 With a name that evokes clichéd images of kilt-wearing bagpipe players and caber-tossing highlanders, Scotland is a country with a rich cultural heritage and a distinct identity that sets it apart from neighbouring England. A semi-autonomous government system with its own parliament reinforces this, while physical features such as the stunning natural scenery are further evidence that Scotland is indeed a unique destination within the British Isles. Visit this website for further information about best single travel in Scotland.
 The country sits at the top of mainland Great Britain and also occupies an archipelago of around 790 islands, some of which are inhabited, but most of which are not. The islands of Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides are those with the most significant populations. Residents there enjoy a traditional way of life and benefit from some truly stunning inland and coastal scenery.
 Scenery is one of Scotland’s greatest attributes, with its impressively large lochs, winding rivers and magnificent rolling mountains. The Highlands are home to picturesque nature, with rolling hills, gorgeous plains, and rocky shorelines to impress lovers of the great outdoors.
 Scotland’s cities are full of character with the capital, Edinburgh, boasting World Heritage status and known for its interesting old buildings as well as for a summer arts festival that attracts visitors from around the world. Glasgow, meanwhile, is the country’s biggest city and one that was well deserving of its European City of Culture title back in 1990. Aside from its fascinating history, Glasgow has some interesting architecture and a number of museums and art galleries.
Scottish culture is evident anywhere you visit, with cuisine being one of the best attractions for tourists. Haggis, shortbread and fine whisky are a few of the things that one immediately associates with the country; however, there are a myriad of other interesting edible creations available and sampling them is an integral part of the Scottish holiday experience.
Getting here is easy enough, with a number of major airports providing the primary access for international visitors and a couple of seaports offering ferry transportation from Northern Ireland and Belgium. The national rail network offers easy connections from almost anywhere on mainland Britain, while the motorways make reaching Scotland by coach or private car a relatively stress-free affair.
The country is well geared towards receiving tourists with a plethora of accommodation options in the big cities and a smaller but ample selection on hand in the rural towns and villages. Edinburgh offers big name hotels such as the Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Marriot, Radisson, and Hilton, while Glasgow has branches of Novotel and Hilton and Radisson also.
History
The history books tells us that Scotland has seen settlers for several thousand years; however, it only began to develop properly just before and during the Middle Ages. In the following period it was a destination that faced mixed fortunes but eventually it emerged as a stable territory, consolidating that stability by its official absorption into the United Kingdom.
 Historians speculate that it’s likely that Scotland was home to prehistoric settlers; however, the Romans were the first civilised race to have any impact on the area. Neighbouring England and Wales already had a number of significant Roman settlements and while the empire succeeded in establishing a presence in Scotland, it never managed to sustain it for any significant period, with the addition of its several short periods of occupation not amounting to more than 40 years.
Gnaeus Julius Agricola was responsible for leading the first occupation in 83 to 84 AD and Emperor Septimius Severus for leading the last between 208 and 210 AD. Though the Romans’ time in Scotland was shorter than in other parts of Britain, it still had a significant impact on the area.
 The Kingdom of the Picts was the foundation for what we now know as Scotland, establishing itself in the wake of Roman departure and calling itself Alba in its earliest days. Development took place over a lengthy period with Celtic influences arriving around the 10th century. Alba was ruled by a number of monarchs who gradually expanded their kingdom using what is now east Scotland as a base of operations. Galloway and Caithness fell to Alba control in the 12th century, while the south-eastern area was already assimilated into the kingdom.
Meanwhile, the local culture began to gain a more discernible identity and the economy began to expand and gain stability. Towns, or burghs as they were known then, were developed and a feudal system was established. As the 13th century drew to a close, the country’s main borders had been settled and although subject to some later amendments, they provided Scotland with the borders that it observes today.
 In 1286, the line to the Scottish throne was broken with the death of Alexander III and also with that of his granddaughter Margaret, Maid of Norway. The English attempted to establish a monarchy in the country with Edward I at the helm but it was in vain for Robert de Brus, the Earl of Carrick, made a claim and was subsequently crowned Robert I.
Ensuing animosity between the English and the Scots resulted in several decades of conflict between the two countries. At the same time there was a civil struggle going on between the Bruces and the Balliols, with fighting continuing until the middle of the 14th century and concluding with victory for the Bruce dynasty. In the aftermath, the absence of any eligible heirs to the throne saw the establishment of the Stewart dynasty with Robert II as the first monarch of a line that remained in place for the remainder of the Middle Age period.
 Scotland experienced troubled times into the period following the Middle Ages with a number of significant events shaking its previous stability. It eventually recovered and great development and prosperity were achieved by both the Scottish Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. The country rapidly went from being one of the poorest in Europe to one with a reputation as a major player in industrial, commercial and intellectual arenas.
Into the 20th century and Scotland suffered as much as the rest of the UK from the Nazi air raids of WWII and the hardship that resulted from a country whose primary resources were directed towards the Allied campaign. A period of severe decline resulted after the war, with Scotland experiencing urban poverty and industrial recession that was absent (at the same degree) in the rest of the UK. The last 20 or 30 years have seen Scotland successfully turned around with new industrial interests established and a higher standard of living for the country’s residents.
Weather
 Scotland is subject to the same unpredictable weather system that affects the whole of the UK; however, its geographical location at the top of the country does predispose it to certain climatic features that differ slightly from destinations south of it. Temperatures, for example, tend to be slightly lower that in the rest of the UK and rainfall more frequent in certain areas. The western Highlands are particularly wet with annual rainfall up to 4577mm, making them in fact, one of the wettest places in Europe.
 Summers are mild to warm affairs with maximum temperatures averaging 14.9 to 16.9°C. The coastal areas see the warmest weather and the most sunshine, while inland areas, especially mountainous ones such as the Grampians, see the lowest temperatures. Summer is perhaps the best season to visit in if you are hoping to get out and about and enjoy some outdoor activities but it should be noted that July can be wet so it’s wise to pack a waterproof jacket.
Winters are cold affairs, with maximum temperatures averaging 5.0 to 5.7°C but lows often dipping to well below zero and accompanied by snow. Again, those destinations situated higher up get the most extreme weather conditions and while this can be inconveniencing to many visitors, it can make for some ideal skiing conditions in locations such as CairnGorm, Glencoe, Glenshee, the Nevis Range and The Lecht.
Spring and autumn are transitional seasons, seeing cool mornings and evenings but often mild temperatures during the day. Rain is frequent in spring, whereas autumn tends to see some pleasant crisp and clear days.
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