Window on Scotland

While London is getting all the attention this week, wit the eyes of the world on the XXX Olympiad, Scotland, the country which occasionally flexes its tartan muscles and whispers of seceding from the UK, is a bonny place to peep at through our window this week.

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Scotland is a country of lochs and rainbows, mists and (if you believe the Loch Ness myth) monsters. This is lovely Loch Carron near Skye. It is estimated that there are at least 31,460 lochs in Scotland.

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For a stunning tour of the highlands, there is possibly no better way to do it than on the ultra-luxurious Orient Express train the Royal Scotsman.

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Ask a Scot what these beasts are and they will tell you they are 'heeland coos', which of course translates as 'highland cows' the hardy shaggy-coasted cattle of Scotland.

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Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, has a long and proud history. Here, a cannon on the ramparts of the castle, has the city in its sights.

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It's a grey and stony city, packed tightly around the old centre.

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The old names remain ï¿½ and note when this wine merchants premises was established.

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Scottish food has always been hearty and tasty with names that are not always easy to understand.

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Edinburgh Castle stands high above the city. A fortress has been here since about 600AD and it is a formidable icon.

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If you have been wondering where Britannia, the royal yacht went after it was decommissioned, you need look no further than the Ocean Terminal of Leith, on the waterfront of Edinburgh. The yacht is open to the public now, and it is fascinating to pass cabins once used by royals on holidays, or walk through public rooms where statesmen and foreign royalty were entertained.

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This was the Queen's cabin, a functional and surprisingly simple room.

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There are some things we all think of when Scotland comes to mind. Tartan kilts....

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.....bagpipes.....

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....and whisky. There are hundreds of distilleries in Scotland each with their own ardent fan-base of aficionados. ho's to say which is the best. Visit Scotland, tour as many as you feel able to and make your own decision.

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Scotland's long and defensive history has meant that the country has almost as many castles as distilleries. Some may be scarcely more than rubble, but all have a story to tell.

For mystery and mystique nothing beats a ruined castle, its centuries of secrets locked within its walls. The 13th-century Eilean Donan in western Scotland is a bleak reminder of the harshness as well as the beauty of this land.

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