Visiting Scotland-getting around

[Alan H]

Anybody who's been, or who interacts with tourists in Scotland, please chime in.

I'm going to fly in to Edindurgh next summer and from there will need to get around with some degree of independence. I want to visit Edinburgh - the Cairgorms - then Inverness with day trip to Culloden and Speyside - then cross over the country to Inverary - then down to Dumfries - Redesdale (Borders) and possibly a day or two in Glasgow on the way south from Argyll.

How do you all achieve this? Buses? Rail? Rent-a-car?

[ThistleDown]

Alan, I would advise hiring a car and then sometimes just leaving it parked. All the major carhire companies and many small ones have desks at Edinburgh airport or are within a shuttle service away. Book in advance. In Edinburgh and Glasgow use public transit, but to achieve independance elsewhere you will need to have a car.

[CameronCat]

Hullo, Alan!

My son and I did almost the same trip in '96. By far the most convenient method of travel is to rent (hire) a car. That way you're at your own pleasure for scheduling. (Although the idea of leaving it parked locally for a day trip out on a bus or train also has much merit.)

While the UK trains and service are far superior to the US, they still run on their schedule, not yours. You can buy tix and make reservations in advance from the US via the Internet. Service is frequent in some areas, bi-hourly in others and perhaps once or twice a day to remote locations.

Bus service in the cities is great. There is also some inter-city service but I'm not detail familiar with it.

Some automotive thoughts from our more recent trip in July of last year...

--Cars and roads in UK are smaller than here in the US. Hire the smallest car that will accommodate your group and luggage. By bad planning, we recently had a full-size Buick type car in Scotland...on the B roads and smaller, it was like trying to drive a bowling ball through a drain pipe.

-- Do your research for rental companies and arrangements; prices vary significantly. Book way early--January is not too early for a summer trip. Get everything in writing (e-mail) and take printed copies with you, in case of SNAFUs.
If you're departing from an airport different from your arrival, make sure you can drop the car at that location.

-- Even if you prefer to drive a stick, rent an automatic trans. It's one less thing to worry about. See below.

-- As you know, they drive on the other side of the road and everything's functionally backwards, i.e., left turns are now easy and right turns are across traffic. It's not as easy as it sounds.
You're also sitting on the other side of the car from what you're used to, so simple stuff like looking in the inside mirror is also backwards. There is a mental shift involved and you WILL need to pay attention at all times. Driving there requires your full-time attention simply because you're not used to doing it that way.
The only time I really breathed a bit easier was on the dual-lane motorways (think Interstates or similar) where it was more 'point and shoot'.
On the two-lane roads repeat this mantra constantly: Keep Left, Look Right.
Start practicing it now. It will save your bacon.

Can you do this? Of course! My point: there is a learning curve. Be prepared.

-- All those jokes about sheep and cattle in the roadway? Believe 'em. (I have pictures...) We just missed gaining a woolly hood ornament on the last trip.

-- Things we never thought of: UK'ers also walk on the left, as on sidewalks, etc. Quite disorienting on a crowded street like the Royal Mile or in the Castle. (S'cuse me, pardon me, sorry--oh, wait, I get it...)

-- There are many good road maps of Scotland available. Get some, study and plan prior to the trip, and perhaps even write out daytrip directions in advance if your "second seater" isn't comfortable with navigation.

-- When you're planning each day, allow plenty of extra travel time to deal with all the wonderful things you'll discover. Pull off to take a picture of a loch, or stop in a village for lunch, or walk around a castle ruin. Go back to that museum in town. We have twice overplanned our trips and regret that; we saw a lot but missed a lot more. Serendipity awaits on every road.

I'll be happy to provide any other help I can.

Plan well and have a great trip! It's a beautiful land.

Peace
JT

[Oldhiker]

driving yourself is easy. rent a car, just remember the desciptions are different than in States. A full size would equate to a small midsize in the states..

the major roads are dar better shape and signed better than most in the states. the smaller roads make it easy to remember which side of the road to drive... the center cause that is all the room there is... single lane

after 10 min you will forget your on the opposite side.

