Watch Naxos Scenic Musical Journeys Scotland A Musical Tour of the City's Past and Present

Scotland's rugged landscape has a unique quality that marks it out from the rest of Britain, contrasting most clearly with England, the traditional enemy and occupier. We visit the remote Hebrides, travelling through wild scenery to the mellower Lowlands and to Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, with its royal palace and castle. Although none of the pieces are Scottish in origin, they complement beautifully the places visited. A Mass by Byrd accompanies the old Abbey of Iona. Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony and Hebrides Overture draw respectively on historical Edinburgh and the wild scenery of Fingal's Cave. And Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor is based on the novel The Bride of Lammermoor