Scotland the Best

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Overview

The true Scot's insider's guide to the very best Scotland has to offer.

Whether you live in Scotland or are visiting, why settle for anything second-rate when you can be guided to so much that is superb? Peter Irvine's personal guide points you towards the best places to stay (whatever your budget), the best beaches, the best ice-cream, the best hill walks, the best bakers, the best spooky places, the best seafood, the best places for kids, the...

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Scotland The Best

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More About This Book

Overview

The true Scot's insider's guide to the very best Scotland has to offer.

Whether you live in Scotland or are visiting, why settle for anything second-rate when you can be guided to so much that is superb? Peter Irvine's personal guide points you towards the best places to stay (whatever your budget), the best beaches, the best ice-cream, the best hill walks, the best bakers, the best spooky places, the best seafood, the best places for kids, the best ceildhs, and so the list goes on.

However well you know Scotland, Peter Irvine will guide you to something excitingly new. That's why it remains the only guide to Scotland that the Scots themselves buy. Scotland the Best was first published in 1993. Since then its reputation has grown and it has been widely praised in reviews, won awards from the Tourist industry and, above all, delighted readers from all over the world. And it’s also sold close to 250,000 copies!

In this new edition, every recommendation has been reassessed to see whether it is still worthy of inclusion, and the selection criteria has become even more stringent. Clear colour mapping from Collins and website links for all entries, a new look to the cover, plus an exciting new picture section and new chapter intros make this a more vibrant book to have as your companion.

Quirky, personalized and informed, Peter Irvine's guide gives you what other travel guides only claim to - a true Scot's insider's guide.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

'the book is also a gospel, a love poem to Scotland and a patriotic tract'
The Observer

'Nobody tells it better…All that's wonderful about Scotland is in the book' Daily Express

'Infallible and quite brilliant'
Daily Telegraph

'Makes all other guides to Scotland redundant'
The Sunday Times

'The only guide worth a damn'
The Scotsman

'he has been a driving force in Scottish tourism' Ecosse (Supp. To the Sunday Times – Scottish Edition)

'Irvine has also become quite the figurehead for Scottish tourism' Aberdeen Press & Journal

'Apart from a clever structure and the highest journalistic standards, this book is a joy. The clever thing about such opinionated copy is that pretty soon one picks up the character of the writer, and thus can get a much more accurate and tactile impression of a place than from so-called even handed reports. This book can only enhance the pleasure of visiting or living in Scotland'
Amazon

‘The only travel guide that sells most in the country it is about.’ Independent on Sunday

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780007442447
  • Publisher: HarperCollins UK
  • Publication date: 5/1/2012
  • Edition description: New edition
  • Pages: 432
  • Sales rank: 270,354
  • Product dimensions: 5.30 (w) x 8.20 (h) x 1.20 (d)

Meet the Author

Peter Irvine is a director of two of the leading edge events companies in Scotland who produce most of the major public events in Glasgow and Edinburgh, including the annual Glasgow Art Fair and Edinburgh's Hogmanay, which is now the biggest New Year festival in the world.

In 2000 Peter Irvine was given the Thistle award for his personal contribution to tourism in Scotland and in 2002 gained another Thistle award for the Glasgow Art Fair.

