Travel to Scotland

[Bob C]

When I got married, two years ago, I wanted to go to Scotland for the honeymoon. My wife wanted to go to the Caribbean. She won.

Now, she has brought up the idea of going to Scotland for a 5th anniversary trip in 2008. So, I need some advice from folks who have been there.

First, our anniversary is in September. What's the weather like?

Is it best to use an experienced travel agent, or is it practical to plan my own itinerary, make my own reservations, etc?

How long is the travel time between Edinburgh/Lothians and the northern attractions, i.e. Loch Ness, Stirling?

Any suggestions for "must see places?"

How hard (and expensive) would it be to fit in a couple days in Ireland?

Budget is a concern. We'd like to keep costs down as much as possible. We think we'd prefer hotels to B&Bs, but we don't need luxury hotels. I'd be happier eating in pubs than posh restaurants, anyway.

I expect this to be an ongoing conversation for a while, and I look forward to the input of X-Markers.

[bubba]

Alot depends how long you plan to be there. You'll never have the time to see it all so pick out the sights you'd most like to see and whittle it down from there. I'm sure the members here in Scotland can help you alot with the logistics and if you only plan a week or so I wouldn't count on any time for Ireland.

[Freelander Sporrano]

A good place to start any planning is this great site

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.com/index.html.

We took our car to Scotland this summer.Getting anywhere in Scotland won't be too difficult by hire car. On our first day we drove from Newcastle to Kingussie (MOTG Country) A few days later We drove from Inverness to John-o-Groats and back to Drumnadrochit all in one Day. I can't remember the distances but we didn't rush it.

[highlander_Daz]

the weather is pretty much overcast and rainy all year around, its starts getting really cold from about October, during the summer on the East coast you do get some reasonable days and it can get fairly warm, but youd be better to assume the weather will be cold and rainy. If you come in September youll most likely miss the worse of the Midgies but if weve had a warm spell they will still be around.

Edingburgh to Stirling about 1 hour if you carry on North to Inverness allow about 3 to 4 hours by car. You could go to Belfast or Dublin by ferry from Stranraer but I wouldnt bother, You need to plan seperatley for an Ireland trip.

Must see places
1 Edinburgh castle
2 Holyrood house (Edinburgh)
3 Stirling castle (Stirling)
4 Wallace monument (Stirling)
5 Pitlochry (top Kilts shops)
6 Loch Lomond (North of Glasgow)
7 Prestwick airport if your an Elvis fan (Glasgow)
8 Loch Ness (Inverness) you can visit the battlefield as well while your there
9 Mull is worth a trip
10 Aberdeen can be OK

I wouldnt bother with Glasgow, its a bit rough and theres more to see elsewhere (apoligies to Weegies)


you do need to be careful in the cities, tourists are a target for neds and they will rob you given half a chance, dont spend a fortune on Tartanarama in Edinburgh Pitlochry is much cheaper fo souvineers etc.

you might be better choosing a base town and going on coach excursions so you get to see the sights without the hassle. if you see any package deals PM me and ill tell you if they are good value, lots of tourists are caught by the currency as the pound is about 1.7 dollars

[Bob C]

Thanks, Daz. That's exactly the kind of information I was hoping for.

I'm also hoping the currency exchange rate improves over the next three years.

[Mike1]

(Bubba, does this seem vaguely familiar to you? ;) )

Bob, one thing to keep in mind if you intend to hire a car is the petrol expenses. I was across in early September and the prices were hovering around 95 pence/liter.

Train prices are pretty good, actually. I think there is a push toward trying to get people to let their vehicles sit and use public transportation. As a result, the prices can be attractive.

Daz has come up with a good list, but the first place to start is by asking how long you intend to be across. That will determine how much you will be able to see.

If you only have a week or two, sit down and try to prioritize the places you really want to visit. List them in order, trying to keep geographic location in mind, to minimize travel times.

You will find that every where you look, there is going to be a sight that you will want to take in, so don't try to plan too much into each day. Bear in mind that you are simply not going to see all there is to see in 10-14 days.

I was fortunate to have a "built-in" tour guide, as my girlfriend lives just outside Stirling. We took a day and went to Cambuskenneth Abbey and into Stirling. A few days later, a pal from Belgium came across and the three of us did another tour of the area. The Wallace Monument along with the overlook at Abbey Craig, Stirling Castle, Bannockburn, Stirling Castle, Stirling Bridge and Cambuskenneth Abbey. We were on a dead run, the entire day and we really didn't ever have the opportunity to stop and "smell the roses". And mind, this was my second trip to a couple of these places and I still didn't see everything I would have liked to see.

I plan to be moving across to the Stirling area in a few more months, so I will get more chances to see the sights, but if this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for you, you really don't want to sell yourself short. Cambuskenneth Abbey is a place a lot of people miss, but there is a "wee stane" in the kirk-yard that is well worth the visit. (Be sure to take a white rose to leave there, should you go.)

If you're not going to be across for a couple more years, you've time to put together a really good plan to visit.

[Macman]

I would buy the Fodor's guide to Scotland when planning your trip. It has tons of information about what to see, where to stay, etc. I used it in planning our trip, and referred to it every day while we were there. We went in October, and apparently were really lucky with the weather. It was cold and overcast most of the time but didn't rain much while we were there. When I go next time I will probably go in September, mainly to beat the summer tourist rush.

I second Daz's list and would add Fort George and the Clava Cairns which are near Culloden. Also, Bannockburn is worth a look; it's near the Wallace Monument at Stirling.

[lrpddrummie]

Bob,

My family and I were just in Scotland in August, not the best time of year because it is peak season but we went because I marched in the Pipefest Parade and we wanted to experience the Fringe Fest. Tour packages are nice but they are what they are. When we travel we plan our own trips, it is bit more work but we cut out the middle man which helps keep costs down. We rented a couple vans and hit the road and had an absolute blast. The nice thing is you are on your own schedule, your own route, and you get to do what you want when you want. If you like historical sites I would get one the historical site passes. Basically you pay one fee and have access to numerous sites. We did the math and if we did not buy the pass and went to all the same places we would have spent almost three time as much in parking and entrance fees. They are different packages each having access to different sites and limitations etc. We went from Glasgow (Stirling Castle (bought our historical tour pass here) and Wallace Monument not far from there), to Edinburgh (wow what a great city, royal mile, Edinburgh Castle worth seeing). Stop at the Falkirk Wheel a bit touristy but great example of creative engineering. Then off to Pithlochry and up to Nairn (Cawdor Castle, Fort George, and the Whisky Trail, over to Loch Ness (Urquhart Castle a must see), Isle of Sky (worth the day trip) and back to Glasgow. Along the way we hit all the historical sites including St Andrews Cathedral, Castle and golf course. We stayed in hotels no B&B's some were nice some were livable, but the best part is we were not tied to anyone's schedule but our own, no time tables, we could spend as much or as little time at anyone place we wanted.