Elena Herrero: Scotland revealed

Scotland, in the northernmost part of Great Britain, is one of the four countries that form the United Kingdom. Famous for its historic castles and epic battles, as well as beautiful lochs and stunning landscapes, a varied wildlife or stylish shopping, it is a land of legends, almost mythical for its incredible beauty.

The capital, Edinburgh, recognized as a World Heritage Site, is well known for its cobbled streets and the sandstone façades of its wonderful architecture in the Old Town, where you can imagine yourself  transported back in time, exploring the secret Closes along the world-famous, historic Royal Mile, or strolling along the “Water of Leith” walkaway, where you can dine while watching the impressive twilight. However, although Edinburgh is esentially a modern city today, you can still admire centuries-old ruins in the centre. 

The Royal Mile

By the way, if you are an archeology lover, you should travel to St. Andrews, the world's home of golf, to visit the picturesque ruins of its cathedral, overlooking the North Sea.

The ruins of St. Andrews' Cathedral

The Scottish Parliament

Tradition and modernity live together on both ends of the Royal Mile. On one end, at the top of the hill, you can find Edinburgh Castle dominating the city, where Royalty lived within its walls for centuries, waging countless battles; meanwhile, at the bottom you suddenly bump into the award-winning Scottish Parliament building, designed by the late Spanish architect Enric Miralles, who sadly died before the building was finished; its risky, controversial design, an original twig and leaf inspired by the flower paintings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s unique architecture, underlines the sketch as a complex landscape scheme, a landmark building connected to the landscape, as opposed to other more classic venues, which has become one of the most important visitor attractions in Edinburgh nowadays.

The Scottish Highlands are completely different; I’m talking about its awesome scenery, which is synonymous for peace, relaxation and, of course, malt whisky! Alba (the Gaelic name for Scotland) is the place where nature puts its beauty into words. Home to the forest of Caledon (Roman for ‘wood on the hills’), we can discover impressive hill lochs, wonderful moorlands, high cliffs or great glens. It’s mind-blowing, literally! As Scotland has two different coasts, both on the Atlantic and the North Sea, it shows incredible diversity, a bit of everything, from wildlife to birdlife, not to mention the rich heritage or the warm welcome its Celtic descendants will give you. A visit there will open you up to a world you could have never imagined, a place that will seduce you!

Left to right: Glasgow Tower, Science Centre & IMAX cinema

The Transport Museum

But if you think that Scotland is just Edinburgh and the rest of the cities aren’t worth visiting, you are absolutely wrong! Don’t miss Glasgow! Located on the River Clyde, and reborn as a center of style against the historical Victorian buildings after its industrial background, Glasgow is a cosmopolitan alternative to Scotland's countryside, with the latest urban renewal projects, which give the city its current modern image; actually, some of the most exciting projects in Scotland in recent years, bringing people to the Riverside, are the innovative Science Centre, promoting the importance of technology, and the breathtaking new Transport Museum. Designed by the famous Irani architect Zaha Hadid, it is one of the most challenging projects in Scotland lately, encapsulating the building in a ‘wave’, open at both ends, with two clear glass façades, which light the main exhibition space and its fantastic transport collection.

A must-see is the work of Scotland's best-known architect, the afore-mentioned Charles Rennie Mackintosh, especially the School of Art, one of the finest examples of the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. 

Nevertheless, the visit won’t be complete if you don’t explore the city's wide streets, scattered with welcome pit-stops around Merchant Square, or the GoMA (Gallery of Modern Art), which boasts famous art collections.

I hope you have enjoyed this post dedicated to Scotland, which maybe one day will encourage you to visit these incredible places I strongly recommend.