10 reasons to study in Scotland

1. Castles: Scotland's turbulent history has left a legacy of mighty castles and fortified tower-houses, particularly in the Scottish Borders and Highlands. Many are still standing and the most spectacular are Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle.

1. Castles: Scotland's turbulent history has left a legacy of mighty castles and fortified tower-houses, particularly in the Scottish Borders and Highlands. Many are still standing and the most spectacular are Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle.

2. Clubs: Glasgow and Edinburgh have a thriving club scene and Scottish cities with their late licensing laws and liberal attitude to drinking are perfect places to party. Glasgow, home to serious ravers, has some of the best clubs and venues in the UK.

3. Countryside: Scotland, the land of lochs, mountains, highlands and islands is breathtakingly beautiful and has some of the last unspoilt wildernesses in Europe. Explore the magnificent waterfalls and forest-covered slopes of the Trossachs, climb the mountains or take a trip into the wilderness and visit the Stone Age houses at Skara Brae on Orkney.

4. Edinburgh Festival: One of the largest arts festivals in the world, first started 1947, takes place every August and September. Everything imaginable is on show from the world's finest orchestras to naked lesbian trapeze artists.

5. Glasgow Art School: Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, brilliant Art Nouveau architect who created many buildings of great beauty in Glasgow including the Willow Tea Rooms.

6. Golf : Very popular throughout Scotland, there are over 400 courses. The most famous are at St Andrews, Troon and Carnoustie. The British open is held at Muirfield in Gullane, in East Lothian.

7. Loch Ness Monster: Still a tourist hot spot, old Nessie has yet to be netted. Drumnadrochit is the village by Loch Ness in the Highlands near Inverness where you can arrange to go on a boat cruise or even take a submarine through the loch to look for Nessie.

8. Museums: Edinburgh is home to the Royal Museum and Museum of Scotland, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, the Scottish National Gallery and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. Glasgow has the Burrell Collection, and St Andrews has the British Golf Museum, the finest golf collection in the world.

9. Shopping: Scots like to shop. They also like value for money, so you can find real bargains in the markets, but if you want big shopping malls Glasgow is where to go. Princes Street is the place to shop till you drop in Edinburgh.

10. St Andrew's: Pretty, medieval town, home to Scotland's oldest university (built in 1411) and our prettiest future king, Prince William.

SJ