Events and festivals
You could hardly talk about Scottish festivals without first talking about the mother of them all - and yes, it's that one in Edinburgh. Although, contrary to popular belief, these days the 'festival' is actually made up of a collection of various festivals - including the initial Edinburgh International Festival, the International Book and Film Festivals, the Military Tattoo, and the highly applauded Festival Fringe. The UK's multicultural Mela Festival is also part of the Edinburgh celebrations, before it carries on to Glasgow for the next leg of its tour around Britain.
But there is a lot going on either side of those jam-packed three weeks in August. There is February's waggishly named Aye Write! Literary festival. And staying in Glasgow, the city's new biennial International Arts Festival, which brings the best in contemporary art to the city every second April.
Musically, you can relax to the traditional sounds of Scotland at Glasgow's Celtic Connections, or dance to the newest pop and rock in the middle of a Perthshire field with 69,000 other T in the Park revellers.
From June through September, Highland Games take place all over the country - with the most famous being the royally attended Braemar Gathering. And with Highland 2007 as the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, there are set to be a whole host of traditional and modern events taking place, celebrating every aspect of the rich Highland culture.
Even as winter rolls around, don't think that things quiete down. Many towns and cities have some kind of Winter Festival, with the most famous being Edinburgh's Winter Wonderland, which culminates in a massive four-day Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) celebration unlike anything else in the world.
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Opera
Just around the corner from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama is Glasgow's Theatre Royal - home of Scottish Opera. The award-winning company has put on classic productions such as The Ring Cycle, Madame Butterfly, and Der Rosenkavalier. They have also taken opera to rural areas such as Orkney and Shetland with tours of certain productions. They extended their version of Die Fledermaus to a whole new audience when they updated the nineteenth century farce to something a little more akin to "Footballers' Wives".
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Literature
Scotland's long literary culture has been extremely lively to say the least. There are the romantic poems of Robert Burns, the classic adventures of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the fantasies of J.M. Barrie. Novels and poems have been written in Auld Scots, Gaelic, English, and in a whole variety of specific Scottish dialects - as in Irvine Welsh's Edinburgh-based Trainspotting - which always brings the gutsy, local color of the language to life. Glasgow's Poet Laureate, Liz Lochhead has even won great acclaim for her adaptations of Moliere's plays into rhyming Scots.
And even today, Scotland continues to be a hotbed of literary genius - with James Kelman, Ian Rankin and A.L. Kennedy continuing on with the fabulously expressive energy that has always been ingrained in Scottish literature.
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Dance
At the Barrowland Ballroom in 1950s and 60s Glasgow, the scenario went a little like this:
"Are ye dancin'?"
"Are ye askin'?"
"Aye, ah'm askin'"
"Then, aye, ah'm dancin'"
Scots have always had a love affair with 'the dancing.' Highland and country dancing has kept going throughout the centuries - with both being practiced worldwide. And the energetic spinning of a Strip the Willow at a Scottish ceilidh will never fail to get the adrenalin pumping.
But it doesn't stop with traditional dance. Scotland has its own national ballet company based in Glasgow, and Dance Base - a cutting edge dance centre in Edinburgh's Grassmarket. On top of all that, venues such as St. Andrew's Byre Theatre, and The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen are consistently offering contemporary dance fans a program of fantastic productions.
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Theatre
For three weeks in August, Edinburgh becomes a citywide stage for theatre from across the globe. There is something going on at absolutely every corner. This is a time when you could eat, sleep and breathe theatre in Scotland.
That's not to say that when September rolls around, Scottish theatre goes into hibernation. Far from it. Longstanding theatres such as Glasgow's Citizens Theatre and the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh are constantly impressing audiences with classic and contemporary drama alike. And if you are visiting over the holiday season, you cannot miss out on a pantomime - for kids, but big ones as well as little ones!
Throughout Scotland, all the way up to Eden Court Theatre in Inverness, the drama community is highly accomplished - and brimming over with spectacular homegrown talent.
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Music
Is that the sound of bagpipes you hear coming from over yonder heathery hill? Please stop right there. Now whilst any Scot will tell you that the sound of the pipes swells patriotic hearts, Scottish music goes way beyond the cèol beag, or 'little music' of Scotland's national instrument.
