3 Weeks in Scotland - May 2019
 

Dear All,

We are planning 3 weeks in Scotland during May 2019. In this trip we want to explore the natural beauty of Scotland and also spend some time at the distilleries.

A very draft plan is to fly into Edinburgh and settle down for a couple of day, explore Edinburgh. Then rent a car and follow the below itinerary.
Edinburgh - 2 Nights
Oban - 2 Nights
Islay - 3 Nights
Mull - 2 Nights
Portree - 3 Nights
Orkney - 2 Nights
Inverness - 3 Nights
Dufftown - 2 Nights
Aberdeen - 2 Nights
Edinburgh - 1 Night

We are looking forward to your advice for below doubts :

1) Although the distance between each stop is not much, we actually feel more relaxed when we spend 3~5 nights in a place. One option is to cut down few places like Orkney, Aberdeen. Another option is to set base at 3-4 prominent places and do day trips. What do you suggest?

2) Distilleries - Our wish is to attend the Speyside Whisky festival and visit few surrounding distilleries, Visit all the islay distilleries, Oban Distillery and Talisker @skye. In some we will do distillery/warehouse tours, some tasting sessions and some photo ops. How early should we book the tours? Any recommendation on suitable B&B/Hotels so that we can easily walk/bike/taxi to these visits?

3) Accommodation - We are exploring the idea of a camper van. But not very sure about the experience as we have never used one. So, mostly it will be recommended B&B or hotels. We wish to keep the expense moderate in this area. How early should we book?

4) Local Food : Started reading up about famous shops & restaurants and hope to build a decent shortlist by the time we travel. We are avid foodies and love to explore local delicacies.

5) Routes between destinations - Would love to know about picturesque routes between our halts, places to stop/visit on the way.

Sorry for asking so many questions. I am reading the forum and other materials available on the internet to do my bit. At the same time, would like to hear the suggestions from all and improve our plan.

Regards,
Rajat

Just some random comments since I don't have a lot of time right now:

>>3) Accommodation - We are exploring the idea of a camper van. But not very sure about the experience as we have never used one. So, mostly it will be recommended B&B or hotels. We wish to keep the expense moderate in this area. How early should we book?<<

IMO a camper van is a very bad idea -- especially since you have no experience with one. B&Bs and hotels will be MUCH easier. 'Moderate' could mean anything -- what is your actual budget per night?

>>Islay - 3 Nights<<. >>Visit all the islay distilleries<<

3 nights nets you just 2 full days -- no way you can visit even half of the distilleries in 2+ days.

Travel in the areas you are visiting is pretty slow so most of your your 2 night stays net you just one full day and maybe a few hours.

If it was me (and I'm a huge single malt fan as well) I'd cut the number of destinations, cut the total number of distilleries, spend more time in fewer places and enjoy Scotland - not just whisky. I've been to maybe 12 or 15 distilleries over the years -- but in actuality - one is very much like every other one. Sitting in an Edinburgh or country pub with a huge single malt selection would be more rewarding than visiting distillery after distillery. 3 or 4 Islay, a couple of Speyside, maybe Talisker would be MORE than enough.

>>100-140 GBP per night. If it includes breakfast, it is even better.<<

Not to worry - just about EVERY B&B includes breakfast - hence the name - Bed & Breakfast.

>>Yes, I also feel that. Even if we manage, the pace will be too much. I am thinking of increasing our stay @Islay to 5 nights and move out Mull for a later trip.<<

I love LOVE Mull -- I'd be more inclined to keep Mull and drop Oban and Orkney. Orkney is wonderful -- but too far in too little time. Inverness is not much -- there area around Inverness has a lot . . . but by adding those days to Grantown on Spey or Dufftown would be a good base. I would NOT stay in Inverness.

I looks like you have 19 nights: Maybe consider something like this:

• Edinburgh 3 nights,
• Inveraray or Kilmartin 1 night (long drive from Edinburgh so a stop en route to Islay)
• 3 nights on Islay
• 3 nights on Mull
• 3 nights on Skye
• 4 nights in Dufftown or Grantown area
• 2 nights to play with - Perth/Dunkeld/Stirling or someplace like that . . . easy drive from any of those to EDI to drop car and fly home.

