February 2009

  • The Beautiful Island of Iona

    By roskopp on 2/19/09 5:59am
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    Iona is a truly magical place with an enchanting atmosphere and a long and interesting history. It is a small island in the Inner Hebrides close to Mull off the West coast of Scotland. Well over 100,000 visitors make their way to Iona to every year and this tiny island has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries.

    The island measures just 3.5 miles by 1.5 miles and in order to get there you have to make your way to Oban on the West coast. From Oban you take the ferry to Mull which is a larger island. Then you drive along the single track road to the far side of Mull where you can catch a ferry across to Iona from a place called Fionnphort. It can be a lengthy trip and progress on the single track roads of Mull is often slow and, in bad weather, hazardous. You can opt to book a day trip to Iona from Oban and go by coach instead.

    However you get there just make sure that you do because there are few places in Scotland that provide such a tranquil and beautiful setting for exploration. Iona has a fascinating history which began in the 6th century when St.

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  • The National Wallace Monument

    By roskopp on 2/13/09 7:08am
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    The National Wallace Monument photographed by Finlay McWalterThe National Wallace Monument can be found on the Abbey Craig a couple of miles north of Stirling. This is the spot that William Wallace chose to watch the approach of the English before the Battle of Stirling Bridge which was to be his greatest victory.

    The monument is a popular tourist attraction with Scots and foreigners alike and it is well worth a visit. The monument was built thanks to public donations and the Scottish people at home and abroad chipped in over £10,000 to see the monument erected back in 1869. It is well over 60 meters tall and took over ten years to build.

    It is easy to find with signposts on the nearby A91 and from Stirling city centre. There is a large car park with a pavilion where you can purchase tickets.

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  • National Museum of Scotland

    By roskopp on 2/11/09 5:02am
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    Royal Museum and National Museum of ScotlandThe National Museum of Scotland is an essential place to visit if you spend any time in Edinburgh. It has a wide ranging collection which covers various periods of Scottish history from the Picts through the Vikings, the times of Wallace and Bruce, the Jacobites and all the way up to the present day with an exhibit about the first cloned sheep in the world, Dolly.

    You can see the intricately carved Lewis chessmen, early Scottish flags and maps and a replica of Mary, Queen of Scots tomb. There are also beautiful bronze figures sculpted by Eduardo Paolozzi, a gorgeous piece of Pictish jewellery known as the Hunterston Brooch and a frightening guillotine called the Maiden which despatched quite a few criminals over the years.

    The Museum of Scotland was constructed in 1998 and added on to the end of the stunning Victorian Royal Museum on Chambers Street.

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  • Arthur's Seat

    By lisala on 2/8/09 6:28pm
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    About a mile to the east of Edinburgh Castle, in the middle of the 650 acre Holyrood Image of Arthur's Seat.Park, a double mounded hill rises 251 meters above the city; in reality, it's all that remains of an extinct 350 million year old volcano, one that was smoothed and leveled a hundred and fifty or million years after its last gasp when a glacier swept down and across the volcano, leaving smaller clusters at the base of the dead volcano, and shaping it into the double mounds that today tower over the city and are known as Arthur's Seat.

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  • Edinburgh Castle

    By roskopp on 2/6/09 6:12am
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    Edinburgh Castle photo with permission from angrypict.co.ukOne of the most popular tourist destinations in Scotland is Edinburgh Castle. The majority of visitors to Scotland spend some time in the capital city of Edinburgh and there are loads of places worth checking out. The most popular of the bunch is the castle which sits atop a volcanic plug and dominates the Edinburgh skyline.

    Before the castle was built the Picts had a hill fort on the volcanic plug and it is a superb natural spot for easy defence offering a terrific view of the surrounding terrain. It is no surprise then that subsequent people have built defences there and the castle is now a strange mixture of building styles with various monarchs having made contributions over the centuries.

    The oldest building still surviving is the chapel of Saint Margaret which dates back to the 12th century and was built by King David I.

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  • Welcome to Scotland

    By roskopp on 2/5/09 2:41am
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    Welcome to the Scotland Journey blog, over the next few weeks we will be bringing you all sorts of articles about Scottish culture, great places to visit and famous Scottish people as well as offering an insight into the history of Scotland.

    Scottish Highlands, The QuirangScotland is a fascinating country with a bustling tourist trade and there are plenty of reasons to visit for a holiday. The proud history of this once independent nation can be seen reflected in the castles and monuments that litter our cities and countryside. The scenery is nothing short of spectacular and the remote highlands and islands of Scotland can be breathtaking in their beauty. In the cities you’ll find museums and art galleries, a lively social scene in pubs and clubs, lots of live music and plenty of good shopping locations.

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