If you have spent most of your life in a relatively young country like I have, then the concept of exploring a building that has been in use for thousands of years instead of the just hundreds is very intriguing. When you tour a few of these ancient buildings like the famous Scotland castles during a Scotland vacation you would find each has a rich history with friendly guides that are more than happy to fill you in.

The Purpose of Castles

The first Scotland castles were simple fortifications to keep one group of people safe from all the other groups of people out to get them. In the beginning these forts were thrown up using tall wooden palisades cut from nearby trees. Wood was also the material used to erect the tower within. These groups tried to pick the best spots for there fortifications like the top of a hill, a sharp bend in a river, or a nice sea cliff. But if those were not available the people would build there own hills and redirect the river to circle part of there keep.

As time went by and these groups grew larger and stronger they would replace the wooden tower with one made of stone, then the wooden fortification walls would be replaced with stronger stone ones as well. Often in Scotland the tower itself would be built in such a way that outer walls were no longer necessary. The people that would live inside the safety of these towers were the ones that were considered the leaders while the ones that lived outside the walls were the farmers. When danger was on its way, in the form of other clans or the Vikings, everyone that could, would quickly spill into the fortification and the large gates would be closed behind them. Wouldn’t you have hated being left outside those gates?

You can visit these ancient Scotland castles and hear all there stories and legends while looking at the actual structures yourself.

Above photo of Castle Stuart, Inverness, Scotland by conner395

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Aberdour Castle
Located in Aberdour
Oldest part of this Scotland castle dates beck to the mid-1200. Aberdour Castle was built in many different stages in its history.

Ardvreck Castle
Located on Loch Assynt, Sutherland, in the North West Highlands
This castle dates back to the late-1500. Ardvreck first owned by the Macleod family. Later Ardverck Castle burned down followed by five years of bad crops and poor fishing.

Arnot Tower
Located close to Fife and Kinross-shire.
This contains 10 acres of bountiful gardens around the ruined castle. The tower dates back to the mid-1500’s and was occupied by the clan Arnot.

Blervie Castle
Located near Forres in northern Scotland
Built in the 1600’s and owned by the Dunbar family. Once a z-shaped fortification, now only the tower remains.

Cadzow Castle
Located near Hamilton
Sitting in an achiest forest Cadzow castle dates back to the mid-1500 for the second Earl of Arran. Now this ruined Scotland castle seems that it is being reclaimed by the forest.

Denmylne Tower
Located near the Firth of Tay
Denmylne Tower was built around the 16th century by Balfour family. There is now a tree growing in the middle of the tower. This castle is privately owned.

Eden Castle
Located close to Banff in Aberdeenshire
Started in the late-1500 by the Meldrum family. Eden Castle has been set up for visiters and should be very safe and easy to see for yourself.

Findlater Castle
Located near Banff and Cullen
Parts of this castle date back to the mid-1400. This castle ruin doesn’t have much left to see, but it sits on a dangerous cliff with magnificent views.

Hailes Castle
Located close to East Lothian
Hailes castle is the ruins of an enormous Scotland castle. You can acutely take a tour of the inside of this castle whose oldest parts date back to the late 1200’s

Invergarry Castle
Located near Fort Augustus on Loch Ness
Built in the early-1600 is legend to have been visited twice by Bonnie Prince Charlie. If you visit Glengarry Castle you can an inspiring view of Invergarry Castle from the grounds.

above photo of Blair castle, Scotland – main facade by Eusebius@Commons

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So, you have decided that you need a whimsical vacation roaming ancient paths and historical castles. It is good for you to visit a beautiful far off land and dream. What better place to dream than while touring on of many Scotland castles. What types of Scotland castles do you want to see?

Castle Ruins

If you enjoy exploring crumbling historical buildings and imagining how it looked long ago than you will love visiting Scotland’s castles. It has been said that there is a castle ruin on every hillock. This might be an exaggeration, but there are a lot of ruined castes to hike around.

Castle Tour

If you love antiques and lovingly restored buildings than aim for the castles that have been restored, cared for, and are open to tours. The tour guides will fill your head with history and legends of the keep you are exploring. Many of these castles are museums, so they will have all sorts of local antiques and artifacts to see.

