on your DOORSTEP

SCOTLAND’S CITIES

I
t was probably when I had been
hugged by a stranger for around the
100th time, with my body warmed
by whisky that made Edinburgh’s
remarkable castle manage to shine
even brighter in its snow-kissed
beauty, that I decided there was no better
place in the world to be for Hogmanay.
As a native Scot, I have tried festive
breaks in Australia, America and across on
the continent, but nothing beats Scotland’s
cities for a break over the festive season and
For Scotsman Robin McKelvie, there’s no place like back on into the New Year.
Hogmanay for many Scots is even more
home in Scotland to celebrate Hogmanay, but he says its important than Christmas. This New Year’s
welcoming cities make a great escape any time in winter Eve fiesta swirls in pagan traditions. On the
Isle of Skye the hide from a beast killed during
the day used to be burned, with every guest
having to sniff the smoke to ward
off evil spirits. Young boys cov-
ered themselves with the hide
of the bull, with the horns and
hoofs still attached.
Less gruesome tradi-
P.Tomkins/VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint
tions continue to this day.
It used to be considered

Glasgow City Marketing Bureau

good luck for the “first
footer” of the year to
step into your house to
be a dark-haired male
stranger carrying a lump
of coal, symbolising
warmth and fuel. The
■ Main pic: Glasgow on Ice – St George Square.
Inset: Ceilidh revellers

November/December 2009 The Travel & Leisure Magazine 45

 “first foot” spirit of friendliness is still alive
in all of Scotland’s cities with visitors from
all over the world welcome to join the party,
a party that these days often starts in early
December and runs right into the New Year.

Plan early
You will need to plan early if you want to
enjoy a festive break up north. Edinburgh
gets totally booked, while Glasgow can fol-
low suit and Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen
and Inverness all get busy. The national
tourist office, Visit Scotland, has a website

von Essen Hotels

(www.visitscotland.com) that has links to
all sorts of accommodation and a handy tip
is to look at the suburbs too.
■ Dalhousie Castle
Edinburgh is at the heart of the festive
action. One of Europe’s most scenic cities, it
Beyond Scotland’s cities is just made for strolling around. My
favourite walk is starting at the landmark
The countryside surrounding Scotland’s cities offers plenty to see and do off-season. castle and then easing down the cobbles of
An easy trip from Glasgow and Stirling lies The Trossachs, an area of gentle rolling hills, the Royal Mile (which Daniel Defoe
lofty mountains, forests, lochs and rivers I first discovered on a camping trip nearly 35 thought was the “finest street in the world”),
years ago. In 2002, the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park became Scotland’s taking in the swathes of history, not to men-
first national park, encompassing 720 square miles. tion bars, cafes and restaurants, en route to
There are many inns and guesthouses to escape the cities for a night or two, and the Queen’s base when she is in town, the
when I returned in late March this year I chose the friendly Inn & Bistro at Strathyre grand Palace of Holyrood.
(www.innatstrathyre.com), owned and run by Jill and Stephen Nixon. A tasty drop of Edinburgh is a city that is constantly evolv-
one of the local brews washed down my favourite Scottish fare – haggis, neeps and ing and newer attractions include Our Dynamic
tatties – left me refreshed after the long drive north from Essex and ready to explore. Earth, a hands-on multimedia trip through the
Year-round activities include hill walking, horse riding, cycling (the Sustrans National earth’s history that is ideal for families. For
Cycle Route Seven is on its doorstep) and golf, with great-value green fees at five grown-ups, Edinburgh now boasts four
nearby courses through the National Park Golf Pass. Michelin star restaurants, with perhaps the
The venerable Sir Walter Scott steam ship, which cruises Loch Katrine from early finest The Kitchin (www.thekitchin.com),
spring, is named after the author who popularised the region with his poems and novel with award-winning TV chef Tom Kitchin at
Rob Roy 200 years ago.That romanticised the exploits of a local outlaw now celebrated the helm. Anyone who harbours any anachro-
as a Scottish folk hero.The Rob Roy & Trossachs Visitor Centre in Callander showcases nistic images of Scotland as all tartan and
his life and the region. shortbread will enjoy the branch of Harvey
Among endearing local sights are shaggy-coated and long-horned Highland cattle, and Nichols and central Edinburgh’s newest street,
one has become a star.You can see Hamish in his pen at the Trossachs Woollen Mill in Multrees Walk, which is replete with Armani,
Kilmahog. Firetrap and Louis Vuitton.
Wildlife abounds here and in other areas near the cities.The Trossachs Bird of Prey Aside from Hogmanay, Edinburgh’s
Trail (www.birdofpreytrail.com) takes in buzzards, ospreys and Scotland’s only red Christmas (www.edinburghschristmas.com)
kite feeding station, at Argaty, which is open throughout the winter. from November 28 to January 4 makes the
I watched nesting ospreys from a hide at the beautiful Loch of the Lowes reserve in capital surely the most festive city in the UK. A
Perthshire, where they visit from March or April until August. Cute red squirrels Ferris wheel burls visitors around the skyline,
gallivanted just yards away. Pine martens and even otters can also be seen here. while below the bountiful stalls of a Christmas
At the historic Dalhousie Castle hotel near Edinburgh, the Dalhousie Castle Falconry market and an ice rink in the shadow of the cas-
(www.dalhousiecastle.co.uk/falconry.asp) offers first-hand experience of birds of tle help add to the seasonal mood.
prey with a five-day falconry course as well as displaying hawks, falcons, eagles and owls.
Peter Ellegard Street party
Less than an hour by train from Edinburgh
is Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city and cur-
rently one of Europe’s hippest city-break
destinations. Their Hogmanay street party is
a rival for Edinburgh these days and the
city’s new image as “Scotland with Style” is
Peter Ellegard

