Savvy Sightseer - tips and insights for seasoned travelers!
Dramatic railway bridge crossing the Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh. The all steel,1 1/2-mile long, cantilever bridge was the first of its type built in Britain in 1890. For nearly 30 years, it held the honor of being one of the longest bridge spans in the world. About 200 trains cross it daily.
Not all sights worth seeing in a tour find their way into guide books. This wall art in Glasgow is just one of many surprises this city has to offer.
From the colosseum-type building above, visitors get a get view of the seaside village of Oban and the Atlantic beyond.
Scotland
Scotland is rugged with a modern twist; it is lakes and vast, open undeveloped land; it’s modern and ancient all at once. And now it proves the adage, “What’s old is new again,” with its celebrity as the setting for the popular series, "Outlander" (click here for more on the story). Both a collection of novels and a cable television show, "Outlander" brings to life the doomed Jacobean uprising of the 18th century, which ultimately led to accession of Scotland by England. The series has sparked an interest in the region, and coincidentally tourism from North America has jumped in recent years. Some locations report a 40% increase in visitors due to the so-called “Outlander Effect.” While it has succeeded in drawing people in to see where scenes have been filmed, it enamors visitors with all the charms of Scotland. A great way to start your acquaintance with Scotland is to visit some of its more famous regions.
Edinburgh
The capital of Scotland, this vibrant city provides an opportunity to walk its cobbled streets in the shadow of an imposing castle, parts of which date back to the 12th century. For a somewhat more modern experience, you can step aboard the Royal Britannia, Queen Elizabeth II’s now decommissioned posh yacht, and get an up close view of sophisticated living at sea. To glimpse a current day regal residence, Palace of Holyroodhouse beckons. And for a break from sightseeing and shopping, pubs along the Royal Mile offer a refreshing respite, just as they have for hundreds of years.
Among the many delightful museums in Edinburgh, one not to miss is the free National History Museum. Scotland's history, culture, technology, art, fashion and industry are told through the over 20,000 items on display. A special treat is catching the action of its 33-foot tall Millennium Clock. The intricately designed and animated clock rings out on the hour and highlights phases - good and bad - of Scotland through the 20th century.
Click the slide show below to take a tour of Edinburgh sights!
Unveiled in 1906 below Edinburgh Castle, the equestrian bronze statue by William Birnie Rhind commemorates the Royal Scot Greys who fought in the Second Boer War in 1899.
Eleventh century castle where Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to James VI of Scotland, who later came to rule both England (as James I) and Scotland. Bronze statues of two of Scotland's hero freedom fighters flank the main entrance. Sir William Wallace (right) was first leader of the Scots to rebel against England’s King Edward I when he’d over-run Scotland in 1296. Wallace died a martyr to the cause. Robert the Bruce (left) fought Edward again & in 1306 he declared himself king of Scotland.
Both the high and low points of history are presented on the clock. This skeleton is surrounded by figures representing oppressive times: Lenin, Hitler and Stalin.
Unveiled in 1906 below Edinburgh Castle, the equestrian bronze statue by William Birnie Rhind commemorates the Royal Scot Greys who fought in the Second Boer War in 1899.
To get away from tourists and busy cities, strike out for points north and west. A jaunt up into the Trossachs National Park, which divides the Scottish Highlands from the Lowlands, provides a feast for all senses. Breathe in crisp air on the shores of 24-mile-long Loch Lomond, the largest, and arguably one of the most beautiful, fresh water lakes in Great Britain. A perfect picnic place is opposite the Falls of Falloch, a 30’ waterfall aptly named. Translated as Hidden Falls, they are tucked away in the woods providing a pleasant surprise as they come into sight.
Stop for a moment in the Argyll Forest Park and admire the tenacity and sturdiness of clansmen who traveled over its rough terrain. Britain’s oldest Forest Park, Argyll was established in 1935 to promote and encourage visiting and exercising in the outdoors, and enjoying the beautiful forest. This is a place to definitely stop and take stock of all that nature has to offer.
