APRIL 2000

Scotland is a small country, but there is a lot to see. We had only one week and trying to visit everywhere in our first visit would be very frustrating. Therefore, we decided to spend a day each in Glasgow and Edinburgh, then go to the highlanders.

We rented a car from London (a brand new  Honda Civic at 5 miles!) and drove to Lake District area, spent a day there and head to Glasgow.

Glasgow:

Glasgow is the largest city of Scotland. Unlike Edinburgh, it is a working city and there was not much to see for us. It is less than an hour drive away from Edinburgh, therefore we didn’t want to spend more time there and asked people for directions to Edinburgh. It was our first year in the U.K. and with that English we did not understand the directions in a heavy Glasgow accent until we find the tourist office before it closed. After dealing with a few different clerks we got the information we needed and headed to Edinburgh.

Edinburgh:

Edinburgh is unique, it is the capital city but with a small village feel. It is one of the world’s greatest cities and deserves at least a few days to explore its castle, palace, streets, architecture, museums, etc.

The best place to start a tour of Edinburgh is in the Old Town, where you will find most of the famous sights, from the castle down through the Royal Mile, to the Palace.

Edinburgh Castle:

The castle is right in the middle of the city. First you see it from a distance and then nothing can stop you visiting it. The magnificent castle hangs over Edinburgh on a volcanic cliff, and if you are in the castle, you can see the breathtaking view of the city. It is famous all over the world and visited by millions…yet I am not one of them! £9.50 admission fee was a bit of shock, especially if it closes at 5pm and you are there at 4 o’clock. Next time….

Nightlife:

There are so many bars, pubs and clubs in the city. Entertainment is never far away and Edinburgh has some of the best music venues in the U.K. with reasonable prices.

Next morning we planned our next 5 day trip and decided to visit Edinburgh Zoo on our way, then go towards Perth, visit the famous Glenturret Whisky distillery, the oldest in Scotland, then go to Fort William, Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the U.K., visit Inverness and drive back to London.

Edinburgh Zoo:

Edinburgh Zoo is recognized as one of the world’s leading zoos. There are so many exciting events and activities throughout the day. You can feed the lions, visit polar bears and flamingos in same season, take a safari tour and see penguin parade, feed rhinos, giraffes, elephants, chimpanzees, gorillas and many more.

Glenturret Distillery:

In the afternoon, we drove to the Glenturret Distillery to enjoy the “Famous Grouse Experience”, where they gave us a tour of distillery and samples as well as a display on the blending of the Famous Grouse Scotch Whisky. It is also the smallest distillery in Scotland, but because it is located between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and has heavy tourist traffic, there is a large retail shop, restaurant and tasting room.

Fort William:

Fort William is the largest town in west highlands of Scotland and it has the highest mountain in the U.K., Ben Nevis. With beautiful lakes, forests, beaches and amazing landscapes, Fort William offers an enormous choice of recreation, discovery and relaxation.

Climbing up Ben Nevis is the dream experience that most visitors of Fort William want to make. The mountain is often underestimated, it is 1,344 meters high, there is snow on top for most of the year and an average of 10 people lose their lives up there every year!

Inverness and Loch Ness:

If you drive from Fort William to Inverness, you will go along Loch Lochy. What can I say? All day the weather was fine, the scenery was breathtaking and it was like a little piece of heaven on earth.

We were somewhere between Loch Lochy and Loch Ness, and decided to spend the night here in a youth hostel.

Next day was another beautiful day. We started early morning to drive along the Loch Ness, best known for its resident monster “Nessie” and we were fortunate to catch a glimpse of her before she disappeared in the lake. The loch is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Scotland and the biggest tourist attraction in the highlands.

Finally we started to drive back to London, but along the lake the scenery was so appealing that we stopped for our best lunch break by the lake.

In short, Scotland really does welcome you and ensure that when you leave, you feel that you have been somewhere very special. What more can I say?

Any text, picture or information on this website cannot be used, copied or re-produced without my permission!

Copyright © Tamer Yavuzturk 2004, All rights reserved.        Last updated : Today

tyturk@hotmail.com