Scotland's music scene is rocking these days - literally. The T in the Park Music Festival is, after 12 years, regarded as one of the best in Europe. Glasgow has become the place where nine out of ten bands say they prefer the atmosphere. And the country has recently produced world-renowned artists such as KT Tunstall, Franz Ferdinand, and Belle and Sebastian.
If you like things a little less raucous (if only slightly!)- there's always a toe-tapping session going on at some pub, somewhere in Scotland. Very soon the music of Scotland will be well and truly stuck in your head, just like the last song you heard on the radio this morning. However, in this case, you really won't want to shake it off at all.
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Art
Renowned for its music and dance, Scotland has also always had a very strong artistic streak. Throughout history, from Allan Ramsay's regal eighteenth century portraits to Douglas Gordon's contemporary video installations, Scottish art has always maintained a high reputation.
And the collections of national and international artworks on show across the country are equally substantial. The National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh are an absolute treasure trove of time-spanning masterpieces. New contemporary galleries such as doggerfisher in Edinburgh, Sorcha Dallas and Transmission in Glasgow, and DCA in Dundee are doing very well in keeping the young heart of Scottish art beating good and strong.
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Whisky
Scotland is very proud of its whisky, or uisge beatha (from the Gaelic, meaning 'water of life') first mentioned in a written record in here in 1494. With over 500 years of practice, the Scots have whisky distilling down to a very fine art.
And the varieties of tastes are as changing as the landscape - in fact they do literally change with the landscape. In the rolling pastoral Lowlands you will find softer grassy malt flavours. In the Highlands it can become a little more heathery. The low hills of Speyside yield mellow sweetness. And then over on the rugged Western Isles you get a rough and tumble salty smokiness that perfectly fits the terrain.
Try out a few in some of Scotland's whisky pubs - such as Leslie's Bar in Edinburgh, or The Grill in Aberdeen with its astounding collection of 400 different whiskies. Barmen and fellow-whisky drinkers alike will be only to happy to accompany and guide you as you tour around Scotland's national drink.
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Food-traditional
You would be forgiven if you got a little lost reading a menu of traditional Scottish fare. Arbroath Smokies, Champit Tatties, Cullen Skink, Cranachan, Crowdie, Clootie Dumpling, Roastit Bubbly Jock are just a few old school Scottish recipes that might have you scratching your head.
But you needn't be perplexed. Traditional Scottish cooking is very simple, very hearty, and very tasty. It wasn't until the late sixties and early seventies that Scottish people really started going out to restaurants to eat. Before that it was all centered on the home-cooked meal, and good local ingredients.
Hand-sliced Scottish smoked salmon is some of the most luxuriously delicate you will have ever tasted. Lanark Blue rivals any French cheese - being named the 'Scottish Roquefort.'And Scottish lamb, Angus beef and wild venison are loaded with rich flavours.
Many Scottish restaurants and pubs will still serve up a lot of these old favourites, just like granny used to make, butwith a little bit of a modern twist. While you are there you should really try to taste some haggis, Scotland's national dish, and so well loved that Burns was inspired to write it its very own ode! It has been having somewhat of a resurrection of late, with incredibly popular Café Gandolfi and Stravaigin in Glasgow both offering award-winning haggis dishes on their menus. It's all comfort eating Scottish style - and nothing goes better with a wee dram!
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Food-modern
Alongside the traditional tastes of Scotland, there is an ever-growing modern edge, with Edinburgh now being seen as one of the top three places to eat out in the UK, and Glasgow having an award-winning selection of ethnic restaurants that take you across the globe. Across the country, Scotland's restaurants and chefs are winning awards left, right and centre.
Reviews of twenty-two Edinburgh restaurants put the capital in third place as one of the best cities to eat out in across the UK. With chefs like Martin Wishart, who was awarded a Michelin star for his eponymous Leith restaurant, and first-rate dining experiences such as The Witchery and Oloroso adding a sleek touch of culinary class to Edinburgh, the people of Edinburgh, and anyone who visits are going to be extremely well satisfied.
