Driving in Scotland on opposite side
Mar 8th, 2017, 09:40 PM
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Driving in Scotland on opposite side
Hey I need a little help for planning our trip to Scotland. My husband and I will there for about 10 days in May and were thinking of just renting a car, but was curious if we could get by without all the added stress! The driving on the opposite side is a little intimidating!
Our current itinerary is start in Glasgow (probably venture over to Edinburgh for a day or 2), then travel to Isle of Arran, then Fort William, then Isle of Skye, then Inverness, and back to Glasgow. We will be spending a couple nights at each place and hoping to visit some distilleries/breweries, get some good Scottish grub and hike! So the freedom of having rental would be great, but you think taking train/bus/taxi is possible to all those places without spending excessively?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Our current itinerary is start in Glasgow (probably venture over to Edinburgh for a day or 2), then travel to Isle of Arran, then Fort William, then Isle of Skye, then Inverness, and back to Glasgow. We will be spending a couple nights at each place and hoping to visit some distilleries/breweries, get some good Scottish grub and hike! So the freedom of having rental would be great, but you think taking train/bus/taxi is possible to all those places without spending excessively?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Mar 8th, 2017, 09:55 PM
#2
Do Clarify -- is you whole trip 10 days (meaning 7.5 days on-the-ground) or is it 12 days (netting you a little less than 10 days) Unfortunately if the former, you don't have enough time for all that. And if you actually do have 9.5-10 day free, it still would be awfully rushed.
>>but you think taking train/bus/taxi is possible to all those places without spending excessively? <<
Trains don't go to some of those places, buses take forever, and taxis for long distances would be prohibitively expensive - though they can be useful for short/local journeys.
>>then travel to Isle of Arran, then Fort William, then Isle of Skye, then Inverness, and back to Glasgow.<<
Why have you picked the places you have? Ft William is nothing to write home about, Inverness is mainly a busy commercial center for northern Scotland - and Arran is in the opposite direction from them.
A couple of days in Glasgow squeezing in a day trip to Edinburgh doesn't really work very well for either city.
Driving all the way to the Isle of Skye is a 3 full day trip (most of a day to get there, one day ON the Isle, and a good part of the 3rd day to get to your next destination - and you will have had almost no time seeing Skye)
For now assuming (the worst case) a 10 day trip - net 7.5 days . . . Glasgow, Arran, and Edinburgh would work. Or Glasgow and Skye w/ a night or two maybe in Glencoe. Or Glasgow and Edinburgh and one other place for a couple of nights.
>>but you think taking train/bus/taxi is possible to all those places without spending excessively? <<
Trains don't go to some of those places, buses take forever, and taxis for long distances would be prohibitively expensive - though they can be useful for short/local journeys.
>>then travel to Isle of Arran, then Fort William, then Isle of Skye, then Inverness, and back to Glasgow.<<
Why have you picked the places you have? Ft William is nothing to write home about, Inverness is mainly a busy commercial center for northern Scotland - and Arran is in the opposite direction from them.
A couple of days in Glasgow squeezing in a day trip to Edinburgh doesn't really work very well for either city.
Driving all the way to the Isle of Skye is a 3 full day trip (most of a day to get there, one day ON the Isle, and a good part of the 3rd day to get to your next destination - and you will have had almost no time seeing Skye)
For now assuming (the worst case) a 10 day trip - net 7.5 days . . . Glasgow, Arran, and Edinburgh would work. Or Glasgow and Skye w/ a night or two maybe in Glencoe. Or Glasgow and Edinburgh and one other place for a couple of nights.
Mar 8th, 2017, 10:21 PM
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11 nights. Yeah we were afraid it might be a bit much! We aren't huge city folks and plane tickets were cheapest in and out of Glasgow so that is what we got. But we keep being told we have to hit up Edinburgh, so trying to squeeze in. We are more into outdoors - hike and biking around.
And Fort Williams I think was only put in there for climbing Ben Nevis.
Hope that clears it up a bit.
