If you’re planning a trip to Scotland,...

If you’re planning a trip to Scotland, keep in mind Shieldhill, a country-house hotel that offers solace in the peaceful Clyde Valley between Edinburgh and Glasgow. A hideaway for honeymooners, young marrieds--or anyone else seeking tranquillity in a woodsy, garden-like setting. Proprietors Jack Greenwald and Christine Dunstan, who launched the highly successful Cheshire Cat B&B; in Santa Barbara, are welcoming friends/former guests at this refurbished Scottish manor. Dates from 1199. King, queen, four-poster beds, log-burning fireplaces, Laura Ashley trimmings, color TV, hair dryers, gourmet meals. Golf nearby and salmon fishing on the River Tweed. One of Scotland’s best-kept secrets.

Shieldhill Hotel, Quothquan, Biggar, Lanarkshire ML12 6NA, Scotland (roughly midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow). Call 0899-20035. Rates: 79/119 (about $150/$226) double, including a Scottish breakfast and value-added tax.

Illinois Guide: Illinois has produced a new visitors guide. This is a slick 240-page book containing excellent photos/maps, information on visitor centers, parks, beaches, museums, river cruises, bicycle trails, the Land of Lincoln, theaters, sightseeing, festivals/events, antiquing, entertainment, transportation. Describes scenic drives around Lake Michigan and along the Great River Road. Divides the state into seven areas. Forty pages devoted to Chicago alone. Packed with helpful details.

For free copies, call (800) 223-0121 or write the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, P.O. Box 7905, Mt. Prospect, Ill. 60056-7905.

London/Paris: An eight-day London/Paris package offered by British Travel Associates is still getting raves. Begins in London, with three days in Paris and a return to London. Labeled “a tale of two cities.” Price: $77 per day. A choice of 24 hotels with private baths/breakfast. Transportation by BritRail, French Railways, hovercraft via the English Channel. This package comes with unlimited transportation on London/Paris underground/bus systems. Other bonuses: discount vouchers for sightseeing/shopping/dining, plus free street maps. Valid through March 16, 1991. Travelers are urged to book at least 21 days before leaving the United States. Contact British Travel Associates, P.O. Box 299, Elkton, Va. 22827, (800) 327-6097.

Meanwhile, beginning Oct. 1, BTA will offer its London Explorer package at the same $66-a-day price for the third consecutive year. Besides hotels, the package includes a day-trip to Canterbury, discount vouchers, passes on underground/double-decker buses, transfers between Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Details from BTA at the above address/telephone.

Hot Line: Before someone blows a fuse, get a copy of the pamphlet titled “The Shocking Truth.” Contains information on electrical converters for use overseas. Tips on avoiding purchase of the wrong utility. Here’s the general rule: If your appliance is already dual voltage, you’ll need only adapter plugs to fit the outlets. Otherwise, you’ll require both the adapter plugs plus a converter. There’s more: With at least five variously shaped outlets overseas, learn what the individual country requires.

Answers are found in The Shocking Truth c/o Before You Go, P.O. Box 931796, Hollywood 90093-1796. For other information, dial (213) 624-1199.

Golfer Guide: Mexico is greening over with golf courses. From Cancun to Acapulco and Ciudad Juarez to Huatulco, the sport has swept across the nation to dozens of resorts covered in a new magazine-style guide offered by the Mexican Government Tourism Office. More than 120 courses are described in the text, including one in Cancun with a Mayan ruin at the 12th hole. Information on carts, caddies, terrain, hazards. The publisher plans to update the guide annually.

Copies from the Mexican Government Tourism Office, 10100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 224, Los Angeles 90067. Call (213) 203-8191.

