Scotland on the cheap

[Pleater]

If the weather is fine you can get the ingredients for a picnic from a supermarket and eat in a park or other scenic spot. They stay open late and can be very convenient. I like Tesco for their hot meat counters.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Julia Elliott]

Glad to see some votes for the self-catering cottage option. I'm planning a 3 week trip over next October, and that type of accommodation is exactly what I'm leaning toward right now. Pick 3 places and spend a week based out of each. I haven't done any extensive research on it yet, but from what i have seen so far, going in October looks like a good move ( at least from an economic point of view). Weather may be something else entirely , but when you've spent about half your life living on a tiny island in the North Atlantic, you learn to not put your life on hold on account of bad weather Plus it saves me from having to eat every meal out. Also , if I am going to spend a week living in one place, why not be able to spread out a bit and not feel cramped.

[David Dubh]

My wife and I spent almost 2 weeks in Scotland in late September 2011. We spent 5 days in a rented flat in Edinburgh. We used Tesco for picnic lunch and bought the fixings for breakfast and some dinners. We had a rental car and explored the borders from there. 1300 miles in about 10 days. I would second the premier inn or holiday inn. That was where we stayed in Inverness, Glasgow and Manchester. If you have a points card you can use it for some hotels when self catering doesn't work.enjoy your trip and the planning there of
Regards David

[John_Carrick]

M&S and Waitrose are good for self catering supplies but dearer.
If you are staying in urban areas, you might try university accommodation. You can get self catering apartments and even halls of residence tend to have en suite rooms, albeit basic.
Some hotels are not too dear - most areas have hotels that need modernisation but are clean and pleasant enough and you can pay £40-£50 per night and book through websites like Bookings.com etc. However some are used by touring coach parties and these tend to be a bit ghastly.
Fuel is getting a lot cheaper here too.

[cessna152towser]

Ferintosh Guest House in Dumfries is owned by one of our members, Pour1Malt, and he gives discount on bed and breakfast for xmarks members. A good clean guesthouse where I have stayed several times and within easy reach of many of the must sees such as the Globe Inn, Burns House and Ellisland Farm of Robert Burns fame, and the historic Caerlaverock Castle.

[Julia Elliott]

perfect. cessna152towser added this to my growing pile of info.. Thanks

[mbuff]

My wife and I were over from mid-October until early November. We took a ferry from Aberdeen to the Orkneys (6 hours) and spent three days. The weather cooperated for the most part, but can be very windy and rainy at that time of the year. You definitely will want to spend a minimum of three days in the Orkneys to see the highlights. Bed and Breakfasts are our preference since you get more personalized attention and get to interact with the locals. They are perfect for staying two, three, or four nights in one spot (taking day trips around the surrounding area). If we stay longer in one location we usually look for self-catering. I would agree with avoiding the peak tourist season months of July, August if possible. April/May or September/early October may get you better overall prices on lodging and airfare. Have fun planning what I know will be a fabulous holiday for you and your wife. Cheers!

[Cerebite]

My wife and I went for 15 days this past Sept. for our honeymoon, here are some thoughts:
We found that the Scotrail pass was not worth it. It only applies to national level travel so you would need to spend additional money for inner city travel and local busses.
I will agree with the other assessments to go sometime other than peak season [Aug.] as the prices will be cheaper for lodging with the caveat that a lot of sites start to shift to winter hours or closed in mid -September and many ferry schedules go to winter hours then as well [IIRC we caught the last day of the season for the Islay ferry on 12 Sept]. We were able to find B & B's and cheap hotels for under $100 for both of us in most locations [I think Oban was the worst at $160 a night].
For airfare take a long look at Iceland Air, they were significantly cheaper than the other options and they offer a deal where you can extend your layover in Iceland without penalty so you can explore that country as well.

[Julia Elliott]

I have a friend who travels to Scotland regularly ( her Granny lives there) and always flys Iceland Air.

This year Westjet announced some new direct flights to Glasgow for a specific period of the year ( May 24-October 24, i think) starting next year. This is how i am going. Its is a 5 Hr. direct flight from Halifax -Glasgow for $850 return. I thought that was pretty good. But also the 5 hr flight really appealed to me as I am not the most patient traveler. I'm OK as long as I'm on the move, but long layovers in airports are not really my cup of tea.

[Beertigger]

A few years back, my wife and I traveled about the UK and Ireland during the holidays. Inverness was a bit nippy, but otherwise the temperatures were fairly moderate — even for a confirmed desert rat. Being able to avoid the crowds was great, and spending Hogmany at the Globe Inn in Dumfries, with a chance to sit in Robert Burns' chair, was one of the highlights.

Why travel along with a pack of other tourists?