Trip to Scotland

[Chaps]

My wife and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary next summer. To celebrate, we are planning a trip to the UK and plan on spending 7-10 days in Scotland. I know that we will just scratch the surface, but I have two great interests that I want to explore in Scotland, single malt Scotch and church history. I will probably be driving throughout the country. I am very open to suggestions. Thanks.

[Rick Y]

If you're going to explore single malt Scotch in any depth, let your wife do the driving! Have a great time; I envy you the experiences you will have and the sights you will see. (Happy anniversary a bit early.)

[David]

For whisky, follow the trail http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/...t-whisky-trail

There are many, many more distilleries to visit not on this trail, just use the www to fnd them. If you can fit it in and there is space on a tour for you, visit the Macallan. I went years ago and loved it, a very different tour to any other I have done.

As for church history, that's a big subject, more detail is needed first and its not my strong point. you could start at the National Museum of Scotland http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/nat...ed_church.aspx

[denmcdough]

My wife, son, and I traveled to Scotland last July. Too much to see and never enough time, or money. But, I'd suggest seeing the Dunfermline Abbey, about 20 minutes north of Edinburgh. It houses the grave of Robert the Bruce, and it's a wonderful little town. It's, also, the birth place of Andrew Carnegie....see his house and museum. Across from the newer Abbey are the gardens which Carnegie played in as a boy, and then bought later in life, which was returned to the town. It's a wonderful place to hang out and eat lunch. When we took the train there last year, it was 80*..... I loved it, but the locals were dying.
http://www.visitscotland.com/en-us/i...rmline-p239021

Also, if you make it to Skye, stop by Taliskers Whiskey, which is near the Dunvegan Castle. http://www.scotlandwhisky.com/distil...lands/Talisker

Work your way to Portree for a stop, and and bite to eat.
http://www.visitscotland.com/en-us/i...ortree-p236431

Have a blast, and prepare to return. The first trip is the learning curve!

[MacRobert's Reply]

On church history, Chaps, you could consider visiting Whithorn in Galloway where Ninian built his White House (Canada Casa) and evangelised the Southern Picts; Iona, where Columba (Com Cille) established his base for evangelising among the Northern Picts; Glasgow where Kentegern had his mission in the Kingdom of Strathclyde; Queensferry where Queen Margaret instituted her ferry for pilgrims traveling to Dunfermline and St Andrews; and nearby Inchcolm (the Iona of the East).

In the North of England you could visit Hilda's Whitby of Synod of Whitby fame; and Lindisfarne (Holy Island) where Aidan and Cuthbert evangelised among the Northumbrians and Mercians.

If you are passing through South Queensferry and I am around, I would be happy to be your free guide. PM me as and when.

[Chaps]

Thanks all for the information. And "MacRobert's Reply" thank you for the great leads with regard to church history and I will be in touch as I continue to plan the trip.

[Calgacus]

Not areas in which I have much expertise, but there's St. Andrews Cathedral, dominating the beautiful town of the same name-

http://www.visitscotland.com/info/se...hedral-p248231

...and Arbroath Abbey, historically significant, if not in quite such a pretty town.

http://www.visitscotland.com/info/se...-abbey-p247571

[ClanHanson]

I just returned from a 9 day trip to Scotland a few weeks ago. It's one of the greatest trips I've ever been on. I highly recommend going to the Isle of Skye and swinging through the highlands if you get the chance. Edinburgh is a great city, it's just too bad that the Royal Mile has turned into a Middle Eastern Bazaar. Hopefully Scottish officials crack down on that, because otherwise it's a fantastic city to explore! Good luck and have fun, but please don't buy Pakistani bagpipes like many tourists do...

[Dundonian.on.Islay]

Well if you're looking for whisky Islay is a good place, 'the queen of the hebrides' has 8 distilleries which all conduct distillery tours regularly, or if you visit in the last week of may theres the feis ile, where each distillery has an open day, as for church history, admittedly I don't know much about the religious side of things but theres is Kilarrow parish church known as the round church in Bowmore, theres also the Kildalton cross carved in the later half of the 8th century and a few other places.

Heres a wee link with info about Islay,

Www.islayinfo.com

[cessna152towser]

If you are into churches you really need to include the south of Scotland.
Scottish Borders has Jedburgh, Melrose, Dryburgh and Kelso Abbeys, all of which are cared for by Historic Scotland, and if you are on a walking holiday these are linked by the Four Abbeys Way. Or you could walk St. Cuthbert's Way and cross into England and over the causeway to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne with its Lindisfarne Priory and St. Mary's Chapel.
Dumfries has Lincluden Collegiate Church and Sweetheart Abbey.
The south of the country is something of a drought area for production of single malt whiskies, but you could combine Glenkinchie Distillery with the Border Abbeys or Bladnoch Distillery with Glenluce Abbey over in the south-west.
I'll add some links to my photos of these Abbeys and Churches:-
Melrose Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505655
Kelso Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505653
Jedburgh Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505649
Dryburgh Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505603
Glenluce Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505623
Lincluden Collegiate Church:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/a...7/@/page:11:18
Sweetheart Abbey:- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/a...7/@/page:12:18
Lindisfarne:-http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/504105
Various Border Churches:-http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/503973
Blanchland Abbey (North of England, an hour's drive from Scottish Border):- http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/503427
and not forgetting Paisley Abbey, founded 1163, where William Wallace received part of his education and only two miles from Glasgow Airport:-
http://www.ipernity.com/doc/351051/album/505659