When we talk about “military,” what exactly are we thinking? Or rather, what do we imagine for this word? From my perspective as a visitor who grew up in an authoritarian country, before I travelled to Edinburgh, I thought the “military tattoo” was just a synonym for “military parade.” The latter often uses strict formations, precise marching, and almost mechanical uniformity to demonstrate collective power. However, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo (hereafter referred to as REMT) showed me how they are totally different in an incredible way. 

When the plane first broke below the cloud line, I was astonished by Scotland’s beauty. It was an emerald green puzzle of lush landscape in a thousand irregular squares. At the heart of Scotland’s surreal landscape were rolling green hills. Sheep, ponies, and small villages dotted the view like patches of wildflowers. I landed in Glasgow on a misty Wednesday morning. The entire town has a fascinating mix of old stone infrastructure and modern new conveniences.

It's become a cherished part of the festive season in Scotland: for the last fourteen years, Phil Cunningham's Christmas Songbook has brought together some of the country's top musicians in a festive celebration series of concerts that has toured across Scotland in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Who doesn’t relish a road trip? And what better place to explore via car than by traversing the UK? While many travelers enjoy taking the train (or flying, if you’re heading up north to Scotland), road tripping the UK is a bucket list experience – one that you’ll utterly adore (and, perhaps, do again and again). 

But don’t settle for a regular road trip – craft your own itinerary to align with your passions and priorities. Here are some suggestions:

Addie Gray is a second-year student studying Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. She runs a travel blog at www.addieabroad.com, where she documents her experiences going to university abroad, shares her travel adventures, and gives advice to others who are hoping to study abroad.

This week marks an important holiday—and it has nothing to do with turkey!

"We are in a unique location, and you have to have a pioneering spirit to make it all the way up to the festival if you don't have ties here," says Caroline MacLennan, festival director of the Hebridean Celtic Festival -- Fèis Cheilteach Innse Gall in Scotttish Gaelic. The place she's speaking of is the Isle of Lewis, the northernmost island of the Western Isles, some forty miles off the north west coast of Scotland.

Music runs deep in Ireland and Scotland, in the landscape, the history, the legends, the stories, and the lives of the people. Though each is a small country, geographically, they both have sent, and continue to send, mighty amounts of music out into the world. Here are three recordings which offer very different gateways into Ireland and Scotland.

Overview: The Saltire Scholarship is a substantial programme of scholarships, offering up to 100 awards, each worth £4,000 towards tuition fees for any one year of full time study, on an Undergraduate, Masters, or PhD course. This is offered on a matched funding basis between the Scottish Government and Scottish Higher Education Institutions, and is available for students from Canada, China, India, Pakistan and the USA.