol to Glasgow before renting a car to drive to Islay. There is a 35 minute flight from Glasgow to Islay but unfortunately it was full on the day I wanted to travel. Not to worry as any drive in Scotland is worth it for the scenery. Glasgow airport is located on the west side of the city and very convenient for a quick getaway northwards on the A82. I travelled along Loch Lomond before turning west onto the A83 and over the “Rest and be thankful” towards Inveraray. “Rest and be thankful” is the highest point along this stretch of road and so named by the old drovers who were thankful that they had made it up the steep climb when they sat down to rest. Nothing complicated about these old Scots. The route has been changed a little these days, it’s not as steep but still a good climb.

Onwards through Lochgilphead and Tarbert on Loch Fyne to Kennacraig for the ferry to Islay. Kennacraig is no more than a jetty on West Loch Tarbert with a Caledonian Macbrayne Ferry ticket office so be warned if you’re expecting a town when driving to the terminal. The journey from the airport will take two and a half hours but it’s difficult to drive this road without stopping for some sightseeing so estimate three hours to be on the safe side. By the time you check your car in for the ferry and get settled to wait for the boat to arrive your metamorphosis will have started. By now you’ll have ceased to be a tourist. You’ll now be an Islay whisky pilgrim chatting enthusiastically to fellow pilgrims from all over the world, that will be also waiting for the ferry with you, about whisky – the fact that you may not be an expert will not matter. You’re all there for one thing and one thing only – malt whisky. In my case I befriended a group of five Swedes who seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Islay whiskies and came over on their pilgrimage every couple of years. On this occasion they were attending the Bruichladdich Academy were they were going to learn about the whisky process by working alongside the distillery craftsmen, getting hands on experience and staying in the distillery manager’s house. They were paying around $1500 each for this unique experience. Paying to work – these guys were serious pilgrims!

The ferry takes a couple of hours- just enough time to get some pie and chips with a mug of tea and take in some of the scenery on deck before getting to Islay. It will take you to either Port Askaig or Port Ellen depending on time of year and time of ferry. It doesn’t really matter as the island is small. I stayed in the small 7 room Harbour Hotel in Bowmore but there are some other good hotels (Port Charlotte, Bridgend and Machrie) as well as numerous good B&B’s on the island as well. None are very large so booking early is a must.

Islay is also a mecca for birdwatchers as it has an amazing number of geese that winter there as well as Golden eagles, peregrine falcons and many other species. So if you’re a bird watching whisky drinker you’ll be in your seventh heaven.

How to plan the whisky sampling day (or days if you’re lucky). Although it’s a small island a car is by far the most practical way to get around if you have a limited amount of time. Biking would be fun as the island is relatively flat apart from the hill up from the ferry terminal at Port Askaig. The bus is OK but you’ll spend a long time waiting around for it. The only problem with the car of course is that whisky sampling and driving don’t mix. This is where a wife who dislikes the taste of whisky comes in useful. I’d convinced mine to come with me based on the following promises(A) We’d be staying in a nice Hotel with good food (B) there was great scenery (C)there were excellent craft shops on the island and (D)I’d be paying.

I’ll not go through a description and events in each distillery other than to say that all the tours are very good and that they market themselves very well. Make sure that you check visitor opening times on the distilleries’ web sites as not all distilleries are open to the public for the whole year. I did not get onto Jura to visit that distillery but if you do go it’s a very short ferry crossing from Port Askaig.

A financial warning: You’ll end up buying some limited edition bottles of whisky that you would have never dreamt of buying if you had not just been on a distillery tour (Great for sharing with friends when you get back home though). My favourite distillery was Bruichladdich. My favourite whisky was Laphroaig with its seaweedy taste. By sheer coincidence Laphroaig mature their whisky in barrels that they import from the USA. Yes folks you’ve guessed it…… in charred American Oak barrels from Makers Mark in Loretto, Kentucky.

As for “whisky” and “whiskey”; in Scotland it’s whisky, in the USA it’s whiskey. Apart from in Loretto where they use the word whisky, in deference to the Scottish malt.

If you want to take part in a live on-line whisky tasting then head on over to Laphroaig Live at 8.00pm GMT tonight where friends of Laphroaig are hoping to host the world’s largest on-line tasting. Should be fun…..see you there!

And what of Makers Mark and Laphroaig? I’d say that the the Americans do excel at some things!….Now where did I put that Mint Julep?

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

She’s just published a new fairytale of which only seven copies have been published. All were lavishly bound and in her own handwriting throughout. Six of these she’s given away as a thank you to individuals that had supported her during the writing of the Harry Potter series, the seventh is to be auctioned off in December in aid of charity. Bids will start at £30,000 ($60,000) and will probably end up in the stratosphere. Start saving, Potter fans.

As you can guess I’ve never read a Harry Potter book, viewing it as “Lord of the Rings” for kids but there’s no doubt it caught the imagination of the younger generation. It’s also been good for our travel industry in general as families travel to Britain in search of locations seen in the film. Locations such as Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, Glenfinnan Viaduct between Fort William and Mallaig, Gloucester Cathedral and numerous others.

So a tip to parents. If you’re coming over here with children and are worried that they won’t like the historical stuff that you’ve got planned on your tour tell them it appeared in one of the Harry Potter movies and they’ll love it.

Keith Roberts