14 Day London, Scotland Rough Itinerary.

I got to Skye recently by taking the overnight Caledonia Sleeper train to Inverness, then the dramatically scenic train thru remote highlands to Kyle of Lochlash, then a bus over the bridge to Skye with bus links to all of Skye. When returning I took a bus to a dock for ferries to Maillag, where I took another dramatically scenic West Highlands (not sure of correct name) line via the desolate Rannoch Moor (sp?) to Glasgow - via Fort William. The Rannoch Moor was so so desolate and the train is about the only way to slice thru it - only a few access roads.

Investigate the BritRail Pass if you want total flexibility to hop any train anytime (save night trains - you should book a place in those to guarantee a berth) - or go to www.nationalrail.co.uk if you want to lock yourself into non-changeable non-refundable often but deep discounted tickets that would be cheaper than a pass - but hop on at will fares in the UK on trains can be dauntingly high. Pass efficacy depends on also if you are traveling with kids under 16 - they get a free pass or more than two folks - the Party Pass gives the 3rd thru 9th passenger 50% off pass price. Your best bet may be to book one of the deep discounted tickets on the Caledonian Sleeper far ahead of time and then just buy regular tickets or discounted online tickets - getting to Bath and back on full fare can be ridiculously expensive so see what is available and compare to a pass - great resources for UK trains and passes - www.seat61.com - check this site's commercial link to RailEurope to see what railpasses cost and if for you book thru it to get Man in Seat 61 deserved commission! - other good sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com. Again www.nationalrail.co.uk has all the many various fares and conditions attached to each.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/caledoniansleeper/index.html

check Caledonian Sleeper official site (ScotRail) for deep discounts that could make getting to Inverness from London cheaper than flying and you also save on a night's cost in a hotel!

Great information! Thanks for such a detailed response!

PalQ is an unabashed shill for trains. Wait till Janisj and/or shiela ring in - they'll know if options that are more direct or less costly or will save you time. I think flying to Inverness and renting a car or to Skye via Glasgow (I think that's possible) will give you more time, better rest, and far more flexibility and a car on Skye will help a LOT.

According to your itinerary you've allowed little more than half day for Skye. Not worth going if that's all the time you have to spend there.

The train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh is scenic, but you really need a car for Skye especially with a limited time frame.

Regarding BritRail Pass...don't bother. I have no idea if you'd save save much on the Caledonian Sleeper ( if any at all) but I do know the pass will be much more than fare between Inverness and Lochalsh return.There are only a few trains per day on that route, so flexibility really isn't an issue.

Sorry there are so many don'ts in my post, but I really am trying to be helpful. Like Russ, I'm sure janisj and shelia will have further suggestions.

Thanks for the input, HT. I plan to arrive at Skye before noon on Saturday and Leave on Monday. So a day and a half. I could move that up to arriving on Friday before noon... And I do plan to rent a car.

Yeah, I figured it up and the BritRail Pass won't be worth it.

I'm kind of excited about the idea of the sleeper train after looking into it more.

If traveling with others driving is fine if traveling by yourself take the train and bus.

Your plan seems to have you returning to Inverness for the train to Edinburgh.

Rather than that leave Skye via the ferry to Mallaig and drive to Stirling (the drive from Mallaig to Fort William is VERY scenic, then continue onto Edinburgh and return the car for the remainder of your stay. You should as a result be able to add a day to Skye which you really need

Yes -- definitely more than 1+ day on Skye. I doubt you will arrive on Skye before noon. Of course you can but w/ the country/scenery/castles between I'ness and Skye, plan on at least a 4.5-5 hour drive. This includes maybe an hour at Urquhart, a few minutes for a photo stop at Eilean Donan, and other stops enroute.

Skye is a VERY large place, the main sites are spread far apart, and the travel is sloooow. One end of the island to the other (Armadale to Flodigarry) takes more than 2 hours. One night on Skye is essentially nothing.

