How The Hell Do I Get There!!??

[thescot]

To answer your original question: You can't get there from here. You have to go somewhere else and start over.

Did you know they drive on the wrong side of the road? Whenever I've been to Scotland or Northern Ireland (never drove in England), I would sit in the car for a few seconds before firing it up and give myself a little talk: "Left side, Jim, left side."

Plan well to conserve fuel, and lisen to JockScot and MoR. Plan it all in advance and then don't insist on sticking to the plan as you will find the most charming places and people to force changes.

And plan to have a great trip.

[Pleater]

I would advise against the 4X4 - they are really not pc these days - and I'm not even sure that they are available to rent, not easily.

If there will be just the two of you a medium sized car, with the back seats folded down if you need to pack in loads of suitcases, will be a lot easier to drive on roads which I am fairly sure you will see as very narrow.

Around here, where we have the New Forest and get tourists as soon as the weather warms, the lack of large cars has been really noticable this year. Our little Nissan Micra looked really dinky in the car parks when we first had one, then gradually it became difficult to find it amongst all the others.

As long as you have a fair sized engine for the hills - though I do wonder if there might be a problem with gears - automatics are rather a mystery to me - I am sure that after a few hundred miles you will really appreciate the fuel economy.

There are very few places where it is legal to drive off road - forestry comission roads are not for public use here in England and I suspect that will be the case in Scotland too, plus - depending on the time of year you plan to visit there might be restrictions of access even by walking - when the game birds are breeding or there is shooting or some sort of event being held.

You might even be directed away from places where you might be tempted to go off road, simply for driving a 4X4, rather than pointed to spots where there is a stopping place with a fine view or access to a good path to walk.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Phil]

I think Pleater's advice may be coming from an English perspective where there still remain trespassing laws which restrict access to the countryside. In Scotland our government passed right to roam legislation which gives a right of access to virtually all of the Scottish countryside with very few exceptions such as private gardens.
As far as Jeeps are concerned, they are very popular with suburban housewives to take the children to school and are colloquially known as "Chelsea tractors". I would heed Jock's advice regarding their fuel consumption, however, as petrol (gas) is expensive here and country petrol stations are a dwindling resource. They also do not have the best handling characteristics for the narrow, winding roads which you find here in the more remote areas.

[Pleater]

I thought that the right to roam was for walkers/ramblers - not those tonking around in vehicles - though I am open to correction on this.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Emmett O'Hegarty]

I have been and it is amazing! Beautiful scenery, the pubs are lively, the craic is great...you'll have a blast. I also work for a company that specializes in tours to Ireland and Scotland, so if you'd like any help in planning a trip let me know. It is a very casual offering, more like an immersion trip.

Rich

[ForresterModern]

I have driven the remote countryside of both Scotland and Ireland in midsize rental cars and never really had any problem getting to where I wanted, so a 4x4 is really overkill both in rental expense and fuel costs/efficiencies. Ireland has a lot more tight roads with stone walls on either side and high hedges when compared to Scotland's more open roadsides. Ireland also has a lot more big tourbuses which always have a tendency to take their half of the road out of the middle by crowding if not frankly crossing the middle line---I bashed up a couple alloy rims in Ireland that way. Scotland was a dream by comparison, except for the lorrie driver who pushed me into a large pothole trashing two tires and an alloy rim in the process, also by crossing over the middle line, but on a larger two lane highway. Before you car rent, check into your credit cards as to which might provide backup insurance for car rental damages for free as part of the credit card benefits---saved me about $600US in damages assessed. And I would stick to the major car rent vendors simply becasue they provide a much more readily available service system should you have a problem with the car as I did (flat tire without the appropriate tools to remove the bad wheel and replace it with the spare, required a three hour wait in the rain for the service vehicle to arrive to fix the problem, then guide me to a regional car rental center an hour away in Inverness in order to change cars as a second tire was severely damaged but not frankly flat---just too dangerous to drive far on---had we been in a smaller company's car it would have meant a forced overnite stay and another full day lost waiting for them to transport a replacement car to our remote location).

Signage is actually quite good in the parts of Scotland we visited, as was road quality for the most part, and the maps were easier to follow than in Ireland. I recommend the Aberlour distillery tour as it includes a wonderful tasting experience at its end, although it is a little more expensive, restricted in tours available, and may require a reservation in high season.

Driving on the left side of the road can be hard to get used to but what I found humorously more difficult was remembering to get into the right hand driver side door, as I was constantly getting in the left seat as I would here in the States, then having to get out and walk around the car to the "proper" right side again. Got lots of looks and laughs from locals who knew precisely where I was going wrong and why, and am sure they got their daily amusement at my expense many times over. I would recommend an automatic shift for two reasons---it is a bit difficult to get used to shifting with your left hand instead of your right, and it only adds more confusion to the challenge of navigating the reversed turns, roundabouts, and multiple or narrow lanes from the left side of the road while trying in vain to find the right gear with your "wrong" hand. Easy to get multiply confused, although as Phil says more likely to be comical than dangerous, unless you are driving impaired by alcohol (which I do NOT recommend). There are enough distractions with the beautiful scenery of the lush countryside.

Stop regularly and take hundreds of pictures of everything----castles, gardens, distilleries, mountains, fields filled with sheep, heather and gorse and broom in bloom, small villages with squares and shops, fishermen in their boats sorting their daily catch, ocean views from hillsides, stone bridges, wooden fences, farmers markets, and each other singly and together---as when you get home those photos for many years will jog your memories of the trip with smells of the heathers and the feel of the mists and fog and rain and the warmth of the sunshine and tastes of teh good wholesome food and drink and the great feelings of new friends you meet that will come flooding back each time you go back and look at them again. Roadside attractions are very real and realistic in Scotland unlike here in teh states where everybody is trying to make a buck or six off of selling tickets to see the worlds largest yarn ball or rattlesnake pit or lost caverns or giant concrete prairie dog statue. Old castles pop up in or around nearly every little village with their little 4 spot parking lot and 100 yard hike to the ruins, usually though a small wooden gate along a dirt path on a ridge lined with gorse or broom. Every little village has its short main street with a few interesting shops full of fishing or hunting gear, locally made crafts or clothes or food products, small tourist shops NOT selling tat like in Edinburgh or Glasgow but rather interesting gifts or toys of local or at least scottish manufacture.

Enjoy your trip-----it will actually be hard not to. Post your best photos for all of us to enjoy vicariously. And wear your kilts.

jeff

[lammy d]

Travellodge hotels are cheap and if you book them early enough they cost about £19 a room! The hostels are good as well with double rooms now.They even have castle turned in to hostels. I think historic Scotland sell tickets for unlimited entry which will save you in the long run. A middle sized car would be best and get the book Desire Lines by David R Ross as it will take you places not mentioned in other travel books.Mind you the best way to get about is a Motorbike with a tent on the back mind you that's just me(lol) All the places you mention are easy to get to from Glasgow or Edinburgh. hope this helps

[cessna152towser]

Travelodge are very cheap, but they tend to overbook so be sure to arrive early and claim your room.

[beowulf67]

I flew into Edinburgh and rented a car from Hertz at the airport. I had reserved it online prior to going. Also went through the internet to find B&B's and reserved rooms with them as well.
If you're going to be around Dumfries be sure to talk to Robertson and Emma. They run a great place and can give you lots of good information about the area.

[Riverkilt]

I missed this thread the first time - thanks for the original post and for the resurrection...I've been in the same spot - totally confused as to how to dive in. Gotta love the skills and info of the rabble.