TRAVEL TIP: Loch Ness

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Loch Ness is worth a stop in your travels. Make sure you take one of the guide boats. It is a pleasant trip and educational as well.

Urquhart Castle is on the shore of Loch Ness and provides one of the best history presentations of any castle. You've probably have glimpsed the castle in one of the many Nessie "sighting" pictures or films.

Drumnadrochit is the nearby town and has two Nessie museums. A touristy rip off really but if you just want a laugh or two it is worth the visit. We found it educational but a bit lite.

One thing that will stand out in your journey of Scotland are the World War I memorials. Drumandrochit has one. We don't see many of them in the United States. After your visit you will appreciate the sacrifices made in Europe during the first Great War. It is unfathomable today that so many could lose their lives on a battlefield in one day.

Scottish Premier League: Hearts

Scottish football is important in Scotland. However, two teams dominate the SPL and that limits the quality of the other teams. Rangers and Celtic are consistently the two teams that fight for the championship every year. Celtic are like the New York Yankees of Scotland. Rangers can be seen as the Red Sox, however the Rangers have won many championships throughout the years.

The Scots aren't upset about the disparity. However, some teams are consistently on the cusp of breaking the tradition. Hearts is a team out of Edinburgh. When I was in Scotland they had a quite the row (a favorite phrase in Scotland and England is the term "row", pronounced "rou".) The row was over management and the team captain. The captain was benched and the season went into the toilet. Much dismay followed.

The gold standard in soccer, and I may be biased, is the English Premier League. Even Scots seem to watch more EPL than SPL...probably because you can't see any SPL games for free. You need to purchase a satellite deal with SKY sports to watch any matches. The pubs are full of people on saturdays to watch the matches because of this and other reasons. We watch football on Sunday, they watch football on Saturday. And Tuesday nights as well. Click on the picture and learn more about Hearts.

TRAVEL TIP: Take the Tea...avoid the Coffee

I strongly recommend that when you travel to Scotland that you avoid the coffee. Unless of course you like very strong coffee. But the tea in the U.K. is tops. The tea is better than what you will find in the US by a long shot. I was not a tea drinker until I went to Scotland and now I start each day with a cup of tea...I have coffee later but to start the day with tea is kinder to the body. Ty-phoo is my favorite and can be found in the United States. Click on the logo and go to their site.

If you do insist to have coffee over there...here's a tip. Order the White Coffee. It is a milder version of the normal stuff. You can also ask for an Americano, which is like a latte but not quite.

There are Starbucks and they supply the same types of coffee as US shops but if you are in a restaurant I offer the above advice. The coffee shops will give you what you want, but if you want coffee with your meal or with breakfast...be prepared.

Costa coffee is very popular. Click on the logo to learn more.

MEET REAL SCOTS: Travel tips

Go to Church

If you really want to experience the real Scotland and not just the touristy places...I mean, would you go to Williamsburg and say you understood America? Maybe the past. Or if you just visited New York City, would that tell you all you need to know about the United States? No way.

So go to a local church service on Sunday. They won't throw you out. If you are a gent, wear a tie...but it won't matter if you don't. You will learn more in that hour about the people that live in the country than any other place but the pub. The secret to being a good tourist is listening. It's not about you, it's about learning about them. Unless of course, you want it to be about you and then I'd ask you stay away from me, you give Americans a bad rep. Click on the picture to learn about the Logie Kirk in Stirling. A fine place to go and meet real Scots.

PUB CRAWL: Bridge of Allan

Westerton Arms

As part of the Kilty Pub Crawl, we will start in Bridge of Allan. This is a family pub with a restaurant as well. We enjoyed the food there. Simple meals but good tasting. Quite an atmosphere. It is a good pub to start in because it is a good transitional pub from the American way of life. Most pubs in Scotland, you order food at the bar but here you have sit down service. So you'll enjoy it. It's right on the main road in Bridge of Allan. To see a map click on the picture.

TRAVEL TIP: Go Self-Catering if you can.

Americans sometimes are surprised to hear there are "real" grocery stores in Scotland. There are many but there are three prominent ones. Tesco is the best for price and quality. Sommerfield's prices are about the same but the produce is poor quality. So, if you are afraid to go find them, they will find you. Click on the TESCO logo and see what they offer. You can also learn how to get your groceries delivered to you while you are in Scotland.

Sainbury's has the best quality produce but their prices are quite a bit higher. So if you don't like the food at TESCO go to Sainbury's but be ready to pay an extra 50p or so (that's a buck to you Yank). Click on the SAINSBURY'S Logo and take a look a their stuff.

TRAVEL TIP: Pound Coins and Exchange Rates

If you travel to Scotland remember there are ATMs all around the world. What I do is wait until I get to Glasgow and then withdraw the money from the ATM right there. I get a much better rate than if I was to get money from a US Bank or Currency Exchange shops. The Currency Exchange shops will rip you off. Don't think about it. Use the ATMs and withdraw, however, let your bank know you are traveling overseas or else they could stop your card from being used and then you will spend a day on the phone trying to solve that problem.

Now another suggestion is once you get your money, go to the Starbucks at the airport and get a coffee. Ask for as much change in pound coins you can get. You'll need the coins for buses and pretty much a lot of things. Just a suggestion, but if you are going on a bus any time soon you need to stock up on the coins.

TRAVEL TIP: Fly Continental out of Newark

Use Orbitz and find the best fares. Usually if you fly in January and February you can get good prices. If you go in the summer you will pay a lot more. My suggestion if you want decent weather and less crowds go in April or May. September is another good time. Avoid July and August if you are on a limited budget.

Check Orbitz for the best deals. I use Orbitz for every flight. Recently, I checked a flight from Newark to Glasgow in January and I found one for $585 round trip. Flying into Glasgow is cheaper than Edinburgh. Avoid Heathrow as best as you can. It is like flying to Charlotte to go to New York. Yeah, it's cheaper but you still are a long way from your destination.

Aer Lingus was the most disappointing airline I have ever taken. My luggage was lost both times I used the airline and one time it was left out in the rain and soaked everything inside.

Continental has the best flights by comfort and by price.

TRAVEL TIP: Go to Oban

Go to Oban! One of the places I truly recommend to you is Oban. It is a quaint little town on the coast, looking out at the Island of Mull. From Oban, you can take a ferry to Mull and Iona. Two other places you must go to.

Click on the picture of Oban Bay and see live pictures from Oban.

If you do go to Oban, don't go to McTavish's Kitchen. It is a tourist trap and the food is horrible. You will come back like all the rest saying Scottish food is crap if you got to places like McTavish's. Instead, check out my favorite

seafood restaurant, The Waterfront. Click on the Waterfront logo to go to their website.

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And I challenge anyone to go to Oban and leave thinking that food in Scotland is lousy.

Click on the boat and wine bottles to get a listing of the restaurants in Oban. Go and eat well. Tell your friends that yes, Scotland does have some good food.

TRAVEL TIP: Don't talk and Drive

Nearly 10,000 fines have been issued to drivers in Scotland for using their mobile phones.
It became illegal earlier this year - with motorists who are caught being fined £60 and given three points on their licence.
A major awareness campaign on the issue is being launched tomorrow to highlight the dangers.
The country's police forces will also begin a crackdown against those who continue to flout the law.