Places to Visit in Scotland

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is the third largest city in Scotland with a population of over 200,000. It is often called the Granite City because granite is used in many of its buildings. Aberdeen has traditionally been an important fishing base, but is today more important as a seaport and supply base for the North Sea oil industry.

Shetland

These islands have always had strong links to Norway. Fishing and sheep are important industries and today the oil industry has brought prosperity and an improved standard of living.

Central Lowlands

This is the area with most industry and the densest population.

Loch Ness

This is a deep freshwater loch (lake), which is more than 700ft at the deepest point. It is famous for its elusive monster, Nessie, which several people over the last 200 years have claimed to see, but no one has yet managed to prove it exists. However, many tourists are attracted to the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of it. The Monster Exhibition on the shores of the loch tells them all about Nessie.

Edinburgh

Scotland’s capital city, with its impressive castle on a rock above the main street, Princes Street, is a popular place for tourists. Many visitors come here in August for the famous international festival. The New Year celebrations and fireworks are some of the most spectacular in the world.

The Highlands

Here, there are high mountains and deep fiords which make it very similar to Norway in some areas. It is a popular area for climbing, walking and skiing.

Glasgow

Scotland’s largest city, which was famous for its shipbuilding industry, is today a lively city where financial and software industries have to a large extent taken over from the traditional heavy industry.

The Southern Uplands

This is an area of low hills and farmland, which was frequently ravaged by English armies centuries ago, when the two countries were often at war. It is a popular area for tourists who come to visit the many abbeys and castles. The Tweed valley was world-famous for its woollen industry with producers such as Pringle of Hawick, but today many of the mills have closed down and the woollens are produced abroad.

Tasks and Activities

1. Choose the two places that you think would be the most interesting to visit. In pairs or small groups talk about the places you have chosen and why you chose them.

2. Based on the information in the text, where would you go if you were interested in:

1. festivals

2. outdoor activities

3. historical buildings

4. big city activities

5. looking for a job in industry

6. interested in strange phenomena

Choose from: Aberdeen, Shetland, Central Lowlands, Loch Ness, Edinburgh, the Highlands, Glasgow, and/or the Southern Uplands.

Vocabulary task