bobthenavigator

I seldom ask questions on this Forum and have answered thousands, but now I need some help. My lovely Susan is of Scottish heritage---maiden name was Stirling---and we are considering making it our next European destination. My problem is she will not go with me if I try to drive on the wrong side---I cannot blame her.

So, after 26 trips to Europe, most of them with a customized independent itinerary, I am not sure how to best see Scotland. We have never done a bus tour, but maybe at 75 it may be time. Another option would be to train between 3 major cities and plan day trips from there by using local tours or drivers. However, that may exclude the NW part with all of its natural splendor. We are thinking either June or Sep of 2012 for about 2 weeks.

Help ! Bob needs expertise from the Forum for how to best experience Scotland. If a tour group is your answer then tell me which one you like. Thanks in advance.

steviegene

We did Scotland in 2008 by car. We had a huge amount of help planning from some experts on Scotland here like JanisJ and sheila. So Im sure you'll get lots of great suggestions.

I will say that the driving was really not that bad - especially up in the country where you didn't really see many other cars! That being said, Edinburgh was beautiful and I would highly recommend it for a 2-3 day stay. From there you could easily get to Stirling via public transportation. There are also lots of options for bus tours from the cities up to Loch Ness and the other popular spots.

Friends of my husband's parents did this private tour
http://www.tourinscotland.co.uk/ and enjoyed it. But I don't know them terribly well, so can't vouch for it myself.

Good luck!

Saraho

We had a very nice time in Scotland last year. We flew into Edinburgh, took the train to Stirling and stayed in a wonderful B&B right below the castle. Then we took the train to Pitlochry and stayed there for several days, taking a bus to Blair Castle.
Then we took the train back to Edinburgh and stayed in a great B&B on Hart Street. We enjoyed our trip very much and could have happily gone by train or bus to a number of other interesting places if we had had more time in Scotland.

humptynumpty

"My problem is she will not go with me if I try to drive on the wrong side".

Every time we step out of our country we are expected to drive on the wrong side. (with a few exceptions)

It takes around 20 minutes for any experienced driver to adapt. Most of our roads are empty (Edinburgh/Glasgow can be hard work), hire an automatic and there really should be no issues.

I have flown 14 hours, 3 flight changes and then driven 350 miles in The States. On the WRONG side.

You will miss out on a huge amount if you rely on public transport and travel times will be increased considerably.

For what it is worth, if a traveller is capable of driving on their own roads. Switching sides should not be an issue, bit like swimming with sharks. All you have to fear is fear.... oh and 1 in a million get eaten.

crckwc1

Hi Bob, Thanks for all the tips and advice you have provided. Here's our take on driving in Scotland: On our first trip to Scotland and our first time driving on the left, DH picked up the car and drove very carefully to the outskirts of Edinburgh, found a less traveled road and practiced getting used to the "other side." He had no trouble from thereon. I did a little navigating and served as a "curb feeler" (for those of you old enough to know what those are!)letting him know by a quick intake of air that he was too close to that side.
DH is well past your age now and we still go to the UK on driving tours. (Leaving tomorrow, in fact, for Ireland and Scotland). If you can, convince the lovely Susan that driving is the best way to see Scotland. It's really not that hard.
K

scotlib

Hi Bob,

After 3 trips to Scotland (wishing for many more), I am a traveler who has no plans to drive. I enjoy the trains, buses, and day tours very well. Not driving makes for a different trip, but definitely not a poor experience.

My trip last year was in June: beautiful days of lots of sun and flowers everywhere. Video memories: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTR1Maj8P8k

I used Rabbies (www.rabbies.com) for a multi-day highland tour. I also spent time in Edinburgh and traveled by train to Stonehaven. I wished for a lot more time in Stonehaven! I was there a bit too early for some summer events and didn't make it to the Dunnottar Castle.

So, a vote for June and you decide how you want to travel yourself. I've posted my trip reports, plus many more for Scotland are here on the forum. Cheers!

historytraveler

Both Mr. History and I have driven many times in Scotland but as we've ( well Mr. H. at any rate) gotten older we find we're using public transport more often. Still drive in certain places. There are several good spots you can travel to by train and then do day trips with a company such as Rabbies or take the ferry over to a nearby island for a day trip. Another possibility is to hire a local driver. I've done all of these at one time or another.

For a start, both Edinburgh and Glasgow will offer great day trips, and there is much to see and do in each city. You can easily get to Oban by train and from there have access to Mull, Iona and several other islands in the Southern Hebrides via Caledonian MacBrayne ferries www.calmac.co.uk

On Skye there are several taxi companies that provide drivers for touring the island.

The train can take you to such remote places as Rannoch Moor. There is a very good B&B/Hotel there with an excellent restaurant. There's only the hotel and one cottage at Rannoch Moor Station, but that's the beauty of it. A wonderful stop over enroute to Mallaig and the ferry to Skye. The train route is famous as one of the most scenic in the U.K.

You might consider renting a car in certain places. We ( Mr. History and myself) will be leaving for Scotland soon and will be traveling by train most of the trip. However when we get to Skye we'll have a rental car waiting for us after we get off the ferry. We'll return the car to Plockton before we board the train for Pitlocry and then on to Edinburgh.

