About Scotland
Scotland is an historical haven for those history buffs out there! Scotland is famous for its traditional Highland games, historic castles as well as beautiful lochs. Scotland is part of the United Kingdom and has a very interesting history leading up to the modern day Scotland. It occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shares a border with England towards the south. Its head of state is currently Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch of the United Kingdom.
The climate in Scotland tends towards temperate and oceanic, and can change fairly suddenly. Not surprisingly considering all the tourism, there are 5 main airports that serves about 150 international destinations. This makes traveling to and around Scotland very accessible.
Historical Activities in Scotland
There are plenty of historical sites to check out in Scotland. The history behind the buildings, castles, churches and other buildings will astound any history buff.
- Edinburgh
Edinburgh is chock full of impressive attractions for history buffs. The city is quite compact in nature, making it easy to fit in an itinerary of activities in a day in Scotland’s capital city. A visit to Ediburgh Castle is a must do for anyone, much less a history buff. This castle is home to the world-famous Stone of Destiny. Other places to see in Ediburgh include the National Museum of Scotland that has been fully refurbished and a tour of the Scotch Whisky Experience. Pick up some souvenirs at the end of the day on the Royal Mile.
- Aberdeen
Aberdeen is another must-see historical location in Scotland. The Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish Home of the Royal Family for years and is worth a visit. St. Machar’s is a beautiful Church of Scotland church that dates back to the 12th century. It boasts an unique heraldic ceiling as well as a fortified west front. This ancient church is still a living place of worship.
- The Highlands
The Highlands is an inspiring and gorgeous region that has a fascinating history and ancient landscapes. In Inverness in the Highlands, there is one of the most well-preserved Bronze Age burial sites in all of Scotland.
Historical Vacation Packages in Scotland
There is an abundance of places and historic vacation packages in Scotland to choose from. There are self-drive tours, guided tour vacations, stays in castles and cottages and even brochs.
The Brochs Of Coigach offers an unusual and unique vacation package. What better way to experience historic Scotland than staying in a broch? A broch is a roundhouse from the Iron Age and are thousands of years old. The modern day brochs are spacious and warm, equipped with high-efficiency kitchens, wood-burning stoves and under-floor heating.
Clans and Castles is a vacation company who offers many different kinds of packages that are perfect for history buffs. They can arrange self-drive tours for those who would like to tour around themselves, seeing the sights they have chosen or guided tours that offer the most popular historic destinations in Scotland. Their specialty packages however, are Scottish castle holidays where travelers can stay at different castles for their holiday or even rent out an entire castle for their entire stay.
How much will Scotland cost?
Scotland is a travel destination that can be priced towards any budget. It is easy to take self-guided tours of the country, stay at hostels, and visit free historic attractions if you are budget-conscious. These vacations will still cost a few hundred dollars plus the airfare. For a mid-range vacation, expect to pay about $100-150 a day per person for food, drink and accommodations. Of course if you are interested in renting out a castle or even staying at a castle for part of your trip, expect to pay quite a bit more. Renting a castle for a week will typically cost over $5000; keep in mind though that the castles usually accommodate at least 10 people so if you have a group of people sharing the cost, it becomes much more reasonably priced.