A visit to Stirling Castle shows how the royals lived - back in the 12th century.
Click here for your gateway to Scotland's world beyond it's two best-known cities, as well as the so-called "Outlander Effect."
Glasgow
Scotland’s largest city has reinvented itself time and again. Initially, it was famous as a center for religion and learning. St. Mungo (also known as St. Kentigern) is still revered for founding a monastery, and thus the city of Glasgow, back in the 6th century. It is on his believed gravesite that the city’s striking Cathedral was built in the 1100s and became a mecca for devout religious pilgrims.
In the mid-18th century, Glasgow morphed into a pivotal port city. Trade with the Americas flourished, and tobacco poured into Glasgow, making its business merchants phenomenally wealthy. Shipbuilding burgeoned along the River Clyde. Textiles replaced tobacco as the key industry when the American Revolution disrupted trade. Mills and weaving towns sprung up, as did coal and iron mines to feed the energy needs of these industries, putting Glasgow at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution. More than 25,000 naval, merchant and passenger ships were launched from here, including some very famous ones: Queen Mary and both Queen Elizabeth I and II, warships and the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Glasgow rode the crest of success for a long while, unfortunately on the backs of impoverished workers who toiled under terrible conditions while the merchants got richer. But by the middle of the 20th century, competition, a lack of reinvestment and increased poverty took their toll, and the city went into a deep decline. As the century drew to a close, Glasgow’s city leaders embarked on yet another transformation and actively set about repositioning it as a cultural beacon on an international level. They invested in museums, galleries and upscale shopping centers, and today Glasgow is a bustling, thriving area. The Merchant City section offers a surplus of pubs and restaurants, shops and best of all – pedestrian only streets. Today, this resilient city is living up to its motto: Let Glasgow Flourish!
Click the photo group below to take visit some of Glasgow's sights!
Taking up the east side of Glasgow's city center, George Square, the stately civic building was added to the square in the late 1800s.
The center point of George Square is its 80-foot column topped by Scotland's premier writer, Sir Walter Scott.
In solidarity following the tragic bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England, in June 2017, locals flocked to George Square to add their sentiments at an impromptu memorial at the base of the Scott Memorial.
A look at George Street heading toward the center square takes in some of Glasgow's beautiful architecture.
The imposing seven-story steeple marks the point where Glasgow's main streets intersected in medieval times. It did a lot more than mark time - it also marked the end of the road for criminals who were hung from the tower platform!
Scotland's only intact medieval cathedral, and the oldest building in Glasgow (1197), was spared destruction in the 16th century Reformation when parishioners formed a human wall against destructive mobs.
Inside the cathedral marble arches draw the eye upward toward the heavens.
The bell, bird, fish and tree on Glasgow’s coat of arms all relate to legendary episodes in the life of St. Mungo, the town's patron saint and founder.
The award-winning St. Mungo Museum displays art and religious relics in an extensive showcase of world religions and their unifying precepts.
The Necropolis is a 37-acre graveyard perched on a hill above the city’s Cathedral. Over 50,000 have been buried here since it opened in 1833, as a means to highlight the wealth and importance of Glasgow. It was modeled after Paris's famous Père Lachaise cemetery.
The first statue of the Scottish reformer erected in Scotland stands atop a 58’ column in the Necropolis. It was erected in 1825 on one of the highest points in the city overlooking the Glasgow Cathedral. Ironically, he isn’t buried here; he was interred in 1572 in a plot that is now under a parking lot in Edinburgh.
An esteemed Scottish minister, he was memorialized her upon his death in 1857.
A chemist and industrialist who developed a bleaching process that revolutionized the textile industry, he was interred at the Necropolis in 1838.
The 37-acre Victorian garden graveyard features remarkable architecture and sculptures, a dose of history and an incredible view of Glasgow.
Continue your trip through Great Britain with a visit to Scottish Trossachs & Highlands, The Outlander Effect, Wales or England or back to the Great Britain home page.
