Some Ideas for Your Summer Vacation in Scotland!

Aberdeen is referred to as the Granite City. It provides a great scope for shopping, night life, and sightseeing. One of the most popular attractions of Aberdeen is the Winter Gardens and Duthie Park. This park is located on the Banks of River Dee and many couples come to the city for romantic weekend breaks and take a stroll along the banks of the river during your Scotland vacation.

The Winter Gardens is a home to beautiful glass houses and amazing plants. The city centre of Aberdeen contains the Union Street, with hundreds of shops and two shopping centres. Aberdeen has some of the most famous art galleries and museums in the world. Some of them are Provost Skene's House, Tolbooth, Aberdeen maritime Museum, and the Aberdeen art gallery. It is also one of the major seaports of Europe.

Aberdeen is also home to Robert Gordon's and Aberdeen University. It has a popular football team that is well loved by the locals. The city is also a popular holiday destination for short breaks and long weekend stays with many couples staying in self catering holiday apartments.

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is regarded as the party capital of Europe, a perfect idea for a Scotland vacation f you like to go out!. Some of the best parties occur during Hogmanay on New Year's Eve and the worl famous International festival in August. Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Edinburgh are Edinburgh Castle, the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, the Writers Museum, the National library of Scotland and the Royal Museum.

What to Do About Scotland

Scotland vacation packages are a great idea for a family holiday staying in a self catering holiday cottage. There's a lot to do while holidaying in Scotland with the Edinburgh Christmas Market a popular tourist destination. Many tourists like to visit during Christmas and the New Year and try to take part in the famous New Year's Eve celebrations.

Glencoe is famous throughout the world and many families try to visit this marvellous place when on vacation to Scotland. It has stunning scenery and the views from Glencoe are regarded as some of the best in Scotland. Many holiday makers rent a holiday cottage near Glencoe and are enchanted by its peace and tranquility.

To get to Glencoe you must travel along the A82 and many holiday makers are amazed by the stunning scenery as they drive along this road. It has superb woodlands and small streams winding their way down this picturesque mountain side.The area is particularly popular with climbers and walkers who can spend their holidays exploring the maze of climbs and walks in this area.

Scotland Has Beautiful Nature All Around You!

Scotland vacation packages aren't just about festivals, however, and many visitors choose to combine a visit to the Edinburgh Festival with a Highlands and islands escape; and Scotland's rugged beauty, low population density and diverse wildlife make it very popular with outdoor enthusiasts.

Scotland's outdoor sports vacations aren’t just good - they are world class. In September 2007, the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships will come to the small town of Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, offering a fantastic opportunity to witness the big names and Olympic champions of the mountain biking world, as well as to see the rising stars of the future tearing up the mud in a beautiful setting. There will be about 750 competitors from around 50 nations; and if you fancy your chances, you can even have a go at riding the downhill and cross country competition courses yourself.

For those that like their nature a little more relaxed, Scotland's vast system of walking trails provide the ideal way to escape into the wilds and witness the beauty of the land for themselves. All lengths and difficulties of walking and mountaineering are catered for, from short strolls with the kids, to multi-day hikes into the wilderness.

Anglers and golfers flock to Scotland's clean rivers and famous courses, while water babies can take advantage of Scotland's vast coastline, with hundreds of inlets and islands perfect for exploring in a kayak. Such areas also offer a good chance of seeing Scotland's marine wildlife, which includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. A Scotland vacation package is your perfect summer escape!

A Summer Away in Scotland

Whilst much of England and Wales has been battered by torrential rains causing wave upon wave of flooding, Scotland - not normally renowned for great weather - has completely escaped the severe downpours and has been enjoying a notably drier summer than its Southern counterparts. A great idea? A Scotland vacation package this summer!

Each year between July and September, Edinburgh plays host the largest arts festival in the world, drawing crowds from all over the world to indulge in an eclectic collection of culture, music, films, books and comedy on show across various venues within the city. Commonly referred to as the Edinburgh Festival, the event it is in fact a collection of discrete festivals, which includes the Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh Film Festival and the Edinburgh Book Festival among many others. A great time to take that trip to Scotland!

