Soaking up spectacular Scotland

ON a spring afternoon amid lush countryside in Scotland, I imagined that I was marvelling at ‘yet another’ castle – until I learned I was standing at the site of a 700-year-old battlefield that changed Scotland’s history. That’s what Scotland does to you – it takes your breath away.

Yet there I was, hardly 45km from Glasgow, from where my Scotland adventure started. It’s tough to perceive but all it takes is a one-hour flight from London to get to the “dear green place”. I was part of a familiarisation trip sponsored by VisitBritain, the national tourist board.

If you’re an arts and nature enthusiast like me, you might want to start exploring the largest city in Scotland right away with a visit to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – a top attraction since it opened in 1901.

It features 22 themed galleries displaying an astounding 8,000 objects – from Egyptian antiquities to European furniture. Then again, you won’t have really experienced the magic of the museum unless you lose yourself in the ‘floating heads’. If you look at them long enough, they seem to tell you something… some will smile, some will study you, while others might just tease you into exploring the upper floors.

I had an afternoon free, so I decided to take a walk through the campus of the University of Strathclyde – which, of course, runs by the river Clyde – and via the Central Station to the City Centre. By the way, if you’re into shopping, a hotel near the City Centre would be the best place to stay. Most of the best budget-friendly hotels are located in the heart of the city.

The City Centre also offers close proximity to big bargains – the best shopping in the UK outside of London’s West End. Check out the Style Mile in the heart of Glasgow. Mark also the Princes Square on Buchanan Street.

Not far away from the city centre I could only see the Hydro from a distance. Shaped like a flying saucer, Scotland’s newest entertainment venue will be a highlight at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in July.

Before my trip would take me away from Glasgow, I had to check out the European Museum of the Year 2013, the Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel. Designed by Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid, the 11,300-sq-m museum is home to over 3,000 objects ranging from skateboards and locomotives to vintage cars and bikes. Be sure have your picture taken as you step into a vintage tram.

The ‘flowing’ landscape was soaked in greenery, accentuated with tiny springs and big rivers. I kept my digital camera handy, but a high-speed DSLR would have worked better from my fast-moving coach.

And I was in Stirling, home to the Battle of Bannockburn Visitor Centre that opened only in March. You see the medieval battle of the cavalry, infantry and bowmen enacted in front of you in 3D, in a true definition of how Robert the Bruce defeated the English in 1314.

The opening of the new centre comes just ahead of Bannockburn Live 2014, running from June 28 to 30, the biggest re-enactment of the Scots victory against the English in time for its 700th anniversary this year.

If you’ve watched the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart (1995, starring Mel Gibson), you’ll appreciate the Stirling Bridge, the site of William Wallace’s victory over the English in 1297. Stirling Castle, known as “the key to Scotland” towers over the landscape surrounding the bridge.

A visit to Scotland is never complete without experiencing a loch (the Scottish Gaelic word for a lake). And a cruise in Loch Lomond provided the perfect encounter on a fast-moving boat over icy waters. The loch is 39 km long and has more than 30 islands.

A perfect way to end a Scotland trip would be a visit to Edinburgh. Though my schedule ran short of exploring the Scottish capital, I could not miss the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh. The five-star visitor location is adjacent to the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, where you can get a break with some gourmet burgers while overlooking the stunning riverside.

The Britannia was vacation home to HM the Queen and the Royal Family for over 40 years, sailing more than one million miles around the world. Yet, what made it extra special to me was the feeling that I was walking the same floor that HM the Queen, Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and Princess Diana once walked.

My coast-to-coast journey in Scotland was spread over four days – yet each morning, afternoon and evening threw in a pleasant surprise. This is a land with no recorded beginning, and a strong sentiment tells me that it will never end, either.

By Ravi Kalmady