Culture and Romance in Scotland
Scotland has been known, for many, many years, as a place for couples to elope to when their marriages might not have met with approval elsewhere.
The connection between the village of Gretna Green and eloping couples dates back to 1754 when a law was passed in England preventing marriages without parental consent until the age of 21. The age of consent in Scotland remained at 16, so young lovers headed there to marry, and Gretna was the first village over the border.
Couples still elope to Gretna, but these days they tend to be a little older and many go to avoid the fuss, bother and expense of a large family wedding.
Photo: Scottish Wedding by Son of Groucho
Others choose Scotland for just that sort of large family wedding because of its wonderfully romantic castles in stunning locations.
Lifestyle & Culture
Day to day life in the cities and large towns of Scotland is busy and not much different from anywhere else in the UK, but in the highlands and Islands there is a slower pace of life. The Scots are a famously hard working race and there is a tradition of always keeping active and busy.
The Scots play as hard as they work. Pubs and clubs in cities are lively and busy, country pubs convivial and welcoming. Sporting events, especially football, attract enthusiastic support and huge crowds, while outdoor pursuits, fishing, hill-walking, mountain climbing and hunting especially, are a mainstay of life in the highlands.
Traditional sports such as tossing the caber (pictured) or hammer throwing flourish. A good place to see these in action is at the annual Highland Games.
This is a soccer mad country, and the fierce rivalry between the Glasgow teams of Rangers and Celtic is rarely out of the headlines as they battle it out in annual league and cup competitions.
Scotland has rich cultural heritage especially in the fields of art and literature. There is a long tradition of festivals and the Edinburgh Festival in particular is a major event on the international arts calendar.
Edinburgh is one of the most lovely and most lively cities in Europe, a sophisticated capital with smart stores, great restaurant and boutique hotels. It is also filled with historic streets and buildings, most notably of course Edinburgh Castle, perched high on a hilltop and dominating the city skyline.
Glasgow, which for decades lagged behind, is fast catching up now and is also a very popular weekend destination.