Travelling to Scotland - advice??

[English Bloke]

great thread this...

[Jock Scot]

Of course diets are out of the window with a traditional Scottish breakfast.














Enjoy your trip.

What! Only one egg and no black pudding! Good gracious me, whatever next? Prunes, wholemeal bread and that artificial butter stuff, I suppose! I just cannot get over this healthy eating at breakfast idea.

[McClef]

I cannot agree that Edinburgh should be avoided despite the tourist tat argument.

There is so much to see and do at all times of the year!

[Dangerdean]

I'll be following this thread as well. We're heading over in mid-August and looking (roughly) at Stirling, Mull, Iona, Fort William, Lewis and Harris, Inverness and Elgin (where my grandfather is from), then Edinburgh (in September, not August) ending with four days in London. We've booked a car and have lodgings reserved for Stirling and Edinburgh, still exploring options for the other areas.
Traveling with an eight-month-old will make it interesting.

[brewerpaul]

What! Only one egg and no black pudding! Good gracious me, whatever next? Prunes, wholemeal bread and that artificial butter stuff, I suppose! I just cannot get over this healthy eating at breakfast idea.

Indeed good Sir, most of the breakfast we ate did have blackpudding. That became a favorite of us both. We were at the mercy of the B&B of which we had wonderful places to stay. This was the only breakfast photo I took and must admit it was the only one without the tasty blackpudding. It ran the gamut of this breakfast, the ones with blackpudding, some with a small bowl of beans, a half of cherry tomato here and there, some mushrooms at times and of course the ham(bacon), sausage, toast, and even one woman offering to make me fried toast (which I used to eat as a kid). So we were never left hungry but after a couple hours on the bikes we wondered where did all that food go. That is when the meat pies came in

[Mark Stephenson]

I will be following this thread too. We will be leaving in 60 days for our first trip. We will be spending 17 days in the Highlands and Islands. We will wait until our next trip to see the cities.

[Jackson]

Sounds like several X-Scotters are all making their first trips to Scotland this summer. All at different time, however. My trip is a package deal and I'm sure they hit all the common touristy sites, and that's OK. We will have some free time in some areas and I'm compiling my list. We start in Edinbourgh and our hotel is very near the castle. I have the castle and the military museums on my list, for sure. A day of touring and then it's off to Inverness, via Glamis Castle. I'm hoping that our time in Inverness includes a visit to Culloden Battlefield. I can't imagine that it won't be, but, not listed specifically. Then down the Military Road to Fort William, so I'm hoping we'll see the Commando Memorial and would be tickled pink to get to visit the Cameron Museum. This is the area of particular interest to me. There's more trip, down to the Glasgow area and then a ferry ride to Ireland.

I'm sure we'll eat very well, and I've been warned about the bakery's already. Don't leave until the 10th, but, I'm ready to pack right now--maybe a wee bit early.

Jackson

[Tartan Tess]

I loved the architect and "vibes" of Edinburgh, spent two days and wanted more and I am not a shopper. The castle is a must see in my opinion.

[Phil]

First of all can I say thank you for choosing to visit our country and I know you will enjoy whatever you decide to see.
I don’t think it is particularly helpful of those who tell you that you mustn’t visit here or there based on some personal prejudice they may have as everywhere has its own particular attractions which should be for you to decide based upon good, factual advice.
From the two areas that you have indicated you wish to see, both are quite distinct in their geographical and historical significance. Ayr is a seaside town which, for many years, served as a holiday destination for the large industrial conurbation of Glasgow and its environs. It is a pleasant small town and its greatest claim to fame is its association with the poet, Robert Burns, born and brought up in the nearby villages of Alloway and Mauchline and his father’s grave can be seen in the graveyard of the ruined Alloway kirk close by the Brig o’ Doon. Both famous from the poem Tam o’ Shanter of course. Ayrshire is also a great venue for golf with famous courses at Troon and Turnberry but just don’t wear a kilt to play there. There is also a Wallace monument in Ayr and Wallace is believed to have taken refuge in woods outside of Ayr when life became hot for him.
Stirling is a completely different kettle of fish being a historical town dominated by a medieval castle and containing other buildings of historic interest such as Argyll’s lodging which point to its connection with the Scottish kings and queens who occupied it. And, of course, it is the site of the battles of Stirling bridge and Bannockburn with its visitor centre and the Wallace monument nearby. When there, if you have a car, a fascinating drive is along the north shore of the Forth through Alloa to places such as Culross and on to Dunfermline with its medieval abbey and the grave of Robert the Bruce.
As to other places to visit, Edinburgh and Glasgow both have quite distinct identities. Glasgow, once described as the second city of Empire after London was a huge commercial and industrial conurbation whose initial prosperity was founded on the tobacco trade with the American colonies, at first clandestinely and then after the Union of Parliaments an open and very lucrative trade. There are many streets and buildings that still bear the names of these “tobacco barons” as they were known. Latterly the city found prosperity in shipbuilding although this has now mostly gone as have large sections of the population re-housed from the Victorian slums to peripheral housing estates and new towns. The city still has the grand buildings from its years of prosperity and boasts fine museums and art galleries which are free to enter. It also has an underground rail system, called by the locals the Clockwork Orange after its orange painted carriages which follows a circle route around the heart of the city. Being a large, sprawling metropolis it is necessary to use transport to get around.
Edinburgh is the historical administrative and political capital of Scotland and is much smaller and more compact. It is where the parliament of Scotland existed until 1707 and where the present-day one has been re-constituted. It contains many historical sites such as the royal Palace of Holyroodhouse and, of course the castle which bears its name, as well as many museums and art galleries which are free to enter. The National Museum of Scotland is here as is the National Portrait gallery and the gallery of Modern Art all worth a visit. Mention has been made of tourists and the tatty shops which have sprung up to satisfy them and these are mainly centred at the top end of the Royal Mile. It should not come as a surprise when most tourists wish to visit Edinburgh or that such shops have then come into being to serve this trade. To casually dismiss Edinburgh as a place to visit is a strange aberration borne of some imagined slight or prejudice and not one a visitor should take any notice of. There is simply too much of educational, historical, architectural interest to ignore in such a way.
The rest of the country is mostly just that – country – with spectacular scenery and everything from high mountains and lochs to islands in the west to castles and small fishing villages in the east.

[MacMillans son]

Phil,

I'm not heading your way any time soon, unfortunately, but I do very much appreciate your well measured response.

Well done