Aug 5th, 2011 at 12:00PM:
In Scotland, the past is still very much present. In rural areas you can hear people speaking Scots Gaelic or Lowland Scots like their forefathers did. There are castles and stone circles all over the region. The most enigmatic remains from the past are the brochs.
Brochs are mysterious drystone towers dating to around two thousand years ago. Built without mortar or nails, they're ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
scotland posts
Brochs: the prehistoric castles of Scotland
Aug 5th, 2011 at 12:00PM:
In Scotland, the past is still very much present. In rural areas you can hear people speaking Scots Gaelic or Lowland Scots like their forefathers did. There are castles and stone circles all over the region. The most enigmatic remains from the past are the brochs.
Brochs are mysterious drystone towers dating to around two thousand years ago. Built without mortar or nails, they're ...UK strike slows down ports and airports
Jun 30th, 2011 at 8:30AM: UK airports and ports are experiencing delays as many customs and immigration officials are on a one-day strike.
The UK Border Agency is one of several UK public sector unions on strike over plans to change pensions, a move they say will have employees working longer, paying more into the system, and getting less out of it when they retire.
Some Border Agency workers started early, at 6pm ...Budget Edinburgh: Navigating Scotland's capital on a shoestring
Jun 23rd, 2011 at 9:30AM:
Great Britain isn't at the top of many budget travelers' lists due to the sheer insanity of the exchange rate. Today's dollar gets the American traveler only 0.62 pounds, and for those working on a ramen and couch-surfing budget, that unfavorable ratio can cause a great deal of hardship.
With that said, Scotland and Edinburgh are a world away from the star studded and action packed streets ...New discoveries reveal life and times of the Roman Emperor Hadrian
Jun 19th, 2011 at 3:00PM: The Emperor Hadrian is one of Rome's most famous emperors, ruling at the height of the Empire from 117-138 AD. His villa just north of Rome is a popular tourist attraction, yet some Italian researchers have discovered what countless visitors never noticed: the buildings are aligned with astronomical events.
On the summer solstice (June 21 this year) light passes through an opening above a ...Edinburgh through the wide angle lens
Jun 8th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
Spring is ebbing in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, the best time of the year in northern Great Britain. This historical city blossoms with opportunity as the season changes; green spaces tumble through the city like unrolling bolts of cloth, the castle and the Holyrood Palace glisten with visitors and sleepy residents begin to emerge from the shadows of winter to bustle about the public ...Skeletons at royal castle in Scotland killed in battle, experts say
May 29th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
Stirling Castle in Scotland was the scene of several brutal sieges and battles in its violent history. Now a new exhibition looks at the castle's past and the grim discovery of several skeletons in the Royal Chapel showing signs of violent death.
One man had 44 skull fractures from repeated blows with a blunt object, and up to 60 more over the rest of his body. The Middle Ages were a pitiless ...Some German airports shut because of Iceland volcano
May 25th, 2011 at 7:30AM: Ash from the Icelandic volcano Grimsvötn that caused hundreds of flight cancellations in the UK, Denmark, and Norway yesterday has now moved over Germany, shutting down airports in the north of the country.
Hamburg and Bremen airports are closed. Berlin airport will probably close this morning as well. At least 600 flights are expected to be affected.
Poland may also be affected today ...Travel Read: The East Highland Way hiking guide
May 24th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
Last year for my annual "Oh crap another birthday I need to prove my youth" long-distance hiking adventure, I chose Scotland's East Highland Way. It runs 78 miles from Ft. William through some beautiful countryside to Aviemore. The route had just been created by hiker Kevin Langan, and was so new there wasn't a guidebook. Kevin was kind enough to send me maps and a summary preprint of his book ...Iceland volcano cancels flights
May 24th, 2011 at 7:00AM:
Here we go again.
After last year's misery from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, now another Icelandic volcano, Grimsvötn, is causing a new round of worries.
More than 250 flights have already been canceled as a cloud of volcanic ash blows over Scotland. Most of Ireland, northern Wales, and northern England will see the ash later today.
