Planning a 30 Anniversary Trip

[RAF]

OK off the top of my head, the Blair Atholl Gathering and games take place at the end of May on the Sunday and usually The Duke Parades the Atholl Highlanders(Europe's only private army) on the Saturday of the same weekend. Blair Castle is a great place to visit in itself but the parade and games are an added bonus and the station is only a wee walk from the main gate.

BE WARNED there is NO rail link between Inverness and Fort William. There is a good bus link though., to link the east and west(entirely separate lines)lines. If you can, do the train trips in the daylight to/from Inverness, or, Mallaig.

Wear the kilt, although the east of Scotland is less midgy than the west, so you might need to bare that in mind at the end of May.

Just a thought! Do you know, I am not sure if Skye has a railway! I don't think it has. You may need to consider bus and coach routes on Skye.

I'll look into Blair Atholl and House of Bruar - thank you.
Still checking on specific modes of transport on Skye. I've seen bus routes, that's most likely to be our selection.
And thank you for the rail warning. I had noticed that East/West gap. I'll double check my plan, but I think there is a RailEurope connection between Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness. (Taking bus from Kyleakin on Skye to mainland Lochalsh, then train from there.) If not, of course will link by bus.
And definitely planning on daytime train travel, would not want to miss out on the views!
Re: midges, so East would be more comfortable than West if I understand you?
Thanks Jock, and Kyle!

[creagdhubh]

I'll look into Blair Atholl and House of Bruar - thank you.
Still checking on specific modes of transport on Skye. I've seen bus routes, that's most likely to be our selection.
And thank you for the rail warning. I had noticed that East/West gap. I'll double check my plan, but I think there is a RailEurope connection between Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness. (Taking bus from Kyleakin on Skye to mainland Lochalsh, then train from there.) If not, of course will link by bus.
And definitely planning on daytime train travel, would not want to miss out on the views!
Re: midges, so East would be more comfortable than West if I understand you?
Thanks Jock, and Kyle!

The Kyle of Lochalsh and Kyleakin are truly beautiful areas. My parents honeymooned in Skye back in the late 1970's and this is where my first name of "Kyle" was derived.

[cessna152towser]

The glaring omission which I see is you are only going to the Glasgow and Edinburgh central belt and the Highlands and will miss the whole of the rolling scenery, historic castles and fortified towerhouses, battlegrounds etc. of the south of Scotland, the rolling Southern Upland hills with their moorland and forestry, the Scottish Borders Abbeys, and the Solway Coast of Dumfries and Galloway.
However there is only so much you can see in the available time and you will at least catch fleeting glimpses of southern Scotland as you travel by train from Glasgow or Edinburgh to London. The train journey on the west coast route from Glasgow takes slightly longer than the east coast route from Edinburgh but is more scenic, at least where it passes through southern Scotland and northern England.

[RAF]

The glaring omission which I see is you are only going to the Glasgow and Edinburgh central belt and the Highlands and will miss the whole of the rolling scenery, historic castles and fortified towerhouses, battlegrounds etc. of the south of Scotland, the rolling Southern Upland hills with their moorland and forestry, the Scottish Borders Abbeys, and the Solway Coast of Dumfries and Galloway.
However there is only so much you can see in the available time and you will at least catch fleeting glimpses of southern Scotland as you travel by train from Glasgow or Edinburgh to London. The train journey on the west coast route from Glasgow takes slightly longer than the east coast route from Edinburgh but is more scenic, at least where it passes through southern Scotland and northern England.

I would love to take two to three months and REALLY explore Scotland completely, but we've got three weeks this time.
We will be taking day trips in all directions from base "camps." Dumfries is a consideration since I have ancestry from there and am curious to see to area.
A more detailed tour of the south will be the goal of another trip.

[triumph]

Very interesting thread, as we also have an interest in travel to these areas. please keep us posted.