Really the only train that makes sense for you is the sleeper London > Inverness. Follow alanRow's suggestion of an extra night (at least) on Skye and drive back to EDI.

Thanks PalQ for being an unabashed shill for trains. While it may not be the most advantageous for that particular individual or situation, it is an option to consider. Your detailed answer is always informative.

Really the only train that makes sense for you is the sleeper London > Inverness.>

Well thanks Huggy - and janis how can you say that someone should not consider taking either of those famous Highland trains en route to or from Skye - what if OP does not want to drive or is on their own. The train from Inverness to Skye (Kyle, just a bus ride across the bridge to Skye) is a great option that you would not even consider? Well I think then you are giving misinformation or lack of information and when you say the only train to consider is the overnight train then that is pure misinformation. Call me a schill for trains but with the paucity of rail info Fodorgarchs, who always advocate taking days in each small area and driving, I will keep being a schill for trains - after having used at least 40 BritRail Passes I am a proud proud schill for trains (and not to say a railpass is warranted just for Scotland - but if doing Bath as a day trip and other travels perhaps).

PQ: "what if OP does not want to drive or is on their own"

Read the OP. He said he wanted to rent a car. And no, I would not consider the train to Kyle - IF I wanted to tour Skye. One has to take the plan in its entirety to see if a train or car makes more sense. I don't jump straight to "you must rent a car".

I never called you a shill for the trains . . .

perhaps she thought only of car because she did not know about that spectacular train ride - ubiquitously listed as one of the most scenic in Europe - yeh you can drive over the same route but with eyes on the road you can hardly savor the fine Scottish Highlands scenery - that is if you are along and driving all the time.

So I mention the railway in case OP did not know that and present it as a good alternative to renting a car in a country where they drive on the other side and perhaps OP has never done that - on those rather sinuous two-lane roads that surprisingly have a lot of lorries and traffic at points.

She only wants to spend a day or two on Skye - I did it by bus no problem - and then to take the ferry to Maillag and train back to Glasgow - perhaps OP did not realize that was possible and again the Maillag-Glasgow railway is again listed always amongst Europe's most scenic railway.

So yes I present and advocate on limited time and especially if traveling solo taking the train from Inverness to Skye - bus to some base for a day or two - what OP says he/she has and then take the ferry to Maillag and scenic train to Glasgow (just saw footage of that train line in a Harry Potter movie last night - some was shot on that train line) - and not have to bother with renting a car just for a few days - no need IMO for a car rental - if want fine but perhaps OP did not realize that they could easily do it by public transportation. And I think it was good information. More options outlined the better IMO - janis sorry you do not feel the same and are so prescriptive. And again driving is great if one wants to do it but really with only a few days may be more a hassle than worth it.

http://www.seat61.com/WestHighlandLine.htm

Check out Man in Seat 61's video of the West Highland Line - the line from Maillag via Fort William to Glasgow - a line he calls one of the most scenic in Europe and most scenic in Britain.

In terms of time and stress, I would suggest Easyjet to Inverness from London, hire a car at Dalcross and return it at Edinburgh airport. Of course you can do what Pal suggests, but it will limit your options on Skye itself. There are tour guides who will take you round, but....

Just in case anyone's still posting or planning to comment again regarding the merits of train travel, the OP has already stated I plan to rent a car. In fact she did so several post back. Trains are a mute point.

May be mute for her but lots of folks read these threads and the general info is for all not just the OP.

I appreciate all the input and the options. At this point I'm still very flexible, as the only thing booked is my airfare to London and out of Edinburgh. I've never done any traveling by train, so the idea intrigues me. I will have a companion on the trip though, and I think making stops along the way or veering off course because we want to, between Inverness and Skye could be fun. Also, as an American, spending the day in the car isn't unheard of.