Despite the vast majority of performers at the Edinburgh Festival being amateur performers and students, some of today's biggest names on the UK comedy and theatre performance circuits attribute the Edinburgh Festival as helping them make their breakthrough into the public eye.

More Popular Golf Courses in Scotland

The Ailsa Course

The Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland is perhaps the most famous in Scotland. It contains three courses, but it is The Ailsa that is the best and most challenging. Looking out across the Mull of Kintyre, the Isle of Arran and the castle of Robert the Bruce, it is certainly the most scenic golf course in Scotland. But there's more here than fine views; the strong winds demand even stronger drives, the ninth hole (with a tee perched on the edge of the sea) is justly famous, and the course as a whole is an absolute delight to play on.

Kingsbarns Golf Links

Stunningly designed by Kyle Phillips, this course is a masterpiece of links craftsmanship that hugs the coastline - the North Sea is never out of sight. This intricate and demanding course is only a decade old, but is already ranked as one of the finest in Scotland. Watch out for the par five 12th hole, the signature hole on the Kingsbarns Golf Links. Kyle Phillips may be a Californian, but he has created one of the very best Scottish links courses in existence today.

Gleneagles Kings Course

There are a number of outstanding Gleneagles courses that are well worth playing on your golf holiday in Scotland, but the Gleneagles Kings Course is the pick of the bunch; it is truly a course worthy of kings. Designed by James Braid, it offers breathtaking views and superb design that has been delighting and challenging golfers since 1919.

Reasons to Visit Scotland!

Did you know that you can enjoy the beach sun in Scotland as well as participate in extreme watersports like Kayaking? Did you also know that a Scotland vacation package is just that exact place that you need to visit before you die if you're a big fan of cars? Yes, Scotland has the pet-friendly Mellon Udrigle Beach. It's also in Scotland where you'll find the one-of-its-kind, The Museum of Transport.

This is the reason why other countries can't match Scotland tourism. Where else can you find "urban" cities with castles and other “historic” relics other than Scotland? The Edinburgh Castle is just one of those many medieval castles that are still standing in the country. Scotland also has a couple of historic cathedrals to brag about in their tourism brochures.

Scotland vacation packages also shine in the dining and shopping department. The country has award winning restaurants that let tourists experience dining on a skyline, under a line vessel and at a "boat hotel". Scotland too can give you a satisfying shopping experience. It's only in Scottish shops that you can purchase beautiful Celtic jewelry, textiles and knitwear.

Places to Visit on Your Scotland Vacation

Skye itself is a must for any Scotland vacation, and is a beautiful and mysterious island. Dunvegan castle is the seat of the Macleod clan, and still hold the remnants of the 'Fairy Flag' that the MacLeods carried into battle. They believed that the flag could call up a fairy army to help them when needed.

Now you must visit Loch Ness and see if you can spot the Loch Ness Monster - many have, and it is amazing how a few good Scottish malt whiskies (no 'e' in Scots whisky) make the monster much easier to spot. You pass the loch on your way to Inverness that every Scotland vacation should include in its itinerary. The ancient capital of the highlands, Inverness is just a short drive away from the aforementioned Culloden, where you can still see the mounds under which the clansmen were buried in mass graves after the slaughter. Fought on 16th April, 1746, it was the last battle on British soil, and the last in which claymores tried to defeat muskets and bayonets.

Other places you must visit while on vacation in the Scottish highlands and lowlands include Fife and St. Andrews, with its championship links golf courses, Stirling Castle, Falkirk and the Monument to William Wallace of 'Braveheart' fame and many other great Scottish historical sites. You must visit a distillery or two and try out the single malt whiskies, and Rosslyn Chapel is worth a visit. Close to Edinburgh, this has connections with the Knights Templar, and features in Dan Brown's book 'The Da Vinci Code'.

Advice on Your Scottish Trip

First, if traveling from a distance, such as anywhere in the USA, you must travel at least business class. It is 5 hours out and 8 hours back (due to the jet stream), so you will want to travel in comfort. Then you should have personal attention - your personal guide, individual car and chauffeur and first class rail travel. The accommodation in Scotland is generally excellent, but even that should be extra special just for you and your partner or friend.

