Lothian, Scotland

Entering the Lothian region from the Borders, you come over the Lammermuirs or Pentland Hills and can see the farmland laid out before you. Golf is Lothian's main sport with the world-famous Muirfield golf course at Gullane. The East Lothian coast is a paradise for nature lovers, with wonderful bird-life, nature reserves and great sandy beaches. Tantallon Castle is a dramatic, ruined castle on the edge of the cliffs - one of Scotland's finest ruins and well worth a trip if you are renting a holiday cottage in Scotland. The Bass Rock is a volcanic island which you can visit by boat from North Berwick. It is a must for bird-watchers as the gannets, gulls, puffins and guillemots find it a haven.

North Berwick is a busy Scottish town in the summer and it is worth climbing North Berwick Law for the fabulous views over the sea and Lothian countryside. Dirleton is one of the prettiest villages in East Lothian and if you are staying in a holiday house in East Lothian then do visit it - also nearby Yellow Craig, a wonderful sandy beach with fabulous sand dunes for children to play in. Gullane has a wealth of holiday flats and cottages and Muirfield golf course attracts those coming for a Scottish golf holiday. The fabulous Gullane sandy beach and other local golf courses make it a great holiday destination. Aberlady used to be a thriving port but now its pretty pantilled cottages and Gosford Sands attract lots of holiday-makers. This is a very popular holiday coast and many of the houses and cottages are available for rent or are bed & breakfast accommodation.

Hopetoun House, just west of South Queensferry, is one of Scotland's most magnificent mansions. Built at the beginning of the 18th centrury it was rebuilt and enlarged by William Adam and his sons. It is an inspired piece of architecture and the gardens were modelled on those at Versailes. This is a top Scottish visitors' attraction. The House of the Binns is another fine house looking over the Firth of Forth - now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. Linlithgow Palace is one of Scotland's most poignant ruins and birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.

South of Edinburgh is Haddington, a very beautiful, unspoilt, little town with some excellent shops. South and east of Haddington is the Lammermuir Hills - with some wild moorland. East Lothian has some very pretty towns, fabulous houses open to the public and some excellent restaurants and pubs. There is also an excellent selection of self catering cottages, farmhouses and seaside accommodation to rent in the Lothians. If you spend your cottage holidays in Scotland here then you can easily visit Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.