Scotland trip....Suggestions?

**porrick** · 17th October 06, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Tartan Hiker

The question is...considering the mid-winter timing, are there any suggestions for us? How's the rail service that time of year as compared to car rental (I know the petrol prices are off the charts).

Sounds like you are doing the right thing: going to Scotland

P1M is right re. driving conditions, as are those who rightly claim that you need a car to get to many of the interesting places.

Hehe, as for petrol prices I do not see much point of concern. You either fill petrol or you don't (no point comparing with the US, as you don't have a choice).

Hope you'll have a great trip, and we expect a lot of pictures posted!

**Tartan Hiker** · 17th October 06, 01:27 PM

Thanks for all the input so far. The real stressor right now is that we can't find a room to book on Dec. 31 near enough to Edinburgh so that we can make an 11:30 AM flight. It's great to go to a location like Edinburgh when the big party is on, but finding a room at this late date is looking grim. If it was just my wife and I we'd manage, but my 16 and 13 year old sons will be there too.

Any suggestions or hot tips appreciated. Anyone have friends in Edinburgh that would be willing to lease some floor space?

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 17th October 06, 02:31 PM

I guess I am going to be in the minority here and say that we have found the rail to be easiest way to go on all our trips across the pond.

I would also advise getting a BritRail pass and just using the train on any trip to England or Wales, but when my wife and I planned our iteneraty in Scotland, we found that the rail just didn't go to most of the places we wanted to visit. In England it looked like the rail went just about everywhere. In Scotland the coverage was not near as great.

Compare the coverage north and south of the border in this map:
http://www.britrail.com/maps/map_en.pdf

**KiltedCodeWarrior** · 17th October 06, 05:29 PM

Good point Matt! My post was based on our one and only trip recently to England and Wales. Since Scotland and Ireland were too far for our short stay, the coverage may not be as good.

**souzaphone711** · 17th October 06, 08:28 PM

I was actually in Edinburgh this last summer. However the only real advice i can offer you as a 16 year old is this: Try not to look like a tourist. It makes you a target for pickpockets and it also makes you a target for a lot of other things. If you can, attempt to blend in. I wouldn't reccomend pulling out a map except in somewhere like a shop or restaurant. If you really need to however, most people will gladly help you locate something or get somewhere.

Also, one last thing, Look to your left first before you cross the street not right.

hope I am of some help!

**scottish** · 17th October 06, 09:12 PM

your best bet go on the trains you can get to stirling ,glasgow a lot of places,and your there for hogmany in edinburgh you dont know how lucky you are im sure you will have a great trip and its different there also as you can walk to a lot of places unlike here although it will be a bit cold for long walks right enough ,well have some fish and chips for us all and have fun

**Pour1Malt** · 13th December 06, 01:45 AM

(bump)

if ya can come by tae see us let me ken... ya ken...

**cessna152towser** · 13th December 06, 03:08 AM

If the current unseasonally mild weather lasts, a car could be OK for travelling between Inverness and Edinburgh, even at the end of December, but whether you go via Drumochter (A9 - quickest route)) or via Glencoe and the Great Glen (A82 - much more scenic) you have to bear in mind that the roads are often closed in winter - indeed they have snow gates on the roads so that they can close off the sections which cross the high ground. You don't want to get stranded in Inverness and miss your flight home. When I have gone north in winter to Inverness or Fort William I have ALWAYS gone by train, even though this means going south first to get the train at Carlisle, although I'm happy to drive up north in summertime. I think the train would be your best bet for the Inverness journey, and you could always get a taxi between the airport and your hotel in Edinburgh. Depending though on where else you want to go, a car would be more convenient and would let you cover more things within easy reach of Edinburgh, though the train does take you within half an hour to within a short walk of Stirling Castle or Linlithgow Palace. A train pass could also let you get to Glasgow (under an hour from Edinburgh) from where you could then take a trip on the Burns Line sprinter train to Dumfries (under two hours each way). But if you were coming here to the Scottish Borders you would need a car as there is no railway.