And Fort Williams I think was only put in there for climbing Ben Nevis.
Hope that clears it up a bit.
Mar 8th, 2017, 10:58 PM
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Hi
First don't be afraid to say you'll have to drive on the WRONG side of the road, not the opposite. After all we drive on the RIGHT side, don't we ?
Besides saying 'opposite' doesn't convey how backwards these insulars are.
Second you're not even going to England but to Scotland. They are not backwards there, they are barbarians. On some isles Skye among htem I'd say) they don't even dual carriage roads, but single lanes with passing place. You can't be on the wrong side, you just take all the space !
Third, to be a little more serious, take an automatic gears, it will take away the stress of using the stick with the wrong hand. Discard this argument if you are a lazy US citizen who can't drive a manual.
Fourth - it is not that complicated to drive on the left side. In the beginning I would put stickers on the wheel, as you tend to forget to drive on the left when you resume driving. Once you are on the road, you adapt.
Firft. If you are still intimidated, do like me, drink a lot of whisky before driving. You'll become much more barbarian in your driving style and will blend in.
Have a nice holiday !
First don't be afraid to say you'll have to drive on the WRONG side of the road, not the opposite. After all we drive on the RIGHT side, don't we ?
Besides saying 'opposite' doesn't convey how backwards these insulars are.
Second you're not even going to England but to Scotland. They are not backwards there, they are barbarians. On some isles Skye among htem I'd say) they don't even dual carriage roads, but single lanes with passing place. You can't be on the wrong side, you just take all the space !
Third, to be a little more serious, take an automatic gears, it will take away the stress of using the stick with the wrong hand. Discard this argument if you are a lazy US citizen who can't drive a manual.
Fourth - it is not that complicated to drive on the left side. In the beginning I would put stickers on the wheel, as you tend to forget to drive on the left when you resume driving. Once you are on the road, you adapt.
Firft. If you are still intimidated, do like me, drink a lot of whisky before driving. You'll become much more barbarian in your driving style and will blend in.
Have a nice holiday !
Mar 8th, 2017, 11:19 PM
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If you do not feel comfortable on narrow roads, even if two lanes, you will have problems in Scotland. The one lane roads are no problem since one driver or the other, the one closest to the turnout, has to turnout and stop. I have no problem driving the narrow roads on the Pacific coast, roads narrower than CA 1, and yet never was fully at ease driving in the British Isles.
Mar 8th, 2017, 11:54 PM
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Britons and Australians and New Zealanders all manage to drive on the wrong side of the road when they visit the U.S. or mainland Europe. And they manage to change gear with the wrong hand too.
Hire a car, go explore. Don't be put off by worrywarts here. If you want to hike you have to get to places with little or no public transport and probably no phone signal to call a cab when you are done. Plus it's a lot easier to carry hiking boots and waterproofs etc in your own vehicle.
Hire a car, go explore. Don't be put off by worrywarts here. If you want to hike you have to get to places with little or no public transport and probably no phone signal to call a cab when you are done. Plus it's a lot easier to carry hiking boots and waterproofs etc in your own vehicle.
Mar 9th, 2017, 03:02 AM
#7
Ha Ha Hetismij!
Imagine the chaos if we did all drive on the wrong side!
You're right though, millions of people manage to drive on the correct side of the road, abroad and at home.
A few don't - and they generally end up on the news & sometimes in the cemetery.
Imagine the chaos if we did all drive on the wrong side!
You're right though, millions of people manage to drive on the correct side of the road, abroad and at home.
A few don't - and they generally end up on the news & sometimes in the cemetery.
Mar 9th, 2017, 03:14 AM
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I know experienced drivers in the U.K. who refuse to drive on the "wrong" side of the road. Personally, I had older family members who did it, as well as friends of my own generation and it never occurred to me that it was something I couldn't do.
There is nothing intrinsically better about driving on the left rather than on the right - it's just what you are used to. The first few miles are the most difficult, when you have to get used to a different car and different surroundings. Fairly soon, it all becomes second nature.
