1:07 AM
Admin
1. Aberdeen:
Aberdeen, Scotland's third-biggest city, whose name derive from the just a point of "aber" meaning "mouth" and the mixture of Dee and Don, has a rich cultural tradition plus modern facilities and a range of industries. The port is an important commercial and shopping center with many sights of interest and a number of well-tended parks and gardens. Visitors will find some 2mi/3km of sandy beach, the Beach spare time Center swimming pool with wave machine, superb golf courses, and performances of ballet, plays and opera in His Majesty's Theater, concerts by top-class orchestras in the Music Hall, experimental drama production in the Arts Center and Theater as well as a variety of arts festivals during the summer months. The silver-gray granite from nearby quarries gives the city a unique character, although the last quarry in Rubislaw was closed in 1971. St Machar's, the oldest granite cathedral in the world, was built with stone from Rubislaw. When the sun shines, the mica in the granite sparkles, hence "Silver City" has become a popular description for Aberdeen. "Flower City" refers to the splendid flower beds and displays, which have again and again brought the city achievement in the "Britain in Bloom" competition.
2. Ayr:
Ayr is not only a good shopping center but also a good base for exploring the Lowlands. It faces the island of Arran and is the most important town in the county of Ayrshire. Robert Burns described the local people as "honest men and bonnie lasses". A memorial at the station, Tam o'Shanter Inn is an examples of the Burns legacy in the Region. Devotees can even follow the Burns' Heritage Trail, a literary tour through southwest Scotland as far as Dumfries that takes in all the places connected with Burns. Ayr boasts an important race course, no fewer than three golf courses and a long sandy beach.
3. Dumfries:
The administrative center for the area, Dumfries (pop. 33,000) lies on the River Nith which flows into the Solway Firth a little further south. The town can look back over an exciting history. It obtained its charter as a "Royal Burgh" from Robert II in 1395. The old town hall in the middle of the market place was built in 1708 and the bridge, Now reserved for pedestrians, dates from 1208.
4. Dundee:
The fourth-largest city in Scotland spreads along the north bank of the Firth of Tay at the foot of Balgary Hill (480ft/145m) and Law (571ft/174m). Jute, jam and journalism were the three trades that for many years brought prosperity to the town. The jute factories and weaving mills have now closed (and also many of the Shipyards), most of the printing presses have gone and manufacture of the highly-prized jam has decline. Their spaces have been taken by service industries. Modern technology parks and a host of small and medium-sized companies working in synthetic fibers, biotechnology, accuracy engineering and instrument making are witness to how Dundee has adapted to a new post-industrial economic structure.
5. Edinburgh:
Edinburgh is the capital and cultural center of Scotland for over 500 years, occupies one of the most attractive locations. Sometimes described as the "Athens of the North", the celebrated festival city boasts Doric columns on Calton Hill, a wide choice of museums and art galleries as well as a host Of other historical gems. Edinburgh really consists of two cities. The castle, set on high basalt rock, dominates the densely populated old town, a labyrinth of narrow alleys, rows of houses and back yards. The famous "Royal Mile" relatives the castle with the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Georgian new town, itself a masterwork of city planning from the 18th century, is characterized by grand squares, wide avenues and elegant facades.Edinburgh is now home to many prosperous service industries and the area around George Street is one of Europe's biggest investment centers.
6. Glasgow:
Glasgow sits astride the Clyde about 19mi/30km from where the river opens into the Firth of Clyde. In recent years Glasgow has undergone something of a transformation. Since the unsuccessful decline of the commercial navy and the dockyards, the pace of life has speedup as the successful post-industrial restructure has Brought a new culture and new service industries to the city. In the mid-80s the Exhibition and Conference Center opened its doors, neglected buildings by the banks of the Clyde were cleared to create plenty of green, open spaces and the old dockland sites on the opposite bank of the river were converted into residential quarters. Sandblasters cleaned up the sooty facades of the Victorian buildings in the heart of the city and shopping arcades, the glass-covered St Enoch shopping and entertainment center and the elegant Prince's Square were opened. Many new opportunities were formed for cultural events, so that now this working class metropolitan area seems to have effectively and in its own way met the two requirements of enlightened tourism: "real life" and "culture".
