There is quite a lot of windsurfing around Scotland and not just the Western isles like Tiree.
A good place for more information is the excellent Scottish Windsurfing Guide which lists locations and the quality of different Scottish coastal locations for windsurfing. Definately one for the enthusiast.
Surfing the waves may be more associated with Hawaii or California, but the experts will tell you that Scotland has great waves.
For the real experts, it is the great (and very cold) waves on the North Coast or Outer Hebrides that draw.
For the novice, we can recommend something altogether easier, and easier to get to as well in Dunbar on the wonderful and very long Belhaven Beach. If you have your own board (and expertise) you can get there from Edinburgh in 40 minutes by car or from Waverley Station.
If you are thinking of learning... give Coast2Coast a call on 01368 869734 (Sam Christopherson)
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Spectator Sports in Scotland | Cultural Events in Scotland | Pubs and Bars in Scotland
Football (soccer) is Scotland's most popular spectator sport. The Scottish Football League, established in 1874, is the main competition, with three divisions of 10 teams and one of 12. Scottish football is dominated, and always has been, by the two main Glasgow teams, Rangers and Celtic, known collectively as the 'Old Firm', who regularly attract crowds of over 50,000.
For a brief period in the 1980s this stranglehold was broken by Aberdeen and Dundee United, but events since have proved this an aberration rather than a trend. Money is the main reason for this and the Old Firm have seemingly endless pots of the stuff, which is why they have been able to fill their team with expensive foreign imports and win most of the domestic competitions. Though neither side has fared too well in European competition in recent years, Celtic were the first British side to win the European Cup, in 1967.
Scotland's top 12 teams make up the Premier League, which has become a battle between the big two for the championship. Teams in the lower divisions mostly exist on a shoestring budget, though the other major competition, the Scottish FA Cup, still throws up occasional upsets, such as Celtic's defeat at the hands of lowly Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 1999.
The domestic football season runs from early August to mid-May. Most matches are played on Saturdays at 1500, and there are often games through the week, on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 1930. There is usually a match on a Sunday afternoon, which is broadcast live on satellite TV. Tickets range from £10 up to £20 for big games.
The national team play at the recently renovated Hampden Park in Glasgow. Their passionate supporters, known as the 'Tartan Army', have gained something of an international reputation for their fun-loving attitude and self-deprecating humour in the face of defeat. This has stood them in good stead over the years for, despite qualifying for most World Cup Finals since 1974, Scotland have never managed to reach the second round, failing against such footballing giants as Iran and Costa Rica along the way.
Rugby is one of the major sports of the country but lags a long, long way behind football in terms of popularity. The national team plays at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, and during match weekends there's always a great atmosphere in the city.
Every year, in February and March, Scotland takes part in the Six Nations Championship, along with the other home teams, plus France and Italy. The most important game, though, is the clash with the 'Auld enemy', England. Tickets for games are hard to come by, but you can contact the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), Tel 0131-3465000, for details of upcoming home fixtures and where to find tickets.
The club rugby scene is in a state of disarray, with many of the top players having moved to England or France. One area of the country where rugby is still strong is the Borders. The Borders town of Melrose is home of seven-a-side rugby, a variation of the 15-a-side game, and the Melrose Sevens, is the biggest tournament of the year in Scotland. The club rugby season runs from September to May.
Shinty (or camanachd in Gaelic) is an amateur sport similar to Ireland's hurling. It's a physical game played at a fast and furious pace, and is a bit like hockey, but with more blood. The game is played mostly in the Highlands, and the highlight of the season is the Camanachd Cup Final, which attracts a large crowd and is televised on STV.
This is our most popular day trip the Highlands covering Loch Ness and Glencoe and taking in some of the most dramatic scenery of the Scottish Highlands. Visit Glencoe and perhaps a cruise on Loch Ness cruise and visit to Urquhart Castle. Runs 360 days a year.
This is a charming day tour with plenty of free time to enjoy and explore the ancient town of St. Andrews, Scotland's home of golf, as well as the surrounding fishing villages of the 'Kingdom of Fife'. Runs Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays all year.
Travel South from Edinburgh to visit Rosslyn Chapel (of the 'Da Vinci Code'), explore Melrose Abbey, and then be travel from the spiritual to the spiritful with a tour and dram at Glenkinchie Distillery! Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays all year.
This one day tour from Edinburgh takes you to Loch Lomond, the Trossachs National Park and Stirling Castle, and introduces you to the land and legends of Scottish heroes William Wallace and Rob Roy. Runs everyday, all year.
1 day tour into the Medieval Kingdom of Northumbria in North-East England; once the most important centre of religious learning and arts in the British Isles. Visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and explore the medieval market town of Alnwick and its stunning castle. Tuesdays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays, April-October from Edinburgh.
Semi-detached cottage in the centre of Inverness. Sleeps four people in two bedrooms. No pets, wifi available.
Charming mid-terrace cottage in centre of Lossiemouth on Moray Coast. Sleeps six people in three bedrooms. woodburner, wifi, 1 dog.
This farm building steading cottage in the village of Aberlour, near Elgin. Sleeps four people in two bedrooms. No Pets/ Wifi available.
This character cottage near Grantown-on-Spey borders a working farm and sleeps six people over three bedrooms.
This well-presented first floor apartment is in the village of Stanley, north of Perth and can sleep two people in one bedroom.
Detached holiday house in Letham Grange near Arbroath. Sleeps fourteen people over 6 bedrooms.
Guide To Scotland | Aberdeenshire | Cairngorms | North Highlands | Ayrshire | Argyll | Inner Hebrides | Skye | East Lothian | Scottish Borders | Dumfries & Galloway | Fife | Perthshire | Outer Hebrides | Edinburgh | Scottish Castles | Stag Weekends | Hen Nights
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