| Scotland ((in)/(sco) Scotland / (gd) Alba) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  UK |
|---|---|
| Regional capital | Edinburgh |
| Area | 78 387 km² |
| Population | 5 327 700 hab. (2013) |
| Density | 67,97 inhab./km² |
| Telephone prefix | 44 |
| Internet suffix | .scot |
| Spindle | UTC ± 00: 00 |
| Location | |
 57 ° 24 ′ 0 ″ N 4 ° 24 ′ 0 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
TheScotland is part of UK.
Understand
Regions
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Cities
- 1 Edinburgh – the capital.
- 2 Aberdeen
- 3 Glasgow – The biggest city.
- 4 Stirling
- 5 Dundee
- 6 Fort william – at the foot of Ben Nevis.
- 7 Perth
- 8 Dufftown – high place of whiskey
- 9 Inverness
Other destinations
- 1 Loch Ness – The Loch Ness monster, nicknamed Nessie, is believed to live in this lake.
- 2 Cairngorms National Park – Spectacularly landscaped, the park covers the Cairngorms mountain range and surrounding hills, the town ofAviemore is located in the park. She is known for winter sports.
- 3 Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park – Centered around Lake Lomond, the park includes several mountain ranges, the most famous of which is the Trossachs massif.
To go
By plane
The towns of Glasgow and D'Edinburgh are best served by air.
- 1 Edinburgh International Airport Ingliston, Edinburgh (About fifteen kilometers west of the city center, is 30 min from the center by taxi or bus (Lothian Buses).),
44 844 448 8833 – It is mainly served by Air France and British Airways from Paris. Some connections are also provided from other French cities by the company Easy-Jet. From April 2016 Transavia is launching a Paris (orly) -Edimbourg line.
- 2 Glasgow International Airport Paisley PA3 2SW (West of town.), 44 844 481 5555 – Served by the public transport company First who set up a bus, the Glasgow Shuttle.
- 3 Glasgow Prestwick Airport Aviation House, Prestwick KA9 2PL (Southwest of the city.), 44 871 223 0700
The prices are available on the internet. For example, a return ticket within a 28-day interval with the Glasgow Shuttle service is 8,5 GBP[1]. – This airport is served by the company Ryanair from the airports of Carcassonne and Paris Beauvais. Accessible in less than an hour, via the Scottish railway service ScotRail.
The prices are available on the internet. For example, a return ticket within a 28-day interval with the Glasgow Shuttle service is On a boat
Since December 2010, the track commissioned in May 2009, which linked the port of Zeebrugge (Belgium) to Rosyth (near Edinburgh) has been closed, Norfolkline having been acquired by DFDS Seaways. The possibilities are the Zeebrugee or Rotterdam - Hull route, with the company P&O, which includes a few hundred kilometers to reach Scotland, or Amsterdam - Newcastle, with DFDS.
By train
It is possible to reach Edinburgh or Glasgow by train from most major UK cities. The British railway being liberalized, do not forget to compare the prices of the different companies (Scotrail, Virgin Train, etc.).
The British rail network is not the most modern and fast, we can rely on bus transport for equivalent travel times at often more interesting prices.
By car
For those who come from France or Benelux, the crossing of England does not present any particular difficulty except for the passage of London by the orbital highway M25 which is sometimes quite crowded, especially during office hours.
North of the British capital, there are two main routes to reach Scotland:
- over there M40 Then M6 and the M74 via Birmingham and Carlisle where we will join directly Glasgow on an exclusively motorway route
- over there M1 or else the A1 (M) and the A1 via Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne which allows to arrive at Edinburgh on a route combining expressways and ordinary roads
The great majority of British motorways are free, while the bridges are often tolled. Count only 3 € toll booth to go up from the south of England. Going to Scotland by this means is very interesting because the landscapes of the North of England (towards Carlisle) are magnificent and history buffs can go "admire" the remains of the Great Hadrian's Wall, the northern border of the Empire. Roman.
Circulate
By plane
Scotland's dimensions do not justify the use of in-house air transport.
By train
The Scottish railway being liberalized, several companies operate in Scotland. The majority train company is Scotrail. The connections vary greatly in terms of modernity, comfort and efficiency.
The Glasgow / Edinburgh line is by far the most modern and efficient (frequent shuttles, count 45 min path). On other routes, bus connections are an equivalent alternative in terms of travel time, often at a lower cost.
By bus
Bus transport is much more developed on the British Isles than on the mainland. In each major city, a bus station welcomes passengers from various regular lines and allows connections. The bus in Scotland is an efficient and affordable mode of transport.
Note that Low Cost Bus companies have now developed and sell their connections on the Internet at unbeatable prices. It may also be interesting to purchase an “Explorer Pass” subscription from the company. Citylink.
By car
Needless to say that driving is carried out on the leftmost lane of the roadway as in the rest of the road. UK and that it is the imperial system of measurement which prevails ... miles for distances and mph (miles per hour...) concerning speed limits.
Scotland benefits from an efficient and free motorway network. If you come with your French vehicle, remember to memorize the conversions of the usual speeds.
Speed limits:
- Residential or school area = 20 mph (32 km / h) on prior signaling
- City = 30 mph (48 km / h)
- Ordinary roads = 60 mph (96 km / h)
- Expressways and highways = 70 mph (112 km / h)
The UK has been able to reduce its road violence by applying strong deterrence and firm repression across the country. Many automatic radars are placed in town to control your speed and compliance with traffic lights. These radars are part of the deterrent system: they are particularly numerous and indicated by specific signs (“old camera” type sign and fluorescent yellow paint). Do not forget that tickets (extremely high ...) are not always the subject of a preliminary arrest and that they arrive by post at their authors, whether in Scotland or abroad.
