Looking to travel to Scotland in the near future? Well, an influential travel guide has created the ideal guide that you might want to read before you go. The travel experts at Lonely Planet have put together their top 10 list of insider tips to help anyone wanting to visit our wonderful wee country.
Packed with sensible advice on everything from how to deal with the weather to whether visitors can wear a kilt (of course), it's a goldmine of tips that will have you acting as nonchalant as a local in no time.
Speaking about Scotland, travel writer Mike MacEacheran wrote: "This country specializes in astonishing travellers at the same time as confounding them, delivering a double punch of euphoria and disbelief.
"For all the undreamed-of scenarios that you can encounter while here – summer hiking in shorts with an umbrella, for instance, or being terrorized by an invisible nuisance, the blood-sucking midge – the truth is that Scotland is an easy country to crack if you know the answer to some crucial questions and practicalities."
Speaking about how to deal with the transient weather, he adds: "Pack for all seasons, even in summer...
"A joke often told is that Scotland had a great summer last year – it was on a Wednesday. It’s a tongue-in-cheek punchline, of course, but there’s a kernel of truth at its core: the country’s weather is a carousel of ever-variegated four-season shifts."
While on the subject of driving outside of the major cities, he describes the experience as "art form", writing that "patience is key" and that getting from A to B make take just a little longer than you might think.
The article also offers advice on everything from discussing politics (be cautious) and drinking the tap water (it's safe, free and it's the cleanest you'll find around).
You can view the full article here.
And for those looking for more insider tips, we created a similar article article last year, and here are some of our favourite tips from those who either live here or have visited before.
Don't be afraid to go in winter
This should be pretty obvious but if you can handle the weather, Scotland is beautiful all year round.
As one of our users said: "We arrived into Glasgow the Friday night before Christmas, the town was alive!! People celebrating, Christmas Markets, it was wonderful walking around taking it all in."
Plan ahead - you don't want to miss out
As there is so much to see and do, planning ahead was a key tip for many.
One user wrote: "You need to schedule ahead, we missed out on the island of Hoy because we didn’t plan ahead."
Plan to come back - you won't see it all in one trip
This is important, Scotland is bigger, busier and more wonderful than you think.
"The people are wonderful. The country is beautiful," One person writes. "You definitely need to add more time for your visit!"
While another fellow traveller added: "That there is no way one visit of Scotland is enough, there is never enough of Scotland"
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