San Francisco: San Francisco’s popular muni passports remain good for rides on the Municipal Railway, city buses, metro streetcars, trolleys, cable cars. The cost is $6 for one day, $10 for three days. In addition, the passes are good for discounts at local attractions (including San Francisco museums). The plan, started a year ago, proved so popular that the city decided to make it a full-time offering. On sale at the information center of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, corner of Powell and Market streets. Other details by writing to the bureau, 201 Third St., San Francisco 94103-3185.

New Mexico: It’s one of New Mexico’s friendliest inns. Five guest rooms with private baths, comforters, goose down pillows, brass/four-poster beds, rockers, chaise lounges. Sierra Mesa Lodge is cradled in Lincoln National Forest outside Ruidoso in southeastern New Mexico. Nights as silent as a falling snowflake. Hiking just outside the door. Skiing 14 miles away at Ski Apache Basin. To get a fix on Sierra Mesa, it’s 180 miles south of Albuquerque, with flights via Mesa Airlines to Ruidoso (free pickup by the innkeepers). Hosts serve waffles, quiches, omelets for breakfast, refreshments in the afternoon, wine/cheese in the evening.

Contact Larry and Lila Goodman, Sierra Mesa Lodge, P.O. Box 463, Alto, N.M. 88312. Telephone (505) 336-4515. Rates: $85 double.

Norman Rockwell’s Vermont: Vermont inns that were favored by artist Norman Rockwell are named in a free brochure--the joint effort of members of “Historic Inns of Norman Rockwell’s Vermont.” Included are Hill Farm Inn, Ira Allen House and The Inn at Sunderland (all in Sunderland), and Arlington Inn and West Mountain Inn in Arlington. For a brochure, write to Norman Rockwell’s Vermont, P.O. Box 203, Arlington, Vt. 05250. Guests are given copies of “Finding Your Way In Vermont,” a 24-page publication dealing with sightseeing, hikes, tours, antiquing, cycling. Innkeepers have also prepared a list of winter activities/events, including a Swedish Christmas festival Dec. 8-10.

Palm Springs/Italian Style: G.C. of Agoura asks for the name of “the Italian restaurant in Palm Springs that’s a favorite of sports fans.” It’s got to be Perrina’s. Operated by Gladys Perrina, widow of a one-time professional baseball player, Larry Perrina. Pictures of sports figures grace the walls. Excellent pastas, veal, chicken. Show tunes, ballads turned out by pianist Robert Crowley while bartender Jim Talley pours. The atmosphere at Perrina’s is reminiscent of early Palm Springs, when the resort was known as “the village.”

Perrina’s, 340 N. Palm Canyon Drive, (619) 325-6544. For a list of other restaurants and general information on Palm Springs, write to the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention & Visitors Bureau, 255 N. El Cielo Road, Palm Springs 92262, or dial (619) 327-8411.

Reader Recommendations

California--Jan Zeiss, Los Angeles: “The Swedish Inn, 401 Conejo Ave., Kingsburg (23 miles south of Fresno). Package included our room, dinner and continental breakfast for two for $69.95.”

Arizona--Suzan F. Gardner, Los Angeles: Praise for the Pumpkinshell Ranch, HC66, Box 2100, Cornville, Ariz. 86325. “What this B&B; has going for it is elegance. Lots of personal attention. Rates: $50 or $45 for two nights or more.”

Oregon--Doris A. de Winter, Sherman Oaks: “Klamath Manor B&B;, 219 Pine St., Klamath Falls, Ore. 97601. For discerning people who like a homey atmosphere. Hosts serve afternoon teas, prize-winning pies. One of the best places I’ve ever stayed.”

North Carolina--Tina L. Hellerman, Santa Monica: “Mast Farm Inn, P.O. Box 704, Valle Crucis, N.C. 28691. Located in the northwest corner of the state. Garden-fresh vegetables. Meals served family-style. Beautiful countryside. Only minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Rates: $75/$132.”

We regret that only a select few recommendations can be used. They must be brief (typewritten or printed). Only one recommendation per reader, please. Note: Recommendations will not be used unless prices and addresses are included.