Dickinson Greg - The rough guide to Scotland, [2017]

This Rough Guide is one of a new generation of informative and easy-to-use travel-guide ebooks that guarantees you make the most of your trip. An essential tool for pre-trip planning, it also makes a great travel companion when youre on the road.

From the fills you in on Scottish history and includes a handy Gaelic language section.

Detailed area maps feature in , accessible from the table of contents. Depending on your hardware, you can double-tap on the maps to see larger-scale versions, or select different scales. There are also thumbnails below more detailed maps in these cases, you can opt to zoom left/top or zoom right/bottom or view the full map. The screen-lock function on your device is recommended when viewing enlarged maps. Make sure you have the latest software updates, too.

Throughout , weve flagged up our favourite places a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric caf, a special restaurant with the author pick icon . You can select your own favourites and create a personalized itinerary by bookmarking the sights, venues and activities that are of interest, giving you the quickest possible access to everything youll need for your time away.

Clichd images of Scotland abound postcards of wee Highland terriers, glittering lochs, infinite variations on tartan and whisky and they drive many Scots apoplectic. Yet Scotland has a habit of delivering on its classic images. In some parts ruined castles really do perch on every other hilltop, in summer the glens do indeed turn purple with heather, and youll be unlucky not to catch sight of a breathless bagpiper while youre up here. Sure, the roads can be wiggly and the drizzle can be oppressive. But theres something intoxicating about these patriotic, Tolkien-esque lands that will have you yearning for more.

zoom left

zoom right

The complexity of Scotland can be hard to unravel: somewhere deep in its genes a generous dose of romantic Celtic hedonism blends (somehow) with stern Calvinist prudence. Its a country where the losers of battles (and football games) are more romanticized than the winners. The countrys major contribution to medieval warfare was the chaotic charge of the half-naked Highlander, yet in modern times it has given the world steam power, the television and penicillin. Chefs throughout Europe rhapsodize over Scottish langoustine and Aberdeen Angus beef, while back at home there is still a solid market for deep-fried pizza.

Naturally, the tourist industry tends to play up the heritage, but beyond the nostalgia lies a modern, dynamic nation. Oil and nanotechnology now matter more to the Scottish economy than fishing or Harris tweed, and the video gaming industry continues to prosper. Edinburgh still has its medieval Royal Mile, but just as many folk are drawn by its nightclubs and modern restaurants , while out in the Hebrides, the locals are more likely to be building websites than shearing sheep. Even the Highland huntin shootin fishin set are outnumbered these days by mountain bikers and wide-eyed whale-watchers. The ceilidh remains an important part of the Highlands social scene, although large-scale outdoor music festivals draw in revellers from around the world.

Scotland will never be able to cut its geographical and historic ties with the auld enemy, England, south of the border, although relations between these two countries are as complicated as ever. In the 2014 independence referendum Scots voted to remain part of the United Kingdom by a margin of 55.3 percent to 44.7 percent Despite this result, the nationalist movement continued to build momentum, with the SNP recording a historic landslide victory in the 2015 UK general election , taking 56 of 59 seats; they had won just four in 2010.

In contrast, thanks to ancient links with Ireland, Scandinavia, France and the Netherlands, Scots are generally enthusiastic about the European Union , which up until the 2016 EU membership referendum result had poured large sums of money into infrastructure and cultural projects, particularly in the Highlands and Islands. While the UK as a whole defied pollsters by voting to leave the EU, 62 percent of the Scottish population and all 32 councils opted to remain. Whether this will lead to a second Scottish independence referendum, as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon desires, remains uncertain. But one things for sure: Scots are likely to continue to view matters south of the border with a mixture of exaggerated disdain and well-hidden envy. Open hostility is rare, but ask for a full English breakfast and youll quickly be put right.