Travel Books About Scotland And Scotch Single Malt Whisky, And The Whisky Trail

Eilean Donan castle A good travel guide can mean the difference between a successful travel experience and a disaster. A few of the better guides, along with informative books on travel in Scotland are listed below. I had originally listed only books on travel in Scotland but many visitors commented that they were traveling to England and Wales, as well as Scotland, and requested more information on all of Britain so I have added categories on guides to all of Britain and guides to London.

Guides to Scotland

Baedeker's Scotland by Baedeker's 1999 Purchase	This is an excellent, alphabetical guide to towns, cities and historical locations throughout Scotland. Information on hotels and restaurants is sparse, but it makes up for that with detailed descriptions, historical background, and plentiful color pictures and diagrams. It even comes with an excellent fold-out map.
	An easy guide to pick up the night before visiting an area and gain insight into what you will encounter the next day. If you are on a tour and don't need to look for hotels and restaurants this is probably the only book you'll need.

Eyewitness Travel Guides: Scotland by Eyewitness Travel Guides 1999 Purchase	Review from an Amazon.com contributor: This compact book is a great first overveiw of Scotland. The color photographs are very illustrative of such things as wildlife, food, whiskey distilleries, and types of castles. The 3-D cutaways of important castles and homes are extremely well done. Although I have lived in Scotland and attended University there, I learned much that I did not know before. The advice on places to visit and places to hike was well planned and we were never disappointed when we followed it. For example, Glen Nevis is a prettier hike than up Ben Nevis (and warmer).

Fodor's 2001 Scotland (Fodor's Gold Guides) by Fodor's 2001 Purchase	With Frommer's (below) this is one of the most valuable of the popular guides for travel in Scotland. I take far too many books with me on my trips but I always seem to fall back on the Fodor's and Frommer's guides when looking for information about an area, a place to stay, or a place to eat. Highly recommended.

Fodor's Exploring Scotland by Fodor's 1999 Purchase	Not reviewed at this time.

Frommer's 2001 Scotland by Frommer's 2000 Purchase	It's really a toss-up as to whether to take a copy of Frommer's or Fodor's with you. If you're taking off on your own, renting a car, and find yourself in a remote location looking for a place to eat and sleep, this is your book. It's a valuable book also if you are planning your trip month's in advance and want to make reservations. It provides detailed descriptions of hotels with rates and contact information. Highly recommended.

Frommer's Scotland's Best-Loved Driving Tours by David Williams 1998 -- Third Edition Purchase	This is a wonderful book that makes an ideal travel companion. Though not written for the whisky enthusiast, it is a rich and informative travel guide for the spaces between distilleries. The beautiful photography will make you want to go to Scotland, and once you're there it will encourage you to explore areas you would otherwise have missed. Highly recommended.

In Search of Ancient Scotland, A Guide for the Independent Traveler by Gerald M. Ruzicki, Dorothy A. Ruzicki, Dodie Ruzickis 2000 Purchase	Review from an Amazon.com contributor: I was so glad to have this useful book during my trip to Scotland! It has excellent descriptions, explanations, history, and stories for ancient monuments, most of which aren't covered in normal guide books. Without this book, I would have missed so many interesting places - never knowing there was a cairn right next to the road or megaliths in the next farmer's field! Plus, there are planning maps and excellent driving instructions, which you'll NEED for some hard-to-find sites!

The Rough Guide to Scotland by Rough Guides 2000 Purchase	Review from an Amazon.com contributor: I bought this guide book along with several others to plan a trip to Scotland. Everything I wanted to know was in this book. The phone listings, bed and breakfasts, etc. were all as described. You know how some guidebooks discuss things or list restaurants, hotels, etc. that are no longer around, or aren't as described in the book? Well this wasn't one of them. It became an invaluable companion on my trip. The history of any area I wanted was basically in the book. The recommendations were fairly accurate, and the maps most useful. This is a guidebook for real people--those of us who dream of a trip to Scotland, but perhaps don't have a lot of money to spend on fancy hotels, rental cars, etc.

The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands & Islands by Rough Guides 2000 Purchase	Review from an Amazon.com contributor: I love this book. The information was invaluable! Everything from weather conditions to local history. Highly recommend.

Scotland: Highlands and Islands by Richenda Miers 1998 Purchase	Review from an Amazon.com contributor: I used this guidebook in helping me plan a 1999 visit to the highlands and islands of Scotland. I was charmed by the author's stories and literary quotes, which not only provided an excellent background to the places we visited, but also a guide to some of the literature I wanted to read in conjunction with my travels. Through Ms. Miers' book, I learned of the work of the poet Sorley MacLean and the historian Martin Martin, who wrote a book about the isles of Scotland around 1700 that was instrumental in persuading Dr. Johnson to set off on his famous journey with Boswell years later. I learned that a medieval bishop in Caithness was set upon by an angry mob and fried in butter for daring to raise taxes on dairy production.


