Scotland trip advice needed!
May 12th, 2024, 05:14 AM
#1
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Scotland trip advice needed!
Visiting Scotland for the first time mid July next year. Interested in a few hikes, a few castles, pretty towns, live music, and just seeing the outdoor scenery. Husband is interested in visiting the Oban distillery. Please critique my itinerary. Should I go to Mull instead of Skye because of the time of year I'm coming? Should I add a stop in Inverary or Oban? I like the idea of driving the Argyll coast but should I go through Glen Coe instead?
Fly into Inverness and out of Edinburgh
July 11-15: 4 nights NW (Fri-Tue) Torridon, Gairloch, or Ullapool? Where to stay or split bases?
July 15-18: 3 nights Skye (Tue-Fri) Broadford or Stein?
July 18-20: 2 nights Inverary or Oban? (Fri-Sun)
July 20-22: 2 nights Dunkeld/Ballintuim (Sun-Tue)
-Cairngorms NP and/or Ballater and Braemer
July 22-26: 4 nights Edinburgh (Peebles/Melrose day trip) (Tue-Sat)
Leave Saturday for London and fly home Sunday from London
Fly into Inverness and out of Edinburgh
July 11-15: 4 nights NW (Fri-Tue) Torridon, Gairloch, or Ullapool? Where to stay or split bases?
July 15-18: 3 nights Skye (Tue-Fri) Broadford or Stein?
July 18-20: 2 nights Inverary or Oban? (Fri-Sun)
July 20-22: 2 nights Dunkeld/Ballintuim (Sun-Tue)
-Cairngorms NP and/or Ballater and Braemer
July 22-26: 4 nights Edinburgh (Peebles/Melrose day trip) (Tue-Sat)
Leave Saturday for London and fly home Sunday from London
May 12th, 2024, 06:54 AM
#2
I just have time for a few comments right now - will add more later.
• You are counting the same days in two different places and not accounting for the travel.
What you actually have is:
July 11-14: 4 nights NW (Fri-Tue) Torridon, Gairloch, or Ullapool? Where to stay or split bases?
July 15-17: 3 nights Skye (Tue-Fri)
July 18-19: 2 nights Inverary or Oban? (Fri-Sun)
July 20-21: 2 nights Dunkeld/Ballintuim (Sun-Tue) . . . I certainly would not stay at Ballintuim. Its not really a 'place' as such but just a holiday village (i.e. trailer park) in the middle of nowhere. The only village nearby is Pitlochry which is close to 45 minutes away - to do any touring or sightseeing from there would take a lot of driving.
July 22-25: 4 nights Edinburgh (Peebles/Melrose day trip) (Tue-Sat)
Fly to London July 26.
• Are you flying in to INV or will you have been in London for a few days before hand? If you are flying directly from home in to INV (with connections obviously) then your plan for the 11th to 14th is a non starter really. Driving after transatlantic flights, and especially on the 'wrong' side of the road / on the 'wrong' side of the car is dangerous. Plus this is some REALLY remote countryside. Instead, reverse the order of your trip. Fly in to EDI instead and spend the first few days car-less in the city. Then pick up a car and do your road trip, flying down to London from INV on the 26th.
• "Broadford or Stein?" . . . Neither. Neither is in a central enough location for touring the island. I'd either stay in Portree or at Sligachan (Sligachan is the most convenient location-wise, and Portree is an actual village so multiple places to eat etc)
• You are counting the same days in two different places and not accounting for the travel.
What you actually have is:
July 11-14: 4 nights NW (Fri-Tue) Torridon, Gairloch, or Ullapool? Where to stay or split bases?
July 15-17: 3 nights Skye (Tue-Fri)
July 18-19: 2 nights Inverary or Oban? (Fri-Sun)
July 20-21: 2 nights Dunkeld/Ballintuim (Sun-Tue) . . . I certainly would not stay at Ballintuim. Its not really a 'place' as such but just a holiday village (i.e. trailer park) in the middle of nowhere. The only village nearby is Pitlochry which is close to 45 minutes away - to do any touring or sightseeing from there would take a lot of driving.
July 22-25: 4 nights Edinburgh (Peebles/Melrose day trip) (Tue-Sat)
Fly to London July 26.
• Are you flying in to INV or will you have been in London for a few days before hand? If you are flying directly from home in to INV (with connections obviously) then your plan for the 11th to 14th is a non starter really. Driving after transatlantic flights, and especially on the 'wrong' side of the road / on the 'wrong' side of the car is dangerous. Plus this is some REALLY remote countryside. Instead, reverse the order of your trip. Fly in to EDI instead and spend the first few days car-less in the city. Then pick up a car and do your road trip, flying down to London from INV on the 26th.
