Scotland, in short from the ppl who know it (for tourists to our forums)

I dont know if this has been done, my search button is broken (or my lack of energy is stopping me from using it)

So with so many tourists coming to our forums i thought it may be a good idea for us to say some good things and bad things about scotland that they have to see, taste, eat etc. if they come here.

1.IRN BRU, the first thing you should do when you get off the plane is locate a bottle/can of this stuff, you havent lived if you havent tryed it, it is all knowing all great.
2.the feeling you get when you stand in scotland and "know" their is no-where in the world quite like it.
3.Glasgow on a friday night after closing time
4.Scots usualy speak really fast and swear a lot too, if you can understand a conversation between two scots friends then your doing something right.

theirs plenty more, but i thought this is enough to get this thing moving.

A few more:

- the feeling of awe you get at the top of Arthur's Seat at sunset (but don't let it get too dark before you try and climb down - i swear that wasn't me who ended up covered in mud )
- having a huge castle sat on volcanic rock sat right next to the main shopping street
- vegetarian haggis. Nuff said.

Having at one time being a tourist to Scotland (though really, after being there for 3 weeks, would you still consider me a tourist) I'll comment and add:

1.IRN BRU, the first thing you should do when you get off the plane is locate a bottle/can of this stuff, you havent lived if you havent tryed it, it is all knowing all great.

You know, I've had it here (in the US) but somehow managed to not drink it there. Though having a boxed juice of Ribena with a bridie and a sausage roll is heaven.

2.the feeling you get when you stand in scotland and "know" their is no-where in the world quite like it.

*sniffles* Don't remind me. There were two places that evoked the feeling that now I know where the feeling of "Romantic Scotland" came from. (St. Andrew's and Loch Buie on Mull, to be exact)

3.Glasgow on a friday night after closing time

I didn't spend enough time in Glasgow to experience that, but hopping off the train from a peaceful and serene trip to Oban and Mull into Glasgow when the Scotland National team was playing Norway was an experience I will never forget.

4.Scots usualy speak really fast and swear a lot too, if you can understand a conversation between two scots friends then your doing something right.

I only had one problem, and that was with my mate Craig. I did rather well, especially with my favorite Glaswegian.

5. the feeling of awe you get at the top of Arthur's Seat at sunset (but don't let it get too dark before you try and climb down - i swear that wasn't me who ended up covered in mud )

rofl....even the sense of awe in the middle of an overcast day when you are hungover is rather nice too. And I have to tell you, getting up Arthur's Seat is easy compared to trying to get back down.

My own contributions:
6. You will never enjoy heart attack inducing food as much as you do here. Although some people think that most Scottish food was created on a dare, but some of it is very very good.

7. I have never met so many nice people as I did on my trip...from getting into a closed exhibit at the National Gallery just to see one painting (the Boticelli) or just going to one of the five pubs round the corner from my flat or catching a ride with total strangers to go running (literally) round central Scotland. There are even more stories like that.

There is more, but I'm hungry and it's lunch time. I'm also going through alot of my stuff from my trip last October right now, so it's nice to be reminded.

Veggie haggis?! i've heard of it, but never seen it, somthing tells me i dont wanna, i eat the usual haggis as it is

Horizontal rain, yes rain that goes straight from left to right and can travel for miles without hitting the ground.

Bagpipes ... no further explenation needed. (throw kilts in with that lot, hell lets ram tartan in with that.. mmmmm tartan special..... oops)

even the sense of awe in the middle of an overcast day when you are hungover is rather nice too. And I have to tell you, getting up Arthur's Seat is easy compared to trying to get back down. Hee hee, that's so true.

Veggie haggis?! i've heard of it, but never seen it, somthing tells me i dont wanna, i eat the usual haggis as it is I'd like to try real haggis, but my vegetarianism seems to get in the way, it's very annoying of it. Veggie haggis is great though, I love it!

You know, the whole time I was there I managed to avoid getting rained on too much. It moved through pretty quickly, so it was much like home where many people say "if you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes" I got caught out while in St. Andrew's and had to huddle for protection amongst what's left of the cathedral. It was rather fun, actually.