Several Scottish airports have been ...New British beer is first to contain Viagra, commemorates Royal Wedding
Apr 19th, 2011 at 4:30PM: Prince William may be losing his hair, but it seems a bit presumptuous to assume that he's lost his mojo, as well. But that won't stop Scottish craft brewer BrewDog from releasing Royal Virility Performance on April 29th. The world's first beer to be enhanced with Viagra, the 7.5-percent ABV India Pale Ale also contains purported natural aphrodisiacs Horny Goat Weed and chocolate, as well as "a ...Bizarre foods: European "delicacies," by country
Mar 16th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
What constitutes "food" is relative, depending upon what part of the world you call home. In Asia, pretty much anything on no (snakes), two, four, six, or eight legs is up for grabs. Europe, however, has its own culinary oddities, as detailed below. Got maggots?
Iceland
Hákarl: Fermented, dried Greenland or basking shark. This tasty treat is prepared by burying the beheaded and ...Video of The Day: Edinburgh and getting a feel for the city in 2 days
Feb 16th, 2011 at 5:00PM: Dave Pinke is a traveler based out of New York City. I've featured some of his videos here on Gadling recently. Check out his music-accompanied, fast-paced, and colorful video on San Francisco (where I happen to be stationed this rainy morning) and his envy-worthy video on Reykjavik. Today's choice video is a compilation of shots from his trip to Edinburgh, Scotland. He had less than 2 days in the ...
Scotland asks U.S. to lift haggis ban
Jan 24th, 2011 at 9:00AM: The Scottish government has invited a delegation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Scotland in a bid to lift the ban on haggis imports.
In an interview with the BBC, Scotland's Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said he wants to show the officials that haggis is made in a safe and sanitary manner.
Earlier this year we reported that the ban on haggis was being lifted. This ban ...My year in adventure travel: a look back and a look forward
Dec 26th, 2010 at 10:30AM:
Happy Boxing Day everybody! As I sit here stuffed with my mother-in-law's cooking after a traditional Spanish Christmas, I'm thinking back on all my travels in 2010 and looking forward to 2011. One of the best parts about my travel year has been sharing it all with you. I love the comments you've sent suggesting sites to see and trails to take, and was especially amazed by the outpouring of ...Ordnance Survey maps: sometimes government CAN do a great job
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 3:30PM: The BBC recently interviewed a cartographer for the Ordnance Survey. This government department is in charge of mapping the United Kingdom, except for Northern Ireland, which has its own agency.
If you like maps or plan to hike in the UK, the Ordnance Survey maps are simply amazing. They've been measuring and drawing this green and pleasant land since the eighteenth century and produce the best ...Four United Kingdom cities show what rudeness is, Manchester meanest
Dec 6th, 2010 at 9:00AM: Sometimes, it can be pretty hard to face facts. Nobody wants to be called rude, and many destinations make great efforts to be perceived as welcoming. Well, forget what you see in the brochures and pretty PR pictures – some places are just tough.
Like the United Kingdom.
Now, I've hit London and several cities in Scotland. I had no problems at all. Then again, I'm from New York and ...Q & A with Grantourismo round-the-world slow travel bloggers
Nov 24th, 2010 at 2:00PM:
With all the holiday travel madness just beginning, sometimes it's nice to take a breath and think about taking travel more slowly. I recently had a chance to meet up with blogger Lara Dunston and her photographer-writer husband, Terence Carter, of the round-the-world travel project and blog, Grantourismo while they were traveling through Istanbul. Lara and Terence hosted me at their fabulous ...Is Scotland the next big adventure travel destination?
Oct 25th, 2010 at 8:30AM: It's no secret that the adventure travel market is booming. It is estimated that that segment of the travel industry generated $89 billion in revenue in 2009 alone, and 2010 is expected to be another banner year. One destination that is helping to contribute to that massive revenue is Scotland, a country that already garners more than $1.4 billion in adventure travel per year, and yet analysts are ...Daily Pampering: Fine and Rare Macallan for $10,500
Oct 14th, 2010 at 4:00PM: Ask a scotch drinker about their dram of choice and often you will hear two words: The Macallan. For today's Daily Pampering, we head to Speyside in Scotland - the home of malt whisky and Fine and Rare bottles that can be yours for $10,500.
Pull into The Macallan gates to learn about the magic that happens inside.
The tour begins at the distillery. Visitors see the mash tuns, washbacks, ...Great deals on attractions during Scottish Archaeology Month
Aug 31st, 2010 at 11:30AM:
September is Scottish Archaeology Month, and the land of kilts and haggis is gearing up for four weeks of free talks, tours, and events highlighting the region's rich heritage. The special month is part of Visit Scotland's new push for archaeological tourism.
In Glasgow, for example, there will be a behind-the-scenes tour of the city's museum and free talks on the Second World War and a ...
