Southern Scotland Overview

Southern Scotland has a rich past and a vibrant present. Nearly 80% of Scots cluster in the metropolitan areas of Edinburgh and Glasgow. Scotland’s capital and the fountainhead of the Enlightenment, Edinburgh is a exceptionally beautiful city that draws enormous crowds each summer and during its festivals. Glasgow hosts formidable art collections as well as kinetic, student-fed nightlife. In the Borders region, castles and ruined abbeys chronicle Scotland’s struggles with England—and paradoxically provide some peace and quiet.

Catch a play (or 19) at the world’s biggest arts festival—the simultaneous Edinburgh International and Fringe —held every August .
Ponder the past at the four Border Abbeys , a ring of medieval ruins with a bloody history set among quiet villages and hills.
Indulge at Gourmet Glasgow, a two-week festival in August when over 50 restaurants and bars offer free tastings .

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