But one of my last days there, I was with one of the Edinburgh chapters of an international running and drinking club that I am a member of here at home. Anyways, it rained very very hard that day; there was a point where I thought it had stopped but really I just had gotten used to being rained on. There was not a dry spot on my whole body. And it did stop raining just long enough to down a little beer and then it started to hale.

I think I was sent off properly

and most of all dont forget the 4 seasons in the space of 10 mins. yes you cant beat scotland ( unless its the football, rugby, cricket, bowls, basketball infact ANY of our national sport teams!!! )

visitor/tourists: hi all, i just popped by this forum and saw this welcoming thread...

the feeling of awe you get at the top of Arthur's Seat at sunset (but don't let it get too dark before you try and climb down - i swear that wasn't me who ended up covered in mud )

Such a coincidence, i actally went to sit at the side of Arthur's Seat...i couldn't even open my eyes or even smile at the camera...it is so ccooollldddd(i'm from singapore, yeah, the hot and humid country)and the wind was blowing at my face Brrr...but the view was magnificent!!! I really wanna go to scotland again!!! Love da place!

Hey! I saw this welcome thread and decided to pop in and say hello!

I am going over to see family over in Scotland in 3 weeks and will be staying in Sterling. I figured I would see if there is anything going on while I was over there.

IRN BRU rocks!!!!

Things to do, if your into history, bannockburn is v close to stirling (battlesite where the scots beat back the english onslaught)The castle is good to see, and theirs good links rail wise if you want to go into glasgow or edinburugh. plenty of shopping in stirling, it has a great swimming pool (slides are fun) and well, lots of pubs

Hope you enjoy it in scotland, its setting up to be a unusualy warm summer for scotland.

I was just up there a few weeks ago and was blessed with the best weather ever. It was fairly cool but sunny, which was perfect for me. I am very much a history person so it was great to get to see Bannockburn and Stirling (even if I had to explain all the background to my parents and I think most of it was lost on them).

And I made sure to have Irn Bru as much as was humanly possible. I miss the stuff already. It's like cream soda, my favourite pop, but with an afterkick, which is the thing that makes Coke much better than Pepsi. I love that it warns you on the label that it stains if spilled

And I had my haggis, ate the whole thing, really liked it. I had it with an Irn Bru to drink. My waiter was immensely proud.

What else... we drove up a little North, through Crieff and around Perth then back to Dumfernline. I have to say, Drummond Castle and the surround area is one of the most spectacular places on earth. I got a huge kick out of talking to the locals in Crieff because my dad had no idea what they were saying half the time.

Got to see the 21 gun salute at the Castle for the Queen's official birthday, which was nice because they had folks from the highland and lowland bands as well as a bagpiper We went and ate great seafood in Leith one night.

All in all, absolutely spectacular. I've been a lot of places but this has to be my favourite place I've been on earth. I can't wait to go back for longer sometime.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and I surprised a guy at the airport by asking if I could change my English pounds for Scottish pounds. I really wanted something from the Bank of Scotland. He was shocked and said usually it's the other way around because in England a lot of people don't realise they're real and won't take them, then here comes this American asking after them. I'm a dork.

-sj loves kevin spacey

lol, i'm aware of the mith that england doesnt take scottish notes, all my boss says on the matter is that he'll take their money if they've nowhere better for it lol,

glad to har you tryed haggis and irn bru. after drinking it i suppose its easy to see why the scottish are nutters

Can`t believe no-one`s mentioned Buckfast - our 2nd national drink!! (even though it`s made in Devon lol)

BUCKY !!! BUCKY !!!! OUR SECOND NATIONAL DRINK !!!!!!!!!!!!
no that aint it mate, its tennant special brew. or bells, infact anythin with an spirt content higher than 6%

Just back to the States from Scotland...You were right it was very warm. What happened to good 'ol rainy Scotland???

Tennants was the best, as well as IRN BRU. That and mince pie suppers. I lived on those.

had a blast, everyone was friendly, and my cousins showed me the finer points of Glasgow.

Well I found it perfectly palapable. Maybe it's in the genes. That also could be why I can't spell

My history teacher is an adamant lover of Scotland, having lived there for three months during his student teaching. Right now he's there on his honeymoon enjoying Irn Bru and the tattoo, lucky guy. But I told him he'd made a grand choice of a honeymoon spot. Hope he's enjoying.

If you haven't seen Arrested Development, you've made a huge mistake.