Peter Ellegard

not just a tourist slogan. Glasgow 2009-style

has reinvented its lavish Georgian centre
with myriad chic designer shops, slick bars
■ The Inn & Bistro at Strathyre ■ A red squirrel at the Loch of the Lowes and quality restaurants.
The Glaswegian action flows around cen-

46 The Travel & Leisure Magazine November/December 2009

 VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint
■ Stirling Castle after a snowfall
P.Tomkins/VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint

■ The Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow ■ The Glasgow

School of Art

VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint
tral George Square, a plaza as impressive out the tourists, especially at this time of
as any in the UK, which is the centre- year, while most Scots prefer the castle
piece in mid-November when the city’s here to Edinburgh’s. The hallowed
Christmas lights are switched on and names of William “Braveheart”
Winterfest follows suit. Wallace and Robert the Bruce echo
From here, a flurry of world-class around the ramparts, while the striking
galleries and museums are within easy Wallace Monument strides out
reach, including the Kelvingrove, the amongst a panorama of mighty moun-
most-visited museum in the UK out- tains. Stirling also boasts a pedestri-
side London, and the locals’ choice, anised shopping district and easy
the thrillingly-unique Burrell access into the hilly Trossachs.
Collection – an eclectic art collection
reclining in woodland in the city’s leafy Underrated
suburbs. Europe’s oil capital, Aberdeen, is for me
I reckon Glasgow also offers the best a criminally-underrated city, even
shopping in the UK outside London. The amongst Scots. Its core is a riot of granite
main thoroughfare of Buchanan Street is – hence its nickname, the “Granite City” –
pedestrianised and there are covered malls for and the city has also won innumerable
when the weather sweeps in, such as Buchanan awards for its famous flower displays,
Galleries, with all the usual high street stores, which brighten up all that mighty grey gran-
and Princes Square, an oasis of designer names ite. It boasts sweeping sandy beaches that
that would not be out of place in Milan. ■ Traditional Music in the are ideal for bracing winter strolls, a flurry
Scotland’s newest city, Stirling, is as Royal Mile Tavern, Edinburgh of museums and chic restaurants that are
deeply historic as Edinburgh. The old town geared up to all that oil wealth.
reminds me of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile with- P.Tomkins/VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint Scotland’s other two cities also tempt at

