DK Travel : Scotland

Scotland has an overwhelming abundance of natural beauty, hundreds of castles stand proud from its long and turbulent past, and an innate flair for enterprise and travel has endowed the nation with artistic treasures from around the world. The culture remains vibrant today, and there’s much to celebrate. Here’s a distillation of Scotland’s best.

Radisson SAS Hotel

Castle-like building on the Royal Mile. Spacious, if uninspiring, bedrooms within, and a plentiful supply of facilities, from the restaurant with lighting that recalls Watt’s first electrical experiments (see Rotative Steam Engine: James Watt (1736–1819)) to the leisure club, with jet pool, sauna and solarium.
Raeburn House

Located in the residential area of Stockbridge – about a 10-minute walk from Princes St – Raeburn House is a fine Georgian villa. Pleasant décor with understated floral patterns and plenty of space. Currently, none of the rooms offers en-suite facilities (hence the budget price tag), but the hotel is to be upgraded in 2005. Festival Inns, who own the Raeburn, have various other hotels around town.
Re-establishment of a Scottish Parliament

In a 1997 referendum, the Scots emphatically voted for the reestablishment of a Scottish Parliament. This opened in 1999, returning the political forum to the heart of Scotland after an absence of 292 years.
Regional Feis

A feis (“faysh”) is a festival of Gaelic arts combined with workshops. Lasting several days, most take place in the Highlands and Islands, always with terrific performances and blistering dances.
Rick’s

Very stylish rooms, with the contemporary chic of walnut head-boards paired with angora blankets. Such tactile comforts are complemented by DVD players, modem points and very good sound systems. (see Rick’s Bar)
Rick’s Bar

Bar, restaurant and rooms, in fact (see Rick’s) . Sleek design warmed by rich, earthy hues and quiet mood lighting.
Ring of Brodgar, Orkney

A marvellously atmospheric prehistoric site of 36 slabs raised to form a circle. There are taller (but fewer) standing stones nearby at Stenness.
River Findhorn

Some swear they’d never fish anywhere else. The Findhorn is a majestic river, flowing from the Monadhliath mountains through wild moorland, forest and farmland to one of the prettiest of all estuaries. As with all Scottish rivers, the fishing is weather-dependent, but in a good year its bag of salmon, grilse and sea trout can rank among the best.
River Spey

Scotland’s second longest river is its fastest flowing and can claim the most consistently beautiful scenery from end to end. Local village fishing associations offer relatively cheap day tickets, while private beats with the best reputations, such as Tulchan, command high prices.
River Tay

The Tay is justly famed for its game fishing, and there’s plenty of it in this long river. The cost varies greatly: in the Dunkeld area alone, for example, it can range from £20 to £150 a rod per day. Brown trout fishing can be as little as £3 per day in its marginally shorter season.

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Hotel price categories

For a standard, double room per night (with breakfast if included), taxes and extra charges.
- under £50
- £50–100
- £100–150
- £150–200
- over £200