7. Inverness:
Inverness is the administrative center for the Highland region, which consists of the old counties of Inverness, Nairn, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland and Caithness. The town has benefit from its sheltered position at the mouth of the Moray Firth and at the northeastern end of the Caledonian Canal in the sixth century. Inverness was the residence of Pictish kings and in 565 St Columba visited the town to pay his respects to Brude, king of the Picts. Given the town's favorable site at the gateway to the Northwest Highlands, Inverness has become a busy tourist midpoint and it makes a good starting point for excursion.
8. Isle of Mull:
The largely treeless island of Mull (pop. 2,400) is the third-biggest of the Hebridean islands. As a holiday target it offers extraordinary scenery, footpaths for walkers and sport and leisure services including golf, pony trekking and water sports. The south and east of the island are hilly with peaks of 3,000ft/915m. On the other hand the hills in the north are lower and the vegetation and wildlife are similar to those found on Skye. Hobbies & Activities category: Golf course; Swimming & water activities; Hiking opportunity; Natural area; National park; Resort or relaxation spot; Sports activity or museum.
9. Isle of Skye:
The biggest of the inner isles, Skye, was known to the Vikings as "Sküyo" ("cloud island"), while in Gaelic it became known as "Eilean Sgiathanach" ("winged island") because of the unequal coastline. Thanks to the existing weather conditions it was also termed "Eilean a Cheo" ("misty island"). The beautiful of Skye are its unspoiled natural atmosphere, the wild, romantic mountain scenery and the green valleys, caves and beautiful glens, magnificent waterfalls and sandy beaches. It events about 50mi/80km in length and between 4 and 15mi/6.4-40km in width with many inlets getting deep inland. To the south of the island lie the remains of primeval oak forests interspersed with birch, mountain ash, holly and hazel.
10. Loch Lomond:
Lomond is an excellent place to savor the romance of a Scottish castle, breathe in the lakeside air and enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities. The idyllic Loch Lomond northwest of Glasgow is Britain's largest lake and according to Walter Scott "The Queen of Scottish Lakes". While the plentiful stocks of trout, salmon and whitefish attract anglers from far afield, the many day-trippers, not to mention the watersports enthusiasts, walkers and those in search of rest and relaxation are drawn by the fantastic scenery around the lake. Boat trips on the "Maid of the Loch" give visitors a chance to admire the beauty of the lake and its surroundings. It is possible to climb Ben Lomond (3,192ft/973m) from Rowardennen and be thankful for the waters from a different angle as well as admire the views to the east. Loch Lomond is often the first stop for tourers heading north along the Western Highland Way which runs from Glasgow through the attractive Argyll countryside to Fort William. Cameron House at the south end of Loch.The wildlife includes otters, seals, salmon and trout and well over 200 different species of birds such as red-throated divers, corncrake, solan geese and a few pairs of golden eagles.
11. Perth:
When Sir Walter Scott wrote his novel "The Fair Maid of Perth" he put this pretty town 22mi/35km west of Dundee firmly on the map. Although comparatively few historic buildings from this former Scottish capital have survived, the town can claim to have been the scene of a number of main events in the history of Scotland.
12. St Andrews:
The small town of St Andrews, situated on the Fife peninsula about 12mi/20km southeast of Dundee, overlooks a lengthy sandy beach. For many sports enthusiasts, St Andrews is the home of golf. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club was found here in 1754 and since 1897 its members have been accepted internationally as golf's ruling Body. Every two years the famous "British Open" championship is held at one of St Andrews' five 18-hole course (there is one nine-hole course too). The little town also boasts various ancient buildings and what is thought to be Scotland's oldest university. The many student bars around College Street and Market Street contribute to the town's lively atmosphere.
Posted in: 
0 comments:
Post a Comment