Car parks can be difficult for some reason, and if you are on a single track road, you have to remember which side to pull over.
There is nothing intrinsically better about driving on the left rather than on the right - it's just what you are used to. The first few miles are the most difficult, when you have to get used to a different car and different surroundings. Fairly soon, it all becomes second nature.
Car parks can be difficult for some reason, and if you are on a single track road, you have to remember which side to pull over.
Mar 9th, 2017, 04:27 AM
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Actually I prefer driving my own car with the wheel on the left in UK than a UK car.
Really nothing special about driving on the left.
From what I heard it is all because of Napoeon. Bloody French !
Until then everyone rode on the left - so that knights could defend if attacked or not break their scabbards when meeting.
Then Napoleon decides to attack via the right flank instead of the left flank where traditionally the cavalry was placed. It disturbs some of his opponents and Napoleon then decides to impose driving on the right. I don't actually get the leap between attacking via the right flank and driving on the right, but ok, French are French, so they wanted to pis$ off English, nothing wrong with that.
Afterwards it seems that a lot of people wanted to piss$ off the English and drove on the right side.
So the problem comes more from the UK than from Napoleon it seems !
Really nothing special about driving on the left.
From what I heard it is all because of Napoeon. Bloody French !
Until then everyone rode on the left - so that knights could defend if attacked or not break their scabbards when meeting.
Then Napoleon decides to attack via the right flank instead of the left flank where traditionally the cavalry was placed. It disturbs some of his opponents and Napoleon then decides to impose driving on the right. I don't actually get the leap between attacking via the right flank and driving on the right, but ok, French are French, so they wanted to pis$ off English, nothing wrong with that.
Afterwards it seems that a lot of people wanted to piss$ off the English and drove on the right side.
So the problem comes more from the UK than from Napoleon it seems !
Mar 9th, 2017, 05:07 AM
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More info about driving on which side of the road:
In the 1000 years before the 18th century there was no standard keep left/keep right in Europe; it changed from one to the other by local custom. Some say the Romans kept to the left but who knows.
In the 1790s, both the US and France independently started to standardize keeping to the right for the same reason: similar multi-team horse-drawn wagons were used in both countries where the driver sat on the left rear horse and controlled the of team horses with reins held in his right hand. Passing oncoming vehicles on the right allowed him to see the passing vehicle closely.
At about the same time Britain standardized the other way, perhaps because they used smaller wagons, or their wagons had a bench for the driver to sit in the middle (just speculating).
The Napoleon angle is that he spread the standardization of keeping to the right across Europe, where people were keeping to either the left or right whatever was their local custom.
As to the topic, suggest you get a subcompact for the narrow windy highways in the highlands, and also an automatic.
In the 1000 years before the 18th century there was no standard keep left/keep right in Europe; it changed from one to the other by local custom. Some say the Romans kept to the left but who knows.
In the 1790s, both the US and France independently started to standardize keeping to the right for the same reason: similar multi-team horse-drawn wagons were used in both countries where the driver sat on the left rear horse and controlled the of team horses with reins held in his right hand. Passing oncoming vehicles on the right allowed him to see the passing vehicle closely.
At about the same time Britain standardized the other way, perhaps because they used smaller wagons, or their wagons had a bench for the driver to sit in the middle (just speculating).
The Napoleon angle is that he spread the standardization of keeping to the right across Europe, where people were keeping to either the left or right whatever was their local custom.
As to the topic, suggest you get a subcompact for the narrow windy highways in the highlands, and also an automatic.
Mar 9th, 2017, 05:24 AM
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Another tidbit: Trains in mainland Europe keep to the left. Why? Because the first railway, in France, was designed by a Brit.
My husband and I have had no problem driving on the left in Scotland and Ireland. I've been on narrower roads in Ireland than in Scotland, but I haven't seen all the roads in either country. We live in Italy, which has its own share of narrow roads.
We have always rented a car with automatic transmission, even though we use manual transmission at home.
