Product Description

From the Georgian splendours of Glasgow and Edinburgh to the remote beauty of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland is home to some of our most beloved Special Places. We’ve found something to delight everybody – secluded crofts, grand old castles, tranquil cottages and heavenly hotels – all tastes and budgets are catered for. Discover a castle clinging precipitously to granite cliffs on the Ayrshire coast – a simple cottage on North Uist, an award winning ‘see through house’ on the Isle of Skye. You can stop searching now as this compact guide contains everything you’ll need for the perfect Scottish experience

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103135 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Customer Reviews

Where have the symbols gone?
Like all the Sawday books I have bought, this one is beautifully illustrated and has well-written descriptions. It is smaller than others but still packs in 149 entries. Most of these are catered, though; if you're into self-catering, you'll have to plan your holiday around locations covered rather than choosing an area and looking for a property there. For example, there are only three s/c properties north of Inverness vs. eight catered.

The catered properties are very wide-ranging in price, from simple and inexpensive B&Bs through to luxurious and quite pricey small hotels. There is also a spoof entry - I'll leave you to find it for yourselves!

I have always liked the use of very helpful symbols in Sawday guides, and there is a new one for wi-fi availability - excellent. But a number of them have been discarded for this book, and I am particularly unhappy about the demise of the no-smoking symbol. Catered properties have to be non-smoking now, I believe, but the law still allows smoking in s/c cottages; I want to know that I'm booking somewhere that will not smell of stale smoke, and the symbol that used to be used to highlight such properties was very valuable. As it is, I have wasted quite a lot of my time (and owners' time) checking individual websites and writing to owners.

One other minor criticism - the maps start at page 19 rather than at the very beginning or end of the book where they would be much easier to find. I fixed this with a sticky bookmark.

Overall, this is a good investment if you're planning a holiday in Scotland, whether touring or staying put, but I'll be checking for the non-smoking symbol in future Sawday guides.

Another little gem from Sawdays
Having visited Scotland many times before this book is definitely making me want to go back again. I loved the size of the book; it is one that you can slip into your pocket while on your travels.
There are many amazing places to stay, names of some I was not able to pronounce but the descriptions conjured up images of peace and tranquility. Like Taigh Na Cille, which is an old converted church that does not have TV, as you are too remote......., pure bliss and a complete switch off. As for Forter Castle, how fab would New Years celebration be there.

a great pocket guide book with some hidden humour
It is another great Sawday guide book, with some lovely looking places to stay. My favourite is entry139, Duns Inane, owned by Rusty McThatch (costing "whatever the three sisters at the crossroad ask you!") But seriously, if you're planning to go to Scotland for a break or longer holiday this guide has lots to offer. It's very rare you stay at a not so special place in his books.