Scotland flights and travel guide

Millions of tourists take cheap flights to Scotland each year. So beautiful is Scotland with its green, rolling hills, towering mountains, ancient castles, lively cities and picturesque villages, that when the British Royal Family want to get away from it all, they vacation here.

Edinburgh is capital and seat of government, dominated by the castle that looms over the city from its perch at the top end of the Royal Mile. The Mile ends with another castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official Scottish residence. Summer is when Edinburgh hits its stride - hit by festival fever - but it's a great going-out city year round.

The largest city is Glasgow, 74km from Edinburgh. Once the Second City of the British Empire, Glasgow's centre boasts a wealth of Victorian buildings. New art galleries, fashionable stores and high-end restaurants tell the story of this city's renaissance in recent years.

For many travellers taking cheap flights to Scotland, the Highlands and Islands are the real Scotland. Made up of counties such as Argyll, Inverness-shire, Caithness and the Orkney, Shetland and Hebrides islands, the wild landscape, remote communities and distinct cultural heritage, all speak of Scotland's unchanging ways.

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Scotland climate

Scotland is on the same latitude as Labrador, but the Gulf Stream keeps it milder than it should be. Travellers arriving on cheap flights to Scotland will discover how changeable the weather is. Sometimes all four seasons are apparent in one day. The West Coast gets the worst of the weather (most of the rain) that blows in from the Atlantic Ocean. The East Coast has a climate that is slightly more continental than the West. winters are drier and colder and summers are sunnier. The coldest months are January and February. Temperatures hover about 5-7 degrees Celsius (41-44 degrees Fahrenheit). Snow is a regular on higher ground. July and August are the warmest months, with temperatures of an average 19 degrees (66 Fahrenheit).

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When to fly to Scotland

Peak Season:
Summer is when most travellers arrive on cheap flights to Scotland. The weather is at its best and the festival season is in full swing. If visiting the Highlands during June, July, August and September, pack some insect repellant for the Highland midges. The little insects are most active at dawn and dusk. Many travellers arrive for Hogmanay (New Year). 

Off Season:
Winters can be harsh in Scotland, particularly on the West Coast and on the islands. The off season runs from November to mid-December and the weeks after Christmas and Hogmanay to mid-March.

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Getting around Scotland

In the cities there are good public transportation networks. Edinburgh has Bus Edinburgh, Glasgow has an integrated bus, rail and underground network that serves the city and outlying areas, Strathtay runs bus services around Dundee's city centre and First Aberdeen and Stagecoach Bluebird operate bus services in and around Aberdeen. There are good train links too, linking the bigger cities and more remote parts of Scotland. 

For travellers touring around rental car is the best option. After disembarking their cheap flights to Scotland, visitors will discover that all the major rental car companies are represented at the airports.

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Scotland insider information

• Nobody taking cheap flights to Scotland could be unaware of the legend of the Loch Ness monster. There have been more than 4,000 "sightings" of Nessie who dwells in Loch Ness, the largest body of water in Scotland by volume. 
• The Titan crane at Clydebank is said to be the oldest of its kind in the world. It was restored recently and visitors can ascend 45 metres to get a sense of the history and power of this 800-ton crane. The crane is open to visitors between the start of May and end of October. 
• The ancient castles include Glamis Castle (the setting for Shakespeare's play Macbeth); Eileen Donan Castle in the northern Highlands is located on an island at the crossing point of three lochs; Urquart Castle stands in ruins on the banks of Loch Ness; Balmoral is the summer home of the British royal family; the Castle of Mey is in Caithness on Scotland's north coast. 
• In Edinburgh, a Hallowe'en-time ghostly walk will spirit you under the city streets to the vaults, where people in the 18th century used to live when the city got too crowded. In addition to the world-famous Fringe Festival, Edinburgh is home to the World's largest Arts Festival every August and the First Unesco City of Literature. Most of Edinburgh's centre is a Unesco World Heritage Site. 
• Scotland is the home of golf. Some courses are world-famous - the Old Course at St. Andrews, Troon, Carnoustie, Turnberry and Muirfield - but there are hidden gems too such as Machrie, west of Oban on the Island of Islay, Murcar Links Golf Club, near Aberdeen, and Boat of Garten, south of Inverness. 
• The peaty island of Islay has eight working distilleries, producing world-famous malt whiskies. The distilleries on the south coast - Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Port Ellen - produce the most powerful whiskies. Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain are milder and lighter-flavoured. Bowmore Distillery is located in the middle of the island and Kilchoman is a farm distillery, the newest one, opened in 2004. 
• Popular side trips include the Trossachs Trail (covers Rob Roy Country), a sail across Loch Katrine on the steamer SS Sir Walter Scott and Loch Lomond, Scotland's first National Park.

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Scotland airports

Aberdeen Airport (ABZ) (website: www.aberdeenairport.com) The airport is situated 11km northwest of Aberdeen.

Edinburgh International Airport (EDI) (website: www.edinburghairport.com) The airport is 13km west of Edinburgh.

Glasgow Airport (GLA) (website: www.glasgowairport.com) The airport is located 13km west of Glasgow, off junction 28 of the M8 motorway.

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Passport/Visa

If a visa is not required, travellers should hold a return or onward ticket, or proof of funds for the duration of stay. Passports must be valid for the period of intended stay in the UK; nationals of the EU require a passport valid on arrival.

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Entry requirements

Canadian nationals must hold a valid passport; a visa is not required. UK Immigration officials will decide on length of stay up to six months depending on reason for travel.

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