It's very useful to have a good navigator, who can tug at your sleeve if you look as though you're about to head into a roundabout counter-clockwise.
Something I found useful before my first experience driving on the left: I pulled up my route on Google maps, and then put it in street view and "drove" along it for a while, including all the turns onto a different highway.
My husband and I have had no problem driving on the left in Scotland and Ireland. I've been on narrower roads in Ireland than in Scotland, but I haven't seen all the roads in either country. We live in Italy, which has its own share of narrow roads.
We have always rented a car with automatic transmission, even though we use manual transmission at home.
It's very useful to have a good navigator, who can tug at your sleeve if you look as though you're about to head into a roundabout counter-clockwise.
Something I found useful before my first experience driving on the left: I pulled up my route on Google maps, and then put it in street view and "drove" along it for a while, including all the turns onto a different highway.
Mar 9th, 2017, 05:40 AM
#13
There are two parts to your questions, driving and where to visit. You've also started a separate thread on "where to go;" I'd recommend you add a post on that thread directing people to this one, so that you don't get overlapping/duplicate answers.
Driving: You'll get used to it, and it becomes second nature pretty quickly. Pay the extra money for an automatic transmission (becoming more common but still not the norm) and practice looking at your mirrors for a few minutes before heading out. (This is probably the one thing that takes me the longest to adapt; I keep looking at the door post expecting to see the rear-view mirror there.) Look at some Youtube videos (there are many) that depict people's first-time experiences with right-hand-drive (RHD.) I actually recommend driving on motorways early on; you need to get used to using the mirrors and keeping <i>left</i> unless passing/overtaking, and the UK's motorways are for the most part very well designed. I'd also look at some videos about navigating roundabouts (traffic circles) which are ubiquitous and can be challenging, particularly when entering or exiting - there are rules about how far to the middle or periphery of the circles you should be, and how to use turn signals.
One thing to note, in rural Scotland, particularly in the Highlands, you'll encounter numerous "single track" roads. These are one-lane roads with "passing places" - bulges in the roadway - every few hundred yards. The protocol is for the car nearest the passing place to pull over and wait for the oncoming car to pass, and while the passing places will usually alternate between one side of the road and the other, it doesn't matter when you're being passed, just pull to the one closest.
As for your itinerary, as janisj and others say, some of your destinations are not particularly attractive for tourists. Fort William is reasonably convenient for access to some terrific Highland scenery, but the town itself is certainly not going to win any beauty contests. The same goes for Inverness, although IMO Inverness isn't as close to great scenery as other places in the Highlands.
But since you're visiting in May, you'll be ahead of the peak tourist period, so accommodation in smaller towns or villages shouldn't be an issue. If it was me I'd work on your itinerary as a first order of business, and think about making your route relatively compact. For example, if you want to visit Arran, think about limiting your Highland travel mainly to Argyll - Oban, Mull, Loch Fyne, etc. - which will give you tremendous variety but will help you limit the number of times you need to break camp. In May the days will be getting longer (remember Scotland is at quite high latitude) so day trips of several hours' drive are quite easy to do from a central base.
You'll have a great time regardless.
Driving: You'll get used to it, and it becomes second nature pretty quickly. Pay the extra money for an automatic transmission (becoming more common but still not the norm) and practice looking at your mirrors for a few minutes before heading out. (This is probably the one thing that takes me the longest to adapt; I keep looking at the door post expecting to see the rear-view mirror there.) Look at some Youtube videos (there are many) that depict people's first-time experiences with right-hand-drive (RHD.) I actually recommend driving on motorways early on; you need to get used to using the mirrors and keeping <i>left</i> unless passing/overtaking, and the UK's motorways are for the most part very well designed. I'd also look at some videos about navigating roundabouts (traffic circles) which are ubiquitous and can be challenging, particularly when entering or exiting - there are rules about how far to the middle or periphery of the circles you should be, and how to use turn signals.