Scotland's capital city is Edinburgh, and is universally acclaimed as one of the most beautiful in the world. Its main street, Princes Street, is lined with stores and boutiques on one side, and by the gardens on the other where you cannot miss the famous Edinburgh Castle, perched high on a volcanic plug overlooking the entire city. The largest city in the country is Glasgow, about an hour drive away, designed largely by Sir Charles Rennie Mackintosh and home of the famous Burrell collection of art. Glasgow is second only to London as the largest retail center in the UK.

Having visited these two magnificent cities your Scotland vacation should now leave the lowlands of your Scotland vacation package, and head for the Scottish highlands. The beauty of Loch Lomond, the longest inland loch in the UK, deserves its reputation, and you mustn't miss it when visiting Scotland. Luss, on the banks of the loch, is a good place to stop for a pint of Scottish beer and to see how kilts bagpipes are made. The bagpipes are Scotland's national musical instrument, though some my debate the term 'musical'.

A Scottish Getaway

"You tak' the high Road an' I'll tak' the low road" and we will enjoy a Scottish vacation together, in the Scottish highlands and in the lowlands of Bonnie Scotland. Most people visit Edinburgh and then claim they have "done Scotland". Others head straight for the Isle of Skye or for Gleneagles Hotel or St. Andrews for a round of golf and then claim the same thing.

You don't "do Scotland" in a day, or even a few days. Ten days to two weeks is what it takes to experience what Scotland vacation packages have to offer, and even that is nothing more than a taste of more to come should you wish to return - and most do. So what is needed for you to see Scotland in all her glory? This proud country that has withstood the ravages of invading English, sometimes with great success and sometimes not?

One of the first things you will notice on your Scotland vacation, whether in the Scottish highlands or in the lowlands, is the pride of the people in their country and of their friendliness to visitors. Then you notice the scenery and everything else that makes Scotland what it is. Let's start on your ideal vacation in Scotland with the type of service you should expect.

Scotland Tartan Package

The Scotland Tartan Bed and Breakfast Package is perfect for independent travelers who wish the flexibility of creating their own itinerary around Scotland. Enjoy your first night pre-booked at the Jury's Inn in Glasgow or Edinburgh and then choose the next 5 nights from over 400 Discover Bed & Breakfasts sprinkled throughout Scotland, or upgrade to Premier B&Bs (private bath) with automatic car for only $79 for the week. Enjoy home cooked Scottish breakfasts, personalized Scottish hospitality and experiences which last a lifetime.

Travel Scotland and if you are interested in staying in Edinburgh for your first night travelers will fly into Glasgow airport, pick up their car rental and drive approximately 45 minutes to Edinburgh. Both cities offer travelers an incredible first night at two of Scotland's liveliest cities. Recommended visits along your journey are Loch Ness (Inverness), town of St. Andrews, Edinburgh Castle and many more areas waiting to be discovered.

Glasgow's East End traditionally begins at the city's ancient heart, the long and rising thoroughfares of High Street and Castle Street, which are bookended by two of the city's oldest buildings, the medieval Cathedral and the Tron Steeple at Glasgow Cross.
It is a large, densely packed residential area which, although a little off the tourist trail, has a number of spectacular gems worth seeking out.

Travel Scotland and discoverThree hundred yards down either London Road or Gallowgate from Glasgow Cross is The Barras, the city’s largest and most popular weekend market. The fast-talking traders, lively atmosphere and entertaining vignettes of Glasgow life make it an off-beat diversion from shopping-mall banality.

Travel Scotland and see that between London Road and the River Clyde are the wide and tree-lined spaces of Glasgow Green. Reputedly the oldest public park in Britain, the Green has been common land since at least 1178, when it was first mentioned in records and is ideal for Sunday morning strolls or bike-rides. The Green's natural focal point is The People's Palace, a wonderfully haphazard evocation of the city's social history. As a museum, it's refreshingly unpretentious and visitors are almost always outnumbered by local families. Grafted onto the rear of the Palace is the Winter Gardens, a large Victorian glasshouse complete with café, water garden, twittering birds and assorted tropical plants and shrubs. Newly relocated to outside the museum is the wonderfully restored Doulton Fountain, a hugely ornate terracotta monument to the reach of the Victorian British Empire.

