No comments about Culture Shock! Scotland: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides).

No comments about Scotland: Where to Stay Bed and Breakfast (Visit Scotland).

3 comments about Walking in Scotland (Walking).

1. For independent walkers planning a trip to Scotland, this book is a portable encyclopaedia. It covers a huge range, from easy walks to exposed ridge-walks and mountain ascents, from a short half-day hike to the Southern Upland Way (two weeks).
   
   As you would expect from Lonely Planet, the authors are strong on environmental issues and thorough on practical information. In 408 pages of densely-packed text they cover the whole of Scotland; the secret of easy access is to use their handy 4-page table of walks organised by region. There is a useful index and glossary, and each walk is supported by a small-scale contour map.
   
   It seems churlish to criticise such a worthy volume for offering too much, but do walkers really need so much detailed data? Price and contact information obsolesce very quickly, as LP clearly knows, and such crowded pages are hard to read in poor light or on a train. You need two strong hands to hold the book open, and even so the gutter is so narrow that you lose the ends of lines of text. As a one-stop resource for walking in Scotland, however, this book is superb value.



2. "Walking in Scotland" is like many Lonely Planet guides: packed with useful information in a compact form. Scotland is a superb environment for walking, with a surprising amount of beautiful, even wild areas which offer a huge variety of potential hikes, from easy day hikes to multi-day treks.
   
   "Walking in Scotland" starts with an introduction to Scotland itself, with short descriptions of climate, terrain, and history. This guide includes a run-down on the practicalities of travelling to and around Scotland.
   
   The bulk of the guide covers Scotland by region, with short sections for urban walking in Glasgow and Edinbugh, and much longer sections on the Highlands and Northwest Scotland. The longer routes such as the West Highland Way and the more popular areas such as Glen Coe and the Cairngorms are included. The walking sections include descriptions and diagrams of the more interesting routes, along with tips on local history, transportation, and accomodation. The guide is sprinkled with a few well-chosen photographs that provide a sense of scale for the terrain in Scotland.
   
   This guide provides more than sufficient information for a traveler to plan a walking vacation in Scotland. Walkers are advised to follow the advice of the guide and pick up more detailed maps once in Scotland. Ordnance Survey and other brands are readily available in Information Centers and Sporting Goods stores in Scotland. Weather conditions are highly variable in Scotland and the lack of a detailed map may leave the walker literally stranded in the fog in some areas.
   
   The downside of the compact size of this guide is that some of the maps and diagrams are so small as to be a challenge to read in anything but good light.
   
   This guide is highly recommended to those contemplating a walking vacation in Scotland.



3. I found this book remarkably unhelpful. It was often maddeningly difficult to figure out which map went with which walk, and the walks were not described very clearly. Once I got to Scotland, there was a wealth of great walking books available everywhere, including the wonderful Cicerone guides, and the Pathfinder series published by the Ordinance Survey company, maker of the great topo maps in the UK. I ended up leaving my Lonely Planet guide in a cafe (on purpose), and using my newly purchased local guidebooks instead. The Cicerone and Pathfinder books are available on Amazon, and I highly recommend you skip the Lonely Planet and use these other books.

2 comments about Scotland the Best: The Guide Scots Trust (Collins).

1. We have used this guide extensively in our many visits to Scotland. It's a little confusing to get the organizational structure but once you get it, it's a great guidebook. Much more info than any regular guidebook. And 95% of the time the descriptions and recommedations are right on. I won't go to Scotland without it.



2. This was our most used guidebook on a recent trip to Scotland. It is divided into a vast range of categories (including recommended places to stay and/or eat, interesting sights, hikes...) which are numbered and referenced on regional maps. The author also uses a check system to rate what he considers to be the most exceptional and unique. Wherever you might find yourself, you can check the map to see the recommendations for everything in that area (especially useful when you're on the road and looking for a place to eat). Our only complaint is that many items were included in more than one category with slightly different information in each listing - which results in numerous numbers for the same item on the maps. In spite of a few typos, we highly recommend this savvy and informative guide.

No comments about Scotland's Highlands & Islands, 5th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan).

5 comments about Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men.

1. A Border Collie owner, I could hardly wait to read this book, and the author's other books, Nop's Trials and Nop's Hope. A one-time visitor to Scotland who can't wait to go back, I eagerly looked forward to this book. And, I was not in the least bit disappointed on either count! The author's style is easy-going and readable, with a subtle humor throughout. His images are brilliant and I just felt like I was present for each scene that he wrote and a part of the action. Someone who has no interest in the working Border Collie might find the book dull. So also might someone who is not particularly interested in the very different lifestyle of the shepherd of Scotland. But for us who love the working Border Collie and find the life of the Scottish shepherd and his/her dog intriguing, this is an absolutely must-read book, over and over again!



