The advent of the internet has made travel somewhat easier. You can be inspired by destinations in a myriad of ways we couldn’t before; Instagram, Pinterest, and accessing diarised journeys through blogs and online news outlets to name a few. And finding places of interest and eateries is easier too; you can search by location and determine ‘the best restaurants’ and even categorise it by cuisine. Although these mediums offer a taste of the destinations we visit – sometimes even a secret or two, can you ever really know them? What secrets are we missing out on?
The gaps in our digital guides
Most content we consume is in short-form; they come in reels, shorts and TikTok’s, the majority of which last between 15-90 seconds. Although there are travel guides with dedicated channels that will post multiple pieces of content on one destination, unless you happen across them and consume several posts, you’re most likely getting just a broad picture of any one place. It’s very much up to you to tailor an itinerary based on all of these ‘Instagrammable’ places and navigate a journey that tries to encompass all of this – with some countries being so incredibly vast, it’ll likely be impossible to see it all. But, even if you do, you’re unlikely to relish the experience and it becomes a trip that’s more ticking something off the list than a lived experience.
Another disadvantage of relying on internet searches for places to visit, experience and eat at, is the reviews. Places that feature high on the list can be skewed in a number of ways; some reviews have been bought to some degree or other and locality can skew results too – if you’re in a densely touristy area, the majority of reviews you’re seeing are also going to be from tourists and so you’re not necessarily getting an authentic experience.
Of course, traveling is deeply personal and we each have our own preferences and expectations when visiting new places. You may find that these reviews and guides generally make traveling easier and as the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words. At the end of the day, whatever works for you.
How a travel guidebook can enrich your travel experience
On the other hand, there are travel guidebooks.
Guidebooks paint a broader picture of a destination you’re looking to visit, they tell a story with a much more detailed and thorough travel experience; often delving into historical legends, myths, tidbits and secrets of a place. The accounts of any one place in guidebooks are often so rich that you can picture yourself there and it creates an excitement about visiting it in-person and encountering these places first-hand.
A guidebook offers a more detailed account because the writer either lives there, has traveled there extensively, and/or heavily researched it themselves and writes about their experience once there. This immersive, lived experience offers an account that is more reflective of what it’ll actually be like to travel/visit a destination than most ‘reviews’ you happen upon online. A guidebook is also a space for rich recommendations, highlights and top tips that you’re unlikely to find in any other version of a travel guide.
What we’re reading
Scotland is a country I am yet to visit even though it is so accessible within the United Kingdom. But it is somewhere I know very little about. Although I am familiar with some of the cities and regions, I could reel off very few facts, landmarks or historical anecdotes about them. Yet, Scotland has an allure about it.
This disconnection means that an online search of any particular city or region is going to be particularly wasted. It’s only going to flag ‘top sites’, attractions and tours. I’d be visiting (most of) these places because it would be a tick box exercise; they feature so I must visit them. But I’d do so with a lack of interest. It’s not to say that I won’t find an appreciation for a place by just visiting it without knowing it beforehand- most attractions are full of exhibits, tours, artifacts, placards and information that you find something interesting there and come away with some sense of appreciation and awe. But I want a sense of desire, an interest, to visit these places in the first place. This is where a guidebook can be invaluable.
Lochs and Legends, by Andy McAlidon aka the Highlander, is a guidebook that is a great first introduction to Scotland. It encompasses a guide on 11 cities/regions in Scotland, some you’ll have heard of, some you likely haven’t and highlights some of the top spots to visit in an engaging, conversational, and interesting way. You learn a lot about these different places, the sites of interest – not all of them mainstream, with lots of historical tales, facts and anecdotes; a particular favourite is the founding of the phrase ‘laughing his head off’ in Inverness and ends with a reason to visit ‘the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland’ that’s ‘an absolute treasure trove’ and ‘if you’re even the slightest bit of a bibliophile, a visit here is a must.’
Each location is full of fascinating stories and it creates a genuine intrigue to visit and see these historical places with such a rich and full history for myself. Handily, you’ll also find a section on Scottish culture that includes some heritage recipes and a helpful resources section with websites to check out and some general, top tips. Whether you have a particular destination in the Scottish Isles you want to visit or are looking for a more encompassing guide, this book does offer a unique perspective.
But best of all, Andy the Highlander is one of Scotland’s best and busiest tour guides – both in real life and online. You can follow him on Instagram (‘@AndytheHighlander) and he’ll show you a ‘Daily Dose of Scotland’. So, with this travel guide you get the best of both worlds. A detailed account of Scotland in the form of his book, and a first-look at the Instagrammable destinations he shares online.
Featured image: Vlada Karpovich
