Scotland Tourist Guide

A wild and untamed country stretching across dramatic countryside, from undulating farmland in the South and East, to the spectacular highlands and islands in the West where the craggy coastline, rises up to rugged mountains divided only by sparkling lochs and rivers. The West Coast of Scotland is one of the wildest, sparsely populated parts of Europe. However, there is such a varied choice of cruising and sailing in Scotland, you have the chance to visit these remote parts and experience the outstanding countryside, and the benefit is that by boat or even a cruise liner you get a completely unique perspective of this ancient and beautiful landscape. Cruises

Although part of the United Kingdom, the Scots are a fiercely independent and proud nation. Scotland is a country with its own legal system and more recently its own parliament and is now becoming an economic force in its own right; Aberdeen is the hub of the North Sea oil industry and Edinburgh is home to Europe’s largest bank. The origins of golf and whisky are both traced to Scotland and the cultural heritages stretches far, from the revelry of the clans, to the poetry of Robert Burns. Scotland's rich traditions can be best seen over the summer months at the cutting-edge Edinburgh festival or at one of the many, more low-key, highland games.

There is a whole host of attractions on sailing routes in Scotland. With most of them lying on the West Coast of Scotland such as St Kilda, the remotest part of the British Isles, Staffa with its Fingal's Cave and the Isles of Iona, Skye and Lewis. When coming from the East Coast most sailing routes take you through the Caledonian Canal. The canal is simply wonderful to sail through by boat and Neptune's Staircase, a ladder of 8 locks in Fort Augustus is an excellent viewpoint of Ben Nevis. Whether visiting for sailing, river cruising or ocean cruising, Scotland is a paradise for the outdoor enthusiast.