Castle Hotels

The ultimate Scotland castle vacation involves at least on night sleeping in a castle. Depending on your budget you can find all sorts of restored castles with accommodations. You can stay anywhere from a five star resort type hotel to a more modest type castle hotel. You can even find castles to rent out in its entirety for your group.

Haunted Castles

Halloween might be over, but spirits are still floating though the halls of some of Scotland’s castle. Whether you believe in ghosts or not it is interesting to hear the legends and find out if something will make you believe.

Above photo of Eilean Donan Castle Scotland by conner 395

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The Scottish countryside is beautiful with unique flora and fauna, majestic farms, breathtaking seaside cliffs, and castle ruins steeped in history. Scotland also has flourishing urban towns with intriguing museums, historical castles, regal cathedrals, and exciting pubs. If you’re not an outdoorsy person who likes spending all your time in the countryside chasing Scottish highland cows, you’re in for a treat. Scotland has some great urban cities that are perfect for your Scotland vacation.

Museums

Scotland has so much history it’s bound to be full of museums. You can find all types of museums in Scotland’s cities. You can find ancient castles that have been turned into museums in most of the larger cities and even some of the smaller ones. You will also find all types and sizes of historic buildings that are housing Scotland’s antiquities. Scotland also has modern museums with fantastic examples of Scotland’s best modern art. Look for the National Gallery of Scotland which includes the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.

Restaurants

You might have heard that Scotland, like England, is not known for its legendary cuisine. Bland food might have been the only offerings in the past, but today that simply isn’t true. You can feast on anything from fast food to gourmet food and all sorts of ethnic foods in between. Like everywhere else in the world, you will have the best selection in the largest metropolitan areas. Of course seafood and fish are prominent on most menus if you are by the coast. It is no longer necessary to eat haggis in Scotland, in fact in many places you might have trouble even finding haggis. On the other hand you’ve got to try a Deep Fried Snickers Bar.

Pub Crawls

You can visit all sorts of museums, gardens, and restaurants during the day, but what is there to do at night? So many urbanites like to enjoy the benefits of city life during the evenings too. The perfect activity to fill your evenings is right downtown.  If you arranged your lodgings right they might even be right down stairs. On Pub Crawls you basically walk or “crawl” from pub to pub. If you look around you can find official Pub Crawls to take that are like a tour.

Above photo of Port O’ Leith bar, Eninburgh by Ross Angus

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Scotland is the birthplace of golf, so it goes without saying that if you are a golfer you simply must get in a game or two. Scotland has more than 500 golf courses scattered across its lush landscape. Everyone can find the prefect golf course to satisfy the golfer in them. If you enjoy golfing then getting the chance to play is going to be the best part of your Scotland vacation.

Historical Golf Courses

It isn’t known exactly when the great game of golf was invented, but since golf’s beginning the game was enjoyed by everyone in Scotland from paupers to royalty. If you want to tee up where golfing celebrities have been playing for so long then aim for St Andrews Links. This is a links course, which means that it is by the sea and therefore has plenty of natural sand dunes, few trees, and few water hazards. At St Andrews Links you can get tee times in the old course or the castle course. Just be aware that this famous golf course is very popular, so getting a tee time is going to take some real effort. Once you are out on the course it will all be worth it.

When to go

If you’re planning on doing some golfing on your Scotland vacation or if golf is going to be the center of your Scotland vacation then it’s good to plan for golf season, which is technically from the beginning of April to the end of September.  The busiest times are in May and September. You can easily find a nice place to golf all year long in Scotland if you don’t mind the cold weather. No matter what time of year you visit be prepared for unpredictable weather. Bring waterproof shoes and a warm wool sweater to go under your jacket.

Above photo “Tees” by foxypar4

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You’ve been working hard all year long and now it’s time for your vacation. A Scotland vacation is just perfect to unwind, see something new, get some exercise, and become one with nature. You may already know what to expect from a Scotland vacation. Things like majestic castle ruins, rolling hillocks, misty lochs, tall sea cliffs, and an exciting pub scene. There is just so much to do and see in Scotland, where do you start deciding what to include on your itinerary.

Golfing

Are you a golfer? Even if you aren’t, a Scotland golf vacation is going to be entertaining. Scotland is the birthplace of golf, so of course, it is dotted with wonderful golf courses. You don’t need to be a golf pro to play a game at many of the Scotland’s scenic golf courses. It would be a good idea to try golf at home if you are a complete novice.

