Going to Scotland this June - Any suggestions?

[planemaker]

Hello Rabble,

Susan and I are off to Scotland this May/June. Flying into Glasgow the May 29 then spending two weeks. Any suggestions on what we should see? Anyone want to connect for a drink or dinner....kilted of course!

Let me know.

Silante!

Paul

[cessna152towser]

You will of course want to go north and visit the highlands, the train ride to Fort Wiliam and Mallaig is well worth doing and if you are driving you may wish to travel to Inverness, one way via Fort William and the Great Glen, and returning by way of Aviemore and the Cairngorms.
Make sure to allow time to spend a few days south of Glasgow exploring the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands and while you are in the south, let's try to set up a kilt night either in Hawick or in Dumfries.
At the moment I am visiting your lovely homeland of Canada, based at Parksville on Vancouver Island.

[Celticlergy]

I must suggest you visit the west coast town of Oban, then take the ferry to the islands of Mull and Iona. Great memories from my trip back in 1996! There is a great little pub/restaurant in Inverness too, Blackfriars, or at least it was there in 96. Best chicken pot pies I ever ate! Kilmarnock Castle outside Glasgow is a great memory for me as well. Had a friend who was a Boyd, we got unprecedented access to the castle.

Enjoy the trip! It will be with you forever!

[Beertigger]

Go for a walk in the woods of Pitlochry, up the hill to the Edradour distillery. Then eat at the Moulin Inn.

Spend a night or two at Ferintosh, in Dumfries - bring your kilt.

Take a least part of your travel in from the window of a train. It's a great way to watch the hills roll by.

Have fun!

[madmacs]

Lots of quaint east coast fishing villages... if you look for them

2 weeks wont be as long as you think...

[OC Richard]

My suggestion is to bring a lightweight waterproof jacket and a compact folding umbrella. It could rain every day of your trip.

I've done two "American style" vacations in Britain where my wife and I have driven all over England, Scotland, and Wales trying to shove in as much as possible. Hundreds of miles of driving. (Which as Californians we don't mind.) So much running around that we almost needed vacations to recover from the vacations!

On the other hand in 2007 I was in Glasgow (Maryhill) for two weeks without a car and spent hours each day walking all around the city. I took the train to Edinburgh for a day of sightseeing.

It depends on the style of holiday you like, how many places you want to see, and so forth.

Glasgow and Edinburgh are wonderful. There are so many lovely places! Loch Lomond is not far. With that much time you could easily take in Pitlochry, Inverness, Oban, Fort William, Skye, Arran, and so on, as my wife and I did on our first trip.

You might want to visit a Highland Games. The RSPBA website has all the Games listed (at least the ones with pipe band competitions).

Have fun!! It will be fantastic.

[Redshank]

Where to go, What to see, What to do, now that all depends what your interested in, and what you want to see.

Many will say go here, go there, see this and see that, but in truth your interests maybe totally different to those of the advisors.

I work part time for VisitScotland, drop me a pm with what your interests are and I will give you good advice.

[Biathlonman]

Whether it is a trek up Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, a walk through the pass of Killiecrankie, or a visit to Culloden battlefield, take some time to just sit, contemplate, and soak up your surroundings. Scotland is an ancient, mostly empty place, sometimes best appreciated in silence. Pick up a book outlining Scotland's history beforehand to help everything make sense.
You'll also see scotch whiskies that never appear in Canada - bring home a bottle.

[Jock Scot]

Yes good advice so far and I suppose it depends if you want to spend your time mainly in towns which has much to offer, or whether you are happier in the countryside and if you are driving or using public transport.

What I will say is if you are going down the country route-------lots of castles, battle fields, interesting sights ----to be seen out there, but bring a good pair of binoculars there is much interesting and sometimes quite rare wildlife to be seen.

Last and certainly not least is Scotland's Northern third above the Great Glen(Inverness on the East, Fort William on the West)is so often sadly neglected by visitors , for good logistical reasons I suppose which is a great shame,not many bright lights for sure, but absolutely stunning scenery, particularly on the West and North sides----you will need a car if you venture up there.Beware petrol is £1.49 a litre up here and petrol stations are few and far between.

[Andy Proffitt]

Great times to be had in all places. I would heartily suggest Mull, Islay and Skye. Take any of the distillery tours you can and on Islay the Port Bar in the Port Askaig Hotel is a great place for a drink. Mull is great for wandering. If you make it to Edinburgh, do the Royal Mile Whisky shop great selection (even my own beloved Port Ellen). Jackson's and the Witchery at the Castle were both great (ok pretty much any place that has vension, rabbit and duck buys me).
Take comfortable shoes and walk as much as you can, it's the best way to see the most, the best.