For a whisky-intensive tour of the Highlands, I'd be inclined to drop one day somewhere along the line and add a night north of Inverness so you could visit the Glenmorangie distillery near Tain at the mouth of the Dornoch Firth. It happens to be my go-to single malt, and a good friend of mine introduced it to an importer in Pennsylvania who first brought Glenmorangie to the US in the 1960s, so I have a - somewhat tortured - sense of ownership about it. ;-)

Swinging up to Tain from, say, Skye, could also allow you to see some terrific scenery around Torridon, or at least visit the extremely atmospheric and historic Croick Church, scene of one of the most (in)famous episodes during the Highland Clearances. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/4yoMYV24Fxz

Whisky distilleries are ... distilleries. Thinking the better part is in the drinking. Besides, most distilleries don't malt their own barley at this point so you're just looking at the stills and the filtering processes. Besides, there's a lot of good whisky available from independent bottlers who buy whole casks from the distilleries and reconfigure the distillant into their own products.

Thanks for suggesting the itinerary. I will read up more about Mull. Yes, Orkney is too far and will drop it. One reason for considering it initially is the Highland Park distillery.
Any recommendation on B&B at these places?
For islay, we are thinking of "The Old Excise House". Have heard good feedback.

If we travel in early May, then we will probably do the circuit anti-clockwise to catch the speyside whisky festival. Will start checking for accommodation in Dufftown as I am sure that rooms will get blocked fast once the dates are announced.

I am very interested in tasting sessions conducted at distilleries. And I have never done a warehouse tour. These 2 are the major interest.
Any recommendations for independent bottlers?

Thank you so much for showing the route map. :ok: I like Glenmoranjie too and will be very happy if I can accomodate this route.
I am afraid that finally it will become "so little time and so many places to see".

Any suggestions on scenic driving routes ? I just started my search and all I know is about the "A9 from Stirling to Inverness".

OMG - I was posting a very long detailed post at the same time as your last post. . . . and the system ate it. :(

Will try again - but this is a royal pain grrr!

With all due respect I wouldn't go north just to visit Highland Park. An evening in a whisky centric pub and/or at the Whisky centre in Edinburgh will let you taste flights of Highland Park or any other . . .

On Mull consider bed and breakfast,Isle of Mull,award winning,Seaview B & B,for,Isle of Iona Walking distance to the Iona foot ferry and boats to Staffa. Wonderful breakfasts

On Skye - Sligachan Hotel the most central location on the Isle for ease of touring and less than 8 miles from Talisker

Near Grantown-on- Spey - posh but probably within your budget Tigh na Sgiath Country House Hotel ? Holiday, Vacation, Accommodation, Small Country House Hotel Cairngorm National Park, Speyside, Grantown, Highlands, Scotland

Or in Dufftown -- either Tannochbrae Guest House | Bed and Breakfast | Dufftown | Scotland with its own whisky bar with more than 300 whiskies - or - Morven Bed and Breakfast on the town square.

There was more but them's the breaks :)

>>Any suggestions on scenic driving routes ?<<

In the western and north central areas where you will be -- there are nothing BUT scenic driving routes. You couldn't find 'ugly' if you tried. Because of slow drive times - once you finally set your destinations - we can give you small detours/tweaks that might be 'worth it'. But taking the most direct routes from place to place will be plenty scenic.

To get from Mull to Skye -- take either the Fishnish / Lochaline ferry or the Tobermory / Kilchoan ferry - not the Oban ferry.

Thanks a ton ! Checked all the stay suggestions and each looks great, especially Seaview @ Mull. Will keep track of the booking trends in these and start blocking once my plan is clear.
I have also been scouting Airbnb for EDI stay. Any recommendations, probably close to the Royal Mile? Even Hotel/B&B is fine.

