ElenaY

I am hoping for some advice for our trip to Scotland in May. My husband and I will have two weeks there, and we are most interested in beautiful scenery and historical sites. We both like to hike, and he is an amateur photographer. We just started planning and could use a little help. This is our plan so far.
- Fly from US (west coast) to Edinburgh and take the train to Aberdeen. We figure we might as well get all the way to Aberdeen that first day since we will be zombies anyway. Do we need to reserve train tickets from Edinburgh to Aberdeen for a Sunday in early May?
- Spend two nights in Aberdeen at Jay's Guest House. We will rent a car in Aberdeen and tour the "castle country".
- Drive to Invergarry and spend two nights there? We are not sure if we should stay in Inverness or perhaps Invergarry. We had originally planned on Inverness as a base for touring the area, but some posts suggest avoiding it. If we stay in Invergarry, we are considering the Glengarry Castle Inn. It is a bit pricey for our budget, but it sounds nice.
- Drive to Skye and spend three nights at the Rosedale Inn. Any particularly nice hikes to recommend on Skye?
- Drive from Skye to somewhere within an hour or so of Stirling for one night. What is the most scenic driving route from Skye to the Lake Lomond area? Any suggestions on where to stay for around 40 pounds per person? We tried Arden House in Callander, but they have a two night minimum.
- Visit Stirling Castle, drop the rental car off in Stirling, and take the train to Edinburgh.
- Stay four nights in Edinburgh. We are considering the Greenside Hotel or the Walton House.
I also have a question about boots.….my hiking boots are water repellent but not water proof (fine in mud, not good in deep puddles). I know the weather is unpredictable, but any opinions on whether they will be adequate for most trails?
We are so excited about our trip. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Sesamee

Take others advice and avoid Inverness unless you are looking for a large city as a base. Inverness left a lot to be desired after seeing the rest of the highlands.

Perth could be a layover enroute to Stirling. For me it was just a place to get off the roads and get a good nights sleep.

There is some nice hiking and beautiful scenery in the Dunvegan area of Skye. Most of Skye should appeal to you hiking-wise. Allow enough time to see this island properly.

When you are driving make sure you have good maps. Buy more detailed area maps as you approach cities and towns. It's very easy to get lost. Road signs are often geared for close range driving, so if you are passing through an area or town, chances are you won't see signs telling you which way to proceed to eventually get to a long-distance destination.

ms_go

If the weather is reasonably clear and you don't mind a hike with a little elevation involved, the walk up to the Old Man of Storr on Skye is fantastic. The scenery is out of this world. It was one of our trip highlights.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...60632457bVnqGj

caroline_edinburgh

I don't think there's anything to be gained by booking your Edinburgh-Aberdeen tickets in advance, except it may save queueing. I've just checked on www.thetrainline.com & a standard day single is £33.90, & that is the 'walk-up' fare. I also checked return fares as they are sometimes cheaper, but (guessing you want 8th May) the cheapest return is £34.

Do you mean the Walton Hotel on Dundas Street ? I'm not familiar with it or the Greenside Hotel but I'd choose Dundas Street over Royal Terrace. Royal Terrace itself is beautiful but you have a bit more of a hike into town, or even to a bus stop, through a not very attractive part of town. I used to catch a bus home from work from the part of London Road where your nearest bus stop would be & while I never felt threatened, you do get some rather seedy characters around there. Dundas Street is right in the New Town & although it's an uphill walk into town (probably not a problem if you're hikers !) it's a shorter walk & there are buses which go up Dundas Street itself.

Maria_H

You might find the Ordnance Survey, Pathfinder guides useful books for planning walks. There's one for Skye and the North West Highlands. They have graded walks from a couple of miles gentle stroll up to strenuous mountain walks and include ordnance survey maps for each walk.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...156870-7802001

ElenaY

Thanks for the link to your photo ms_go. It looks fantastic, and I can't wait to go. No worries about an elevation change. I love a good climb, especially if there is a nice view at the top. (My husband once accused me of taking us on "death marches" , but he was kind of tired and cranky at the time. )
Maria H, I also appreciate the advice on maps. We were thinking we would have to wait until we get there to get detailed maps. It will be much more fun to look them over before we travel.