BeebesMom

We are all set for our trip in August thanks to all the posting I have been reading but I have some logistics questions particularly since you’ve all said drive times aren’t to be trusted. We arrive Glasgow on a Friday at 12:35pm, pick up our car and drive to our hotel, Glentower Observatory, just south of Ft. William where we will be until Tuesday.

Question 1: Can we visit Oban, continue south to Kilmartin area and return to Glentower via Inveraray in one day or is this too much? Would it be better to put Inveraray on our Glencoe area day trip? We are quite flexible here as we only have one “must”; our meeting and tour with our clan chief Sunday afternoon. Well, that, and my husband really wants to see “Nessie”!

Tuesday we will drive from Ft.William to Mallaig and catch ferry to Skye. We are staying at Sconcer Lodge for 2 nights and have dinner reservations at Three Chimneys, our big splurge.

Question 2: We will leave Skye on Thursday via bridge and drive to our next base, the Moulin Inn in Perthshire. Would a detour up to Culloden be too much? Would that be better done from our Ft. William base? We will be in no rush to get to Moulin so we can take all day. Culloden is a “must”; Jacobite clan.

Question 3: Is the drive from Edinburgh to Glasgow the time we should visit Stirling with possible stops in Alva area for shopping (if I haven't spent too much by then) or should we do that from Moulin where we’ll be for 3 days with Dunkeld the only “must”. We need to be in Glasgow by 6pm.

I have a list of sites that have been recommended here an elsewhere for all the areas were we are staying. I know we won’t hit everything. I want to be flexible but I want to travel “smart” especially with the price of gas.

Thank you in advance for your help. Sorry so longwinded.

sheila

"Question 1: Can we visit Oban, continue south to Kilmartin area and return to Glentower via Inveraray in one day?"

Yes, but that's a long day.

"Would it be better to put Inveraray on our Glencoe area day trip?"

That too is a long day, but probably not AS long.

"and my husband really wants to see “Nessie”!"

If he succeeds may I have the World Exclusive, please?

"have dinner reservations at Three Chimneys,"

Wow!. Please take notes and report

"Question 2: We will leave Skye on Thursday via bridge and drive to our next base, the Moulin Inn in Perthshire. Would a detour up to Culloden be too much?"

No. Perfectly doabale.

"Question 3: Is the drive from Edinburgh to Glasgow the time we should visit Stirling"

How long do you have? It might be better to do that on the way south from Pitlochry.

"with possible stops in Alva area for shopping"

WHIT???! Who told you to shop in Alva!!!

(if I haven't spent too much by then) "

I wouldn't do it as a day trip- although you could- but on the way south.

Craigellachie

Can't argue with Sheila on anything.
Alva for shopping? I have to be careful as I work for an organisation that includes the promotion of Alva and surrounding towns as part of its reason for existing. Alva and the othe rHillfoot towns have terrific hillwalking, great scenery, you could probably spend a happy hour or two in the towns and find somewhere nice to eat. Major shopping destination? Fraid not. Stirling perhaps, but if you're going to have time in Glasgow and Edinburgh these are the places to shop.

BeebesMom

Sheila and Craigellachie, thank you for your input. Sheila, we'll definitely give you the "exclusive" should we see "Nessie" and I will most definitely report on Three Chimneys. It's not too fancy, is it? I thought I had read in one of the several books I have that there were very good mill outlet in the Stirling area. I thought it was Alva but I could be wrong. I can't remember the towns and unfortunately,I don't have the books here. I do plan on doing the majority of my shopping in Edinburgh. I was particularly glad that the Skye-Culloden-Moulin route is doable. We can leave Edinburgh (we'll be there for 4 days) after the morning rush and head to Stirling; just have to be in Glasgow by 6. Another question, we are thinking of taking the 2 hour walking tour of Old Course at St. Andrews on a Sunday. If we do, how much time should we plan on the drive from Moulin to St. Andrews; is it worth it or would the shorter walk do? We do golf but are not fanatics. This stop would be on the way to Edinburgh. Thanks again for your input. Your responses to other inquiries have been invaluable.

sheila

It will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours to get from Pitlochry to St Andrews.

Don't shop in Alva.

janisj

You've got great advice so far. BTW - it is not necessary to take a tour of the Old Course. You can walk out on the course on your own. There is no play on Sundays and the course essentially becomes a huge city park. If you want to take the guided tour - fine. It isn't very expensive. But is at one set time and eats up the whole middle of the day. I'd go to St Andrews in the a.m., see the castle/Cathedral/Old Course and then tour around other bits of Fife (Falkland, Crail, Anstruther) before heading back to Moulin

BeebesMom

Thank you, Janis, for the advice on St. Andrews. I didn't want to waste a whole day touring the course. Actually, the St. Andrews stop would be on our way to Edinburgh. Shiela, will definitely not shop in Alva. Thanks again for your help. It is greatly appreciated.

janisj

Then it is even more doable - Leave Moulin early in the a.m., go to St Andrews and visit the old course/castle/cathedral and have lunch. In the mid afternoon you can leave by the coast road and visit Crail/Anstruther/ Pittenweem and be in Edinburgh by dinner time.

BeebesMom

Terrific new, Janis, and we did want to take the coast road to Edinburgh so works out perfectly. Thanks again for your time and input.

noe847

Believe it or not, I found some of my favorite mementos of Scotland at a few little shops on the Royal Mile - things I didn't come across in other places. For 'general' shopping, I preferred Glasgow (Sauchiehall and Buchanan Streets) or even the Thistle Centre mall in downtown Stirling.

noe847

Mind you, there is are plenty of junk shops on the Royal Mile as well - more tartan on more things than you could ever imagine.

Craigellachie

Sorry to have been out of circulation for a while. The "Hillfoots" towns east of Stirling grew up around the wool trade and at one time most of the mills had their own shops. The mills have nearly all gone but some of them still act as visitor centres and there's even a "wool mill trail" between them. I think Alva has the main visitor centre now but I doubt if much of their mrchandise is locally made any more. Maybe what you've read about is "Sterling Mills". This is not in Stirling (some accents pronounce Sterling and Stirling the same, in Scots they are completely different). This is in Tillicoultry, pronounced something like Tillycootry, the next town east from Alva. Sterling Mills is more of a designer outlet place, not particuarly big but you can sometimes get a bargain.
www.sterlingmills.com

BeebesMom

Thank you, Craigellachie. I think what you have posted is what I read. I also think the guidebook in which I read it was from a few years ago. Certainly looking forward to cooler temps; it's miserable here on the east coast of the US. Thanks again.