2. I liked this book so much and it stuck with me so when I first read it - the many comments of his "wee bitch" and naming her Gael that my Gael was named from this book. Border collie enthusiasts who see just names on the papers of their dogs may well see some of those names in here. Wonderful people and dogs in real life and an enjoyable read of working dogs, both trials and every day dogs, in Scotland. Loved the book...as someone else mentioned if you're not a fan of border collies you might not find it quite as engaging. Recommended reading for border collie owners!!



3. This is a fascinating read for dog lovers.
   
   I have occasionally had friends decide they wanted a Border Collie - friends I knew should not get a Border Collie. I give them this book and it does a great job of changing their minds. And it entertains them at the same time.



4. The only problem with his books are that they seem to read far too quickly. I find myself putting them down just to make them last. He knows how to pull you into a good story. "Nop's Trials" is a particularly great story. Unfortunately for me I stayed up all night with this one in hand until the very last page. Tired but glad to have read this one.
   
   "Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men" reads great but I'll lose no sleep from this one. A wonderful and captivating read. A real insiders perspective on working dogs and the sheepmen who work with them.



5. Having read McCaig's other books, I found this one fascinating, but I agree that you might have to be a border collie enthusiast to really enjoy it. The trip through Scotland and finding Gael held my rapt attention. I agree with the Publisher's Weekly review, that McCaig should have stayed on the theme of his new dog and her subsequent life. He left me hanging on that one and I'm hoping there will be a sequel. Despite that, I loved the book anyway.

1 comments about The Scottish Golf Book.

1. I bought this book "on site" in Scotland in 2000. A really great book. I agree with the descriptions of the courses, at least the dozen of the I've played. A funny thing is that the chapter about scottish players, the players of the future does NOT include Paul Lawrie, who soon after the book was printed became the first Scot to win the Open for a long time. But despite that, the book is great. You will find all the inspiration you need here.

5 comments about Scotland for Dummies, Second Edition.

1. While I have not gone to Scotland yet to put all the wonderful information into practice, this is a wonderful book! I found it very easy to read, it gave all kinds of websites to visit, and the overviews were very interesting. I felt like I could plan my whole trip just from this book.
   I highly recommend it.



2. I visited Scotland in November 2003, and I found this book to be extremely useful. The book layout is clear and easy to read. The "top 10 lists" really help in deciding what to see. No extraneous photographs or excessive historical backgrounds. The book has very good general travel tips as well. The author doesn't assume you know everything about traveling to the UK. One suggestion: if touring Glasow or Edinburgh on foot or by car, buy a good city map. The city maps in the guide don't quite cut the mustard.



3. I traveled to Scotland with a friend(who happens to be an experienced traveler; and i'm not!) in the summer of 1997. Deb planned everything and i coughed up the money and was just along for the ride. Which by the way, was most exceedingly pleasant! I recently purchased this book as I am planning a return trip with my sister in the summer of 2005. Reading this book was like experiencing the '97 trip all over again! Any advice given in this book should be well heeded; it absolutely does not steer you wrong. From "what to pack" to "where to eat" this read has instilled in me the confidence that i can do this trip without being led by the hand of a more seasoned traveler. I will be packing a couple of different maps but this will be the only tour book i pack!



4. I purchased 3 books prior to my first trip to Scotland in November, 2004. I actually purchased Scotland for Dummies to be funny! My family was hysterical when I showed them my purchase. However, once we got there, the laughter was replaced with "where's the Dummies book?" We truly didn't go anywhere without it. (Although, to avoid being spotted as a "tourist", they made me hide it. :) ) The maps were SO helpful. We did purchase a road map once there, but used it along with this book. The information about tourist attractions was invaluable. Where to find restaurants and which ones to avoid was great. Once in Scotland, I never touched the other two books purchased. If you're only going to buy one book, this is the one. Read the others at the library before you go.



5. 
   I bought this guide well in advance of a recent family trip to the 'old country' (as my Nana called it) kind of as a joke - but I'm really glad I did. It has everything from packing tips (if you don't have enough room for souvenirs, mail your dirty laundry home - what a hoot!) to budgeting worksheets and maps included. We bought the Explorer pass as recommended and had a blast. We purchased more detailed maps there as well, but as far as planning the trip out, this book is the cats pajamas. I like how it is broken down by region, it makes it super easy to plan a day or two ahead. Before I take another trip like this, I'll check for a 'dummies' book.

No comments about Birds of Britain: An Introduction to Familiar Species of England, Scotland & Wales (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).

No comments about West Highland Way, 2nd: Glasgow to Fort William (Trailblazer British Walking Guide S.).