If your lovely Susan is adamant about your driving there are options that will give you a wonderful tour of Scotland. I still don't mind the driving but Mr. History has sworn off it and for some reason my driving makes him nervous. He's okay with Skye though.

janisj

Tell the Lovely Susan to quit being such a wuss!

But not to worry -- you can have a lovely trip w/o driving.Just take more planning and a bit of compromising. I would not take a twoo week guided coach tour. I'd base in three different places --Maybe Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. From Edinburgh you can do local tours to the Trossahcs/Loch Lomond and can do both Stirling and St. Andrews easily on your own by train. (For St Andrews you take a train to Leuchars and then a local bus or taxi from there)

From Aberdeen you can see Deeside/Castle Trail and Stonehaven/Dunnottar.

From Inverness you can do day tours to Skye or Orkney, a Dolphin Cruise, and even the far NW coast.

http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/inverness-trips.htm

(But really -- Susan's wuss-factor is surprising )

janisj

Meant to add-- after you are there,there is always the option to rent a car locally. Like -- say you've made it up to Inverness and decide the driving isn't so Gawd Awful after all, you can rent a car just to explore for a day or two.

lilla

My husband and I had the same concerns you have. We wanted to see some of Scotland and go to the Isle of Lewis, which was his ancestral home. And we didn't want to drive.

Here is how we did it: Flew in to Glasgow and spent three nights there. We rented an apartment through homeaway.com. We then took the train to Edinburgh and went with a Rabbies small-group, five-day tour to the Western Isles. When we returned to Edinburgh, we spent four nights in an apartment, which we also rented through homeaway.com.

We were very pleased with the way the trip turned out. We enjoyed our time in the cities and loved coming home to our apartment each night. The Rabbies tour was outstanding, with one of the best tour guides we have experienced.

Don't let anyone talk you into driving if you are hesitant. You can enjoy lots of Scotland without the stress.

bobthenavigator

Thanks gang, that is all very good input.
I think Rabbies may be part of our solution---I have read good things about them. Keep the good ideas coming.

ms_go

Well...you can take me along and I'll do the driving! I've done it before and didn't hurt anyone

janisj

That's the solution -- take the go's w/ you

Rabbies is very good. So is timberbush. Check them both out since they offer similar but different enough tours to give you a wider choice on any given day.

bobthenavigator

Thanks Janis---you sure know your stuff.

Mimar

On another thread about traveling in Scotland without a car, the OP is considering the Freedom of Scotland pass. It covers trains, coaches, and the CalMac ferries. This might be a good option for you, Bob -- depending on where you want to go.

flyme2themoon

bob, if you have not already done so, check my post in the UK forum on "to drive or not to drive". im not trying to talk you out of a decision you perhaps already made but FWIW, there were a lot of helpful tips and advice given by the experts and left side driving veterans on here ( who lived to tell about it ) we initially decided not to drive in england too, but we re-considered that decision after weighing the +s and -s of each option.

have a great time in scotland. we're going there too this coming Sept.

Lifeman

Bob, this is one of those situations where if you don't drive yourselves, then it's a compromise. The tours mentioned above are very good and will, I'm sure, fit part of your bill. However, you will miss lots of places and you'll lose the spontaneity that makes for a great holiday.

The islands like Mull and Skye cry out for being able to stop at will, see a view or stop at a pub for lunch, so why limit yourself to where a tour company wants to stop? As others have said, driving is not like city driving. It's more laid back and traffic isn't heavy, so it's worth the effort.

I understand that you may just not want to drive to truly relax, but as I said earlier, you'll have to compromise in Scotland. We did a tour last year and you'll find my trip report in the usual place. Have a great trip.

scotlib

<i>However, you will miss lots of places and you'll lose the spontaneity that makes for a great holiday.</i>

I choose to not drive, therefore I cannot have a "great holiday"?

This is the type of statement that almost makes me cry. I don't cry because I realize no one here actually knows me, so it's a statement of opinion not actually directed at me, but it does make me at least sniffle .. a little bit.

I will just continue to travel as I wish ;-)

mr_go

<i>Well...you can take me along and I'll do the driving! I've done it before and didn't hurt anyone</i>

She came close once. As did I.

I tend to agree with the others that a driving vacation is preferable there... but I also know very well how The Lovely Susan can be when she's put her foot down.

Let me give this some thought, and I'll get back to you.

humptynumpty

"I choose to not drive, therefore I cannot have a "great holiday"?"

That is not the causation Lifeman used in his post, as you probably well know.

It will take an enormous amount of considered persuasion to convince me of the merits of public transport over driving.

Our two houses are 148 miles apart - England/ SW Scotland (most of the journey on the M6) it always takes us 2 and a 1/4 hours (janisj and googlemaps say 3 hours 1 minute).

It would take the best part of a day using the plods on public transport.

I don't like driving in UK cities, Sicily or the snow. Other than that Scottish A or B roads in the country have to be some of the most straight forward propositions in the world. Most of the time you will be doing 30 miles an hour behind a lorry or caravan, the rest of the time there will be nothing on the road.

Some of us choose to overtake the lorry/caravan on blind corners to keep average speeds up to 65 miles an hour....but when you have driven in Italy for 20 years, it starts to rub off.

Bob, get a car.