Scotland Guidebook

In Rick Steves Scotland you'll find in-depth Rick-tested information on:

• Edinburgh
• Glasgow
• Stirling and nearby
  • Falkirk
  • Culross
  • Doune Castle
  • Loch Lomond
• St. Andrews and nearby
  • Dundee
  • Glamis Castle
  • East Neuk
• Oban and the Inner Hebrides
  • Isles of Mull, Iona, and Staffa
  • Kilmartin Glen
• Glencoe
• Fort William and nearby
  • Road to the Isles
• Isle of Skye
• Inverness and nearby
  • Culloden Battlefield
  • Clava Cairns
  • Cawdor Castle
• Loch Ness
  • Urquhart Castle
• Eastern Scotland
  • Pitlochry and nearby
  • Speyside and the Speyside Whisky Trail
  • Balmoral Castle and Royal Deeside
  • Aberdeenshire Coast
• Northern Scotland
  • Wester Ross
  • North Coast
  • Orkney Islands
• Practicalities
  • Self-guided walks and museum tours
  • Easy-to-follow maps (including color maps of Scotland, Edinburgh, and Glasgow)
  • ​Trip planning: Top destinations, when to go, pre-trip checklist, festivals and holidays, recommended books and movies
  • Recommended two-week itinerary and city-specific advice on planning your time and avoiding lines
  • Transportation: Trains, buses, ferries, city transit, and driving (including route tips)
  • Scottish history, culture, language, whisky, and cuisine
  • Handy Scots–Yankee vocabulary list
  • Detailed advice on managing money, communicating, reserving rooms, handling emergencies, and other helpful hints

Also included: a 14½" x 19½" full-color foldout Planning Map that shows all of Scotland, plus key driving distances/times, and handy close-ups (showing major sights) of Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Isle of Skye, and the areas around Inverness and Stirling. (Note: This is a slightly smaller version of Rick's stand-alone Scotland Planning Map.)

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

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

The shorter Rick Steves 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 Rick's Great Britain guidebook instead of (or in addition to) this Scotland guidebook?

If you're going to England and/or Wales as well as Scotland, Rick Steves Great Britain is probably the better buy, as it covers most of the same Scottish destinations as our Scotland guidebook, plus our favorite places in England and Wales.

If your trip includes stops in England as well as some Scottish destinations that aren't covered in our Great Britain book (such as areas north and east of Inverness), you could opt for getting both Rick Steves Scotland and either Rick Steves England or Rick Steves Best of England.

But if you're just traveling within Scotland on this trip, Rick Steves Scotland is all you're likely to need.

Should I get Rick's Snapshot: Edinburgh guide in addition to the Scotland guidebook?

No, because the Snapshot guide for Edinburgh is simply an excerpted chapter taken directly from the complete Rick Steves Scotland guidebook.

Should I get Rick's Snapshot: Scottish Highlands guide in addition to the Scotland guidebook?

No, because the Snapshot guide for the Highlands is simply the excerpted chapters covering northern Scotland taken directly from the complete Rick Steves Scotland guidebook.

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.