Before you go, you can get information and maps from the British Tourist Authority (www.visitbritain.com). Visitors can email queries or brochure requests to travelinfo@visitbritain.org, or else search www.visitbritain.us.

You can visit the Scottish Tourist Board's website at www.visitscotland.com. Once you're in Scotland, though, you can stop by the Edinburgh & Scotland Information Centre, 249 High Street, Edinburgh, City Of Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ (tel. 131/473-3868; www.visitscotland.com). From October to May it's open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm. June and September hours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm. From July to August, hours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sunday 10am to 7pm. 

There are more than 170 tourist centers in Scotland, all well signposted in their cities or towns; some are closed in winter, however.

Websites — The most useful site was created by a very knowledgeable source, the British Tourist Authority itself, with U.S. visitors targeted. A wealth of information is tapped at www.travelbritain.com, which lets you order brochures online, provides trip-planning hints, and even allows e-mail questions for prompt answers. All of Great Britain is covered.

If you're surfing the Web for accommodations, a good site to browse is www.visitscotland.com (site of the Scotland Tourist Board).

A lot of individual tourist board websites are helpful. The best of these include information on the Borders at www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/scottish-borders; on the Highlands at www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/highlands; on Ayrshire and Arran at www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/ayrshire-arran; on Argyll and the Isles, Lock Lomond, Stirling, and the Trossachs at www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/loch-lomond-trossachs-stirling-forth-valley; on Perthshire at www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/perthshire; on Angus and Dundee at www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/dundee-angus; on Glasgow at www.peoplemakeglasgow.com; and on Aberdeen and the Grampian region at www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/aberdeen-city-shire.

Travel information for the whole of Scotland is offered on Visit Scotland's national telephone hot line, available for inquiries from the U.K. and overseas. Travel advisors are available to help you book accommodations throughout Scotland—hotels, guesthouses, or bed-and-breakfasts—or find out about special offers, events, and attractions to visit. You can order brochures as well. Advisors are available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 5:30pm (U.K. time). In the U.K., call tel. 845/225-5121; from overseas or go online to www.visitscotland.com.

Budgeting Adventure — If you're going to be visiting a large number of Scotland's historic properties, your best bet is the Explorer Pass (www.historicenvironment.scot). It gives you savings on 75 of Scotland's most visited historic attractions, including Edinburgh, Stirling, and Urquhart castles. The pass is available at all of Scotland's historical sites, tourist information centers, and on the Web at www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/explorer-passes. For more information call tel. 131/668-8600.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.