Castravel

In a few weeks i will be traveling to Scotland (from the Netherlands) as a backpacker, sleeping in hostels if possible. My idea is to fly to london and take the train to Edinburgh from there. After that i would be taking the train from Edinburgh ->Glasgow->Sterling-> Loch Lomond -> Oban, taking the ferry from there to Jura and Islay (I love whiskey and hikes). After that I would travel back to Edinburgh (by that time the festival should have started).

I hope you can give me advice on the following:
Is above mentioned route possible in 2 weeks, by train and ferry? (I dont have a driverslicense)

What should I definitely do during the festival in Edinburgh?

Is it worth it to buy a railpass in my situation, or better to just buy train tickets at the station?

Any other tips? I like budgettravel, castles, whiskey, hikes, mountain/hill views and food- especially odd food I can not eat anywhere else in the world.

Thank you in advance!

RM67

The festival has an app that you can download and it is utterly brilliant. On any given day you can look up shows that are on over the next few hours and/or in your location, book online, then pick up the tickets en-route to the show, or at the box office of the venue (if it's one of the bigger venues). There is a huge array of material - comedy, theatre, dance, photographic exhibitions and so on. You don't need recommendations (although a week or so in the press will start giving a heads up to what's been well received) if you want only to go for safe bets. In general terms the Traverse theatre for quality productions, C Nova for leftfield/offbeat/international/up and coming sort of stuff.

Take time to wander the city, and try to visit Greyfriars churchyard which will be an oasis of calm. Rose St for bars and eateries. Weekdays will be less busy than weekends.

RM67

PS My TR from last year:-

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rgh-fringe.cfm

bilboburgler

use this
http://www.travelinescotland.com/
"whisky" the "e" stuff comes from other places ;-)

festival you need accomodation.... last year there was a pop-up hotel out by the airport for instance

janisj

It is very VERY late to be looking for accommodations in Edinburgh in August.

Even pop-ups like bilboburgler mentions will be difficult. Have a plan B to stay somewhere else and take the train into Edinburgh for day trips for the festival. Even as far away as Stirling or Glasgow if you want hostels.

janisj

my post took but the thread didn't top . . . trying again . . .

BigRuss

There is no whiskey made in Scotland.

The Scots make whisky by the lake-load.

Go to Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh and other specialty shops (Loch Fyne if you're in Inveraray) - they'll give you an education and ability to taste. Also go to the Cadenhead's shop on Canongate - down the street from Royal Mile Whiskies.

Scots consider haggis food. That's a local dish you won't find elsewhere without extreme difficulty.

movie2015

A rail pass usually ends up costing more than buying individual tickets. I'm also not sure you could buy it and get it in time now anyway. You can buy train tickets as you go, but if you know your plans in advance it's usually cheaper to buy them at least a little in advance.

historytraveler

Definitely do not buy a rail pass. For the routes you have mentioned, point to point tickets are not that expensive. Have you checked CalMac for ferry schedules. Many of the ferries out of Oban do not run on a daily schedule.

TheBigMan

Why are you flying via London to get to Edinburgh. You can fly direct with either KLM or easyjet and would probably be cheaper.

janisj

Yes -- IF you mean flying into London then schelpping across town to Kings Cross for the train to Edinburgh, that really doesn't make sense.

I assumed you were stopping over in London for a few days before heading north. If you are traveling directly up to Edinburgh, TheBigMan is correct.

docdan

Concur with Big man. flying to London is not making sense for your plans. Even Manchester is a much more sensible option, but you can do Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, and/or Edinburg. Depending on which one gives good internet fares.
Generally, booking point-to-point rail is better, especially when done in advance on https://www.scotrail.co.uk/ PLUS, megabus has very good service in Scotland. http://uk.megabus.com/Route%20map.aspx

docdan

please also note my recent TR:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tlandwales.cfm

I highly recommend the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe, https://www.clachaig.com/
as a very backpacker friendly hotel. You'll need to take a bus from the Buchanan Bus station in Glasgow to a stop that is actually a mile or so from the hotel, but some people make hiking in this region their whole trip!

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortw.../glencoe.shtml

Castravel

Thank you so much everyone for the advice! Very helpful.

I had been doubting to see a friend of mine in london, but turns out she already moved to NZ. For some reason travelling directly to Edinburgh did not even occur to me. haha. I will check it out.

I will check out the suggestions for the places in Edinburgh (+ fringe festival) and the suggested accomodations too.

what is the public transport between places within a city/village like in general? Any experiences where public transport has given you some trouble?
I don't mind something like Docdan mentioned where I need to hike a few miles to get there from the busstop.
I backpacked in Japan, so Scotland should be less of a challenge...

I know the difference between whiskey and whisky. My bad. I tend to forget to write it down properly, slightly offensive to the scottish I bet.
I love a strong peat, which is the reason I HAVE to visit Islay. My bottle of Ardbeg is almost empty and needs a replacement .


You have been truly helpful and kind. I will definitely endorse these forums on my social media. Also willing to help others if I can

docdan

Food tips: Rose and Thistle streets in Edinburgh are good suggestions, also On the north side of the New town area is Broughton Street, with many restaurants emphasizing healthy eating, one in particular worth visiting is Café Nome de Plume. ( 60 Broughton St)

also, Nawab Mughlai, 50 Upper Craigs, in Stirling for quality Indian food and also Saramago Café, 350 Sauchiehall St., in Glasgow for amazing Vegan food.

docdan

and if you like peaty Whisky, you'll LOVE Kilchoman! The peat flavor is very strong.

Castravel

Thank you, I will be sure to visit those places when im in Edinburgh. Never ate vegan food before, maybe as a first time if the foods really is that good

Was checking out the website of Kilchoman. Sanaig and Loch gorm seem to have a high peaty. Which one did you have? If I can I will try to taste all at the brewery. haha

docdan

Kilchoman and Laphroaig. I actually prefer the less peaty Speyside whiskys.

BigRuss

<<Was checking out the website of Kilchoman. Sanaig and Loch gorm seem to have a high peaty. Which one did you have? If I can I will try to taste all at the brewery. haha>>

How are you going to find whisky at a brewery?

SMH.

docdan

HA! One starts to go to the brewery, but then ducks into the nearby pub, where there is usually both plenty of choices on tap and in the bottles!