Culture | Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Visit Commonwealth Games 2014, Visit Glasgow

May 4, 2012 catswhiskers Comments off

Commonwealth Games 2014, Glasgow

This evening, I am focusing on the 2014 Commonwealth Games( the 20th such event) which are to be held in Glasgow, Scotland between July 23rd and August 3rd 2014. Some key facts:

Seventeen sports comprising: Athletics, Aquatics, Boxing, Badminton, Weight Lifting, Lawn Bowls, Hockey, Rugby 7s, Squash, Netball, Cycling, Shooting, Wrestling, Gymnastics, Judo, Table Tennis and Triathlon.
The Games will be staged in three clusters: East End, South Side and West End.
Cost estimated at GBP500m (about USD800m).
6500 athletes.
The biggest multi-cultural sports event hosted in Scotland.
Legacy will be important.

Clearly, the Games will result in a surge of visitor numbers. Already Glasgow attracts some 3.0m visitors per annum.

Glasgow can offer a wide range of attractions and sites including Roman Era, Picts, Medieval, Industrial history, Art, Architecture and Design. See this blog post for an overview.

Art, Culture, Glasgow, Glasgow Architecture, Locations, Roman Scotland, Scotland tour, Sport, Tours none

Tour Isle of Skye, Tour Scotland

April 22, 2012 catswhiskers Comments off

Broadford Bay, Skye, Scotland

This evening, I am posting summary information on the Isle of Skye, one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions. Here can be found:

Castles
Gardens
Mountainous landscapes.
Seascapes
A whisky distillery ( Talisker).
Wildlife including raptors and seals.
Prehistoric standing stones.
An iron age ( 2000 year old) dwelling called a broch.
Traditional peat cutting.
Waterfalls.
Artists and craft people. Combination of ever changing light conditions and landscapes offers superb raw material for photographers.
Colourful harbourside at Portree, the island’s capital.
Fascinating geological history.

A basic tour of Skye can be undertaken in one full day but some visitors may wish to linger and explore this multi-faceted island.,

Here is the colourful harbour at Portree.

Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Popular Mealt Falls in the north of Skye.

Mealt Falls, Skye, Scotland

Kilt Rock, adjacent to Mealt Falls. So named due to similarity with a pleated kilt.

Kilt Rock, Skye, Scotland

Rugged scenery featuring the Old Man of Storr (perpendicular rock in right of image).

Old Man of Storr, Skye, Scotland

The Quiraing, rugged scenery due to a massive landslip.

Quiraing, Skye, Scotland

Here is the ferry port of Uig. Connections to the Hebrides available from here. Good stop for lunch in course of a one day island tour.

Uig Bay, Skye, Scotland

Fairy Glen near Uig. Name inspired by the strange conical hills.

Fairy Glen, Skye, Scotland

Here are the remains of an Iron-Age Broch. Just the foundation remains. When complete the structure was probably a high status dwelling and about as tall as a lighthouse.

Dun Beag Broch, Skye, Scotland

Here is Dunvegan Castle, home to the Chief of Clan MacLeod for hundreds of years and open to the public.

Dunvegan Castle, Skye, Scotland

Interesting view from Elgol at end of a long and winding road from Broadford.

: Elgol, Skye, Scotland

View of Cuillin Montains

Cuillin Mountains, Skye, Scotland

Sky ablaze at dawn.

Sunrise, Isle of Skye, Scotland

View from Isleornsay

Isleornsay, Skye, Scotland

Invariably, Skye features in my round Scotland tours.

Art, Brochs, Buildings, Castles, Culture, History, Islands, Islands, Locations, Monuments, Mountains, Nature, Parks & Gardens, Scotland tour, Skye, Stone Circles, Tours, Whisky none

Tour Fife Coast, Tour Scotland

April 19, 2012 catswhiskers Comments off

West Wemyss, Fife Coast, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on the popular tourist route along the Fife Coast of Scotland which encompasses: interesting geology and raised beaches, prehistoric carvings, medieval castles, 16th century architecture, quaint fishing villages and sandy beaches. Above is 16th century buildings at West Wemyss.

Below is one aspect of Macduff’s Castle at East Wemyss.

Macduff's Castle, East Wemyss, Scotland

Here is a pleasant sandy beach at Lower Largo, birthplace of Alexander Selkirk who was the real world role model for Robinson Crusoe.

Lower Largo Beach, Fife Coast,Scotland

Here is the Alexander Selkirk statue

: Alexander Selkirk Statue, Lower Largo, Fife

Sandy bay at Elie

Elie, Fife Coast, Scotland

Here is St. Monans Church , a historic site and popular with visitors.

St Monan's Church, Fife Coast, Scotland

Here is Pittenweem Harbour, home to a fleet of still active fishing boats.

: Pittenweem, Fife Coast, Scotland

Here is Anstruther or ‘Anster’ as pronounced by the locals. This seaside village is very popular with visitors, not least because of its acclaimed fish and chip restaurant, one of the top such establishments in Scotland.