CLICK HERE TO GO TO Climate Crime Currency Disabled Tourists Drink Embassies Accommodation Health Care Language Maps & Brochures Shopping & Souvenirs Sports & Activities Telephone & Postal Service Tipping Travelling In Scotland Fact File Landmark Visitor's Guide Home Entertainment Scotland's main forms of entertainment for the visitor is surely the scenery and the delightful characters you are likely to meet. Pubs are the most popular form of evening entertainment while there are plenty of cinemas, theatres, bowling alleys, ice rinks and leisure complexes. Check with the local tourist information for a copy of their What's On publication. For traditional Scottish entertainment such as a 'Ceilidh', that is Scottish dancing to accordion, fiddle bass, drums and a variety of other instruments, look in the Glasgow Herald or Scotsman's entertainment sections. In the Lowlands, ceilidhs are less frequent, with centres in the Highlands or island such as Tobermory or Aviemore the more likely venue for this gregarious occassion. Festivals & Public Holidays The only statutory public holiday in Scotland is New Year's Day. Bank holidays are frequent and include 2 January, the Friday before Easter, the first and last Friday in May, the first Monday in august, 30 November and 25 and 26 of December. Besides banks, many offices close on these days but most retailers, accommodation and visitor attractions are open. All towns have local trade holidays which vary from district to district. Again, this does not usually affect tourist activities. tourist boards often carry a leaflet entitled Public Holidays in Scotland and there is booklet printed by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce detailing local holidays. Write to them at 30 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1EQ. Food In Scotland the culinary arts have lagged miserably behind the rest of the world. Dishes like tatties and mince or white pudding suppers historically formed a large part of the Scottish diet leading to the worst incidence of heart disease in the world followed by an equally abysmal dental record. Today, however, things have vastly improved. Vegetarianism and an increase in healthy eating is reducing the incidence of bad health. Year after year there are new and innovative restaurants opening to provide an ever-varying choice of good food. Pubs offering lunches and dinners have become standard and are usually both satisfying and inexpensive.