Tourism in Scotland
Scotland is a well-developed travel destination. The tourism sector has around 200,000 jobs, mostly services, with an average income of £ 4 billion a year. Tourists from Great Britain make up the largest proportion of visitors to Scotland. In 2002 , 18.5 million UK tourists came to Scotland, stayed a total of 64.5 million nights and spent £ 3.7 billion. It also recorded 1.58 million visits from outside the UK , with 15 million room nights and spending of £ 806 million. In terms of overseas tourists, the United States is most prominent in Scotland at 24 percent, ahead of Germany (9%), France (8%), Canada (7%) and Australia (6%).
Scotland is widely regarded as a clean and relatively unspoilt travel destination, with beautiful landscapes, a long and complex history , connected with thousands of historical sites and attractions, including prehistoric stone circles , megaliths and burial chambers as well as various relics from the Bronze , Iron and Stone Ages . There are also many historical castles, buildings, battlefields, ruins and museums. Many people are drawn to Scottish culture .
Although the main season for the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow is between April and October, they are visited all year round and are increasingly becoming cosmopolitan centers that are increasingly viewed as tourist alternatives to the Scottish countryside. In addition, the national travel agency VisitScotland has implemented a niche strategy aimed, among other things, at developing Scotland's tourist strengths in golf and fishing as well as in Scottish cuisine . Another important and increasingly popular reason to visit Scotland, especially for tourists from North America , is genealogy , to research family roots or ancestors.
Infrastructure
Scotland is linked to the rest of the Kingdom by road , rail and air. The airports in Edinburgh , Glasgow , Prestwick and Aberdeen cover the majority of the increasing international air traffic to Scotland. In relation to Europe , the country generally has good international air connections, with daily flights from numerous European cities such as Paris , Berlin , Rome , Barcelona , Dublin and Stockholm . In addition, there are direct flights that are delegated from major Scottish airports to various locations such as New York , Boston , Philadelphia , Toronto , Vancouver and Calgary in North America . The growing number of low cost airlines at Scottish airports is a major contributor to increasing visitor numbers.
Scotland was linked to mainland Europe by a car ferry that ran daily from Rosyth to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge . The line was discontinued in 2011. A ferry service continues to take place between Amsterdam and Newcastle in the north of England . Another ferry service connects Scotland and Northern Ireland and operates between Stranraer and Belfast and between Cairnryan and Larne .
The ferry service between Gothenburg , Sweden and Newcastle (actually North Shields ) in northern England was stopped at the end of October 2006. This connection was the key route for tourists from Sweden and Norway . The reasons the company in question leads high oil prices and the progressive competition with the low cost airlines, particularly Ryanair (which the Gothenburg Airport / Säve with the Glasgow Prestwick Airport and London Stansted Airport connects). The current route Newcastle / Norway runs through the Norwegian city of Stavanger.
Attractions
- Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and is considered one of the most beautifully situated cities in Europe. The old and new parts of Edinburgh have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . Edinburgh is the largest tourist destination in Scotland and the second largest in the United Kingdom after London . The main tourist attractions are Edinburgh Castle , Holyrood Palace , Our Dynamic Earth and the Royal Mile . Edinburgh has three universities, including the 1583 founded University of Edinburgh .
- Glasgow is the largest city in the country and the second largest tourist destination after Edinburgh. Sights include the Burrell Collection , Glasgow Cathedral , the Glasgow Science Center and the Kelvingrove Museum . Many tourists also travel to Glasgow to see the famous Victorian and Gothic architecture or to do some shopping. The city has three universities, e.g. B. the University of Glasgow .
- Stirling is a historic city in central Scotland, about 30 miles northwest of Edinburgh. Due to its geographical location between the Scottish Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands , Stirling is also known as the gateway to the Highlands . Sights include Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument .
- Aberdeen , the granite city ("Granite City") is especially famous for its Gothic architecture. The city has about 210,000 inhabitants and is a council area in north-eastern Scotland. With its large seaport , Aberdeen is an important port of call for many ferries as it connects mainland Scotland with the northern islands of Orkney and the Shetland Islands . The granite city has two universities and a large student population.
- St Andrews is a busy, small town northeast of Fife . The economy of the city with Royal Burgh status is centered on the sport of golf , the modern form of which is to some extent based in St Andrews . The University of St Andrews (the oldest in Scotland) has teaching facilities across the city.
- Dundee , also known as the City of Discovery, is home to Scott's Antarctic ship RRS Discovery . Dundee has two universities. Furthermore, a jute museum called Verdant Works can be visited, which is a station on the European Route of Industrial Culture (ERIH) .
- Perth is a historic small town on the River Tay on the east coast and is known for its extensive green parks. Near Perth is the village of Scone , former capital of Scotland and former coronation site of Scottish kings .
- Inverness is the capital of the Highland administrative district , located near Loch Ness and serves as a transport hub with its rail and bus transport, for the most part to the northern and western Highlands in the Scottish Highlands. It is from here that many tourists set out to explore Northern Scotland.
Other popular tourist areas are the Scottish Highlands and the Hebrides , for example the Isle of Skye . Perthshire , Scottish Borders , Orkney and the Shetland Islands are also well known tourist destinations.
The Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Scotland and the United Kingdom . The Scottish mountains are all relatively low in an international comparison, but often have a subarctic or alpine climate due to the northern latitudes. Mountain tours in Scotland therefore require appropriate equipment and tour planning despite the relatively low summit heights. Fatal accidents occur almost every year. The Cuilling Mountains on the Isle of Skye have some excellent climbing opportunities, such as the Sgurr Alasdair . Many mountain hikers also pursue munro bagging .
Scotland has many lakes , including Loch Lomond and Loch Ness , which some say is home to the Loch Ness monster . There are also many rivers that are suitable for salmon and fly fishing , such as the Tay , Tweed , Don or Dee .
In Scotland you can go stalking or driven hunting . The hunt for the Scottish red grouse, which begins every year on Glorious Twelfth (August 12), is particularly popular .
Scotland is the home of golf, and hundreds of plants, there are many historical and famous golf courses , including St Andrews , Gleneagles , Royal Troon , Carnoustie and Muirfield .
Many historic landmarks are managed by the government organization Historic Scotland and the private non-profit organization National Trust for Scotland . Both organizations offer free entry to their sights as part of a non-automatically renewing annual membership.
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- ↑ Introduction . In: Scottish Executive.
- ↑ KEY FACTS OF TOURISM FOR SCOTLAND 2002 ( Memento of the original dated December 3, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Star UK.
- ↑ James Savage: "DFDS scraps Newcastle-Gothenburg line" ( Memento of the original dated August 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: The Local. September 7, 2006
- ↑ Our routes