As is the case over in Glasgow, where global foodies from curry-lovers to Thai fanatics, Francophiles and homemade pasta lovers, are absolutely spoiled for choice. Maybe you will be in the mood for Indian food from cozy Mother India? And then the next night a little Eastern European flavour might take your fancy at Café Gramofon.
Good restaurants go well beyond the cities too. Scotland's first Two-Michelin star restaurant sits in the middle of Perthshire at the Gleneagles Hotel. And elegant Inverness restaurant RocPool is in the perfect spot to benefit from fresh Highland produce.
And it isn't just the selection of dining establishments either. The atmosphere in Scottish pubs and restaurants is inimitable. Beautifully designed but relaxed, professional but always unerringly friendly.
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Weather
Very often in Scotland, you will hear the saying "if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes." And far from being a meaningless old adage, it is in fact very true. Scottish weather is extremely variable - one day it could be overcast and rainy (or 'dreich' to use a good Scottish phrase), and the next gloriously light and sunny - and it doesn't get much better than the bright blue skies of Scotland!
In general, however, April through June tend to be the driest months, with the west coast being a little wetter than the east (but also slightly less windy). Summertime temperatures average at about 55-65°F, very rarely going beyond 80°F. And in winter, it ranges from 30-45°F - but that wind chill factor can be strong. In both summer and winter, the weather can fluctuate, so the best plan is to always be prepared with layers!
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Winter
People always think that Scottish winters are bitterly, bitterly cold, which is not necessarily true. It can get rather blustery at times though, and that is what makes for perfect indoor weather. A fireside dram at Uisge Beatha in Glasgow, or some hearty "haggis, neeps and tatties" at The Bothy in Perth would be just the ticket to help you warm up when the wind chill kicks in. In fact, the warm welcome and cozy conversation you will find in any Scottish pub will get you feeling nice and toasty in no time.
Far from being a time for hibernation, Scotland actually perks up in the months heading into the holiday season - with winter fairs and festivals taking place in towns and cities all over the country. The most famous of all being the four-day Hogmanay party in Edinburgh - the ultimate way to welcome in the New Year.
And of course, Scotland's mountain climbing and skiing is exhilarating during the winter months. The town of Aviemore in the Highlands is buzzing with winter sports fans heading to the nearby Cairngorms.
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Spring
Driving through Scotland's countryside during spring is a great experience - a new breath of fresh, clean air, trees and flowers coming back to life, and hillsides absolutely full of newborn lambs.
After a blustery winter, the milder spring weather comes in - and the days start getting just that little bit longer. Still cold enough to enjoy the benefits of indoor comforts, but gentle enough that you can easily explore the outside world. It's a perfect time for 'rambling' along the West Highland Way. Or maintain the lightheartedness of spring at the annual Glasgow Comedy Festival that takes place in the city during the month of March.
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Summer
During the height of summer, it can stay light after 10pm, which gives you all that extra daylight to spend exploring. Some of the most magical places to go at this time of year are the beaches that edge the Hebridean islands. Not particularly for sunbathing, but because you will usually find some kind of ancient standing stones or monuments nearby - and around the time of the summer solstice, they have a magnetic sense of mystery.
The long summer evenings also let you take advantage of outdoor cafés - enjoy a little al fresco dining in Glasgow's chic Merchant City. And the parks and gardens are overflowing with people relaxing in the grass - Edinburgh's International Book Festival, held in the beautiful Charlotte Square Gardens is a perfect example of how Scotland likes to chill in the summertime.
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Fall
Fall, or 'autumn,' is the absolute best time of year to enjoy everything archetypically Scottish. In Perthshire - also known as Big Tree Country - the colours are absolutely breathtaking. Visit Faskally Wood, and be engulfed by the vivid russets, golds and ambers of the changing leaves.
And talking of amber - what does that color bring to mind? Yes, that's right, whisky. The mellow fall months are perfect for taking on a malt whisky trail around some of Speyside's many distilleries.
This is also rutting season for Scotland's red deer, so you have more chance of hearing and seeing the majestic monarchs of the glen. If you aren't in the countryside (and really you should be!), the big seasonal autumn flavors of Scotland are in full force in city restaurants - especially in places such as Glasgow's treasured and wonderfully named Ubiquitous Chip - with dishes like peat-smoked Finnan haddock, or roast Perthshire pigeon.
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