Scotland

Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital city, primary vacation destination and home to many of Scotland’s most important festivals including the famous Edinburgh Book Festival (which becomes more popular each and every year). Obviously if you choose to stay in the city for the duration of your Scottish vacation then you will certainly find plenty to do but there may be times when you wish to experience for of this wonderful country.

Day Trips from Edinburgh

One of the great things about basing your vacation in the capital is that the communication links which means that the number of possible day trip destinations is truly immense. One of the most popular places to go on a day trip is the nearby city of Glasgow. Glasgow is a shoppers paradise and, over recent years, the city has worked hard to present itself as a city suitable for vacations. This mainly started to happen after Glasgow became the European Capital of Culture when there was much investment and an awakening of civic pride. Compared to Edinburgh, Glasgow is something of an opposite, where the capital offers historic buildings going back centuries Glasgow’s finest buildings date from it’s heyday years at the end of the nineteenth century. Throughout the city there are countless fine Victorian buildings ranging from glorious housing to your usual bold museums and other civic buildings. For the artistic visitor there are numerous galleries and it has to be said, some of the finest examples of the works of Rennie MacKintosh, especially the famous Willow Tea Rooms (Cranston’s) and the Glasgow School of Art buildings. There is so much more to write about Glasgow but the most important thing is that it is only about an hours train journey away.

Another historic Scottish city that can be found within an hour of Edinburgh is Stirling. Although, at first, it would appear that  Stirling has little to offer the tourist it is only when you look more closely that you begin to realise that it is in the city’s long history that the best tourist attractions are to be found. Top of the list must be Stirling Castle which is one of the finest medieval castles to be found in Scotland and many even claim it to be finer than Edinburgh Castle. Touring the castle can be rather exhausting as the ground is rather hilly and the pathways are mainly cobbled, so, if you have mobility problems, you should plan to take your time. Even for the healthiest of visitors the complete tour can take well over an hour just to cover the basics. Over the years there has been comprehensive restoration works carried out in various parts of the castle. Of special note are the incredible tapestries and the interesting kitchens.

Glasgow and Stirling are only two of the most popular day trip destinations from Edinburgh. There are an incredible number of, widely varied, places to visit including Rosslyn Chapel which is highly popular with conspiracy theorists and fans of the Da’ Vinci Code book and movie. If you are planning a vacation this year remember to book your bed and breakfast or hotel in Edinburgh as early as you can because there are so many festivals held there that they are often fully booked at various times of the year. If you are unable to find anywhere to stay think about booking a hotel in Glasgow, this city is often an excellent choice for a base, especially for the younger visitors who appreciate the city’s vibrant night scene.