Millions of Australians and New Zealanders with Scottish ancestry book cheap flights to Scotland each year to trace their heritage, find out where their ancestors hailed from before they arrived on our shores.
Scotland is spectacular, there is poetry in the air. The landscapes - towering mountains, rolling glens and crystal-clear lochs - are brochure perfect. The cities pulsate. For the gregarious Scots sport is a religion and going out is a national pastime.
Edinburgh is Scotland's capital and seat of government, a city that has stood, amid the rocky crags, for more than 1,000 years. Its medieval lanes, Georgian terraces and historic castles complement the modern architecture, contemporary galleries and cutting-edge restaurants, bars and clubs.
Glasgow, 74km from Edinburgh, is Scotland's largest city. It was once the Second City of the British Empire, a fact easily deduced from walking its streets. There is a wealth of Victorian and Glasgow-Style buildings (read Charles Rennie Mackintosh), art galleries, museums and shops. It's the UK's second-largest shopping centre - after London.
Away from the big cities, many visitors consider the Highlands and Islands to be the real Scotland. The wild countryside, remote villages, and distinct cultural heritage all speak of Scotland's unchanging ways.