Scotland in mid September

That's it. Maybe a light fleece underneath and shoes that don't leak.

I've traveled in Scotland exactly with what Ed has suggested. He's right about the rain jacket--make it water proof not water resistant. I also always have two pair of shoes--one set is usually my hiking boots. Any time you go to Scotland the likelihood of rain is high. Being prepared for it keeps your happy on your holiday. :) I like a jacket with a hood so that I can use my hands for my camera or walking stick.

If it gets a bit chillier, buy a nice Scottish sweater to see you through. That's what I do! Also, I bring a mixture of short sleeved and long sleeved tops so that I can layer to different temps. Bring the rain jacket with you every day unless you're staying with a short distance of your hotel. The weather is amazingly changeable. I've live in the midwest and now on the coast and neither place has the changeability of Scotland with it's mountains, sea lochs, gulf stream, and North Sea weather! :)

Pam

I didn't realize that the independence vote was coming up that soon. I will be there the 12th-15th. Looking forward to talking to locals about what they want for Scotland's future.

If you want to follow the discussion, check out The Scotsman. They have daily coverage.

You'll be here over the last weekend of the campaign, so be prepared for a lot of canvassers out for both sides asking your opinion and if they still think you are an eligible voter trying to get you to support one side or the other.

We arrive in Scotland Sept 21st, so we'll have to be well read so we can carry on great pub conversations with the locals. Thanks for the link Pam!

We will be there September 17-20. It should be interesting to see what happens with the vote and how people will react.

The referendum is 18th September 2014, we vote on a Thursday for various reasons, some of them involve alcohol. At the moment 'no' is leading, but... I cannot predict the result. I know people who will vote yes, people who will vote no. People who will vote yes 'if...' people who will vote 'no....'. Friday 19th September 2014 will be an interesting day.

We'll be getting there on the 22nd - hope there's some whisky left!!

Here's an interesting article on Britain's potential identity crisis from the New York Times this weekend.

Here's a response from a former Conservative cabinet minister....

I'll try and not bore with a history politics lecture. In 2011 the Scottish National Party won a majority in a the Scottish Parliament that has a voting system designed to prevent single party government. The SNP exist to fight for Scottish independence so from that point the referendum became inevitable.

Part of this is the Scottish Parliament has returned a lot of self confidence back to Scotland, but highlighted the different tracks Scotland and the rest of the UK are going down, eg in Scotland we do not pay for NHS prescriptions, in England it is over £7.

For the rest of the UK part of the identity crisis has come by suddenly realising there is a large chunk of the country that may be packing to leave, suddenly seeing a potential international border across the island of Great Britain, which has been view as one and indivisible for a long time. In Scotland the debate though has been going on for decades now and the SNP has been in voting strength stronger than the Conservatives since the 1980s. How this plays I don't know, the polls indicate a no vote is the likely outcome, but you see more 'yes' stickers on cars, though of course 'cars and hedgerows do not vote'.

If you come in mid-September this will be reaching its climax, but if you want to talk about play it by ear as to who to debate with. Passions are likely to rise further between now and 18th September.

One thing for Scotland in September is 'Doors Open Day' organised by the Scottish Civic Trust. This is a chance to go into buildings and landmarks the public does not normally get to see. The calendar of events is currently not available, this usually starts to be announced in August. If this interests you the website is here

"If you come in mid-September this will be reaching its climax, but if you want to talk about play it by ear as to who to debate with. Passions are likely to rise further between now and 18th September"
..... very sound advice ... this is a BIG thing in Scotland ....

We had a Neal Ascherson opinion piece in the New York Times a week ago. He think's the the No vote will win, but that nevertheless the whole landscape has shifted. So, no matter which way it goes, things will be changing.

Pam