November/December 2009 The Travel & Leisure Magazine 47

 this time of year. Dundee has bracing beach-
es of its own, a pedestrianised shopping
precinct, the striking RRS Discovery (the
ship that once took Captain Scott to the
Antarctic) and the scenic Angus Glens on its
doorstep. Inverness, meanwhile, is the
“Capital of the Highlands” with a good
chance of snow. Its famous monster-haunted
loch lies nearby and its namesake River Ness
also eases through the city, adding charm,
with a fairytale castle nestling high above
and some impressively-stylish restaurants on
hand in Scotland’s fastest growing city.
As a native of Edinburgh I have to stand
by my city as being number one for a festive
break, home to the world’s finest New Year
party and the nation’s number one city break.
Hogmanay events
Edinburgh: Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2010
Action-packed 5 day programme with
Madness and the Noisettes performing at
the Concert in the Gardens on Hogmanay.
www.edinburghshogmanay.org
Glasgow: Glasgow Hogmanay
Celebrations
Enjoy Scotland’s hottest acts, including
Tommy Reilly, on the Big Stage and then
marvel at the impressive fireworks display on
George Square.
www.winterfestglasgow.com
Stirling: Stirling’s Hogmanay: Party at the
Castle
Massed pipes and drums, Sandi Thom,
X Factor stars the Macdonald Brothers, and
Stars in their Eyes winner for his Freddie
Mercury impersonation, Gary Mullen, plus
fireworks.
www.stirlinghogmanay.co.uk
Aberdeen: Aberdeen’s Winter Festival
Hogmanay
Final details still to be announced.
www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/hogmanay
Inverness: Inverness Hogmanay – Red
Hot Highland Fling
Bringing the Inverness Winter Festival to a
close in Northern Meeting Park Arena with
the effervescent Red Hot Chilli Pipers, the
Blazin’ Fiddles and the Peatbog Faeries.
www.invernessfestivals.com
Dundee:
No official events yet announced, but always
a party night in a city dense with bars and
clubs.
48 The Travel & Leisure Magazine
■ View of Edinburgh
from Carlton Hill
P.Tomkins/VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint
In Scotland these days, though, there are
Robin McKelvie is a travel writer based
another five buzzing cities that all make seri- in his native Scotland who has had his fair
ous efforts to conjure up the festive spirit, share of rather merry whisky-fuelled
hold wildly-fun Hogmanay parties and make New Year parties around the world, but
who knows that there is only one
for an ideal city break over the festive period Hogmanay.
and in to the cosy winter months beyond. TL
Scotland’s cities facts
Getting there
Numerous airlines fly to Scottish cities including British Airways
(www.ba.com), Flybe (www.flybe.com), Ryanair (www.Ryanair.com) and
Easyjet (www.easyjet.com).The fastest way of getting to
the Scottish cities by train is usually with National ■ Edinburgh
P.Tomkins/VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint
Express East Coast
(www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com).
Accommodation
Hotels span a wide range of price brackets. Here
are some options, from luxury to more affordable:
Edinburgh:The Howard
(www.townhousecompany.com/the_howard), Mercure
Point Hotel (www.mercure.com).
Glasgow: The newly-opened, luxury Blythswood Square
(www.blythswoodsquare.com), Malmaison (www.malmaison-glasgow.com).
Stirling: Adamo Hotel (www.adamohotels.com), Park Lodge Hotel
(www.parklodge.net).
Aberdeen: Marcliffe (www.marcliffe.com), Simpson’s
(www.simpsonshotel.co.uk).
Dundee: Apex Hotel (www.apexhotels.co.uk), Queen’s Hotel
(www.queenshotel-dundee.com)
Inverness: Rocpool (www.rocpool.com), Heath Mountain Hotel
(www.heathmounthotel.com).
Top attractions
Edinburgh: Edinburgh Castle (www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk), National
Museum (www.nms.ac.uk).
Glasgow: Kelvingrove Gallery (www.glasgowmuseums.com), Burrell
Collection (www.glasgowmuseums.com).
Stirling: Stirling Castle (www.historic-scotland.gov.uk), Old Town Jail
(www.oldtownjail.com).
Aberdeen: Aberdeen Art Gallery (www.aagm.co.uk), Aberdeen Maritime
Museum (www.aagm.co.uk).
Dundee: Discovery Point (www.rrsdiscovery.com), Dundee Contemporary
Arts (www.dca.org.uk).
Inverness: Inverness Castle (www.castleuk.net), Culloden Battlefield
(www.nts.org.uk/culloden).
More information
Visit Scotland: www.visitscotland.com/whiteinvite
November/December 2009