Perfect ! Thanks.

Both Seaview and Sligachan are very popular and do tend to book up so those would probably need to be booked up as soon as your dates are certain. Re Dufftown/Grantown -- there are lots of decent properties in both but because of the Whisky festival you might need to book there quite early.


Lots of good flats all over Old Town Edinburgh through vrbo/airbnb/etc -- or check out Fraser Suites which is an ApartHotel just steps from St Giles Cathedral.

These two flats are in an AMAZING location just down from the castle and about 100 yards from the Whisky Centre:

https://www.edinburgh-selfcatering.c...inburgh-castle
https://www.edinburgh-selfcatering.c...inburgh-castle

I stayed in the Flat 1 during the Festival and it was great. Both are on the 2nd floor (3rd floor 'American') w/o a lift though.

Tastings at the distillery will net you only tastings of the distillery's offerings. That may be great. It may be mediocre.

Popping into a whisky purveyor on the Royal Mile could net you the same opportunity with larger variety because the shops won't be tied to a single distillery - Royal Mile Whiskies, Cadenhead shop, Robert Graham 1874 Whisky and Cigars, The Whisky Shop, and there's more.

This should help regarding independents.

Thanks. I am getting your point. Since this will be my first distillery visit in Scotland, the excitement to visit more is there. I will see how to balance between both.
I checked out the online sites of Royal Mile Whiskies and Cadenhead. Their collection looks great.
Regarding purchase of whisky bottles, my current thought is to buy from distilleries only if something catches my fancy. Else, I will pick up from these stores at the end before flying out of EDI based on what I like while trying at various bars during the trip.

Based on the discussions till now, this is how the route looks like : Scotland Route Map 1
Please let me know if there are any suggestions.
The 2019 Speyside Whisky Festival dates are from 02-06 May. Thinking of attending the last 3 days of the event.

Looks very nice - just a couple of questions - do you mean to stay the night in both Inveraray AND Kilmartin? I don't think you need both - one or the other. I'd choose Kilmartin myself, but either one would be fine.

And from Dufftown down to EDI, I personally would not go via the A9 travel through via Ballater, Spittal of Glenshee, etc like this:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Duff...d55.950785!3e0

Some spectacular scenery.

Sorry in case I was not clear earlier.

I will be reaching EDI on 01-May morning. And the Speyside whisky festival starts from 02-May. So, if I want to attend it, I will have do the above route anti-clockwise. EDI -> Dufftown -> Skye and so on.
I am thinking of staying in EDI for 2 nights and start for Dufftown on 03-May. Spend 3 nights in Dufftown and then move on.
Is there any big problem in doing in this order?

Then the journey on our final leg will be from Islay to EDI. Kilmartin or Inveraray can be a stop but its too close to Islay. So, we would prefer to move more closer to EDI on that penultimate day of roadtrip. After returning car in EDI, we will rest for a day before flying out.

Some random thoughts...

Since this is next year, presumably you haven't bought air tickets yet (you can't) so why not fly into Aberdeen instead of Edinburgh and start the loop from there? That would save a lot of boring driving on the A9, and you probably wouldn't be penalized for a one-way car hire between Scottish airports. Moving your Edinburgh nights to the end of the trip would also give the weather time to improve, since these would (presumably) be non-car days.

Kilmartin is a very small place, with limited lodging and food options. I'd personally stay in Inveraray and just allocate a couple of hours to Kilmartin en route between island stay-overs.

I'd make every effort to include a drive down Glen Etive (just east of Glen Coe) in the itinerary. One of the best hours (or two) you can spend in the Highlands IMO.

While I'm not especially a fan of Oban, the ferry from Oban to Mull would afford you the opportunity to see Duart Castle (on Mull) from the ship or on land. It's one of the most iconic castles in the Highlands, on a par with Eilean Donan up by the Kyle bridge. This, along with Glen Etive, might lead to a revised route between Mull and Skye, possibly using the A830 (the "Road to the Isles") through Glenfinnan to reach (or return from) Skye, rather than traversing the Morar area as your current plan shows.

