Rentals in other areas of Europe

Scotland, along with England and Northern Ireland, is a part of the United Kingdom. It lies to the north of England and is surrounded by the North Sea to the East and the Atlantic Ocean to the North and West. To the South-West, it is separated from Ireland by the Irish Sea. Its population is only just over 5 million. As part of Great Britain, Scotland is governed by the UK parliament, but it also has its own devolved parliament which manages affairs deemed to be local. Scotland's currency is the UK pound (GBP). The official language is English but small portions of the population speak Gaelic or Scots.

Scotland has a mild climate, but the weather becomes increasingly harsh the further north you venture and snow is common, indeed usual here in winter. The western side of the country is warmed slightly by the Gulf Stream. The West is typically colder than the East.

Scotland is perhaps most visited for its highlands and islands plus the imposing historical buildings of Edinburgh. There are literally hundreds of islands scattered beyond the country's western coast, with the Hebrides and Orkneys lying to the north. This is rugged, treeless, craggy landscape, the inheritance of ice erosion and glaciation, and the views are breathtaking, particularly when added to some spectacular lakes (or lochs).

Outside of Edinburgh, holidays in Scotland tend to be an outdoors affair, with lots of walking, hiking and climbing, skiing in the winter, fishing and sailing in the summer. The local produce is not to be missed either - whiskey of course, smoked salmon and haggis. Traditional food is simple, containing little meat, but plenty of grains and root vegetables. Today, international cuisine is widely available.

There are many small hotels and bed and breakfasts in Scotland, offering accommodation from homely through to luxury boutique. Self catering accommodation can be in apartments (usually in cities and towns), houses, cottages (or crofts) and, quite commonly, log cabins or lodges. These are usually fairly modern wooden constructions, often built in groups to provide somethin akin to a French gite complex. Don't be fooled by the 'cabin' tag. Some of these can be luxurious places to stay, although many are at the affordable end of the market.