Customer Reviews

The Rough Guide to Scotland 8 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Rough Guide to Scotland 8" is the very latest edition (June 2008) of a compact and highly informative planning resource for one of the world's great travel destinations. Scotland manages to combine modern, dynamic cities with some of the best-preserved heritage sites of the British Isles and some of the most outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities in Europe.

"The Rough Guide to Scotland" is nicely organized into sections to facilitate vacation planning. An introductory section provides the first-time visitor with some welcome hints on when and where to go, including some can't-miss sites. Next, the guide covers the basics of travel to and within Scotland, accomodation, food, and other travel essentials.

The heart of the guide is a series of 17 regional sections, covering everything from the big cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow to the Central Highlands, remote Northwest Scotland, and the major island groups of Skye, the Hebrides, the Orkneys, and the Shetlands. Each regional section identifies visitor highlights, backed by narrative, maps, graphics, and black and white photographs to assist in putting together itineraries. Information on individual attractions usually includes operating hours and website addresses. Regional information on accomodation and dining are included.

Scotland may offer something for everyone. The cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow have the latest in shopping and modern culture. The famed Scottish Highlands are easily accessible by road or train, yet offer a broad choice of challenge from the afternoon stroll to the week-long backpacking expedition. Edinburgh has a fascinating array of excellent museums, while large numbers of castles, whether intact or ruined, are open to inspection by the tourist. Even the little border town of Gretna Green offers some interest; it was once England's favorite place for quicky marriages, based on a difference between Scottish and English law, for which it drew mention in a Jane Austen novel.

A concluding section in the guide provides essays on history, music, and books about Scotland. Special color sections scattered through the guide address Scotland's unique architecture, festivals, and outdoor recreation. The quality of maps and city graphics should enable the average tourist to do detailed planning. Those planning to drive and/or hike may wish a driving map or detailed Ordnance Survey charts in addition to what is provided in the guide.

"The Rough Guide to Scotland" is written in standard Rough Guide language, addressed to the average traveler and not shy about expressing opinions on which sights are worthwhile and what to expect in the way of manners and customs. This guide is very highly recommended to those interested in planning a fascinating vacation in Scotland, and as an orientation guide to those fascinated by Scottish culture.

It's good for history, but "Guide" is a very loose translation. I might term it the "curmudeon's view of Scotland" instead. It really gives no guide on how to get around in the country from place to place, it focuses on destinations but the book is not helpful with getting there. The maps are totally inadequate. For example, I wanted to go from Glasgow up to Skye and it was impossible to find what to see or where to stay along that route without consulting a different map and then looking in the Rough Guide's skimpy index for the names of towns along the way (that were only found on the other map I bought). For my purposes this is not a good guide at all. If you already know where you're going and how to get there and what to expect along the way, and just want some history and current facts about what is there, it will be good for you.

I prefer the Let's Go series of travel guides, but purchased this guide because the Scotland section in Let's Go Britain 2007 is fairly small, and I thought a dedicated guide might be worthwhile in discovering more of Scotland.

So far, I am highly disappointed with this guide. It is full of historical, political, and other "social studies" type knowledge, but has very little practical information for trip planning. It is a dry read compared to the eager writing of the Let's Go Britain guide. The authors of this book seem like they are trying to keep an impartial view, which is not really an approach that works.

Prices are not included for most things in the book, which is extremely frustrating and makes it nearly impossible for a person on my (reasonable but not infinite) budget to plan. Additionally, very little information is given on how to reach the sites mentioned in the book. The information given is vague, with statements like, "just outside of Aberdeen," and no further detail. Again, this level of detail is insufficient for planning a successful trip. My time outside of the U.S. is precious to me, and I do not want to spend it getting lost.

The last thing I want to mention about this guide is that because of the lack of any rating system, there is actually too much information. Because no attempt is made to specify which sites are most memorable or impressive, everything in this book flows together. Many places of interest are described, but I am left with the feeling that they are all equally worthwhile (or perhaps NOT worthwhile because of the same-y tone of the guide), and have no idea how to decide which ones I should see. I'm sure they all ARE worthwhile in their own way, but I don't have time to see anything, and some editorial guidance would be appreciated.

So far, I have ended up planning my entire trip using only the small section in the previously mentioned (and highly recommended) Let's Go Britain 2007. If you have a large budget, know little about the history of a country and want to learn more, are willing to give yourself a little time to find places, and do not want any opinion in your guidebook (which some might prefer), the Rough Guide might be for you. It does have a large quantity of information and is obviously well researched, which is why I did not give it 1 star in the rating.

Caveat emptor.

This was the 1st Rough Guide I had ever purchased & I have to say, I was very happy with it. The layout of the book was convenient to use,with sections of the book dedicated to each region in Scotland starting from the south part of the country to the north, which is how most people travel when in Scotland. The restaurant reviews & recommendations were very accurate, as was information on points of interest. Having this book to guide my trip enhanced my travel experience & I will be purchasing books from Rough Guide for my future travels.

If you are traveling by car, have time and want to see as much as possible, this is a great book. You will need a good road map also but everything else is in this book. We were traveling by camping van and it was somewhat helpful in finding camping sites but if camping, you may also want a more extensive, up to date camping book. Having the book broken down into small areas helped planning where to go and what we had to give up due to time constraints.

I have a lot of faith in The Rough Guides having relied on them for several countries I have cycled through. This one is up to expectations with interesting sections on the Orkney and Shetland Isles plus the expected titbits on whisky and other items associated with the culture of the Scots.

Scotland delightfully complicates the often confusing English language. for example a hill can be a ben, a mount, a brae or if high enough, a Munro...Munro bagging and other outdoor pursuits are included. Maps a good and so are the selected illustrations. As with all Rough Guides I like the Things not to Miss near the start of the guide. The Rough Guide importantly also helps with the environmental issues of travelling.

Roy Sinclair

Overall, this helped me and my wife plan ahead tremendously! My only gripe was the small font b/c of sooo much information in the guide. Because of this guide we went and saw Glamis Castle and had one of the best days of our trip! I will be returning again soon to revisit family, but hopefully to get a chance to see more of the highlands and northern Scotland. This guide is coming with me again!

Not pocket size but not atlas sized either. No travel to Scotttt-land can do without this guide! Here's a glass ta ya.
--DFW

Their histories are never as entertaining as Rick Steves', but everything else about them is great for a traveler looking for economic options.