In the heart of the Highlands, ordinary roads are particularly narrow and many hardly exceed the width of a truck or coach: there are passing places every hundred meters which allows if not to overtake, at least to cross another vehicle: it is up to the motorist arriving as close as possible to an avoidance place to give way to the one coming in front. Fortunately some major roads and free expressways named "dual carriageway»Allow long distances to be covered at a speed that greatly exceeds the 60 km / h.
Petrol stations are very common across Scotland including in the most remote areas where prices are literally soaring, prices are among the highest inEurope especially concerning diesel which is more expensive than unleaded. Summary rest areas and service areas are located on highways and certain portions of expressways: then follow the indication Services to get there. In addition to refueling and vehicle maintenance, it is possible to eat properly in many stores and sometimes even to take a hotel room, as well as to buy all kinds of items. necessary for long journeys.
Regarding refueling (yes, for the stomachs ...), do not neglect the famous "truckstop»Which are none other than truck stops where it is possible to eat for more reasonable prices !!!
Parking poses very little problem in villages but remains complicated in towns. You should know that a double yellow line along the sidewalk completely prohibits stopping and parking. Parking meters are very present even in some towns: it is really not advisable to ignore them, under penalty of discovering a nice P.V. on the windshield or finding your vehicle immobilized by a shoe named here "clamp". Other areas are clearly reserved for residents, without this necessarily being well indicated. However, parking remains inexpensive in the villages and outskirts of the main cities, so it is possible to reach the city center on foot or by very efficient public transport.
Speak
Scots speaking French are not very rare but it is preferable to speakEnglish, even if the Scottish accent is sometimes incomprehensible to a poorly trained ear.
Buy
Scotland uses the pound sterling (£). Banknotes printed in Scotland are very different from those in England but they are the same currency and traders will accept them indifferently.
Eat
There are many dining options: fast food, pubs, cafes and restaurants. Scots have a habit of having dinner early enough and it is difficult to dine in a restaurant after 21 h. The restaurants mainly offer à la carte dishes. Menus are rarer and can be limited to a certain time of the day such as for lunch (lunch menu) or before going out (pre-theater menu). The pre-theater menu are served according to the restaurants between 17 h and 18 h 30 and are an economical and quick way to dine. It is also possible to have a snack served (afternoon tea) in tea rooms or other establishments offering it. Theafternoon tea normally consists of mini sandwiches and pastries accompanied by tea or coffee.
Not all establishments offer full room service. In pubs, it is common to order meals and drinks at the counter, specifying your table number. Service charges are not included and it is customary to tip 10% of the bill.
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Scotland is a recognized producer of many culinary products, many of which are exported:
- Sea products - salmon, langoustines, oysters, scallops, crabs and lobsters. Smoked fish: smoked salmon, hot smoked salmon (hot smoked salmon), herring (kipper that we find at Arbroath under the name ofArbroath smokies), haddock.
- Meats and cold cuts - game (pheasant, deer), lamb and mutton, beef produced from high quality breeds (Aberdeen Angus, Highland ...). Black pudding, equivalent of the French black pudding and famous when it comes from Stornoway.
- Biscuits - oatcakes (oatcakes), shortbread (butter cookies).
In Scotland, as elsewhere, you can find restaurants with multiple origins. As in the rest of the UK, Indian and Bengali cuisine is prevalent and Scots love spicy and tangy dishes. Scottish cuisine is rustic and rich. The most famous dishes are:
- Cullen skink - a smoked haddock soup, potatoes, milk and / or cream, onions and in some recipes leeks.
- Haggis, neeps and tatties - haggis (stuffed sheep's stomach) served with turnips and mashed potatoes.
- Scotch pie - A "closed" tart, the size of a portion, filled with minced mutton seasoned with spices and pepper.
- Stovies - to stove meaning "to simmer" in Scottish, there are many different recipes under the name stovies. They have in common that they are a stew made from potatoes and leftover roast beef, minced meat or others. Traditionally served with oatcakes.
Breakfast (breakfast) maybe a Porridge oatmeal, cereal or a fry-up for the more calorific option. A fry-up is typically made from stewed beans, potato scones (thin potato pancakes), mushrooms, tomatoes, "square" sausage (square sausage or lorne sausage), eggs and bacon.
Drinks
Pubs are present in most towns and villages, an endless variety of beers are served in these establishments. The legal age for purchasing and consuming alcohol is 16 in pubs and restaurants, while the purchasing age in stores is 18.
Scottish water is ideal for making beer and whiskey.
Housing
Scottish hospitality is famous and not overrated. This is one of the reasons that will make people prefer the solution Bed-and-Breakfast. The price may seem high (approx. 30 €/ person) but is significantly lower than that charged by hotels.
Learn
To work
security
 | Emergency telephone number: All emergency services:999 |
You are unlikely to be worried by thieves or criminals in Scotland.
Be careful, however, in the evening when going out of pubs, to the behavior of some drunk customers (be careful especially in the Glasgow, which is not the safest place after dark).
In the event of a problem, do not hesitate to call the police and make a declaration in the event of theft in order to be compensated by your insurance company.
On the other hand, it is strictly forbidden to carry a tear gas canister. This constitutes a criminal offense UK liable to a heavy fine as well as imprisonment.
Respect
On the road, we respect the code and other users. In the event of a breach of the British attitude, we will not forget to point it out to you. Above all, remember that the Scots are not English and have fought against them several times.
