More than any other time, people are conscious of the effect that they are having on the environment. Everywhere we look we have things telling us to drive less and to use communal forms of transport; from the congestion charge to the adverts on television and news reports telling us the findings of the next climate scientist. Many people have decided to drive much less so use trains if they are going on holiday within the British Isles. For people going to Edinburgh, this is incredibly straightforward; there is a direct train line from England into Edinburgh, but if you want to go to Glasgow it is more difficult. Thus, people take the curious decision to fly to Glasgow airport (the thinking being obviously that the net pollution per person is less than it would be for a car). It makes people feel a bit better, as though they are doing their bit for the environment. Yet, when they decide to walk in Glasgow they lose all faith in their pollution-free decision; walking is tiring and time consuming and merely pushes more people to drive.

Holiday is not the time to be a saint; holiday is a time to relax and have fun. Hire a car from the airport because it will make your holiday much more enjoyable and much easier. If you feel bad about polluting the atmosphere then the solution is easy; keep walking when you get home or plant a tree in your back garden to offset the damage!