Luxuries of Scotland

Travel Scotland and it’s easy to see why Scotland is a destination to fall in love with. Imagine a wild and wonderful landscape plus ancient cities alive with culture, nightlife, and fun. From the enchanting mystery of the Highlands in North Scotland, the perfect vacation is easy to achieve when you stay at deluxe hotels. Imagine yourself at the beautiful Cameron House in Glasgow, the world-renowned Gleneagles Hotel, and the splendid Atholl Palace, in the heart of the Highlands. Stay at the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews overlooking the most famous golf course in the world, where golf was first played. It truly doesn’t get any better than this!

Glasgow's vibrant and bustling city centre lies to the north of the River Clyde. At its geographical heart is George Square, a 19th-century municipal showpiece crowned by the enormous City Chambers.

Travel Scotland and see Glasgow's commercial core spreads west of George Square, and is mostly built on a large grid system of roads lined by grand Victorian office blocks and towering modern skyscrapers. The city centre offers some of the best shopping experiences outside of London, arranged along the interlinked and largely pedestrianised thoroughfares of Argyle Street, Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street. Here you’ll find vast contemporary malls like the Buchanan Galleries rubbing shoulders with Princes Square, one of the most stylish and imaginative shopping centres in the country, hollowed out of the innards of a 19th-century sandstone building.

After all that retail therapy, you can relax amongst the myriad bars, restaurants and cafes, take in a film or a show, or be uplifted by the cultural offerings at the controversial Gallery of Modern Art, the showpiece Royal Concert Hall, or the Theatre Royal, home to Scottish Opera and showcase for some of the world’s greatest touring companies.

Travel Scotland and while you're here, be sure to check out The Merchant City, the area to the south and east of George Square. that was once filled with 18th-century warehouses and homes that bustled with cotton, tobacco and sugar traders. In the last two decades, it has been sandblasted and regenerated with expensive designer shops, style bars and bijou cafés that give the area a pervasive air of sophistication and chic.

Scottish Sampler

Our most popular Britain vacation offersyou the absolute best of this great land.Delve into the cultures of England,Wales, and Scotland on this 10-day vacation.See all the famous landmarks in London beforetaking a special walk through the ornamentalgardens of Hampton Court Palace. Thenventure on to Stonehenge and Bath, and visitShakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, and picturesque Llangollen in NorthWales. On to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital, tovisit its famous castle, the Queen’s HolyroodPalace, and Sir Walter Scott’s AbbotsfordHouse. A walking tour of the medieval city ofYork and visits to unique Belvoir Castle andthe market town of Stamford complete this magnificent vacation.

Travel Scotland and enter Central Edinburgh has two distinct parts, divided by Princes Street, which runs roughly east-west under the shadow of Castle Rock.

Travel Scotland and see The Old Town, although only about a mile long and 300 yards wide, represents the total extent of the twin burghs of Edinburgh and Canongate for the first 650 years of their existence, and its general appearance and character remain indubitably medieval with its tortuous alleys and tightly packed closes. Containing as it does the majority of the city's most famous tourist sights - including the Castle and the Royal Mile - it makes by far the best starting point for your explorations.

Travel Scotland and find to the north of Princes Street, the New Town, itself well over 200 years old, stands in total contrast to the Old: the layout is symmetrical, the streets are broad and straight, and most of the buildings are Neoclassical in design. Originally intended to be residential, today the New Town is the bustling hub of the city's professional, commercial and business life, dominated by shops, banks and offices.

The Scottish Highlands

Your trip begins in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city. Lowland sights include Gretna Green and Carlisle, including Carlisle Castle, which has guarded England’s frontier with Scotland since the 11th century. It is here that Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned in 1558. Next, travel to Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, and visit fascinating Edinburgh Castle. In the Scottish Highlands, enjoy visits to pretty Braemar, home to the Royal Highland Games for over 900 years, a whisky distillery, and the Highland capital of Inverness. Visit Culloden Moor and Cawdor Castle, setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, on a half-day excursion. Then tour the unique Orkney Islands in the company of a Local Guide. The stunning scenery of northern Scotland leads you to the isles of Skye and Mull for two-night stays on each. Back in Glasgow, there is time for a city sightseeing tour and last-minute shopping before completing this exceptional vacation experience in Scotland.

