Facts About Scotland

Scotland is a great holiday destination for almost everyone, with a wealth of diverse opportunities and activities to take advantage of. It is a large region with varied geography and a lot of different tourist attractions to choose from. You can find many rental cottages on this site and there are also numerous castles offering accommodation if you are looking for something really special. They can also accommodate large numbers of guests.

Climate The climate of Scotland is temperate and oceanic, and tends to be very changeable. It is warmed by the Gulf Stream from the Atlantic, and as such has much milder winters (but cooler, wetter summers) than areas on similar latitudes. In general, the west of Scotland is usually warmer than the east, owing to the influence of Atlantic ocean currents and the colder surface temperatures of the North Sea. Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides, is one of the sunniest places in the country: it had 300 days of sunshine in 1975. Rainfall varies greatly across Scotland. The western highlands of Scotland are the wettest place, with annual rainfall exceeding 3,000 mm.

Geography

The main land of Scotland comprises the northern third of the land mass of the island of Great Britain, which lies off the northwest coast of Continental Europe. The total area is 78,772 km² (30,414 sq mi). France is 9 times larger than Scotland and Spain is 7 times larger.

The Scottish Highlands probably represent most people’s conception of Scotland, with majestic green scenery, wilderness, ancient pine forests and broad expanses of dark loch. But the area has more to offer.