A_Guy_80

Hi,

We are a couple in early 30s and we will be visiting Scotland for 8-9 days before ending our trip with 3 nights in London. We will arriving in second week of September and will be renting a car. We primarily want to take in the stunning scenery and will love to do some walks (3-4 hr) in the region.
I have tentatively created a skeleton of our itinerary and will appreciate your inputs so that I could develop this further.

Day 1: Fly into Manchester in the morning and take train from airport to arrive in Edinburgh by mid-day. If we are up to it then will walk around the town (royal mile, castle) later in the day.
Day 2: Hire the rental car in town and drive to Fort William through Loch Lomand area by late afternoon. Chek-in for 3 Nights and explore the surrounding area
Day 3 & Day 4: Take Day Trips around Fort William primarily for walking …Glen Coe and Ben Nevis area.
Day 5: Drive from Fort William to Mallaig on ‘Road to Isles’ and then ferry into Isle of Skye. Reach our accommodation by mid-afternoon, check-in for 3 nights and explore surrounding area.
Day 6 & Day 7: Explore the Skye region with walks in the region and may be a boat tour/ wild life tour.
Day 8: Drive from Portree to Inverness stopping first at Eilean donan castle and then in the afternoon at Clansman Hotel Harbour for a 2 hr Jacobite cruise of Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle before heading to Inverness for overnight and end of trip

Next day, we head to Inverness Airport and return the car and fly to London for next 3 nights.

I know am not doing justice to Edinburgh but guess we will get our city fill in London and so want to focus on Highlands in Scotland. Am not 100% sure about my choice of bases for walking (Fort William and Portree) but have not been able to get any better ideas so far.
Will love to hear your critique of this itinerary and any other pointers so that I can start adding some meat to the bones

Thanks in advance.

BigRuss

No, you're not doing justice to Edinburgh and not doing justice to London either. Cities are not interchangeable -- the fact that London is about 17 times the size of Edinburgh should make that observation obvious. London is not just a "city" and Edinburgh sure isn't either -- you're viewing both as generic concepts without regard for what makes London one of the great cities of the world and Edinburgh one of the great cities of Europe.

And Ft. William is a dump, says so in every post by janisj and the Scottish brigade that posts here (we took the route to Inverness east of Loch Ness so we never went there). Staying there three nights seems excessive.

A_Guy_80

Thanks BigRuss. Agree with you on Edinburgh. I am sur ethis is not our last time to london so am sure I will be able to do justice to atleast London over my life time

Howver, do you have any suggestion for a base in Western Highlands for say 3 nights. If we ditch Fort William which would be a better location to explore Glencoe and Nevis area ?

janisj

IMO days 1 through 4 totally need rethinking.

You have 1/2 a jet lagged day in Edinburgh and 3 full days in Ft William -- Just wrong on so many levels

I'd stay two nights in Edinburgh and two nights in Glencoe (NOT in Ft William) then head on to Skye. I also would not drive via Loch Lomond -- I'd go through the Trossachs, Callander, Killin/Falls of Dochart.

A_Guy_80

Thanks janisj. We go to Europe every year and what I have noted is that since we fly overnight from Asia so jet-lag doesn't kick in when we fly TO EUROPE though when we fly back then it kicks in big time

Though flak on Edinburgh is justified but am just trying to make some hard choices given we enjoy scenery far more than architecture.

Thanks for your inputs on basing ourseleves in Glencoe and taking the route thr Callander, am going to research that but any particular reasons why you prefer this route ?

Thanks again.

janisj

"<i>any particular reasons why you prefer this route?</i>"

Loch Lomond will take you a bit farther out of your way, and through the traffic around Glasgow. The Trossachs are a national park w/ lovely scenery/waterfalls/lochs, and the Falls of Dochart are absolutely amazing.

http://tinyurl.com/44d4f7r

The National park/scenic area does include the west shore of Loch Lomond -- but is mostly to the east. Loch Lomond is pretty enough (certainly prettier than Loch Ness) but you'll see several more beautiful lochs

A_Guy_80

Thanks janisj. Could I ask you 2 more things:
1. Do you think Glencoe has sufficient places to dine out if we chose that as our base.
2. Should we cover Glen Affric on our last day to Inverness or we can make it to there from Glencoe. Have heard great things about it but can't seem to find a way to fit it in.

janisj

In Glencoe/Ballachulish/Kentallen:

http://www.clachaig.com/
http://www.hollytreehotel.co.uk/
http://www.lochlevenseafoodcafe.co.uk/
http://www.islesofglencoe.com/
http://www.ballachulishhotel.com/

and others

W/ two days in Glencoe for that area -- I'd definitely hit Glen Affric enroute from Skye to Inverness. It would be an easy detour.

historytraveler

I was going to recommend Clachaig Inn, but janisj beat me to it. There is also the Glencoe Hotel. I've driven by but have not eaten or stayed there.

