Scotland, a land of rich contrasts, stretches four hundred miles from its border with England to its most northerly point, where the mainland drops from cliffs onto white sand beaches and out into the cold North Sea. From here, you can almost touch the Orkney Islands, but it is a further five hours' sea travel to the remote Shetland Islands. In the rolling hills, famous salmon rivers, and lush valleys of the Borders and southwest Scotland, farming exists alongside a textile industry that still produces the world's finest cashmere and tartan cloth. North and west is Glasgow, which, after losing its shipbuilding industry, has re-emerged as a young, hip city with loft apartments, a vibrant arts scene, flagship stores, and international corporate headquarters. To the east is Edinburgh, Scotland's capital and since 1999 home to the Scottish Parliament. The smaller sister cities of Stirling, Perth, and Dundee mark the gateway to the Highlands--a patchwork of sea, lochs, mountains, and craggy and heather-covered moorlands