Trip to Scotland

[pooksma]

Hello,

We are tentatively planning a trip to Scotland in 2015 for our 20th anniversary.

We would like to rent a place and have looked at several pages of options through vrbo. Just wondering if anyone has recommendations. As I say,we are in the very early planning stages and still narrowing our homebase.

 

[l_mccafferty]

How long is your trip? Do you have any ideas what you'd like to do/see?
Are you more countryside people or big city people?

 

[pictureofhealth]

Big city - Glasgow
Tourist city - Edinburgh
The great escape - Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

They have mini bus tours that leave most cities for significant countryside viewing, getting on one of those is recommended.

 

[Jellifer]

Where are you coming from? If you're flying in from the US it would be useful to know which airport you are flying into, I used to work for Edinburgh tourism and I am from Glasgow so I can recommend a few places if you're happy to let me know where you want to visit and if you are driving and what sort of place you fancy staying.

 

[melni]

Where are you coming from? If you're flying in from the US it would be useful to know which airport you are flying into, I used to work for Edinburgh tourism and I am from Glasgow so I can recommend a few places if you're happy to let me know where you want to visit and if you are driving and what sort of place you fancy staying.

Sorry, to jump in this thread but I would love some advice as well. My husband and I are taking the Disney Mediterranean cruise in July/Aug, and then flying into Edinburgh for a few days. We have four full days, and would like to see as much as possible. We definitely want to go to the Highlands, and I'd like to see as many castles as possible. I would love any advice you could give about where to stay, eat, and any "must-see" locations. We plan to rent a car--good idea or not? This is our first ever foreign travel, I'm like a little child--counting down the days until we leave because I'm so excited!

 

[disneyangel]

Lots of castles in the central belt - Stirling , Edinburgh , Blackness and Dunfermline abbey (not a castle but worth a visit) and the new Bannockburn centre opens this year near Stirling castle. it's also worth doing a boat trip to inchcolm island in the Firth of Forth under the forth railway bridge. I think trying to get to the highlands and back and round the central belt might be ambitious in 4 days

Most Scottish castles which are open to visit are maintained by either Historic Scotland or the National Trust for Scotland . this year they have a lot of events planned for Homecoming 2014 and of course we have the commonwealth games in Glasgow this summer too

These websites are worth a look. I'm sure you can stay in some of the castles

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places.htm

http://www.nts.org.uk/Visits/

 

[melni]

Lots of castles in the central belt - Stirling , Edinburgh , Blackness and Dunfermline abbey (not a castle but worth a visit) and the new Bannockburn centre opens this year near Stirling castle. it's also worth doing a boat trip to inchcolm island in the Firth of Forth under the forth railway bridge. I think trying to get to the highlands and back and round the central belt might be ambitious in 4 days

Most Scottish castles which are open to visit are maintained by either Historic Scotland or the National Trust for Scotland . this year they have a lot of events planned for Homecoming 2014 and of course we have the commonwealth games in Glasgow this summer too

These websites are worth a look. I'm sure you can stay in some of the castles


Thank you so much! I'm sure we'll have to be careful not to overbook ourselves. We haven't traveled outside of the United States, so anything I see will be new and exciting. I would absolutely LOVE to stay in a castle. I hope everything won't be super busy with so many events occurring this summer.

 

[pooksma]

Thank you all for the advice

We are looking for the historical side and will have our 14 yr old with us. (Thus the thought of a house) There may be another couple with us as well.

Not big city people, more likely to spend a night or two in Edinburgh or Glasgow. Scottish countryside is where I want go. Little bit of a heritage trip as well for my DH.

As we make decisions, I will share.

 

[Jellifer]

Ok starting with the lady flying into Edinburgh who wants to visit castles. If you buy a national trust membership at Edinburgh castle you will get into most other castles free/cheap. Don't stay near Edinburgh airport it's miles away from the city.

In Edinburgh I recommend Edinburgh Castle, when you're done you can visit Mary Kings close which takes you under the city to old Edinburgh (it's on the Main Street heading up to the castle - it's called the royal mile). If you keep going down "the mile" you can visit the museum of childhood (free entry) the bank of Scotland museum (used to be free and has a million pounds on display) and at the end of the mile you see the palace of Holyrood House (not a castle but pretty).

You can visit Stirling and see their castle, it's about a half hour drive in bad traffic. If you really want to visit the highlands you can get a train from Edinburgh heading up to Inverness but i would recommend getting off at Aviemore (Which is a ski centre) or Pitlochry (whiskey distilary, salmon ladder and beautiful scenery).

Driving is different here, you can't turn on a red, pedestrians have right of way and if you're heading north (highlands) the A9 is treacherous - the most dangerous road in the country and not for someone getting used to our roads.



For the other lady I'd recommend Linlithgow as somewhere quieter than Edinburgh to stay without the bustle though there are historic parts of Edinburgh that don't feel like you're in the city.

The city tour open top buses in all cities are really good, you can hop on and off as you please and the tickets last 2 days.

In Glasgow there are loads of museums and most are free, visit Glasgow has a good tourist page. In terms of hotels I would avoid the east end as the transport is rubbish.

 

[weebabes]

If you are flying into Glasgow or Edinburgh you could head south after seeing the city and go to Castle Douglas or a village on the Solway coast. It's very beautiful, there's Drumlanrig Castle to visit and lots of wildlife, good restaurants and plenty more yo do; sailing, fishing, walking, horse riding or golf. It's all ther, it's quiet and the roads are great.

 

[snowwite]

Hello,

We are tentatively planning a trip to Scotland in 2015 for our 20th anniversary.

We would like to rent a place and have looked at several pages of options through vrbo. Just wondering if anyone has recommendations. As I say,we are in the very early planning stages and still narrowing our homebase.

My hubby moved here from Scotland and we go back a couple times a year. I recommend a self catering rather than a hotel. If you go to the Isle of Skye check out Mary's cottages in Elgol. We have stayed in a couple of them. They are modernized Croft homes and Mary and Drew are lovely. Next favorite would be Hill (or Park) cottages in Portree. If you want someplace closer to the cities but still away from it all we like Smarhus cottage located on a farm in Bathgate (between Glasgow and Edinburgh) and not too far from the train station. I had typed a long reply including car rental places, places to see and all but for some reason it did not save. PM me any questions. We are going back in a few weeks and staying in a cottage most of the trip so we don't crowd Mum.

 

[snowwite]

Sorry, to jump in this thread but I would love some advice as well. My husband and I are taking the Disney Mediterranean cruise in July/Aug, and then flying into Edinburgh for a few days. We have four full days, and would like to see as much as possible. We definitely want to go to the Highlands, and I'd like to see as many castles as possible. I would love any advice you could give about where to stay, eat, and any "must-see" locations. We plan to rent a car--good idea or not? This is our first ever foreign travel, I'm like a little child--counting down the days until we leave because I'm so excited!