Fishing

Not only can you enjoy great fish and seafood when you visit Scotland at the many restaurants and pubs, but you can also go fishing to catch your own. Scotland is a wet country with plenty of streams, rivers, lochs, and ocean to choose from. Fishing is a big pastime in Scotland, so finding tackle shops and guides is not a problem.

Urban Cities

Scotland’s Urban Cities are real happening places these days. The Scottish people are fun loving and friendly, so making new friends in local pubs is easy. If you are interested in history then the big cities like Glasgow are perfect places to sight see. Take in the enchanting architecture everywhere, roam the many museums, and follow a lovely foot path into the wilder areas. Scotland’s cities good places to find all types of accommodations. You can book anything from youth hostels to a room in a castle hotel.

No matter how you decide to take this vacation, remember to take the time to relax and enjoy yourself.

Above photo “6th Green, Royal Dornoch Golf Club” by foxypar4

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Scotland has a rich and sometimes bloody history. In the fight to become ruler, many magnificent fortifications were erected and then torn down, just to be built again even bigger. Many of Scotland’s castles have sections that were built at different times. And some were built on top of the existing castle to create snaking catacombs underneath. If you’re interested in history, archeology, and priceless antiques then a Scotland vacation is perfect for you.

Castle Ruins

There is nothing more interesting than castle ruins. It’s so easy to imagine things that took place there and what it would’ve been like to live in that harsh environment. So many of the ruined castles are crumbling because of attacks they suffered in the past. Just imagine the view from a high tower in St Andrews Castle, and the danger from the frigid environment and your enemies coming from underneath. Although this castle may not have housed royalty for long, it did become the principle administrative center for the Church of Scotland, before it became a notorious prison.

Castle Museums

Not all castles are in ruins. Luckily many castles have been kept in good repair and rebuilt over their history by loving owners. The history has been saved and is now on display for visitors to enjoy. Many of the families that owned and cared for their family castles have had to sell or donate their homes to others so that they could continue to be cared for and therefore share their family history with the masses. You can explore the former resident’s way of life throughout the ages. There are wonderful antiques not only from that location, but from the larger countryside nearby cities as well.

Castle Hotels

Staying a few nights in one of the many castle hotels is not just for history buffs. Many of the larger castle hotels have organized activities that the entire family can enjoy. The royalty that once lived in them were considered the leisure class. They had tons of time on their hands, and filled it with entertainment. Some of these fun accommodations offer fishing trips, hunting trips, equestrian riding, and of course tours of the castle complete with interesting stories and facts. When you take your Scotland vacation be sure to visit a castle or two, it will be well worth your time.

Above photo “Aldourie Castle – on the shore of Loch Ness Inverness Scotland” by conner395

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Scotland is full of green hillocks, rocky beaches, breathtaking sea cliffs, all types of castles, country farms, majestic locks, bubbling streams and rivers, and active modern cities. No matter what type of scenery you‘d like to see during your Scotland vacation you’ll be delighted with the adventure of finding it. What type of adventure would you like to have?

Get Up Close to the Scotland Landscape

You can fill your Scotland vacation with riding the railway, busses, in a rental car, or planes to get from place to place. But if you really want to see the real Scotland be sure to take in some of the scenery on foot. Or if you prefer you could rent a bike or horse to make the travel faster. Scotland has some very unique wildlife that you simply cannot find anywhere else. You would not be able to see them from a window in a fast moving vehicle. If you really enjoy nature then get out and see some while you are in Scotland.

Walking the local foot paths

If you would like to get some good exercise on your Scotland vacation then you’re in luck, Scotland has a wonderful selection of walking paths. There are whole books written just on the subject of walking around Scotland. Don’t let the term foot path fool you. Many of these paths are very long and can take you across country. If you aren’t a hard core back packer then do not fear. Finding shorter paths or just using a part of the longer ones is not a problem. Just bring your rugged winter gear even if it is summer. The weather in Scotland changes fast and you will want to be prepared.