Anyway, just some thoughts...

>>I will be reaching EDI on 01-May morning. And the Speyside whisky festival starts from 02-May. So, if I want to attend it, I will have do the above route anti-clockwise.<<

OOPS - I skimmed over that bit. I'd still consider my route -- but just going south to north. (Unless you fly in to Aberdeen - or even Inverness - instead of EDI)

Thank you. My tickets are not yet booked. Flying in to Aberdeen and flying out of EDI makes sense. I will keep this in mind when I book my tickets around Aug/Sep 2018.
Will check out the route suggestions too. Thanks.

Yes, I also feel that this should be ok. Depending on the flight fares, time saving etc, will see if Aberdeen works out as starting point. Thanks again.

If I fly into Aberdeen instead of Edinburgh, the tentative plan I am thinking of is as follows :

Day-1 : Reach Aberdeen, pick up car and drive into Dufftown
Dufftown - 4 nights, Skye - 4 nights, Mull - 3 nights, Islay - 4 nights & Edinburgh - 3 nights
If the drive from Islay to Edinburgh gets too long, we will halt somewhere on the way.
Return car @ EDI once we reach

So, I have 2 options now, one starting from Edinburgh and another starting from Aberdeen. Will decide depending on the cost of flight tickets and the timings.

Any suggestions on the above plan, please let me know. Thanks for all the help !!!

That looks like a wonderful itinerary. The only issues issues are Day 1 and the drive to Edinburgh. Day 1 you will be just off a very tiring travel day long haul. It is less than 50 miles but you may bey very jet lagged. I'd consider staying one night in/near Aberdeen and travel on to Dufftown the next morning.

Islay to Edinburgh is a very long drive. A minimum of 7 hours without a single stop and easily 9 hours with just basic photo op stops and lunch.

So I'd plan on breaking the journey in either Inveraray or Crianlarich. One is just under half the drive time and one just over.

Thanks Janisj. While reviewing the itinerary, these are the exact 2 points which were bothering me.
For both Edinburgh and Aberdeen, the arrival time will be around 1.00 PM local time. So, it will indeed be relaxing to just settle down for the night, stroll around the town and sleep early.
For the drive from Islay to Edinburgh, we will mostly take a break. Thanks for suggesting Crianlarich

All in all that is a very nice plan (with the minor tweaks) at a pretty relaxed pace.

While I have been reading online Scotland travel blogs and articles to learn about the country, I felt that a good book will be useful for my family to browse at leisure and know their "To do" :)
Ordered a paperback copy of "Scotland The Best" by Peter Irvine.

>>Ordered a paperback copy of "Scotland The Best" by Peter Irvine.<<

That is the absolute best resource for visiting (or even living in) Scotland. I kept loaning out my own copy so ended up buying a second one to keep just for myself (I think I actually have 3 copies around here somewhere)

It is wonderful - not a guide book as such but more a gazetteer / list of the "best" everythings.

Edinburgh : 2~3 days
 

We have 2~3 days in Edinburgh. And this is how we are thinking to spend our time
Visit Edinburgh Castle, Arthur's Seat, Scott Monument and HMY Brittania (my son will love this). Any feedback on "Museum of Scotland"?
Walk around the town absorbing the sites - Royal Mile, Old town, Railway station etc
General Shopping of Scotland specialties, Visit few Whisky shops - Royal Mile Whiskies, Cadenhead etc
Food - Try local delicacies. We love to hunt for smaller joints which serve local delicacies at vfm prices.
While driving in or out of Edinburgh, we will take short break at Glenkinchie distillery - Not do the tour but just a photo op, pick some memorabilia.
We do not plan to do the Gold/Silver scotch whisky tour at Edinburgh considering the fact that we will visit the speyside whisky festival and quite a few distilleries.

