There are a number of places a little further from Dundee that international students have heard about and want to visit. We have listed below some of the places students often ask about. Please scroll down to see more.

EDINBURGH

It is quick and easy to get to Edinburgh by train or bus. It is very difficult to park in the City Centre, and expensive to park nearby, so you may decide to avoid going by car! As you approach Edinburgh from Dundee, you will cross the Firth of Forth on one of the Forth bridges. The Forth Road Bridge is a beautiful suspension bridge.

Edinburgh is an exciting, busy city. There are always a number of interesting exhibitions, concerts and performances taking place. I strongly recommend contacting the tourist information office before you go to find out what is on, because there is always something new happening. In the Summer there are the Edinburgh Military Tatoo, the Jazz festival, and the book and film festivals. Artists, from all over the world, come each year to the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August. Programmes are available to tell you what is happening.

At any time of year, you can visit the Castle, look at paintings and beautiful works of art in the National Gallery or see the Royal Museum of Scotland. You can see the Palace of Holyrood House, the Queen's official residence in Scotland. You can explore the old buildings on the Royal Mile and the Grassmarket, or wander in the elegant streets of the New Town. These were carefully planned and built in the Georgian period. You can walk in the Botanical Gardens or shop in George Street and Princes Street. (You may find that things cost more in Princes Street). You can visit a building containing a periscope called the Camera Obscura through which you can view the city. There are interesting old harbours at Portobello and Joppa. All this, and you can be back in Dundee in time for tea! There are various webcameras in and around Edinburgh, so if you want to see what the weather's like there, why not have a look? Click the following hyperlink to see: http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/histedin.php3

If you have a longer stay in Edinburgh there are many other things to do. Outside the city centre, there are a number of other places to visit: the Edinburgh Crystal factory, Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World, The Bo'ness and Kinneil Steam Railway Deep Sea World, and the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield. (We've visited this museum recently. It's a fascinating place with various examples of aeroplanes on display. If you're interested in history, or mechanical things, you'll enjoy a visit.)

GLASGOW

You can get to Glasgow very easily by train or bus from Dundee. We know Glasgow less well. When you have visited Glasgow, e-mail us, so we know which places you would recommend! There are many beautiful museums and galleries in the city, notably the Hunterian museum and Kelvingrove Gallery. You will enjoy the Burrel Collection collection, housed in Pollock Park on the far side of the city.

ABERDEEN

Aberdeen is built largely from granite, so the grey stone buildings glisten in the sun. Originally a major fishing port, the city expanded rapidly due to development of the North Sea oilfields. Old Aberdeen is fascinating, with its ancient University buildings such as King's College and nearby St. Machar's Cathedral . Union Street forms the centre of the city and is a bustling shopping street. It is worth visiting the beach and the harbour with the old village of Fittie (Footdee). If it is cold, you can warm up in the hot houses of the Winter Gardens in Duthie Park. There is a fascinating "hands-on" science centre at Satrosphere. Aberdeen is close to Dundee and you can get there fairly quickly directly by train or bus.

GLEN COE

Many Students have heard about Glen Coe because of clan warfare and a violent massacre that took place there long ago. However, it really deserves to be known for its beauty. The mountains are high and steep with sharp rocky ridges between peaks at either side of the valley.

SKYE

A lot of international students want to visit the Isle of Skye. This beautiful Island has become famous because "Bonnie Prince Charlie" hid here. I once had a wonderful holiday on Skye. There are massive volcanic mountains on the island with beautiful freshwater lochs and sea lochs between them. There are high cliffs and beautiful bays with attractive beaches. You can find out about the way the crofters lived at the crofting museum or, in complete contrast, visit Dunvegan Castle. There are a number of attractive small towns to visit. The main town is Portree where you can walk around the streets of the town or visit the harbour.

You should remember that there are many other Islands off the West Coast of Scotland, many of which can be reached by ferries from the mainland. Look at a recent map of the West Coast to see which islands can be reached by the ferries and which towns the ferries leave from. Book Ferry crossings in advance and allow plenty of time for your journey to the ferry.

The West Coast of the mainland is itself extremely beautiful with rugged mountains, deep freshwater lochs and sea lochs and attractive fishing ports such as Ullapool, Gairloch, Kyle of Lochalsh, Mallaig and Oban. Further inland, visit Fort William, Fort Augustus and other towns in the glens. This area is extremely beautiful and well worth visiting. Be prepared for wet weather. In summer take an insect repellent to annoy small biting insects called midges. These places are quite a long way from Dundee, so set out when you have sufficient time for a holiday.

If you want an Island holiday, don't forget to consider the Northern Isles: the Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands. Many ancient sites from prehistoric times have been well preserved here. There are high cliffs where sea birds nest and there are many beautiful beaches.

LOCH NESS

People all over the world have heard of the Loch Ness Monster, yet not everyone here believes that the monster exists! Many international students head north from Dundee to see the monster and some have told me they have seen it. There is, to be honest, rather little evidence for Nessie and almost no one knows her exact appearance but I would gladly head for Loch Ness anyway because the surrounding area is rather beautiful.

LONDON

I grew up in London, but since we lived about thirteen miles from the centre I didn't really discover everything that there is to see and do. I always thought it was a special treat to go into the city. Being small, I used to look up and see very tall buildings and big people hurrying past. It was busy and noisy with lots of traffic. People would point out St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, the Parliament buildings at Westminster, Trafalgar Square with Nelson's Column and the enormous lions, and Buckingham Palace. Because these places were specially pointed out, I felt they were very important. We always liked to see the river and follow the Embankment or walk across it on the bridges. There were statues and monuments everywhere. We always hurried around, getting on and off red buses and in and out of the underground. My Aunt lived near Kensington so we would go to the gardens there and Kensington Palace and the Royal Albert Hall.

If I go to London now, I have a different approach, I like to have a clear objective rather than just racing around. I enjoy the museums (the Science Museum and Natural History Museum appeal to me). There are wonderful galleries too. There are concerts in the evenings and interesting places to try food from any part of the world.

Two visits stand out. I enjoyed a trip to Hampton Court Palace, a quiet elegant place in a pleasant garden. We all enjoyed a trip down the river by boat from the city to Greenwich where you can see the Royal Observatory, the Maritime Museum and a famous boat, the Cutty Sark, which is an elegant clipper, built for speed so the British could drink fresh tea. Greenwich itself is a peaceful place with the feel of a village. Next time I am in London, I would like to go to Kew gardens.

If you want to visit London, do work out what will be the cheapest and most convenient way to travel there. Sometimes you can get cheaper tickets by booking in advance. Get a map of the London Underground and a London Bus map and ask when you get there about special saver tickets for people who want to travel about a lot by public transport. Why not decide what you want to see each day before you set out? It is very easy to waste a lot of time wandering about if you are unsure where you are going! If you want to see the weather in London without spending time and expense getting there, have a look at the Big Ben Webcam at http://www.camvista.com/england/london/bigben.php3