TR AVE L TI PS Words by Daniel Cochrane
SCOTL AND Photos by Chad Kirkland S o n y a7r i i i
Rol ling h i l ls, verd a nt pa st u re s, a nd c ent u rie s- old r u ins, f rom b o t h m e d i e v a l t i m e s a n d t h e p e r i o d s p r e d a t i n g C h r i s t i a n i t y, ma ke Scot la nd a n A nglophiles drea m destination. Below a re a fe w t ravel t ips to help potent ia l t ravelers d ia l in a vac at ion t o t h e U. K .’s n o r t h e r n m o s t c o u n t r y. C u l t u r a l l y d i f f e r e n t , y e t t h e s a m e . A s p a r t o f t h e U. K . , m a n y of t he d ay-to -d ay cu lt u ra l int ric acie s w i l l seem re a sonably f a m i l i a r, b u t j u s t a t a d b i t d i f f e r e n t . A s s u c h f o r m o s t people, it w i l l ma ke for a smoot h t ra nsit ion when v isit ing. S u r e t h e r e ’s h a g g i s b u t t h e r e ’s a l s o a n a m p l e s u p p l y o f f i s h a nd ch ips, a nd cheap qu a lit y beer a lway s t ra nsc end s cu lt u ra l bounda ries.
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D r e s s w a r m l y, e v e n i n t h e s u m m e r. H i g h l a t i t u d e s m e a n l o w temperat u re s. Even in t he pe a k su m mer mont h s d ay t ime h i g h s r a r e l y e c l i p s e 65 d e g r e e s , a n d w i n t e r m o n t h s h o v e r nea r f ree zing. Add in t he procliv it y for ra in wh ich is e ver p r e s e n t , a n d y o u' l l d e f i n i t e l y w a n t t o h a v e l o n g s l e e v e s o r a l i g h t j a c k e t m o s t o f t h e t i m e . T h e We s t e r n s i d e o f t h e i s l a n d see s much more ra in t ha n t he E a st, a nd t he d rie st por t ion of t h e y e a r f o r b o t h i s l a t e s p r i n g i n t o e a r l y s u m m e r. Pa s t o r a l L a n d s c a p e s e q u a t e s t o c a r r e n t a l . Un l e s s y o u pla n to spend you r ent ire v isit in E d inbu rg h, A berdeen or G l a s g o w, y o u’ l l w a n t t o s e c u r e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n . T h e o b v i o u s “wrong side of t he road ” t hing a side, t he one t hing t hat A merica n drivers will have to get used to is t he stereot y pica l B r i t i s h s e n s e o f e f f i c i e n c y. N o l o l l y g a g g i n g h e r e , d r i v i n g i s u t i l i t a r i a n a n d u s e d f o r g e t t i n g f r o m p o i n t A t o B . Yo u’ l l ma r vel at t he driving ef f icienc y when ever yone is on t he same page.