One thing to note, in rural Scotland, particularly in the Highlands, you'll encounter numerous "single track" roads. These are one-lane roads with "passing places" - bulges in the roadway - every few hundred yards. The protocol is for the car nearest the passing place to pull over and wait for the oncoming car to pass, and while the passing places will usually alternate between one side of the road and the other, it doesn't matter when you're being passed, just pull to the one closest.
As for your itinerary, as janisj and others say, some of your destinations are not particularly attractive for tourists. Fort William is reasonably convenient for access to some terrific Highland scenery, but the town itself is certainly not going to win any beauty contests. The same goes for Inverness, although IMO Inverness isn't as close to great scenery as other places in the Highlands.
But since you're visiting in May, you'll be ahead of the peak tourist period, so accommodation in smaller towns or villages shouldn't be an issue. If it was me I'd work on your itinerary as a first order of business, and think about making your route relatively compact. For example, if you want to visit Arran, think about limiting your Highland travel mainly to Argyll - Oban, Mull, Loch Fyne, etc. - which will give you tremendous variety but will help you limit the number of times you need to break camp. In May the days will be getting longer (remember Scotland is at quite high latitude) so day trips of several hours' drive are quite easy to do from a central base.
You'll have a great time regardless.
Mar 9th, 2017, 06:23 AM
#14
If you want to climb Ben Nevis - you can stay somewhere nice nearby - just not in Ft William itself. Ballachulish, Glencoe (and even better hiking experience), Spean Bridge, Invergarry.
For Visitors -- 'in general' Edinburgh is better than Glasgow. But Glasgow is great too. No one HAS to visit Edinburgh. If you are in/out of Glasgow and want to stick to the west coast - then skip Edinburgh.
with 11 days total you will have 8.5 days to play with.
If it was me (and IF Arran is a must) I'd stay 3 nights in Glasgow. That will give you half a day to recover from jet lag, 1 days for Arran (via train and ferry) and 1 day for exploring Glasgow), then rent a car and drive up to the Glencoe area and stay 3 nights. That will give you one day for Ben Nevis and one day for hiking Glencoe and some 'fudge factor' just in case for weather -- which can seriously affect your hiking possibilities.
That leaves you 2.5-ish days to squeeze in another area. Mull/Oban or the Trossachs could work. Which ever - stay the last night somewhere on the southern end of Loch Lomond which is a short/easy drive from GLA to fly home.
That is just one option though.
If Arran is NOT a must another option would be to go immediately to Edinburgh on your arrival day (bus into Glasgow and short train ride to Edinburgh). Stay 2 night to get a taste of Edinburgh. Then pick up a car, stay one night in Callander - visit Stirling Castle and see the Trossachs. Then up to Glen Coe area for 3 nights, then down to Oban/Mull and finish up at Loch Lomond, drop the car and fly out of GLA.
For Visitors -- 'in general' Edinburgh is better than Glasgow. But Glasgow is great too. No one HAS to visit Edinburgh. If you are in/out of Glasgow and want to stick to the west coast - then skip Edinburgh.
with 11 days total you will have 8.5 days to play with.
If it was me (and IF Arran is a must) I'd stay 3 nights in Glasgow. That will give you half a day to recover from jet lag, 1 days for Arran (via train and ferry) and 1 day for exploring Glasgow), then rent a car and drive up to the Glencoe area and stay 3 nights. That will give you one day for Ben Nevis and one day for hiking Glencoe and some 'fudge factor' just in case for weather -- which can seriously affect your hiking possibilities.
That leaves you 2.5-ish days to squeeze in another area. Mull/Oban or the Trossachs could work. Which ever - stay the last night somewhere on the southern end of Loch Lomond which is a short/easy drive from GLA to fly home.
That is just one option though.
If Arran is NOT a must another option would be to go immediately to Edinburgh on your arrival day (bus into Glasgow and short train ride to Edinburgh). Stay 2 night to get a taste of Edinburgh. Then pick up a car, stay one night in Callander - visit Stirling Castle and see the Trossachs. Then up to Glen Coe area for 3 nights, then down to Oban/Mull and finish up at Loch Lomond, drop the car and fly out of GLA.
