Best of Scotland Guidebook

In Rick Steves Best of Scotland you'll find essential Rick-tested information on the following top destinations, plus condensed coverage of several "Best of the Rest" cities and towns:

• Edinburgh
• Glasgow
• St. Andrews
• Oban and the Inner Hebrides
  • Isle of Mull
  • Isle of Iona
  • Isle of Staffa
• Isle of Skye
• Inverness and Loch Ness
• Best of the Rest
  • ​Stirling
  • Glencoe and Fort William
  • Pitlochry and Balmoral Castle
• Extras
  • Self-guided city walks and castle/church/museum tours
  • Easy-to-follow color maps
  • Gorgeously illustrated destination overview
  • ​Trip planning: Pre-trip checklist, festivals and holidays, recommended two-week itinerary
  • City/region-specific advice on planning your time
  • Transportation: Trains, buses, city transit, and driving
  • Scottish history, culture, and cuisine
  • Advice on managing money, communicating, reserving rooms, handling emergencies, and other helpful hints

What's the difference between this Best of Scotland guidebook and Rick's complete Scotland guidebook?

Rick Steves Scotland, the complete guide, offers more coverage of more destinations in a mostly black-and-white format.

The shorter Best of Scotland guidebook focuses on Scotland's top destinations and sights, is in full color, and is updated a little less frequently than the complete guide.

Both books are packed with hand-picked recommendations and Rick's travel advice and tips for saving time, money, and hassle.

Should I get this Best of Scotland book in addition to Rick's Great Britain guidebook?

Nope — if you're going to England and/or Wales as well as Scotland, you'd be better off sticking with the Rick Steves Great Britain guidebook, which covers even more places in Scotland than the Best Of guide, plus our favorite places in England and Wales. (If your travels in England are more extensive than what's covered in our Great Britain book, you could supplement your Best of Scotland book with Rick Steves England; if London is your only British stop outside Scotland, you could instead pack along a copy of either Rick Steves London or Rick Steves Pocket London.)

Should I get either of the Snapshot guides for Scotland in addition to this Best of Scotland guidebook?

Generally speaking, no — unless you want to really dive into Edinburgh (covered in-depth in Rick Steves Snapshot: Edinburgh but less comprehensively in Best of Scotland) or Scotland's Highlands and islands (covered in Rick Steves Snapshot: Scottish Highlands but less comprehensively in Best of Scotland — but at that point it'd make more sense to go with the complete Rick Steves Scotland book).

Latest updates: When we learn of critical changes to the information in our guidebooks on Scotland, we post them. (Of course, it's still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally.) Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and these late-breaking updates, you're set for a great trip!

Submit feedback: Once you've used this book in Europe, we'd love to hear your feedback — good or bad — about our advice on sights, hotels, restaurants, and travel tips. We're also interested in any tips or discoveries you made while in Europe. Your comments help us improve our guidebooks for future travelers.