Planning our first trip to Scotland - Need your help!

[Nervous Jock]

Okay, guys! Gather the tourist info I'm really looking forward to your answers!!!

Scott and I are planning our first trip to Scotland in 2011. (I know it's a long time from now, but in order to do it right, we have to have a lot of advance planning and saving!)
1. When is the best time to go (although we would have loved being there for the Gathering, and other than Games and Festivals, we don't generally like huge crowds.)
2. What are your top five items on your must see and/or do list?
3. What's on your "don't bother, huge waste of time/money" list?
4. Where are the best places to eat and stay and why?
5. Any further advice?

I'll dip in and out of this one.

Get a historic Scotland card I think you can get them for 2 weeks or a month. If you go to Edinburgh castle and a few other places it will save you a bomb.

Places to go:

Edinburgh Castle
Fort George up by Inverness
Boat trip from south Queensferry to incolm. It goes under the bridge and out ot the abbey.
East Fortune airfield if you're into that kind of thing.

[tulloch]

I have heard that the best month to visit Scotland is February - it can only rain 28 days!

[Bruno]

I have heard that the best month to visit Scotland is February - it can only rain 28 days!

If only it would rain here it would be better than snow lol.

[MacKay71 Wife]

Wow! Thanks for the tips so far, guys!! I am actually printing some of these off so I can put them in my folder and not lose them!!

Great ideas and great places to start researching. The only place Scott has insisted that we visit is the far North Highlands in the, obviously , MacKay ancestral lands. Other than that, we're wide open for suggestions.

One question so far, several have mentioned trains and rental cars. Is it generally easy to get a rental car in the bigger cities and towns? Perhaps a combination of rail and road would be best for us? (We do love to get off the beaten path!)

Keep 'em coomin', y'all!!

[Jock Scot]

Wow! Thanks for the tips so far, guys!! I am actually printing some of these off so I can put them in my folder and not lose them!!

Great ideas and great places to start researching. The only place Scott has insisted that we visit is the far North Highlands in the, obviously , MacKay ancestral lands. Other than that, we're wide open for suggestions.

One question so far, several have mentioned trains and rental cars. Is it generally easy to get a rental car in the bigger cities and towns? Perhaps a combination of rail and road would be best for us? (We do love to get off the beaten path!)

Keep 'em coomin', y'all!!

If you are off up to Strath Naver, then a car is the ONLY option. The North and North Western Highlands are very beautiful. A tip for when you are up there, make sure you have plenty of fuel in the tank, When the gauge says half full then FILL UP AT THE FIRST GARAGE YOU SEE!

[Jock Scot]

There are many wonderful pictures on this website of Scotland taken by far better photographers than me! To pick one,set of pictures is really unfair, but have a look at the pictures section and go back to 18th Dec 08 you will find Pour1Malt's "We holiday fur Pour1Malt". Wonderful pictures of the Highlands and some of its attractions in the early winter.Just in case you were planning a winter trip?

[ChubRock]

Mrs. Chub Rock and I landed in Glasgow, immediately took a train to Edinburgh where we stayed in a lovely Bed and Breakfast for five days. The B&Bs are very affordable and give you a chance to work on your understanding of regional Scottish accents. We did the entire Edinburgh thing including walking, taxis and a local daily bus pass to get all around the area outside of tourism spots.

We then hopped a train to Inverness. That train ride was beautiful! Once in Inverness we rented a car and drove to the castle we were staying in near Loch Ness. The Glengarry Castle provide us a huge beautiful room which included delicious four-star meals and service. It wasn't cheap, but it was our anniversary treat for three nights. We rented a car to explore the Highlands the all south and west from there.

We then drove down to Glasgow, returned the car there, and took bus tours of the city.

We rented a car so we could go around and visit castle ruins, which we did and enjoyed. We didn't spend time souvenir shopping, you can get that stuff online, but we did spend time on the Royal Mile looking for great food and to explore the closes. We used that time instead in the highlands to see Eilean Donan Castle, Castle Urquhart on Loch Ness and many many other ruins.

All in all in eleven days we discovered the following:

1) B&Bs are affordable and a great way to experience Scotland.
2) We wish we had gone to the eastern and northern coastal areas.
3) We wish we would have spent more time in and north of Inverness.
4) GlenGarry Castle is a great vacation spot.
5) I can eat tons of different varieties of shortbreads without getting full.
6) Get out of the cities and check out the lovely country.
7) It takes planes, trains and automobiles to see what you need to see.

We are now considering a month long stay in a cottage near Inverness to get away from it all.


Hope that helps!

[Bruno]

If you are off up to Strath Naver, then a car is the ONLY option. The North and North Western Highlands are very beautiful. A tip for when you are up there, make sure you have plenty of fuel in the tank, When the gauge says half full then FILL UP AT THE FIRST GARAGE YOU SEE!

Get a petrol can they are cheap and fill it. Some petrol stations are very far and wide. Some small ones shut at strange hours etc. I once had to go about 30 miles to get petrol because of that happening, about 3 pm ?? must have gone fishing or something still a pain.

[starbkjrus]

Here is a link to our vacation in 2007: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...=vacation+2007

[ForresterModern]

Take a camera. On a sunny day take lots of pictures. On the other 364 days take some pictures too but be prepared to be wiping your camera dry a bit more often.

Wear a kilt. Everyday. Yes you will stick out from the locals, but you will stick out as a tourist in your regular clothes anyway as soon as you open your mouth or pull out your camera or walk into a souvenir shop. May as well be kilted and in the right spirit, showing your heritage and respect for the Scots national dress. Beside it actually starts a lot of interesting conversations with both tourists and locals, and provides fodder for good photos whether the sun is out or not. Otherwise plan on dressing warmly everyday---you can always take clothes off if you get too hot but if you don't have them you cannot put them on if it gets cold or rainy (excuse me---"When" it gets cold or rainy).

Although it is worth spending some time in the cities to see the major sites, GET OUT OF THE CITIES and see the countryside through your own eyes (and camera lenses). IMHO the best way is with a rental car, a good map, a navigator, and a loosely preplanned route and list of activities each day.

Attend a highland games, if at all possible.

Most of all enjoy yourselves, each and every moment, good or bad, rain or shine, every meal, every drink, every site, every smell, every sound, breath it in and let it become a part of you, bath in it and wear its scent on you proudly.

Oh, and post pictures, because here at xmarks: NO PICS, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!