Mar 9th, 2017, 06:50 AM
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You need to state your arrival and departure dates. No one knows exactly how much time you really have.
Scotland plays bigger than its size because of the paucity of turnpike-level highways, the innumerable coves and spits that form its various shorelines, the assorted islands, and the rugged terrain in the center of the country.
Scotland plays bigger than its size because of the paucity of turnpike-level highways, the innumerable coves and spits that form its various shorelines, the assorted islands, and the rugged terrain in the center of the country.
Mar 9th, 2017, 07:59 AM
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<i>Britons and Australians and New Zealanders all manage to drive on the wrong side of the road when they visit the U.S. or mainland Europe. And they manage to change gear with the wrong hand too.</i>
The roads they will use in the States tend to be wider than the country roads in the British Isles. And I doubt that many rented vehicles require shifting.
The roads they will use in the States tend to be wider than the country roads in the British Isles. And I doubt that many rented vehicles require shifting.
Mar 9th, 2017, 08:10 AM
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I did this back in 2007, and have a few things to offer:
1. Like most have mentioned, spend the extra money for automatic transmission--changing gears is one less thing you will have to think about that way.
2. The hardest thing to judge is distance from your vehicle to objects on the side opposite the driver, whether that's the edge of the road, parked vehicles, or other objects. Consequently, the thing you want to do is focus on keeping as close to the center line as possible--that's right outside your window, and easiest for you to judge.
3. When making right turns, imagine that you are at a US intersection where they paint those guidance lines for multiple lanes turning left, then when you make that turn, follow that imaginary guidance line as your centerline. There is a tendency to try to cut straight across rather than to make an arcing turn, as you should.
4. Driving in rural areas is much easier than urban ones. Where you pick up and drop off is key to a smooth experience. Edinburgh Airport is uniquely well situated as a pick up and drop off point--its on the edge of town, next to a motorway leading to the Highlands. Its the easiest possible starting point at which to pick up a rental car, in my opinion.
5. Go online and study how to negotiate roundabouts and the etiquette for single lane road driving.
1. Like most have mentioned, spend the extra money for automatic transmission--changing gears is one less thing you will have to think about that way.
2. The hardest thing to judge is distance from your vehicle to objects on the side opposite the driver, whether that's the edge of the road, parked vehicles, or other objects. Consequently, the thing you want to do is focus on keeping as close to the center line as possible--that's right outside your window, and easiest for you to judge.
3. When making right turns, imagine that you are at a US intersection where they paint those guidance lines for multiple lanes turning left, then when you make that turn, follow that imaginary guidance line as your centerline. There is a tendency to try to cut straight across rather than to make an arcing turn, as you should.
4. Driving in rural areas is much easier than urban ones. Where you pick up and drop off is key to a smooth experience. Edinburgh Airport is uniquely well situated as a pick up and drop off point--its on the edge of town, next to a motorway leading to the Highlands. Its the easiest possible starting point at which to pick up a rental car, in my opinion.
5. Go online and study how to negotiate roundabouts and the etiquette for single lane road driving.
Mar 9th, 2017, 10:53 AM
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Hi cee,
I think that you will enjoy your journey by car.
It takes about 10 min to get used to sitting on the right hand side and driving on the left.
You can work this out by driving around the parking lot where you pick up your car.
I found two things that I had difficulty with:
A: They gave me a Vauxhall and I couldn't get the ^&%$# thing reliably into 1st or 2nd.
B: The roads in Scotland are narrow. I had trouble keeping on the paved surface when there were other cars coming. Nothing dangerous, just that my Lady Wife had a very bumpy ride.
You don't want a car in Edinburgh. It is also in the opposite direction from the rest of your trip.
After landing at Glasgow, make your way into the city and rent a car to visit the Isle of Arran - Be careful. It is a short drive, but you will be jetlagged - and make your way around Scotland.
Drop off the car at Edinburgh Waverly station.
