Scotland in my future?

[Randy]

My lovely bride has suggested going to Scotland for our August vacation this year. The party is my wife, 16yr boy, 17yr old girl, me. Also travelling with us is another adult, and possibly two more fellows. We are partial to hiking, history, nature/birdwatching, music of all sorts, tasting beers and whisky, but we are willing to try anything twice. Who knows, maybe I might be able to find a kilt or two for sale while there. A layover in Iceland has been suggested. Due to scheduling the only window availible is August 19th-27th.
I am asking what are the must do/see things in Scotland?

[Graham]

Great idea, wish I could come.

You'll miss the Tattoo, but see Skye, The Great Glen (Loch ness), Iona, and Islay for the best whisky, Stirling for Wallace history, Rob Roy's grave.

Orkney is great, Lewis too (tho' I didn't get there).

[cessna152towser]

Must see cities are, IMHO Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Inverness in that order. Glasgow has some lovely parks and great museums and many fine old and modern public buildings. The River Clyde has a great shipping history and you can visit the three masted barque Glenlee or sail on the paddle steamer Waverley. There are some fine modern hotels and you can take a guided tour of the city on open top bus. The magnificent clyde auditorium situated by the harbour is one of the city landmarks

For hiking you could go to the highlands bu be ww

[Graham]

Must see cities are, IMHO Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and Inverness in that order. Glasgow has some lovely parks and great museums and many fine old and modern public buildings. The River Clyde has a great shipping history and you can visit the three masted barque Glenlee or sail on the paddle steamer Waverley. There are some fine modern hotels and you can take a guided tour of the city on open top bus. The magnificent clyde auditorium situated by the harbour is one of the city landmarks

For hiking you could go to the highlands bu be ww

what is that building?
It looks like a trimmed down version of the Sydney opera House, which imho is the ugliest building in Australia, this one follows a close second.

whatever happened to architectural design?

[GlassMan]

To my taste, public architectural design jumped off a cliff into the pit of absurdity and defiant ugliness in the 60's and has never recovered. If you want a commercial building you get a glass box. If you want a government building you get some kind of hideous monster.

Interestingly, I've often noticed that the ugliest building on a University campus is usually the School of Architecture! At Yale, that was definitely the case. The School of Architecture inhabits the only public building ever actually built of the "brutalist" school of design. The name they gave their own design movement says it all.

[AckZel]

Darn, I will be visiting Scotland in August. But my return flight to Finland leaves around 19th. We could have had a meeting there :P

[highlander_Daz]

talking about bad buildings -heres cumbernauld shopping centre, I Wouldnt suggest you visit here

[highlander_Daz]

No its not an eastern european military installation-its actually the Scottish parliament!!!!!!!!

[bubba]

talking about bad buildings -heres cumbernauld shopping centre, I Wouldnt suggest you visit here

That thing looks like it was converted from an old factory. It almost looks like an old iron works.

[walkerk]

My wife, the gardener, enjoyed the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.