Guides to England, Scotland, and Wales

50 Best Pub Crawls in England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland by Barrie Pepper & David Perrot 2000 Purchase	Not reviewed at this time.

Best Pubs & Inns by The Automobile Association 1998 Purchase	Only a small portion of this book is devoted to Scotland, but it is rich in information about wonderful small pubs and inns throughout Britain. Unfortunately, the book doesn't give information on single malts available (I suppose that would be too much to ask), though it does list the principal beers served in each establishment, gives dining suggestions, and offers a bit of background history. Many color photos. Highly recommended.

Britain (Lonely Planet Guides) by Thomas, Smallman & Yale 1999 - Third Edition Purchase	Though there are only a few color photographs and illustrations (and some excellent color maps of London) this guide nonetheless manages to contain everything you'll need for a first-rate experience of Britain. It is succinct, well-written, informative and provides very useful information on places to eat and stay, as well as background history and guides to the attractions. Highly recommended.

Charming Small Hotel Guides: Britain's Most Distinctive Bed & Breakfasts by Duncan Petersen Guides 1999 Purchase	If you're planning a romantic, leisurely stay in Britain, this is the guide you'll to start with. Like the Karen Brown book (below), this is a guide to the small, often luxurious hideaways of Britain. Combines color photos with a detailed description and information on each establishment. I tend to prefer staying in small inns and hanging out with locals in the pubs, but my wife much prefers this mode of travel. Perhaps an agreement can be made to spend a bit of time in each. Recommended.

Frommer's Britain's Best-Loved Driving Tours by Frommer's 1999 -- Second Edition Purchase	Like the Scotland Edition of this book (above), it's an excellent guide to excursions around beautiful areas of Britain. It's packed with lots of color photographs, detailed maps and historical information. At the university where I teach we offer a London semester. Faculty members take groups of students to live and study in London. This would be the perfect book for weekend and short excursions out to the countryside. You can easily take sections from the 2-4 day routes suggested, and create your own route throughout all of Britain. Highly recommended if you're planning a long stay in Britain.

Great Britain (Eyewitness Travel Guide) by Michael Leapman 1995, 1999 Purchase	This is the guide I've been using the most to plan ahead for my next trip to the UK. The wealth of color photos, illustrations, and maps helps me decide what sights to plan on seeing, and which ones will have to wait for the next trip. It's a great book for scanning the night before you visit a castle, museum, cathedral or attraction. The maps and diagrams explain what to expect and how best to experience it. Very highly recommended.

Hotels and Restaurants of Britain 2000 2000 Purchase	Though a bit misleading (perhaps the title should read Hotels with Restaurants), it's a handy guide to places to stay and eat throughout Britain. The book is laid out alphabetically -- if you want a room in Oban you simply look for Oban. There are color photos of each establishment, along with rates and detailed information. A large and and easy to read sectional map in the back of the book is especially helpful. One of the best maps I've seen in a travel guide. Highly recommended.

Karen Brown's England, Wales & Scotland: Charming Hotels & Itineraries 1999 by Karen Brown 2000 Purchase	This is not a guide book (though it does have information on excursions), it is a reader's book. I mean that in the best sense. It gives detailed information on many charming hotels in Britain (of the romantic, intimate variety), and excursions out from these hotels, but it is not easy to pick up and find your way with. Very good for planning and making reservations (though a bit on the expensive side), but I'd take another guide with me for seeing the sights, finding restaurants and pubs, etc. Recommended.


Guides to London

Cheap Eats in London by Sandra A Gustafson 1997 - Third Edition Purchase	I love little neighborhood cafes and restaurants with a combination of character and good food. There are occasions when a gourmet meal is called for, but many times when you're on the road you want a simple meal in a place frequented by the locals. Cheap Eats in London is you're resource for finding the little places the major tour guides overlook. Highly recommended.

Cheap Sleeps in London by Sandra A Gustafson 1997 - Third Edition Purchase	We can't all travel with unlimited funds so we have to make some compromises here and there. London is an expensive city and the money you may save on a room may go towards theatre tickets or excursions. This series, though bare bones in style and graphics, contains a wealth of information about each establishment. Highly Recommended.

Historic Pubs of London by Ted Bruning, Eric Weller 2000 Purchase	Not reviewed at this time.


Internet Links

Hotels, B&B's, Castles	There are several web sites that are indespensible if you are booking your own accommodations in the UK: www.smoothhound.co.uk www.britainhotels.co.uk Both of these sites have a wealth of listings, but I found some of the information to be outdated. It's best to research the hotels on the Internet, then telephone to make reservations.

London	I've found the best resource for information on sightseeing and activities in and about London to be: www.netlondon.com

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