See Edinburgh and take the train back to Glasgow.
see www.scotrail.co.uk
My trip report might be helpful to you.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-france.cfm
Enjoy your visit.
I think that you will enjoy your journey by car.
It takes about 10 min to get used to sitting on the right hand side and driving on the left.
You can work this out by driving around the parking lot where you pick up your car.
I found two things that I had difficulty with:
A: They gave me a Vauxhall and I couldn't get the ^&%$# thing reliably into 1st or 2nd.
B: The roads in Scotland are narrow. I had trouble keeping on the paved surface when there were other cars coming. Nothing dangerous, just that my Lady Wife had a very bumpy ride.
You don't want a car in Edinburgh. It is also in the opposite direction from the rest of your trip.
After landing at Glasgow, make your way into the city and rent a car to visit the Isle of Arran - Be careful. It is a short drive, but you will be jetlagged - and make your way around Scotland.
Drop off the car at Edinburgh Waverly station.
See Edinburgh and take the train back to Glasgow.
see www.scotrail.co.uk
My trip report might be helpful to you.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...and-france.cfm
Enjoy your visit.
Mar 9th, 2017, 10:56 AM
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Thank you everyone for all the advice! Greatly appreciated! Now just working on the itinerary. Someone asked our official dates, here they are: Arrive in Glasgow on May 19th and then head out the morning of May 30th.
Mar 9th, 2017, 11:07 AM
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This reply will focus solely on bus, train and ferry travel to your chosen locations. You can get to all of those places easily and nearly as quickly using transit. I have over 130 days experience of travel to Scotland every year for the past three years and numerous times before that. I depend solely on my own two feet and transit to go everywhere when travelling. Using your itinerary:
Day 1. Glasgow to Arran: train to Ardrossan and a ferry to Brodick (2.5 hours). I'll be returning to Arran this April!
Day 2. Explore Arran. Buses on the Isle of Arran are frequent and travel on the ring road and the string road. Taste Arran cheese, Brodick castle, and the Brewery. Lochranza also has a distillery and the Machrie Stones.
Day 3. Arran to Fort William: Arran to Glasgow (2.5 hrs) then take the West Highland Line to Fort William (4.5 hrs). When you start travelling through the Highlands, you'll be glad you took the train. To connect you must:
Depart 820 am ferry from Arran, connecting at Ardrossan train station. Arrive in Glasgow at 1030am, and then:
Depart 1210 pm train at Glasgow Queen, via the West Highland Line. Arrive in Fort William at 400pm.
Day 4. Explore Fort William area.
Day 5. Fort William to Portree, Isle of Skye (3-5 hours by bus). Buses leave a few times daily. If you want to skip Fort William, the bus from Glasgow to Portree is about 7.5 hours and leaves multiple times daily.
Day 6. Explore Skye. You can easily take a bus, hike up to the Old Man of Stoer, then walk down to the shore to find fossils at Bearreraig Bay, and grab a return bus to Portree.
Day 7. Portree, Skye to Inverness (3 hrs by bus)
Day 8. Inverness is a nice place, but if the weather is good, I would visit Aviemore (bus or train 45 minutes) in the Caignorms for a hike through Rothiemurchus (ruined castle in an small loch, craggy Scots pine forests, snow capped mountains. Aviemore also has a steam train, ancient birch and Caledonian forests. The #31 bus leaves Aviemore Train Station to Rothiemurchus (10 minutes) and the Cairngorm funicular railway (30 minutes) hourly.
Day 9. Aviemore to Glasgow (train or bus 3 hours). Add another 45 minutes if departing from Inverness.
Day 10. Geez, you have an extra day. Maybe an extra day in Skye or Aviemore? Who knows!
www.calmac.co.uk (for Arran ferry)
www.scotrail.co.uk (Glasgow-Ardrossan ; Glasgow-Fort William-Mallaig ; Kyle of Lochalsh-Inverness-Aviemore-Glasgow)
www.citylink.co.uk (for Glasgow-Fort William-Skye-Inverness-Aviemore-Glasgow)
www.stagecoachbus.com (for local buses in Arran, Skye, Aviemore)
So there you go. You can do it easily by bus, train, and ferry. The reality is that you can go and get anywhere in Scotland quickly and easily by bus, train, and ferry. You can even be in Shetland by overnight ferry the day after your flight! And travel to and from these places will be more spectacular since both you and your husband will be able to look out the window.
