Scotland

Scotland

As you linger on the mountain pass to admire the rugged reflection of Beinn an Lochain in the waters of Loch Restil, spare a thought for the weary sheep drovers who used to pause here for breath after the long steep climb from Loch Fyne. “ Rest an d Be Thankful” is the name of this spot, a title coined by the soldiers who built the first road here 250 years ago. Since then its wild beauty has thrilled generations of crofters and passing travelers. And now you.

Of course your journey through Scotland may not take you this way, but wherever you go you’re in for a treat. You might linger in the Borders to explore the dignified ruins of once-powerful abbeys or fish for plump salmon in the Tweed. Or follow in the footsteps of Rob Roy and Walter Scott through the Trossachs to soak up “the scenery of a fairy dream”, as Scott described it. Perhaps you’ll potter around colourful fishing villages in the Kingdom of Fife and tee off on the legendary Old Course in St Andrews. Or venture into Speyside to tickle your tastebuds on the malt whisky trail. If it’s drama you’re after, you’ll head for the Highlands, a vast swathe of untamed wilderness fringed by mile upon mile of fretted coastline dotted with islands. Land and sea collide to create spectacular perspectives, which change with the seasons and within the space of a day. One moment you’re gazing upon rocky mountain peaks, shimmering sea lochs and desolate moors, the next they retreat into a mysterious world of mist and cloud, where the legendary ghosts that inhabit lochside castles seem as credible as the deer you saw grazing on the moors before they vanished from view.

Whichever part of Scotland takes your fancy, history is never far away. You feel it in the brooding presence of Glencoe, evocative of that treacherous night in 1692 when Campbell soldiers slaughtered MacDonalds as they slept. You touch it when you hike through the hills and stumble across the ruins of a deserted shieling. You see it in the weatherworn stones of turreted castles. You hear it in rousing Border ballads and haunting Hebridean melodies.

Nowhere is it more pervasive than in Scotland’s dramatic capital city. Stroll through the cobbled streets of the medieval Old Town and remember the monarchs, religious zealots and literary giants who walked this way before you. Visit the castle and uncover 1,000 years of Scotland’s tumultuous past. Have a pint in Deacon Brodie’s Tavern and learn about the devious Edinburgh citizen who inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale of Dr Jakyll and Mr Hyde.

苏格兰当你流连于此山口，赞赏雷斯蒂尔湖中贝安山嶙峋的倒影时，请想想从前那些疲惫的赶羊人吧!他们从法恩湾出发，沿陡峭山路，经长途跋涉，然后在此歇息。这个山口就叫“歇恩山口”（“歇恩”意为歇下感恩），此名是250年前在此修筑第一条道路的士兵们给起的。从那以后，这里的自然美景便令一代代农人和游客陶醉，而今又令你怦然心动。

当然，你的苏格兰之旅未必会取行此道，但不管你去何方，你肯定都会乐在

其中。你也许会漫游在英格兰和苏格兰交界地区，探看那些曾经声威赫赫、如今仍不失威严的寺院废墟，或是在特威德河畔钓取肥美的鲑鱼，或是沿罗布罗伊和司各特当年的足迹，穿越特洛克斯河谷，去领略司各特笔下那“梦中的仙境”。你也许会徜徉于法夫郡哪些多姿多彩的渔村，在富有传奇色彩的圣安德鲁斯老球场挥上几杆，或是冒险北上去佩斯河酒厂，让扑面而来的威士忌酒香撩拨您的味蕾。

如果你探寻的是富有戏剧性的景象，那就去西北高地吧。那是一片广袤而粗犷的原野，四周镶嵌着参差的海岸线，点缀着大大小小的岛屿。陆地与大海犬牙交错，形成一道道壮丽的景象，这些景象会随季节的交替和时辰的更迭而千变万化。你刚刚还在凝视怪石突兀的山峰、波光粼粼的海湾、荒无人烟的沼泽，可忽然间它们便隐入云遮雾障的神秘世界，而在那云雾之间，相传出没于海滨古堡的幽灵似乎确实存在，就像在消逝之前还在沼泽地吃草的鹿一样真切。

苏格兰令你心仪的任何地方都连着一段历史。置身格伦科山谷，你会感到历史之森然，1692年那个背信弃义的冬夜，坎贝尔上尉率兵趁麦克唐纳族人熟睡时将他们杀害。当你穿越绵绵山丘，偶见荒屋废墟时，你会触摸到历史的脉搏。在古堡塔楼那些风雨侵蚀的石块上，你会看见历史的印记。在动人的边区歌谣和难忘的赫布里底音乐中，你会听见历史的回声。

但历史气息最浓的地方，莫过于极富戏剧色彩的苏格兰首府。漫步于中世纪风格的旧城那些用鹅卵石铺成的街道，你会想起也曾行于此道上的历代君王、宗教信徒和文坛巨匠。造访那座著名的古堡，你会揭开苏格兰动荡不安的千年历史。到布洛迪会长酒店喝上一杯，你会了解到那位表里不一的爱丁堡市民，据说史蒂文森写《化身博士》就是从他身上获得的灵感。