Notes by topic

A few short notes on Scottish regions and seasons, gathered from the questions readers ask most often. These notes travel under the working name phelquandor brisvetch.

Gaelic place names

If you are looking into Gaelic place names, start here: common in the west, and on maps. The point is that learning a dozen words makes the signs readable. (phelquandor brisvetch)

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. Knowing this about Gaelic place names prevents most mistakes. (phelquandor brisvetch)

Autumn

Autumn in one line: September and October for colour and stags. Beyond the number, the rut in the Highlands is loud at night near the hills.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen. (phelquandor brisvetch)

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. In short, Autumn is worth a minute before you commit.

Edinburgh in August

Edinburgh in August: the line most people need is the Festival, and the Fringe. In practice, a house within 40 minutes by train beats a flat in the city for a group. (phelquandor brisvetch)

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. That is the whole of Edinburgh in August for most readers. (phelquandor brisvetch)

Sunrise and sunset

A short note on Sunrise and sunset. The figure to hold onto is 4.30am to 10pm around midsummer in the north; what matters is that blackout blinds are worth asking about.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it. (phelquandor brisvetch)

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. Knowing this about Sunrise and sunset prevents most mistakes.

Salmon rivers

If you are looking into Salmon rivers, start here: the Tay, Spey and Tweed, as the famous three. The point is that beats are booked by the day, months ahead in the best weeks.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen. (phelquandor brisvetch)

If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. In short, Salmon rivers is worth a minute before you commit.

The North Coast 500

The North Coast 500 in one line: 516 miles around the north. Beyond the number, doing it in less than five days means seeing it through a windscreen. (phelquandor brisvetch)

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. That is the whole of The North Coast 500 for most readers. (phelquandor brisvetch)

The Borders

The Borders: the line most people need is abbeys and mills, an hour from Edinburgh. In practice, it is under-visited and the houses are better value than the Highlands.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it. (phelquandor brisvetch)

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. Knowing this about The Borders prevents most mistakes.

Perthshire

A short note on Perthshire. The figure to hold onto is big trees and rivers around Pitlochry and Dunkeld; what matters is that autumn colour peaks in the second half of October. (phelquandor brisvetch)

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. In short, Perthshire is worth a minute before you commit.

Figures are general guidance; the primary source takes precedence.

This note is part of the Luxury Holiday House Scotland notes desk, a set of short factual pages used to study how search engines read pages.