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SCOTLAND, A FILM SET

Its bewitching landscapes and its Gaelic identity make it as endearing as unforgettable.

© Sophie Reyssat
© anna urlapov

We can’t count the number of films that have engraved in our minds this image of a wild land full of mystery, ruins and romantic moors. Scotland is true to its reputation. Its gateway can be Glasgow or Edinburgh, two cities with very different temperaments. The first one, industrial, has reinvented itself thanks to architects, designers and artists. The second, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its preserved historic center, takes you back in time as you walk along the Royal Mile to the castle overlooking the city.

© jack granger

It was built on an ancient volcano, which offers a beautiful panorama from the summit crater of Arthur Seat. Legend has it that the King of the Knights of the Round Table built his castle of Camelot here… Scotland loves myths, and never stops telling stories. Since 1947, the Edinburgh International Festival has been staging theater, film, music and dance all summer long. To find peace and quiet, some people will take the 864 kilometers of the Scottisch National Trail, in the direction of the Highlands. Purple heather moors, lakes set in emerald hills, and whose waters vary from blue to black under a changing sky, the hypnotic landscape is punctuated by castles at one with their surroundings, like Eilean Donan Castle.

© mathias-reding

Time seems to have stopped, as in the small fishing port of Plockton. If the road ends at the cliffs of Duncansby head, where there is an impression of the end of the world, you can choose to take it by the coast, and be surprised to discover beaches worthy of the Maldives – except for the water temperature -, or to take a boat to the islands. You just have to cross a bridge to get to the island of Skye, where the jagged Cuillin Hills, reaching an altitude of 1000 meters, inspired one of the most famous Scottish authors, Walter Scott.

© szymon shields

Sophie Reyssat

www.visitscotland.com