Hiking around the Coast

There is nothing more dramatic and breathtaking than the Scotland coast. Many wonderful foot paths can be found by the sea. You could try to take on a long trek down the coast or just explore some of the intoxicating castle ruins that hang on steep sea cliffs. When walking these paths always pay attention to warning signs and of course warnings from passersby. The coast can also be dangerous and you want to return safely from your Scotland vacation to tell everyone about it.

Wake up Under the Scottish Sky

The true adventurers out there could wake up under the Scotland sky. This is the stuff of dreams. And of course I’m referring to the sky that is above your nice cold weather tent roof. Behave like a true Scotsman and go with a group to make a nice party. This isn’t just for the camp fire conversation, there is safety in numbers. As stated before the weather can change fast in Scotland and so you will need to really know what you are doing before attempting a Scotland camping trip.

Above photo “Explorer Summer Camp 2007 – Scotland” by Ben.Bowen

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Green rolling hills, ancient castle walls, regal churches, quant inns, kilts in bright red and navy, lively pubs, cool breezes, the best golf courses, and more locks than you could count. This is a place where the people are fun loving, friendly, but won’t pry into your personal business.

If this sounds like a Wonderful place to you then a Scotland vacation is your perfect adventure. Scotland has so much to offer its visitors you could have ten Scotland vacations and not see it all. Where do you start deciding what to do?

Scotland Vacation for the Active

Your idea of the perfect vacation might be one where you can stretch your legs and really work up a sweat. If you really want to get out and see the countryside while challenging yourself then consider taking a walking, hiking, or camping trip in Scotland. You could pick a walk like Westhighland Way on the edge of Glasgow. You can take the path as far as you want from a day hike to a longer hike. If you are a real adventurer then camping will make you feel like a real Scotsman.

Scotland Vacation for Exploring Castles

What is the one thing that you think of when you think of Scotland? You are very likely thinking of castles. Castles are such a huge part of Scotland. There is a Scotland castle for everyone’s tastes. You can find opulent castles that have been turned into resorts and hotels to enjoy for a few nights to a few weeks. Or you can find fully appointed castles to rent in its entirety for your group. There are also castles that have been turned into museums with wonderful artwork and artifacts to explore. If you are anything like me you will find plenty of castle ruins to keep your imagination going for years.

Scotland Vacation for Golfers

It isn’t known the exact date that the great game of golf was created. However, it is known that this popular game came from Scotland. In gulfs childhood the game was enjoyed by every walk of life from pauper’s to royalty. Going to Scotland to play a few games of golf isn’t just for the pros, anyone can enjoy golfing in Scotland.

Scotland Vacation for Urbanites

The urban cities of Scotland are lively places with wonderful museums, historical castles, beautiful churches, fancy hotels, affordable hostels, and hopping pubs. You will find ancient buildings changed into accommodations and restaurants. Urban Scotland is great for shopping and making new friends. Everyone should spend at least a day exploring modern urban Scotland.

above photo “Bishop Hill” by Brian Forbes

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There are many things a visitor to Scotland can do and see. If your idea of a wonderful Scotland vacation involves adventure and lots of exercise, bring your walking shoes and umbrella. Scotland is a perfect place for the outdoorsman, and you’ll find more adventure than you can imagine. Here are a few examples of activates you could do in Scotland.

Walking

Scotland is full of foot paths. You can find some nice trails on the edges of Scotland’s most modern urban cities, or in the country where you will have only the Scottish highland cows for company. Scotland has truly unique wildlife that you won’t find anywhere else. You have quite a few foot paths to choose from, so you can follow the entire path for a cross country trek or just part of it for a day trip.

Camping

Are you a real camper? Do you enjoy camping in cool climates and want a really rugged adventure? Camping in Scotland is not for the faint of heart. There are plenty of places to choose from. If you’re planning to camp in the highlands beware of midges. They are also known as the “Wee Beasties” to locals. To avoid these biting insects you will want to camp in spring and fall instead of summer. So, having cold weather camping equipment is a must.

Skiing

Did you know that you can ski in the summer in Scotland? No they don’t have snow covered runs open all year. Scotland natives are real outdoorsmen; they enjoy outdoor sports all year long. So it is no wonder you can find several dry ski runs in Scotland. For example; The Alford Dry Ski Centre in Aberdeen. Or course if you choose a winter Scotland vacation than there are many wonderful ski runs to choose from.

Above photo “Wild Camping” by Hermes

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