[Redshank]

You have had good advice, rent a car, here are a few links to car rental places

http://www.nationalcar.co.uk/RatesAn...hire-Edinburgh

http://www.europcar.co.uk/car-hire-E...H_AIRPORT.html

http://www.avis.co.uk/default.aspx?c...d=t%2f0127584F

Let me know when you plan to visit Argyll, I will be more than happy to meet up with you and show you around

Chris

[Jock Scot]

As others have said the car is your best option. Allow plenty of time though,our roads do not allow for swift travel and besides, you will want to stop to admire the views.

[thescot]

You have good advice, and Jock makes some valid points you will want to remember.

And don't forget that they drive on the wrong side of the road. Every time I got in my car, I would stop and give myself a little talking to: "Left side of the road, Jim, left side of the road!"

Also, do a short course in signs because their signs are not the same, and that can be a little confusing at first.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

When I visited Scotland I hired a car through http://www.bluewheels.com/

Admittedly that was nearly ten years ago, but I found their prices to be very reasonable, and their service to be top notch. I was able to get exactly what I wanted and they handled absolutely every detail for me. They even met me at the train station in Carlisle with the vehicle, despite the fact that my train from London was delayed by over four hours, and I had no cell phone at the time with which to contact them about the delay.

Excellent service on their end, and I've recommended them many times.

[Detroitpete]

Just remember Alan, drive on the left--er the hand that you DON'T throw stones with

[ForresterModern]

Rent a car, but only as big as you need for you, your stuff, and anybody else going with you. Although the roads are not as tight as in Ireland they can still be tight in some places. And smaller means easier on gas, and believe me fuel prices in the UK are sky high compared to what we are used to lately here in the states. Petrol prices are listed by the litre so it may look comparable or even cheaper, but it isn't. Keep the tank above 1/4 full at all times, as you really never know where the next available petrol station will be unless you are along a major highway. Driving on the left side of the road is not hard but does take getting used to--shifting a 5speed with your LEFT hand, looking up left for your rear view mirror, remembering LEFT turn on red if available, parallel parking while looking over your LEFT shoulder, and most important of all, instead of the look Left-Right-Left rule here before turning, you have to get used to the look Right-Left-Right rule. A word for th wise---don't drive drunk, as many an american tourist has gotten sloshed and then driven on the wrong side of the road out of sheer habit, and caused many unfortunate accidents---talk to Matthew Broderick about this if you would like. Drive very consiously, be aware, and remember the roundabouts are all LEFT turns into and out of them. Last item on parking---public parking is rarely free, so if there is not a meter right in front of your parking spot go looking for a parking time ticket dispenser nearby on the section of the street to buy a ticket to put in your front window to cover how ever long you are going to be parked. Some places (main continent Europe mostly) use a small paper clock like thing to allow for two hour parking , for example, where you have to put the time you parked on the paper clock and put it in the front window so the passing parking nazis can know if you have overstayed your limit. Take your time, make sure to pull off the road a lot to take in the scenery and take pictures. It can be tough when you are concentrating on navigating strange territory in a strange car on the "wrong" side of the road and on some of the world's not greatest roads, especially in the country. Driving in the city combines all these issues simultaneously with the pressing busy traffic and little reaction time to read signage to figure out where you are going. If you can afford it pick up a GPS unit that includes Europe or at least the UK, and try to plug in your sights to see by address before starting out so you get some "local" help getting there.

You will be amazed at how many castles, small villages, distillleries, and other unique things there are to stop and see along the way, so don't expect to make great time on the roads from place to place. It is far too beautiful of a land to just blow by on the main highways. Signage is okay, particularly on the big roads, but you will find limited and not large signs directing you tofar more significant local sights to see----none of the big billboards or stupid rattlesnake farms or world's biggest ball of string type attractions along the roads like there are here in America, except maybe right around the cities----so most of the sight seeing signs are worth at least reading and considering a stop if it sounds interesting. There is so much around every corner out in the country that it sometimes seems impossible to see it all.

Good luck, enjoy the trip, and bring back lots of (kilted) pictures. I am going back myself for a golf vacation this August, but will be more restricted to areas to see time to see them by the golf schedule and our van driver. Wishing I had an extra week to just bum around the countryside. I envy you.

jeff