>>Walk around the town absorbing the sites - Royal Mile, Old town, Railway station etc<<

Old Town and the Royal Mile are one and the same (though Old town does spread south a bit, it is basically a narrow band parallel to the Royal Mile from the Caste to Holyrood). I wouldn't bother with the station.

Arthur's Seat mainly depends on the weather and if you want to hike. The views up top are fine - but with just a couple of days I might not spend 2 or 3 hours walking up Arthurs Seat and back. You can get great views from the Castle and from the observation deck at the Museum of Scotland.

The Scott Monument is just there -- you can't miss it. No need to go inside really. I enjoy visiting the Brittania -- it is up on the Firth so a bit of a jaunt from Princes Street/Old Town. How old is your son? Easy to visit if you have 3 days, a rush to fit in if you only have 2 days. The Museum of Scotland is wonderful -- Whether you visit or not will be mostly a matter of time.

Thanks. We are interested in doing simple hikes and walks, carry some packed snacks/lunch and have a small picnic. So, few hours for Arthur's seat should be ok. I have also been reading up about Ben Navis climb but that will almost need a whole day. but we will feel great if we can do it even by the tourist route. In mid-May, we can also expect some snow at the top. Another simpler way to enjoy the views will be the gondola ride to Aonach Mor. I will check further if we can manage this time on the day we drive from Skye to Mull.

My son will be 11 when we travel.

>>I will check further if we can manage this time on the day we drive from Skye to Mull.<<

Not if you take the best route(s) from Skye to Mull. You would be taking the Kilchoan or Lochaline ferries and not go near Ben Nevis. But even if you went the long way around via Ft William and Oban . . . Ben Nevis is totally (like absolutely 100%) weather dependent and to expect the weather to cooperate at the precise time you'd need is unrealistic. Most people who climb Ben Nevis (or even take the gondola) plan on staying in the immediate area several days in case they have to wait it out. It just isn't a place you can casually drive by and hike up.

Check out the info on this page Ben Nevis Walk via the Tourist Path (Mountain Track). Especially that it takes 8-9 hours by the tourist route and May is still too early.

An 11 yo will LOVE everything about Scotland . . . Lucky boy.

I remember being at the top of Ben Nevis one day in June during a heat wave ( for Scotland!) in Fort William: it was snowing at the top of Ben Nevis with poor visibility, so be careful - especially with an 11 year old- that the weather is suitable for any attempt. Personally I find the Tourist route tedious; however, I understand the urge to climb the UK's highest mountain.

I would second a trip to the National Museum of Scotland - your 11year old will love it; a detour across the road to explain the story of Greyfriars Bobby might also interest him/ her.

Although it is probably too early for your trip, I thought you might like to read this recent newspaper article, given your interest in Scotch whisky:

https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/dr...hed-by-diageo/

And my book arrived. What better way to savour it than a dram of Macallan :) Slainte Mhath !
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5e739ad434.jpg

Thanks Janisj & jtpj777. Its clear that Ben Navis cannot be just a stop during the day's drive. If we are very keen to do it, we will need to modify our itinerary and plan a halt. Lets see how it goes. We have some time to decide.
Today I read up about the National Museum of Scotland. It's pretty interesting and we will drop in. Thanks again.

@jtpj777 - Read the article on Scotch whisky and Diageo. Thanks. I hope that these investments make the distillery visits more interesting without impacting the old world charm. I read somewhere folks rueing about how the Macallan's ambitious expansion has made the distillery visits factory like.

If you are concerned about the situation of industrialisation of Scotch whisky production, perhaps you should consider a detour on your way to Islay to visit the Springbank distillery in Campbeltown on the Mull of Kintyre.

They are the only remaining distillery in Scotland ( I believe?) that processes the whole of the whisky production on site - from malting to bottling. In addition, they have a policy of employing local people over machines for much of their production. ( plus Springbank is a lovely, mellow Scotch!).

Thanks for this info. Will check how this fits in. Springbank is indeed a genteel one special to me for its fruity notes.

The Mull of Kintyre is a great area to explore. The distillery is about an hour south of the Kennacraig ferry terminal