Continual warfare with England, civil wars and the increasing division between highlands and lowlands finally led to convincing the Scots elite to back a union with England. On 22 July 1706, the Treaty of Union was agreed between representatives of the Scots Parliament and the Parliament of England and the following year twin Acts of Union were passed by both parliaments to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain. In the 18th century, the Scottish Enlightenment and the industrial revolution made Scotland into an intellectual, commercial and industrial powerhouse. So much so that Voltaire said "We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation." Two World Wars later, Scotland's economic situation has become progressively worse due to overseas competition, inefficient industry, and industrial disputes. Only in recent decades has the country enjoyed something of a cultural and economic renaissance.
Although Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, it is not the largest city. With a population of around 585,000, this honour falls to Glasgow. The Greater Glasgow area, with a population of almost 1.2 million, is home to nearly a quarter of Scotland's population. Since Glasgow is also closer to the Bond locations, I used it as the departure point for my round trip.
Visitors from outside the UK will arrive either by road, by sea or by sky. From England, the M1 and M6 motorways both travel all the way north to Scotland, while the northernmost ferry port is Newcastle (upon Tyne). From there, it’s a three hour ride to Glasgow. Glasgow International Airport is the city’s main airport, while Glasgow Prestwick is a smaller one, located somewhat further away from the city. In all cases it is recommendable for you to have a (rental) car at your disposal.
With a budget more than double of that of Dr. No, Terence Young was eager to start filming one of Fleming’s best stories and set up camp in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. By this time, Ian Fleming himself had started shown enthusiasm for Sean Connery in the role of 007 and even visited the Istanbul set. There he enjoyed spending his time talking to Connery and supporting actor Pedro Armendariz, with whom he shared a mutual friendship with Ernest Hemingway, who had committed suicide shortly before. Fleming’s approval of Connery as 007 was displayed a year later, when he completed his novel You Only Live Twice, in which he gave his hero Scottish roots (“James Bond was born of a Scottish father, Andrew Bond of Glencoe..”).