So after all your input, I'm thinking more like:

April 21 Arrive at Inverness in the morning, rent a car, drive to Isle of Skye

22-23 enjoy sightseeing, etc. on Skye

24 Drive (or train?) to Stirling for some sightseeing then through to Edinburgh

25-27 Enjoy Edinburgh

28 Head home from Edinburgh



So two and a half days on Skye. Is three days enough in Edinburgh? I didn't want to cut a day out of the London end of the trip.

You can honestly forget about the train either to or from Skye. Even tho' our resident 'shill' will try to convince you. You will want a car on Skye for sure. Plus you can't jump on and off the train to see places like Glenfinnan, Glencoe, etc. If you collect a car at Inverness, there is no place you can drop it off until you get to Ft William.

I'd spend about 1/2 the day driving from Inverness to Skye. Lots of wonderful scenery. Spend the nights of 21, 22, 23 on Skye. This will give you 2and a skosh days on the island.

Leave Skye by the ferry by mid morning on the 24th. Stop at Glenfinnan, and Glencoe at least plus other places that strike your fancy. Stay the night of the 24th in/near Callander.

Morning of the 25th, visit Stirling. Then the Falkirk Wheel if you are interested. On to EDI to drop the car and take the airport bus into the city for your last 3 nights.

21-22 Arrive at Inverness in the morning, rent a car, drive to Isle of Skye

23-25 Take train to Edinburgh, Explore Edinburgh>

OK now her/his plans for car are better but in OP it sounded like they were going to get off night train 22nd - rent car and on 23rd take the train to Edinburgh. IMO it would have been foolish to rent a car for one day to drive to Skye and presumably back to Inverness and I think you would agree that would be daft - but if they wanted a one-day quick look at Skye like the OP sounded then I think it was a good suggestion to take train to Kyle, bus to Skye and to port on south of skye to ferry to Maillag for trains. That made more sense than renting a car for one day. But now with three days I would agree with the car even though I got around Skye by bus perfectly well.

and to me Skye was way way overrated - someone who has not explored the Scottish Highlands and Lac Lomond areas, etc may find those areas prettier and more whatever than Skye - nice but not as nice in many ways as things right in Scotland that would be easier to incorporate even in a driving trip. Like driving from Inverness south via Loch Lomand and Scottish Highlands to Edinburgh. Skye would be low on my list if I were a first-time traveler to Scotland with such limited time.

Doesn't sound at all quiet to me. Or moot, either. ))

Sounds grand to me.

I agree about leaving by the ferry in the car; but I'd go all the way to Edinburgh

It's a problem that there are so many great things to do and not enough time. It's hard to prioritize.

Sheila, how long will it realistically take to drive through to Edinburgh? Stirling was on my list for day trips, but maybe I should spend that day in Edinburgh?

" . . . and to me Skye was way way overrated "

'nuff said . . . OMG . . . But then again, if you try to see it by train, that would explain a lot

janis - enough hyperbole and drivel - get off your high horse, mate!

sheila, regardless of my intended meaning, at this point it should be mute

redhead, I'm guessing it's about a 7 or 8 hour drive from say Portree to Edinburgh and could be done in a day. Certainly, janisj's suggestion of a more leisurely drive and spending the night of the 24th in or near Callander is a good one too and would probably be my preference. Then the next day stop at Stirling and possibly the Falkirk Wheel on your way to Edinburgh.

janis - to be clear IYO someone who has never been to Scotland and who has very limited time - a few days - that that time is best, for the average first-timer - spent driving to and around Skye - do not you think that mainland Scotland has in many ways more things of interest and even beauty than Skye? Of course you do but cannot say that now!

In any case they should IMO drive along the course - on a road paralleling the scenic rail line to Kyle and Skye - tour sky and then put car on a ferry to Mallaig (sp?) and drive along the route of the West Highlands rail line via Ft William to Edinburgh - this would be, at least on the Scottish mainland an awesomely scenic route that just makes common sense.

Thank you for all this great advice! I think I'm going to do an overnight in or near Callendar. Looks like a lovely place and yes, a more leisurely drive would be preferable.