Tourism
- Filtered by:
- Tourism
53 articles
Sorted by popularity / date
Why I love Glasgow - By Ewan Morrison
31 Aug 2012
The author reveals his love affair with the dear green place
I love this place. Here’s why. Glasgow is a fairly modern city, most of it was built on the back of the sugar and tobacco trade in no time at all, and as a result it has this wonderful, rational, almost surgical structure. It is absolutely impossible to…
Visiting the UK with the help of some local recommendations
26 Jun 2012
Live like a local in British cities London, Glasgow and Edinburgh
The United Kingdom, soaked in history and heritage, welcomes millions of visitors to its shores every year and every year they flock like lemmings to the same destinations over and over. That is not to take anything away from our symbolic heritage sites…
Robert Burns Birthplace Museum set for Alloway in Ayrshire
17 Feb 2011
£21m building celebrating Scottish poet opens Wed 1 Dec 2010
As part of the Robert Burns Heritage Park trail, a new museum dedicated to the Scottish icon will be opened in Ayr in December. The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum will be opened on 1 December in Alloway, by Burns Cottage, where the poet was born. The…
The best parks and green spaces in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
Extinct volcanoes, hidden gardens and urban parks in the capital
Edinburgh is a capital blessed with an abundance of green spaces, from extinct volcanoes to hidden gardens – all ideal spots to take time out and recharge your batteries
A guide to the best ghost tours of haunted Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
The best of the spooky and haunted side of the historic Scottish capital
In the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, one of Edinburgh’s most famous literary sons, ‘Only a few inches separate the living from the dead.’ And nowhere is that more true than in the Old Town. From Burke and Hare to Half-Hangit Maggie, the city has more…
A guide to Edinburgh Castle
16 Feb 2011
The capital's most iconic landmark is a must-see for any visitor
Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano, is estimated to be 350 million years old. Archaeologists say that its grassy shoulders were the site of a settlement at least as early as 900bc, and by ad600 there was probably a feasting hall on the…
A guide to some of the best restaurants in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
The Scottish capital has some of the best restaurants for Scottish cuisine
Some visitors may come to Scotland with a sense of dread that they’ll be force-fed salty porridge or be obliged to eat everything deep fried in fat. It’s true that the more adventurous may well encounter food here they’re unlikely to find elsewhere…
The best Scottish castles you can stay in near Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
Many Scottish castles are open to residents looking to live like royalty
Voted favourite UK city by Condé Nast Traveller magazine in 2010, and named Britain’s best city for tourists – for the 11th year in a row – in the Guardian and Observer travel awards, you might wonder why anyone would ever want to leave the city that…
The historical events that shaped Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
An overview of Edinburgh's history provides further insight into Scotland's capital
In prehistoric times, our ancient ancestors hunted and farmed on the plain between the Forth and the Pentland Hills, and settled on the heights of Castle Rock and Arthur’s Seat, strengthening these rocky outcrops with primitive ramparts. Later, in the…
Edinburgh's Royal Mile takes in hundreds of years of history and drama
16 Feb 2011
A haven for tourists and the centrepoint of historic Edinburgh
The Royal Mile begins as you leave the castle. On the right is the Scotch Whisky Experience – the perfect introduction to the history and alchemy of Scotland’s national drink – complete with a dram at the end. On the left, the tower with the…
Why Edinburgh remains unrivalled as a festival city
16 Feb 2011
A huge number and variety of festivals take place each year
In 1961, a theatre director made a proposal. It was his opinion that the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was getting too big. It would be much better, he said, ‘if only ten halls were licensed’. Nobody listened. Had the director been able to travel…
A guide to the architecture and design of Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
Edinburgh’s architecture from medieval tenements to the ultra-modern
Should you happen past Enric Miralles’ Scottish Parliament building at the foot of the Royal Mile and hear raised voices from a group of otherwise peaceful-looking types, don’t be surprised. It’ll just be yet another architectural tour that has…
Where to explore the world of Scotch Whisky in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
The best single-malt whisky tastings, tours and shops
The purpose of Scotch whisky is to give pleasure,’ says Charles MacLean in his Whiskypedia: A Gazetteer of Scotch Whisky, and Edinburgh is the place to pursue this principle. You can literally immerse yourself in a whisky barrel at the Scotch Whisky…
The best golf courses in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
Edinburgh and East Lothian courses include Musselburgh Links, Turnhouse, Gullane and Muirfield
The game of golf got its first written mention in 1457, when King James II was so worried that his subjects were busy playing golf rather than practicing their archery that he issued an act of parliament, banning the game, with severe penalties for all…
A guide to Edinburgh's New Town
16 Feb 2011
The largest example of Georgian town planning in the world
Sitting elegantly to the north of Princes Street Gardens is Edinburgh’s grand and leafy New Town, the largest example of Georgian town planning in the world, which provides a well-ordered contrast to the chaos of the city’s medieval Old Town.
