Scotland Guide

If you are looking for a travel book that is accurate about the country before your trip and after your trip this is the one you want. I resourced several different books before my trip and Dan Mc Quillan's was by far, the best. His information on the numerous lodging options, resturaunts and sights was extemely helpful in our planning, but the best part is the personal touch you feel in reading the book and the information it contains. The other aspect that sets this Scotland travel book apart from the others out there is that at the back of the book the author invites the reader to e-mail or regular mail him any questions or other thoughts you might have. Well I did and after numerous e-mails Mr. McQuillen basically helped us plan our entire itinerary. He personally addressed many details and was very timely, generous and thorough in his responses. That alone is worth the price of the book. Whatever country we travel to next, I will certainly be looking for a travel book from Dan McQuillan to guide us.

When I first started reading this guide, I thought to myself, "This is a Let's Go guide for those whose purses have grown." This book is for you if you are looking for one guide that focuses on the best restaurants and lodging, and covers even the less populated areas of Scotland. The restaurant reviews are more thorough than any I've seen. The coverage of history and sights is better than the budget-conscious guides, but less thorough than a Blue Guide. Also, this guide has one feature that I haven't found in any other Scotland guides - top lists of sights you shouldn't miss in each area. These are VERY helpful and influenced a few of my choices.As far as style goes, this guide is truly inviting. The commentary is interesting and casual, almost as if you were reading a friend's thoughts. The print is also larger than other guides.If you haven't spent a lot of time planning and researching your trip, this guide will meet your needs by offering a wide array of information and doing it in a readable style. Its greatest strength is in the lodging and restaurant recommendations. If you plan your lodging online, do research online, and go to grocery stores instead of restaurants (as I do), you might find that this guide is not the best one for you. But for those who like to pick up a guide and go, this one is an excellent choice.

Reading Dan McQuillan's Scotland Guide is truely a journey in itself. Unlike many guides, this book is both enjoyable to read and an excellent source of information. I felt like I was getting the scoop from a local. Anecdotes and first hand experiences are relayed with refreshing wit. He makes the history, people, and places of Scotland come alive.

Well, what can I say? I'm always a little wary of non-native folk writing about the countries they visit, I've always found their comments somewhat naive- however this book is quite different. Being Scottish myself, I was somewhat wary of buying this book, but I was genuinely surprised and pleased by its contents. A truly comprehensive guide which both informed and amused myself and my companions throughout our journey this summer all around Scotland. I particularly found the recommendations of places to stay super- reliable and honest, which is always useful when travelling. A truly excellent guide which no traveller in Scotland should be without.

After reading through almost all the available guides to England and Scotland, I chose to bring this one with me to Scotland because it was the best overall. Fodors is not bad, but it's just not organized as well as this one is. It lists more places to stay, but what I liked about this book is that he focuses on a few places that are superb. I'm also a fan of the insight guides, but I didn't see one for Scotland on the day I spent looking for books at a bookstore. We stayed at his most highly recommended B and B's and every single recommendation was on the mark. We even showed his descriptions to the proprietors of the B and B's who were impressed. This is the only book I found that really goes in depth in three areas that really matter: where to stay, what to see and what to eat. The introductory sections on history and background were very well done and should provide any traveller with the basic information to enjoy Scotland. In the book, the author devotes his two longest chapters to Edinborough and Glascow, but unlike other guides, he does an excellent job on the highlands (the northern ones) and the Grampian highlands. Since we spent most of our time in those two areas, I can say that he was very on target as far as what is worth seeing, how to get there, and how to plan your time. My cover looks different from the one pictured above: it's blue and has "Open Road Guide" on the top. I hope I'm referring to the same book -- the publication date is the same. If you are planning to go to Scotland and see some truly rugged and inspiring places, this book will help you appreciate the beauty of this rugged country. It avoids the temptation to cover too much information. It's just right in terms of providing detailed descriptions, particularly of the guest houses and the country side.