Rick Steves Best of Scotland

by Rick Steves, Cameron Hewitt (With)

Overview

Hit Scotland's can't-miss sights, bites, and history in two weeks or less with Rick Steves Best of Scotland!

• Expert advice from Rick Steves on what's worth your time and money
• One- to three-day itineraries covering Edinburgh, Glasgow, St. Andrews, the Highlands, and the Isle of Skye
• Rick's tips for beating the crowds, skipping lines, and avoiding tourist traps
• The best of local culture, flavors, and haunts, including walks through the most interesting neighborhoods and museums
• Trip planning strategies like how to link destinations and design your itinerary, what to pack, where to stay, and how to get around
• Over 80 full-color maps and vibrant photos

Experience the magic of Scotland for yourself with Rick Steves Best of Scotland!

Planning a longer trip? Rick Steves Scotland is the classic, in-depth guide to spending more than two weeks exploring the country.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641715799
Publisher:	Avalon Publishing
Publication date:	01/30/2024
Series:	Rick Steves Travel Guide
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Since 1973, Rick has spent about 100 days a year exploring Europe. His mission: to empower Americans to have European trips that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening. Rick produces a best-selling guidebook series, a public television series, and a public radio show, and organizes small-group tours that take over 30,000 travelers to Europe annually. He does all of this with the help of more than 100 well-traveled staff members at Rick Steves’ Europe in Edmonds, WA (near Seattle). When not on the road, Rick is active in his church and with advocacy groups focused on economic and social justice, drug policy reform, and ending hunger. To recharge, Rick plays piano, relaxes at his family cabin in the Cascade Mountains, and spends time with his son Andy, daughter Jackie, and his new grandson...baby Atlas. Find out more about Rick at RickSteves.com and on Facebook.

Connect with Rick:
facebook.com/RickSteves
twitter: @RickSteves
instagram: ricksteveseurope

Born in Denver and raised in central Ohio, Cameron Hewitt settled in Seattle in 2000. Ever since, he has spent three months each year in Europe, contributing to guidebooks, tours, radio and television shows, and other media for Rick Steves' Europe, where he serves as content manager. Cameron married his high school sweetheart (and favorite travel partner), Shawna, and enjoys taking pictures, trying new restaurants, and planning his next trip. To research and cowrite this book, Cameron spent a month driving 2,000 miles around Scotland, from the Lowlands to the Highlands to the islands.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

The Best of Scotland 8

Travel Smart 24

The Lowlands

Edinburgh 33

Edinburgh in 3 Days 34

Orientation 35

Edinburgh Walks 41

Sights 53

Experiences 72

Sleeping 78

Eating 84

Transportation 89

Best of the Rest

Stirling 92

Glasgow 103

Glasgow in 2 Days 104

Orientation 105

Glasgow Walks 110

Sights 121

Experiences 127

Sleeping 129

Eating 132

Transportation 135

St. Andrews 139

St. Andrews in 1 Day 140

Orientation 142

St. Andrews Walk 144

Experiences 151

Sleeping 153

Eating 154

Transportation 156

The Highlands

Oban & the Inner Hebrides 159

Oban & the Inner Hebrides in 2 Days 160

Oban 160

The Inner Hebrides 174

Best of the Rest

Glencoe 183

Fort William 189

Isle of Skye 193

Isle of Skye in 1-2 Days 194

Portree 199

Sights on the Isle of Skye 206

Inverness & Loch Ness 219

Inverness & Loch Ness in 1 Day 220

Inverness 220

Loch Ness 237

Best of the Rest

Pitlochry 241

Balmoral Castle 245

Scotland: Past & Present 248

Practicalities 256

Tourist Information 256

Help! 256

Travel Tips 257

Money 257

Sightseeing 260

Sleeping 261

Eating 265

Staying Connected 271

Transportation 273

Holidays & Festivals 285

Conversions & Climate 286

Packing Checklist 287

Index 288

Map Index 297

Editorial Reviews

"The country's foremost expert in European travel for Americans."—Forbes

"Steves is an absolute master at unlocking the hidden gems of the world's greatest cities, towns, and monuments."—USA Today

“Every country-specific travel guidebook from the Rick Steves publishing empire can be counted upon for clear organization, specificity and timeliness."—Society of American Travel Writers

"Pick the best accommodations and restaurants from Rick Steves…and a traveler searching for good values will seldom go wrong or be blindsided."—NBC News

"His guidebooks are approachable, silly, and even subtly provocative in their insistence that Americans show respect for the people and places they are visiting and not the other way around."—The New Yorker

"Travel, to Steves, is not some frivolous luxury—it is an engine for improving humankind, for connecting people and removing their prejudices, for knocking distant cultures together to make unlikely sparks of joy and insight. Given that millions of people have encountered the work of Steves over the last 40 years, on TV or online or in his guidebooks, and that they have carried those lessons to untold other millions of people, it is fair to say that his life’s work has had a real effect on the collective life of our planet."—The New York Times Magazine

"[Rick Steves] laces his guides with short and vivid histories and a scholar's appreciation for Renaissance art yet knows the best place to start an early tapas crawl in Madrid if you have kids. His clear, hand-drawn maps are Pentagon-worthy; his hints about how to go directly to the best stuff at the Uffizi, avoid the crowds at Versailles and save money everywhere are guilt-free."—TIME Magazine

"Steves is a walking, talking European encyclopedia who yearns to inspire Americans to venture 'beyond Orlando.'"—Forbes

“…he’s become the unofficial guide for entire generations of North American travelers, beloved for his earnest attitude and dad jeans."—Outside Magazine

From the Publisher

10/11/2024

Famous for his TV shows, Rick Steves might be the most recognizable figure in the travel book industry and offers several different series of guide books. His "Best Of" series strikes a middle ground between his in-depth examinations of various countries and his guides for briefer stays. The series focuses on major sites, without going into every region or detail and also includes color photos. Each book begins with a location overview and Steves's take on smart travel before diving into the big sites in key regions. The books are designed for people who have less time to spend on their vacation—or perhaps only have a few days tacked on to a business trip to do some sightseeing. Highlights include itineraries, city guides, a listing of key sites, and walking tours. Information on each site is sufficient to get a sense of why one should visit, but serious history, architecture, or art buffs will want to have deeper information. Steves provides inside details about hotels, and his many fans from TV will probably rely on these more than any other guide. There are also restaurant suggestions and shopping tips, although foodies will want to consult additional sources, as will shopaholics. VERDICT Libraries with limited funds should stick to Steves's more expansive guides, but these practical, detailed titles are excellent resources for general travelers seeking to feel in control.

Library Journal