The most significant works of art in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
Scotland's National Galleries are home to many major works
What’s your idea of true art? The perfect peachy bums of The Three Graces? Football mastermind Sir Alex Ferguson rendered in cut-up red postcards? A stern-faced ice-skating minister? Whatever tickles your artistic fancy, you can be sure to find it in…
A guide to Edinburgh's authors and books
16 Feb 2011
Edinburgh, first City of Literature, boasts some of the world’s most famous and well-loved authors
Challenge anyone who doubts Edinburgh’s claim to be a literary city to come up with another capital whose main station is named after a novel (Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley), one of whose football teams is named after another (The Heart of Midlothian…
Why the best way to discover the beautiful city of Edinburgh is on foot
16 Feb 2011
A guide to the best walking tours of Scotland's capital
Wandering around a city without a map can either turn up serendipitous gems or leave you hopelessly lost and frustrated with none of your must-see list ticked off. That’s when it’s a good idea to enlist the help of a walking tour guide who’ll whisk you…
Bus trips to the Scottish Highlands from Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
How to explore the best of the rest of Scotland
Edinburgh has culture, history, shops and sustenance, but there’s a whole country beyond to be explored and it would be a shame to limit a visit to Scotland to the capital alone. If you visit just one other part of the country, make it the Highlands…
Getting around Edinburgh by bus, bike and on foot
16 Feb 2011
The hilly streets of Scotland's compact capital are easy to navigate
Edinburgh’s volcanic terrain means you’re never far from a steep hill, and while getting around the city centre is simple on foot or by bike, taking a bus tour is an easy way to see the sights, especially if your time is limited. The city’s main tour…
The best independent shops and designer boutiques in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
From Harvey Nichols and Iain Mellis to Analogue Books and Demijohn
Multrees Walk is the place to go if you want to splash the cash – Edinburgh’s high-end designer shops all rub their expensive shoulders together in one street. Harvey Nichols is here – it has five floors of designer goodies including womenswear…
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
Newly renovated NMS showcases Scottish achievements
A country with as many scientists, inventors and explorers as Scotland needs a place to show off all its achievements – and nowhere does the job better than the newly renovated National Museum
The Scottish clothes designers making a name for themselves
16 Feb 2011
Jonathan Saunders, Christopher Kane, Deryck Walker and Holly Fulton
Scotland has always been at the head of cutting-edge design – and today’s selection is just as good
The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
Holyroodhouse is to Scotland what Buckingham Palace is to England
Holyroodhouse is to Scotland what Buckingham Palace is to England – but it is much older, dating from a time when England’s kings still lived in the Tower of London. Holyrood Park was originally a royal hunting preserve beneath the towering crags of…
Why the Water of Leith is one of Edinburgh's best kept secrets
16 Feb 2011
The 12-mile stretch of walkway through the heart of the Scottish capital
Take a stroll along the Water of Leith and you’ll feel as if someone is watching you. That’s because they are. It’s not the occasional posse of feral youths but, rather, naked men standing knee-deep in the water, staring. Before you dial 999, however…
