Ute

Hi! Would love any advice on planning a trip to Scotland (Sep 15-Sep 23). Are there places in particular that a first-timer to Scotland ought to include? Is it easy to rent/drive a car on the British side? Cheers!

twk

Have any preference as to city vs. rural? Are you planning to spend some time in Edinburgh?

You would need most of that time period to make the archtypical loop of the Highlands that so many of us (myself included) make, which is bascially a circle from Edinburgh over towards Glen Coe (or Oban, or Inveraray), then up to Skye, then over to the Inverness area, then back down to Edinburgh.

If you're going to spend time in Edinburgh, you might want to think about just trying to hit one area outside of the city--you could go to the Trossachs, or Glen Coe, or south to the Border, or any number of places.

As to driving on the wrong side of the road, that wasn't terribly difficult in rural areas. Cities are much trickier. If you get deep enough into the Highlands, you'll encounter single track roads which are an adventure in their own right.

crckwc

It's hard to give advice not knowing your tastes, budget, whether you'll be driving or not, and where you will enter/depart Scotland. However, Edinburgh is a must. For golfers, St. Andrews is a must; otherwise skip it on the first visit. I would also skip Aberdeen and Glasgow on the first visit. Sterling Castle, in Sterling, is interesting if you like castles and history. I would go on to Inverness and perhaps take in more castles and/or the whiskey trail on the way. The west coast and the islands are interesting but your time may be too limited for that on the first visit. You should get a good guide book or two. I like Frommers and Rick Steves, along with this Fodors forum. You should also get a map to plot your routes and, if driving, buy detailed area maps once you're in Scotland. Is it easy to rent/drive on the British side? Easy to rent but confusing insurance options. Unless you are skilled at manual shift, which is the standard rental there, pay the extra and get automatic. You'll have enough to concentrate on to stay left without having to worry about how to use a manual shift. I'm sure this doesn't begin to answer what you need to know, but others will surely come up with better, and more, suggestions than I have. Enjoy!

janisj

Ok - you are leaving in about 3 weeks - so I assume you have done at least <u>some</u> research for your trip.

You have given us nothing to work w/

- Where are you flying in/out of?
- What are you interested in seeing/doing?
- Have you booked any of your accomodations?
- Do those 9 days include travel to/from Scotland, or do you have 9 full days &quot;on the ground&quot;?
- and any other details you can give us.

Scotland is a biiiiiig place - you can only see a tiny bit of it in a week+

jay

My advice on drining on the other side is to have a navigator that can give you directions instead of you (if you are driving) or the driver trying to do both. The driving part is not that hard. Use AutoEurope for renting. The lakes, Elen Donan castle, Wiskey Trail, St. Andrews and Roslyn chapel are several that I would also recommend.

auldyins

crckwc - Stirling Castle, Stirling. Sterling is our currency.

Michael

Ute,

I have not finished my report, so it is not ready for the posting, but I can send you a rough draft if interested.

d1carter

I could be glib and answer your OP, &quot;Yes&quot; and &quot;Yes&quot;. But the real answer is very difficult with no more information than you have given. I spent months planning and asking questions about where my family and I wanted to visit in Scotland. It is a big place with many things to see and do. If you only have a week to spend there, I hope you have done some research to visit the areas in which you have interest.
I found Scotland to be a land of wonderful, friendly people who made me feel very welcome. I hope that you will do the same.
Cheers

Ute

Gosh! Thank you everyone for your response.

Scotland has been a last minute decision, b/c we will be in London the week prior for work.

Husband and self are not avid golfers (guess its ok to miss out on beautiful St. Andrews!). I would love to see Rosslyn (Da Vinci Code and we love to hike but they'd have to be gentle ones as I will be over 20 weeks pregnant at that point.. so whiskey tastings are out

One concern is we're vegetarians and I wonder if it will be an issue in the smaller towns/islands?

We are also hoping to see a little bit of Edinburgh and don't know whether we should take the train up from London or catch a flight.

Looking forward to all your replies! Thank you!

twk

If you're staying in Central London, take the train to Edinburgh. With the time it takes to get to the airport, get through security, deal with checking bags, etc., you won't save much, if any, time going by air. Look for train tickets NOW (you may have already missed the best deals).

annesherrod

I would also say take the train. The Edinburgh airport is so easy but it is the London airport that is hell.

You should have no problem with your vegetarian diet. Many pubs offer a baked potato that you can fill with a whole array of toppings.

The salmon here is terrific - not sure if you can eat that while pregnant. Of course lots of fish and chips!!!

You will not find the gorgeous vegetables that you may be used to in the US - Or atl least we did not - and we stayed in some lovely hotels. Lots of peas!!

To get to the Royal Mile and the castle from the main part of town is a very steep hill - You will need a taxi - or at least I would have!!

The bus tours here are great!

Enjoy!!!

Barbara_in_FL

It's not difficult to find less strenuous hikes or &quot;walks&quot; that will be scenic and enjoyable. The National Tourism Organization has a &quot;family walks&quot; page that lists quite a few; once you pick your destinations you can see what's in the area.

http://walking.visitscotland.com/familywalks/

Don't underestimate how long it may take you to get from place to place by car, if you are on smaller roads. The driving did not bother us (although I admit to cringing a few times on those single-track roads) but the distances can be deceptive.

sheila

If it were me, based on what you've said so far, I'd restrict the scope of my visit. I would take teh train to Edinburgh and (being me) hire a car there and get out of the town, for as long as you feel like. If you have enough scenery, come back and finish your trip in Edinburgh. Do you have to leave from London, or can you leave from Edinburgh?

So, where to go- me, I'd stick with the Central Highlands- Loch Lomond, the Trossachs and Perthsire. And I'd get off the A roads. Travel slowly and walk.

You won't have a problem with getting things to eat, although you may find it a bit boring in the wee places- Vegetable lasgane is a bit of a standby in most rural pubs.

amelie

I have some recent trip reports (one for Edinburgh and one for other areas) from June, if you click on my name.

We absolutely loved Rosslyn Chapel.

crckwc

auldyins - Of course it's Stirling. Sorry about that -- I do know better.

Michael

You might want to look at my trip report:

http://fodors.com/forums/pgMessages....mp;keyword=157