• "Broadford or Stein?" . . . Neither. Neither is in a central enough location for touring the island. I'd either stay in Portree or at Sligachan (Sligachan is the most convenient location-wise, and Portree is an actual village so multiple places to eat etc)
May 12th, 2024, 07:02 AM
#3
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You might want to consider reversing the itinerary. Inverness airport has a special status and has no air passenger duty levied on flights. This can be significant, especially if you are flying internationally in a premium cabin, even if you then route through another UK airport. So ending up in Inverness to fly home will save you money over the planned route you have now.
If you want to see either the Cairngorms NP and/or Braemar and Ballater you would be better seeing them from Inverness or if you follow the above plan on your way to Inverness.
If you want to see either the Cairngorms NP and/or Braemar and Ballater you would be better seeing them from Inverness or if you follow the above plan on your way to Inverness.
May 12th, 2024, 07:47 AM
#4
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July 10-Fly direct from the US to London/stay the night
July 11-Train or short flight to Edinburgh
July 11-15: 4 nights in Edinburgh (1 day trip to Borders)
July 15-17: 2 nights Pitlochry
July 17-19: 2 nights in Inverary area (day trip Glen Coe area)
July 19-22: 3 nights in Skye-Portree
July 22-26: 4 nights in Ullapool area
I reversed the order of the trip! I'm still wondering if I should dedicate more time to one area and take out Inverary? Should I hit Mull instead of Skye because of the crowds in July or will Skye be worth it?
July 11-Train or short flight to Edinburgh
July 11-15: 4 nights in Edinburgh (1 day trip to Borders)
July 15-17: 2 nights Pitlochry
July 17-19: 2 nights in Inverary area (day trip Glen Coe area)
July 19-22: 3 nights in Skye-Portree
July 22-26: 4 nights in Ullapool area
I reversed the order of the trip! I'm still wondering if I should dedicate more time to one area and take out Inverary? Should I hit Mull instead of Skye because of the crowds in July or will Skye be worth it?
May 12th, 2024, 08:16 AM
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If you want the Oban Distillery as well as Glencoe you need more time there.
Maybe a trip over to Mull but spend more time in wonderful Argyll, rather than going up to Skye.
Slightly less chance of midges too.
Argyll is a favourite of mine I admit.
Maybe a trip over to Mull but spend more time in wonderful Argyll, rather than going up to Skye.
Slightly less chance of midges too.
Argyll is a favourite of mine I admit.
May 12th, 2024, 09:48 AM
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For example. My idea of a trip, I'm doing photography excursions to Isle of Lewis/Harris and Isle of Skye.
- 1 Week on Isle of Lewis at a self-catering cottage.
- 1 Week on Isle of Skye also staying at a self-catering cottage.
- Several days in London before returning home to Arizona
Or maybe because I've traveled to the UK a lot I prefer staying at one place for a long time, plus I love self-catering locations.
May 12th, 2024, 10:54 AM
#7
mdstump: But the OP only has a total of 14.5 days on the ground so they won't have time for week long cottage rentals unless they just want to visit a couple of places . . .
Jam88: You are not traveling for over a year. No rush in deciding the fine details. I wouldn't even start to make these sorts of decisions for a few months yet - you have a lot of research to do first. Whether you should skip Inveraray or Skye or Mull or Glencoe is up to you. If it was MY trip (which of course it isn't) I wouldn't go near Skye in July if they paid me . . . well if they paid me enough I might consider it.
It is an absolutely glorious place but has become insanely popular and it doesn't have the infrastructure (roads/parking/accommodations) to support the numbers in high season.
Mull is less so but also does have issues like limited accommodations and very slow roads.
Skye and Mull and Glencoe and Torridon are all magnificent - but so are 100 other places in Scotland,
I'd pick up a guide book or two (NOT Rick Steves -- much of his advice for the UK is pants . . . Brit speak for rubbish) and pore over websites like Undiscovered Scotland.
Jam88: You are not traveling for over a year. No rush in deciding the fine details. I wouldn't even start to make these sorts of decisions for a few months yet - you have a lot of research to do first. Whether you should skip Inveraray or Skye or Mull or Glencoe is up to you. If it was MY trip (which of course it isn't) I wouldn't go near Skye in July if they paid me . . . well if they paid me enough I might consider it.
It is an absolutely glorious place but has become insanely popular and it doesn't have the infrastructure (roads/parking/accommodations) to support the numbers in high season.Mull is less so but also does have issues like limited accommodations and very slow roads.
Skye and Mull and Glencoe and Torridon are all magnificent - but so are 100 other places in Scotland,
I'd pick up a guide book or two (NOT Rick Steves -- much of his advice for the UK is pants . . . Brit speak for rubbish) and pore over websites like Undiscovered Scotland.
