Despite living in the country many of us take for granted the beautiful and unique scenery that surrounds us in Scotland. As well as having an impressive landscape and plentiful wildlife Scotland also has a thriving tourism industry in addition to an interesting history. Through this article we will explore different areas of Scotland as well as parts of Scottish history and look at how the country has changed and made it what it is today.
The Coast.
Scotland like the rest of the United Kingdom is an island nation and surrounded by the ocean. This has influenced the way people have lived in Scotland for centuries. The fishing trade up until the start of the 21st century had always historically been a major form of employment as well as food source for many rural coastal communities across Scotland. However as time has gone on and fishing has become more large scale and industrial it isn’t the profession it once was in terms of scale. Watersports also play an important role within Scotland. In areas such as Thurso , Cambeltown and Berwick surfing and open water swimming are very popular watersports. Communities within these local areas mix with surfers as well as swimmers and often events such as national and local competitions are held in these respective watersports.
Tourism
Tourism plays a large role within Scotland and helps to contribute hundreds of millions to the Scottish economy each year. However in recent years questions have been raised over the effect that tourists are having on the local environment. This is because one of Scotland’s most scenic islands , Skye has experienced a huge surge in demand in the last 5 to 10 years. This is partly due to a highly successful marketing campaign which has attracted interest from around the world.
As a result thousands of tourists have descended on Skye. The main issue arising from this is that there is not adequate facilities to cope with that amount of people on the Island. Locals have reported cars parked badly obstructing roads , people defecating in public and damage to local nature spots as well as littering. So overall tourism has its upsides and its downsides. What is needed is some sort of controls or restrictions to ensure that island life isn’t disrupted too much on the Isle of Skye.
Touring Scotland
One of the great things about living in Scotland is some amazing views , scenery and locations are often within just minutes of where you are based across much of the country. One of the main reasons for this is Scotland’s excellent transport links. There is a rail network stretching from the highlands all the way down to the central belt and into England. If you are based in Glasgow minutes on the motorway or train can take you out of the urban environment and into the countryside.
Conclusions
Overall it can be concluded that Scotland has a lot to offer in terms of culture as well as scenery and things to do. Travelling outside the cities is easily done by using public transport or a car and there are many different locations that you ca visit.