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Table of Contents

Introduction and A Declaration 8
How to Use This Book 9
Ticks For The Best There Is 10
A Note on Categories 10
The Codes 11
List of Abbreviations 13
Your Help Needed 14
Section 1 The Likes of You and Me
The Big Attractions 16
Favourite Scottish Journeys 17
The Essential Scottish Books 18
A Few Things The Scots Gave The World 19
The Best Events 20
Seven Things to do Before You Die 22
Section 2 Edinburgh
The Best Hotels 24
Individual and Boutique Hotels 25
Most Excellent Lodgings 27
Best 'Economy' Hotels and Travel Lodges 28
The Best Hostels 29
The Best Hotels Outside Town 30
The Best Restaurants 31
The Best Bistros and Cafe-Bars 33
Gastropubs 35
The Best French Restaurants 36
The Best Italian Restaurants 38
The Trusty Tratts 38
The Best Pizza 39
The Best Mediterranean Food 40
The Best Seafood Restaurants 41
The Best Fish 'N' Chips 41
The Best Vegetarian Restaurants 42
The Best Scottish Restaurants 43
The Best Mexican (& C. American) Restaurants 44
The Best Japanese & Fusion Restaurants 44
The Best Indian Restaurants 45
The Best Thai Restaurants 46
The Best Chinese Restaurants 47
The Best Restaurants for Burgers and Steaks 48
Kid-Friendly Places 49
The Best Tearooms and Coffee Shops 50
The Best Caffs 52
The Best Late-Night Restaurants 53
Good Places for Sunday Breakfast 54
The Best Takeaway Places 55
Unique Edinburgh Pubs 56
The Best Old 'Unspoilt' Pubs 57
The Best Real-Ale Pubs 58
Pubs with Good Food 59
The Best Places to Drink Outdoors 60
The Best Style Bars 61
The Main Attractions 62
The Other Attractions 64
The Best Walks in the City 65
Easy Walks Outside the City 66
Woodland Walks Near Edinburgh 67
The Best Beaches 67
The Best Views of the City 68
The Best Sports Facilities 68
The Best Small Galleries 71
Essential Culture 71
Section 3 Glasgow
The Best Hotels 75
Individual Hotels 76
Travel Lodges 77
The Best Hostels 78
The Best Hotels Outside Town 79
The Best Restaurants 80
The Best Bistros and Cafe-Bars 82
The Best Italian Restaurants 85
The Trusty Tratts 85
The Best Pizza 86
The Best French Restaurants 87
The Best Indian Restaurants 88
The Best Far-Eastern Restaurants 89
The Best Spanish Restaurants 90
The Best Restaurants from Elsewhere 91
The Best Seafood and Fish 92
The Best Vegetarian Restaurants 92
The Best Tearooms and Coffee Shops 93
The Best Caffs 94
Kid-Friendly Places 95
The Best Late-Night Restaurants 95
Good Places for Sunday Breakfast 96
The Best Takeaway Places 97
Unique Glasgow Pubs 98
The Best Old 'Unspoilt' Pubs 99
The Best Real-Ale Pubs 100
Places to Drink Outdoors 100
Pubs with Good Food 101
The Best Style Bars 102
The Main Attractions 103
The Other Attractions 104
The Best Walks in the City 105
Easy Walks Outside the City 106
The Best Views of the City and Beyond 107
The Best of the Sports Facilities 108
The Best Small Galleries 109
The Mackintosh Trail 109
Essential Culture 110
Section 4 Regional Hotels and Restaurants
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in Argyll 114
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in Ayrshire & the Clyde Valley 115
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in the South-West 118
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in Central Scotland 120
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in the Borders 122
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in the Lothians 124
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in Fife 126
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in Perthshire & Tayside 128
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in the North-East 131
The Best Hotels and Restaurants in the Highlands 134
Good Less Expensive Hotels in the Highlands 136
Good Inexpensive Restaurants in the Highlands 139
The Best Places to Stay in and Around Aberdeen 141
The Best Restaurants in Aberdeen 142
The Best Pubs and Clubs in Aberdeen 144
The Best Hotels in and Around Dundee 146
The Best Places to Eat Around Dundee 147
The Best Places to Stay in and Around Inverness 149
The Best Places to Eat in Inverness 149
Section 5 Particular Places to Eat and Stay throughout Scotland
Superlative Country-House Hotels 152
Hotels That Welcome Kids 154
The Best Hostels 155
The Best Roadside, Seaside and Countryside Inns 157
The Great Get-Away-from-It-All Hotels 160
Great Wild Camping Up North 163
Camping with the Kids 164
The Best Very Scottish Hotels 165
Real Retreats 166
For the Best House Parties 168
Gay Scotland the Best! 169
Section 6 Good Food and Drink
Bloody Good Pubs 173
Great Pubs for Real Ale 174
Pubs that Serve the Best Food 175
The Best Vegetarian Restaurants 177
The Best Vegetarian-Friendly Places 177
The Best Seafood Restaurants 179
The Best Fish and Chip Shops 180
Great Cafes 182
The Best Tearooms and Coffee Shops 183
The Best Scotch Bakers 185
The Best Ice-Cream 186
The Really Good Delis 188
Scottish Cheeses 190
Whisky 191
Section 7 Outdoor Places
The Best Gardens 196
The Best Country Parks 198
The Best Town Parks 199
The Most Interesting Coastal Villages 200
Fantastic Beaches and Bays 202
The Great Glens 204
The Most Spectacular Waterfalls 205
The Lochs We Love 207
The Scenic Routes 209
The Classic Views 211
Summer Picnics and Great Swimming Holes 213
Good Places to Take Kids 215
The Best Places to See Birds 218
Where to See Dolphins, Whales, Porpoises and Seals 220
Best Sealife Cruises 221
Great Wildlife Reserves 222
Section 8 Historical Places
The Best Castles 225
The Most Interesting Ruins 228
The Best Prehistoric Sites 230
Great Country Houses 232
Great Monuments, Memorials and Follies 234
The Most Interesting Churches 236
The Most Interesting Graveyards 238
The Great Abbeys 239
The Great Battlegrounds 241
Mary, Charlie and Bob 242
The Important Literary Places 244
The Really Spooky Places 245
Section 9 Strolls, Walks and Hikes
Favourite Hills 248
Hill Walks 250
Some Great Munros 251
Long Walks 252
Serious Walks 253
Glen and River Walks 254
Woodland Walks 255
Where to Find Scots Pine 257
Coastal Walks 258
Section 10 Sports
Scotland's Great Golf Courses 260
Good Golf Courses in Great Places 261
Best of the Skiing 263
The Best Sledging Places 265
The Best Leisure Centres 266
The Best Swimming Pools and Sports Centres 267
The Best Water Sports Centres 268
The Best Diving Sites 269
The Best Windsurfing 270
The Best Surfing Beaches 271
Section 11 Shopping
Best Scottish Shopping 273
Where to Buy Art 275
The Best Junkyards 276
Where to Buy Good Woollies 277
Harris Tweed 277
The Best Garden Centres 278
Section 12 Museums, Galleries, Theatres and Music
Best History & Heritage 281
The Most Interesting Public Galleries 284
Great Theatres and Cinemas 285
Section 13 The Islands
The Magical Islands 287
The Best Island Hotels 289
The Best Restaurants in the Islands 291
Fantastic Walks in the Islands 291
The Best of Arran 293
The Best of Islay and Jura 294
The Best of Skye 295
The Best of the Western Isles 297
The Best of Mull 299
The Best of Orkney 300
The Best of Shetland 302
Section 14 Local Centres
The Best of Ayr 305
The Best of Dumfries 306
The Best of Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy 307
The Best of Fort William 309
The Best of the Border Towns 310
The Best of Oban 312
The Best of Perth 314
The Best of Stirling 315
The Best of Wick and Thurso 317
Holiday Centres
Pitlochry 318
Inveraray 319
St Andrews 319
Royal Deeside: Ballater and Banchory 320
Maps 323
Index 340
Quick-reference Guide to the Codes 358
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