When you travel Scotland, know a little more about it firsthand! Overflowing with style and culture, Scotland's biggest city is a revelation to its growing number of visitors. Its blend of internationally-acclaimed museums and galleries, stunning architecture, vibrant nightlife, fabulous shopping and superlative wining and dining prove irresistible.

Vibrant and energetic, Glasgow enjoys a year-round buzz that visitors just love, with an arts scene that regularly produces cutting-edge productions and attracts high-profile exhibitions that led to the city being crowned as a European City of Culture in 1990.

Glasgow was also the UK's City of Architecture and Design in 1999 and its architecture is certainly an attraction in itself, particularly its impressive Victorian structures and of course, the unique masterpieces of one of the city's most celebrated sons, architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Travel Scotland today and witness hsitory at its finest!

Scotland Legendary Luxury!

Scotland is a destination to fall in love with. Imagine a wild and wonderful landscape - scenic glens and shimmering lochs - plus ancient cities alive with culture, nightlife and fun. Long a favorite vacation spot for royals, Scotland simply dazzles. This is where golf was born, where real men wear kilts, and where the elixir known as usquebaugh - "water of life" - came to be known as whiskey for short. Check out Glasgow, Scotland's cultural capitial, and Edinburgh, built on ancient volcanic rock formations and dominated by the sublime Edinburgh Castle. Scotland is wild and civilized at the same time, brimming with history and tradition but on the cutting edge when it comes to offering the luxurious accomodations discerning travelers demand.

The perfect Scottish vacation is easy to achieve when you stay at a deluxe five-star hotel. Imagine yourself at the beautiful Cameron House in Glasgow and the splendid Atholl Palace, in the heart of the highlands. Stay at the Fairmont St. Andrews, with sweeping views of the North Sea and River Tay Estuary and the medival city where golf was first played. Cap it all off with a night at the world renowned Gleneagles Hotel, with three of Scotland's top golf courses - and any other activity you can imagine - right there on the grounds.

A stylish baronial mansion on the shore of Loch Lomond, voted most stylish Scottish hotel of 2009. An unforgettable experience. It's in the easy welcome at the door and the warm, inviting textures of the rooms. It's in the legendary local must-try dishes, and the five iron you'll hit to the heart of the green. It's feeling right at home in this very special location. It's true luxury. This is Cameron House on Loch Lomond.

Sceptre Tours is your #1 source for escorted tours in Scotland and Ireland! Enjoy the luxury accomodations and pampering you will receive when traveling with Sceptre Tours! Choose them for your next vacation to Scotland!

Scotland Legendary Luxury

Scotland is a destination to fall in love with. Imagine a wild and wonderful landscape - scenic glens and shimmering lochs - plus ancient cities alive with culture, nightlife and fun. Long a favorite vacation spot for royals, Scotland simply dazzles. This is where golf was born, where real men wear kilts, and where the elixir known as usquebaugh - "water of life" - came to be known as whiskey for short.

Check out Glasgow, Scotland's cultural capitial, and Edinburgh, built on ancient volcanic rock formations and dominated by the sublime Edinburgh Castle. Scotland is wild and civilized at the same time, brimming with history and tradition but on the cutting edge when it comes to offering the luxurious accomodations discerning travelers demand. The perfect Scottish vacation is easy to achieve when you stay at a deluxe five-star hotel. Imagine yourself at the beautiful Cameron House in Glasgow and the splendid Atholl Palace, in the heart of the highlands.

Stay at the Fairmont St. Andrews, with sweeping views of the North Sea and River Tay Estuary and the medival city where golf was first played. Cap it all off with a night at the world renowned Gleneagles Hotel, with three of Scotland's top golf courses - and any other activity you can imagine - right there on the grounds.

Package Includes

Accommodations:

2 nights Cameron House, Glasgow
1 night Atholl Palace, Pitlochry
2 nights Fairmont St. Andrews, St. Andrews
1 night Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterader

Transportation:

Weekly Manual Shift Car Rental

Other Inclusions:

Full Scottish Breakfast Daily

Let Sceptre Tours take you on an amazing trip through the luxuries of Scotland and have you indulge in all its splendor. Book your next Scotland vacation package with Sceptre Tours and have the time of your life!