A_Guy_80

Thanks again janisj, you are bring great help and thanks historytraveler.
What am still not very clear about is that whether any of these towns get lively in the night or if there are any High street with choice of restaurants and cafe or pubs etc. We just don't want to be restricted to hotel and also would like to walk out in the town in the evening rather than drive down to nearest restaurant. Also will prefer a livelier town setting after sunset. I checked the clachig inn but it seems to be in a quaint corner with nothing much around.

historytraveler

Outside the major cities and certainly in the Highlands, the liveliest spot is going to be the local pub. The Clachaig Inn has a great one. Both Ballachulish and Glencoe are small (and, smaller) villages. The nearest place that might be considered livelier would Fort William, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. If a "livelier place" with a choice of restaurants, cafes and pubs is really what you're looking for, you'll not find it here. Skye with the possible exception of Portree will be the same.

janisj

OK -- Myabe you have some misconceptions. If you want lively towns and high street nightlife -- you need to travel to someplace else entirely - certainly not western Scotland. Where you are going there ARE NO lively towns. Fort William is the only town of any size -- and 'lively' it ain't.

"<i> I checked the clachig inn but it seems to be in a quaint corner with nothing much around.</i>"

Yep -- that is the beauty of the place (except for the 'quaint' bit - some have been keel hauled for using that word ). Most of Scotland is very (<B>VERY</B rural. When locals want a 'lively' night out -- The Clachaig is where they go. It is the biggest show in town so to speak. Nightlife is drinks down at the pub . . .

You want scenery, hiking, and no cities -- and that is what you'll get.

janisj

I didn't see historytraveler's post -- got interrupted while posting mine.

Portree does have a few restaurants and hotels -- but it isn't high on the nightlife scale either

A_Guy_80

Thanks again both.

I am not after nighlife at all in Scotland and that is why I purposely avoided that word in my post
But thanks for giving me a proper picture. Actually,my 'misconceptions' were probably coming from our vacation in Switzerland last year. As a part of our vacation there we stayed in Wengen - a car free village in Alps for 5 nights and it had wonderful hiking around but the village also had about 6-8 restaurants and an odd souviner shop so one could just walk around for the dinner and had a 'livelier feel'.

Obviously that's not something I should expect in Scotland and that's fine by me afterall if I wanted Swiss experience I would have gone back there and not come to Scotland ;-)

So if Onich, Ballachulish and Glencoe are the best way to get my Scottish experience will love to soak that

amelie

We ate at the Clachaig Inn when we stayed near Glencoe at the Pineapple House. Don't let the name fool you, it was an amazing B&B. I think it was about a 20 min. drive to the Clachaig Inn. I loved it and recommend it highly. Glencoe was AMAZING.

http://www.pineapplehouse.co.uk/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._Scotland.html

janisj

"<i>I am not after nighlife at all in Scotland and that is why I purposely avoided that word in my post</i>"

my 'nightlife' / your "<i>lively in the night</i>"-- same-o same-o in my book

But it looks like you have the idea now . . .

GreenDragon

I'll second everything Janisj recommended - she knows! Yes, she knows

A_Guy_80

Thanks amelie,janisj & greendragon.
Could you please indicate some of your favorite hikes / drives in around glencoe and Skye or some online resource for the same. Am trying to build up the itinerary to next level of detail.

Thanks in advance.

amelie

We did a gondola ride up in the mountains near there, but maybe it's too far out of the way? Not sure, I can't remember what it was called, Nevis or something? It was so amazing and worth it though. I can find out more if need be.

janisj

Just a quick note right now -- The gondola amilie mentions is at Ben Nevis just outside of Ft William and easy to get to from Glencoe or anywhere in that area.

http://www.nevisrange.co.uk/

I recommend you pick up a copy of "Scotland the Best" by Peter Irvine It isn't a guidebook as such --but it lists/describes the best <i>everythings</i> in Scotland. Best hikes, best walks, best waterfalls, best wildlife viewing, best villages, best graveyards, best lochs, best viewpoints, best pubs, best beaches, best gardens, best hotels . . . you name it.

(the Clachaig is listed in 4 different categories BTW -- including "Bloody Good Pubs")