The problem with many guidebooks is that they are only updated every couple of years, and even then most of them are updated from the desk. Even some of the big-name guidebook publishers won’t pay their authors to go back on the road and re-check everything first hand. Instead they expect them to sit at home and telephone every entry in the book to bring the information up-to-date. This inevitably results in a slow deterioration in the accuracy of the book.
That isn’t the case with this Lonely Planet Scotland guidebook, as Lonely Planet does send their authors out again for each and every edition. This new 2011 edition of their Scotland guide is the result of 17 weeks of on-the-ground research by the two authors. Not surprisingly they also consumed "Countless drams of whisky."
Top Scottish Experiences
Enjoying a wee dram is one of the 17 Top Experiences in Scotland, described at the front of the book with fine color photos to illustrate them. One of the attractions of Scotland is how varied it is, for such a small country. The authors’ other recommendations include the Border Abbeys, Ancient Sites, Climbing Ben Nevis, Sea Kayaking, Golf, and Castles, as well as seeing places like Edinburgh, Glasgow, Glen Coe, Perthshire, and the Northwest Highlands Coast.
Scotland Guidebook Authors
The people compiling these Top Scottish Experiences are writers Neil Wilson and Andy Symington. Neil Wilson was born in Scotland and among the 50+ guidebooks he’s written is the Lonely Planet Encounter Guide to Edinburgh, his home town. Andy Symington now lives in Spain but used to live in Scotland and still travels regularly throughout the country.
How Reliable is this Guidebook to Scotland
I do know Scotland fairly well, so to test how good this book is I checked the entry for Inverness, which I’ve co-written a guidebook to myself. The Lonely Planet entry seemed spot-on, with all the best bars and music venues included, alongside all the attractions. The chapters on Glasgow and Edinburgh also seemed comprehensive and accurate, and with lots of useful extras – a box on Edinburgh for Children, a walking tour (with a map) of Edinburgh’s Old Town Alleys, Edinburgh’s Top 5 Traditional pubs, and sections where local people give you their insider tips.
Pull-Out Edinburgh Map
Many guides, like Fodor’s and Frommer’s, insert a pull-out map into the back. This Lonely Planet Scotland guidebook provides one too, but rather than being for the whole country, they’ve chosen instead to include a map of Edinburgh. In fact it also includes a small map of central Glasgow on the back, as well as a detailed Edinburgh street index, a map of Edinburgh neighborhoods, and a map of Leith too. Very useful.
3D Plans of Iconic Sights
Lonely Planet has introduced some 3D plans of what they call "Iconic Scotland." Don’t get too excited, though. There are only three of them, as far as I could see, all grouped together between the Edinburgh and Glasgow chapters, for some reason. The 3D three are the Royal Mile, Rosslyn Chapel, and Stirling Castle. The plans are more of a gimmick than anything – the Royal Mile plan shows you little more than a good street map would show you, and why do Stirling Castle but not Edinburgh Castle? They’re certainly no rival to the kind of 3D artwork that Dorling Kindersley’s Eyewitness guides specialize in.
Apart from the disappointing 3D Plans, this is a thorough and entertaining guide to Scotland. It’s accurate, up-to-date, and at over 500 pages, very comprehensive. Recommended.
Buying the Lonely Planet Scotland Guidebook
The 6th edition of the Lonely Planet’Scotland guide was published in March 2011 at $22.99 in the USA and £12.99 in the UK. More details at the Lonely Planet website.
Mike Gerrard - Mike is an award-winning travel writer who has worked for National Geographic, the London Times, and many other clients. ...
