14-Day Scottish Highlands & Wales

Edinburgh, (èd´n-bûr´e) capital city (1991 pop. 421,213) of Scotland and royal burgh. The city is divided into two sections: the Old Town, on the slope of Castle Rock, dates from the 11th century; the New Town spread to the north in the late 18th cent. Edinburgh is a government, finance, and tourist center. Most industry, which includes brewing and distilling, publishing, and paper milling, is situated near the city’s port, Leith. Edinburgh grew up around its 11th-century castle and became Scotland’s capital in 1437. It blossomed as a cultural center in the 18th and 19th century, with such figures as David Hume, Robert Burns, and Sir Walter Scott. It remains a cultural and educational hub and hosts an annual international arts festival.

“Glasgow town never brought me down,” Paul McCartney sang in 1973, and Greenock, gateway to the dynamic city of Glasgow, Scotland, is sure to please you too as a jumping off point for some terrific exploration of the land of the Scotch. If you like castles and lochs (personally, we prefer bagels and lochs), you’ll love this fairy-tale kingdom.

More ancient and considerably larger than Scotland’s capital of Edinburgh, Glasgow is a multilayered and rich historical experience, easily accessible to visitors. Statue-filled George’s Square, red-brick People’s Palace, and other main buildings like the central railway station north of the river Clyde, are the obvious places to start. The ancient mass of Glasgow Cathedral sits at the city’s heart; around it, the wide streets of Buchanan Street, Argyle Street, and Sauchiehall Street have all been pedestrianized and must be savored on foot.

Known as the “West End,” the westernmost half of the city boasts the refined, handsome proportions and prosperous townhouses of the island’s finest Victorian city, along with the old and new buildings of Glasgow University. Public parks and gardens help to dignify the southern outskirts. Finally, you’ll find their tourist information office about the most helpful on the island!

Channel Islands, archipelago (1995 est. pop. 151,000), 75 sq mi (194 sq km), 10 mi (16 km) off the coast of France in the English Channel. The principal islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark; they are dependencies of the British crown. Agriculture, dairying, and tourism are the mainstays of the economy. English and French are the official languages. The natives speak a Norman patois and maintain Norman customs. The islands became possessions of the duke of Normandy in the 10th century and were joined to the English crown at the Norman Conquest. They were occupied by the Germans during World War II.

Holyhead resides on Welsh Isle off the northwest coast of Wales; it is a frequent stopping point on the journey across the Irish Sea from Dublin to Wales. Castles, hiking, rocky beaches, ancient ruins, museums, camping, golf and sailing are what attracts most visitors to this scenic destination. From Holyhead, journey through the Welsh countryside to Snowdonia National Park. This vast, protected land of steep, forested mountains, crystal clear lakes and tiny villages is considered to be Wales’ greatest natural wonder. Among the castles of Wales are King Edward’s Beaumaris Fortress, with its thick stone walls; Caemarfon Castle, where Prince Charles was named Prince of Wales; and the Norman’s grand Conwy Castle, with its eight massive towers.

The City is a vibrant and exciting place to visit and a warm “Liverpool” welcome is always guaranteed. The centre is alive with theatres, restaurants, clubs and attractions that are able to provide something for everyone. It is one of the world’s most famous and historic cities and its distinguished life as a centre for world trade and commerce is clearly reflected in its rich culture and architectural heritage, a fact re-inforced by being shortlisted for the City of Architecture and Design 1999. Liverpool is also host to many sporting and spectator events throughout the year, a selection of which are detailed in this
guide.

Over 2500 listed buildings are located within the area and many are built to classical designs. William Brown Street is home to a number of the city’s finest buildings including the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Museum and Central Libraries. Nearby St. George’s Hall, constructed in an age when size and grandeur were of paramount importance, is widely
regarded as the finest neo-classical building in Europe. The Town Hall is the jewel of Liverpool’s historic buildings with its Golden Minerva sitting proudly atop the golden dome. Both of these magnificent buildings have been refurbished and feature a programme of events, public openings, exhibitions, conferences and business and private functions.

The City can also boast to being one of the greenest Cities in Britain. Relax and enjoy the pleasant surroundings of the 2400 acres of parklands and open spaces. Croxteth Hall and Country Park Estate is set in 500 acres of woodland with a working farm animal collection, miniature railway and adventure playground. The historic mansion contains period
rooms and character figures and welcomes visitors throughout the summer.

Restless, enduring and wonderful, London is Europe’s largest city. And surely, if you have the choice to visit only two or three cities of the world in your lifetime, by all means make one of them London.

The Romans started it all. The city they developed was “the square mile,” – and Londoners still hunt for Roman relics in the Thames. History is everywhere you look in London, yet today the city is as modern and metropolitan as any city on earth.

By day, London is buzzing with the frenetic pace of commerce not even Dickens could have imagined. By night, the excitement and glitter of theatres, cinemas, pubs and restaurants beckons throngs of travellers from around the world. But there is another London, a peaceful London of cool museums, quiet tea rooms, immaculate gardens and hushed churches.

There is Royal London – ancient pageantry in a modern kingdom – with its palaces, pomp and precise manoeuvres at the Changing of the Guard. And there’s outrageous London, the urban gathering ground for Cockney pitchmen, “fringe” theatre and the city’s youth, with their own distinctive style.

There is also Greenwich, easily accessed from central London by public transport, or take a more scenic route and arrive by riverboat. Notable for both its maritime history and royal heritage, it is perhaps best known for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time, based at the Royal Observatory.

London, this extraordinary city of contrasts, holds a stunning abundance of hidden-round-the-corner surprises. You owe it to yourself to explore them all. Here, then, is the London you’ll come to know and remember.

Newcastle is the capital of the Hunter Valley Region, in New South Wales. Located on the east coast of Australia, the Hunter Region encompasses a land area of approximately 31,000 square kilometres and a resident population of around 544,000 people. Newcastle’s population is estimated at 132,000 people. Getting to and from Newcastle is simple. From Sydney, it is a comfortable 2 hour drive (Sydney is 171 kilometres to the south); 30 minutes by air and two hours by passenger train (there is a regular hourly service). There are also direct flights from Brisbane and Canberra. Newcastle is the gateway to the Hunter Valley and is now a very different place to the time when steel and coal industries were the main source of employment. Long gone are the smoky grey industrial images – they have been replaced with elegantly restored historic buildings; picturesque parks and gardens; an extensive selection of restaurants boasting cuisine from around the world; and the natural beauty of its white sandy beaches and harbour. There is a wide selection of magnificent art galleries and museums; nightclubs and eateries; and extensive shopping facilities. The long list of natural attractions
within easy access of the city includes everything from wilderness areas, rainforests and beaches to world famous vineyards. The green rolling hills of Australia’s oldest winemaking region are studded with restaurants, guest houses, and of course, the vineyards where more than twenty varieties of grape ripen slowly in the warm summer sunshine to produce some of Australia’s finest wines. Lakes, beaches, rivers and bays, combine with lush countryside to make the Hunter
region surrounding Newcastle almost unlimited in its appeal.

Shetland Islands, archipelago, 552 sq mi (1,427 sq km), off N Scotland. They consist of c.100 islands c.70 mi (110 km) long, about a fourth of which are inhabited. The largest are Mainland (where Lerwick, the main town, is located), Yell, Unst, Fetlar, Whalsey, and Bressay. Oil, produced offshore in the North Sea since the 1970s, supplements income
from traditional sheep, cattle, and knitware industries. Tourism is also important. The hardy Shetland pony and the Shetland sheepdog originated there. Occupied by Norsemen by the 9th cent., the islands were annexed to Scotland in 1472.