Your travelling wardrobe should be versatile. The weather will be variable so lots of layers is best, both short and long sleeved. Versatile and complementary tops and bottoms will help keep your bags light. A light raincoat or jacket plus a folding umbrella will come in handy. Sensible walking shoes are a must, or light hiking boots if you are planning to walk the heath and get off the paved roads. One semi-formal outfit will probably do for the trip.
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Electricity in Scotland is on the UK standard, with three large pins on all plugs, and delivering 220-240 volts.
A basic convertor (on right) is needed for most chargers, such as phone, tablet and laptops.
A transformer/convertor (above) is needed for heavier items such as hair dryers, curling irons etc, since they usually only work on 110 volts. Check the label on the appliance or its charger.
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The currency of Scotland is 'Pounds Sterling' with the symbol £. Each Pound is divided into one hundred pence.
The exchange rate varies. In the winter of 2019/2020 it was about £1 = US$1.29
Best to arrive with a little cash, even though debit and credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, and ATMs are ubiquitous. You can usually order some cash from your local bank. For a slightly better exchange rate wait until you arrive and exchange at the airport or railway station in the UK.
If you use your credit or debit card on the trip, if a cashier in a shop, or someone serving you asks if you want the bill to be in dollars, say 'no'. It will save you money to make your purchase in local currency, and let your bank or credit card company back home, do the exchange from Pounds to Dollars.
Scotland is a little unusual with currency. There are English pound notes and Scottish Pound notes of several colors and sizes. Several Scottish banks are authorised to issue pound notes branded with their bank's name. It can be a wee bit confusing.
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Light and Heavy Reading
These books recommended by Sunita and Fred are from their personal library, and are by no means exhaustive. It's a mix of historical tomes, novels, poetry, and travelogues. If you get through them all then you'll be well prepped for the trip.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 |
| A simple adaptor for any charger that works off 110 or 220 volts. |
 |
| A small transformer will step down the British 220 volts to the USA 110 volts. |
A basic convertor (on right) is needed for most chargers, such as phone, tablet and laptops.
____________________
The currency of Scotland is 'Pounds Sterling' with the symbol £. Each Pound is divided into one hundred pence.
The exchange rate varies. In the winter of 2019/2020 it was about £1 = US$1.29
Best to arrive with a little cash, even though debit and credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, and ATMs are ubiquitous. You can usually order some cash from your local bank. For a slightly better exchange rate wait until you arrive and exchange at the airport or railway station in the UK.
If you use your credit or debit card on the trip, if a cashier in a shop, or someone serving you asks if you want the bill to be in dollars, say 'no'. It will save you money to make your purchase in local currency, and let your bank or credit card company back home, do the exchange from Pounds to Dollars.
Scotland is a little unusual with currency. There are English pound notes and Scottish Pound notes of several colors and sizes. Several Scottish banks are authorised to issue pound notes branded with their bank's name. It can be a wee bit confusing.
____________________
Light and Heavy Reading
These books recommended by Sunita and Fred are from their personal library, and are by no means exhaustive. It's a mix of historical tomes, novels, poetry, and travelogues. If you get through them all then you'll be well prepped for the trip.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