A few tips for travelling by on foot. Pack minimally and pack light!!! Use a carry-on sized backpack that is light enough for you to walk with. You'll be happy you left the heavy suitcases at home. And last, bring waterproof jackets (and pants if possible). Easiest way to get over jet lag is to stay awake the whole day until the evening, then pass out and wake up early the next day. So don't waste a day of a short trip getting over jet lag.
Enjoy your trip to Scotland! May is a great time to visit!
Day 1. Glasgow to Arran: train to Ardrossan and a ferry to Brodick (2.5 hours). I'll be returning to Arran this April!
Day 2. Explore Arran. Buses on the Isle of Arran are frequent and travel on the ring road and the string road. Taste Arran cheese, Brodick castle, and the Brewery. Lochranza also has a distillery and the Machrie Stones.
Day 3. Arran to Fort William: Arran to Glasgow (2.5 hrs) then take the West Highland Line to Fort William (4.5 hrs). When you start travelling through the Highlands, you'll be glad you took the train. To connect you must:
Depart 820 am ferry from Arran, connecting at Ardrossan train station. Arrive in Glasgow at 1030am, and then:
Depart 1210 pm train at Glasgow Queen, via the West Highland Line. Arrive in Fort William at 400pm.
Day 4. Explore Fort William area.
Day 5. Fort William to Portree, Isle of Skye (3-5 hours by bus). Buses leave a few times daily. If you want to skip Fort William, the bus from Glasgow to Portree is about 7.5 hours and leaves multiple times daily.
Day 6. Explore Skye. You can easily take a bus, hike up to the Old Man of Stoer, then walk down to the shore to find fossils at Bearreraig Bay, and grab a return bus to Portree.
Day 7. Portree, Skye to Inverness (3 hrs by bus)
Day 8. Inverness is a nice place, but if the weather is good, I would visit Aviemore (bus or train 45 minutes) in the Caignorms for a hike through Rothiemurchus (ruined castle in an small loch, craggy Scots pine forests, snow capped mountains. Aviemore also has a steam train, ancient birch and Caledonian forests. The #31 bus leaves Aviemore Train Station to Rothiemurchus (10 minutes) and the Cairngorm funicular railway (30 minutes) hourly.
Day 9. Aviemore to Glasgow (train or bus 3 hours). Add another 45 minutes if departing from Inverness.
Day 10. Geez, you have an extra day. Maybe an extra day in Skye or Aviemore? Who knows!
www.calmac.co.uk (for Arran ferry)
www.scotrail.co.uk (Glasgow-Ardrossan ; Glasgow-Fort William-Mallaig ; Kyle of Lochalsh-Inverness-Aviemore-Glasgow)
www.citylink.co.uk (for Glasgow-Fort William-Skye-Inverness-Aviemore-Glasgow)
www.stagecoachbus.com (for local buses in Arran, Skye, Aviemore)
So there you go. You can do it easily by bus, train, and ferry. The reality is that you can go and get anywhere in Scotland quickly and easily by bus, train, and ferry. You can even be in Shetland by overnight ferry the day after your flight! And travel to and from these places will be more spectacular since both you and your husband will be able to look out the window.
A few tips for travelling by on foot. Pack minimally and pack light!!! Use a carry-on sized backpack that is light enough for you to walk with. You'll be happy you left the heavy suitcases at home. And last, bring waterproof jackets (and pants if possible). Easiest way to get over jet lag is to stay awake the whole day until the evening, then pass out and wake up early the next day. So don't waste a day of a short trip getting over jet lag.
Enjoy your trip to Scotland! May is a great time to visit!
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GuysNS
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TorontoJeff
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