Shubham_Lahoti

I will be traveling with my wife (so want to book accommodations beforehand)
- Month is April Easter hoildays 22-25 (i thought i mentioned it in subject - my bad )
- Arrival: (Caledonian sleeper has no seats left) so have to take morning train to reach Glasgow/ edinburgh(11 am). The only reason to get off at glasgow was that from there then i can take western highway rail.
- Departure by edinburgh/ inverness (seats are available but i need to reserve ASAP and hence now want to finalize my itinerary)

options according to me are the following:

1st option: Reach Edinburgh/ Glasgow - stay for the night and take a 3 day tour (timberbush/ rabbies)
big negative: less independent, have to rush with tour without getting to spend much time at places (i hate tours and have done only 1 or 2 till now)
+ve need not plan anything

2nd option
(train - 1st day, next 3 days - scotcity explorer pass or individual bus tickets)
MY like: nature, wilderness, being in secluded places
Day 1 11:30 reaching Glasgow
2-3 hours in Glasgow
Leave by afternoon train to mallaig (have read that its quite a picturesque route)
Overnight in mallaig
Next day
Skye (are scot-city bus enough to see the surroundings)
Next Day
Inverness and surrounding (are scot-city bus enough to see the surroundings)
(reach edinburgh by night or leave in the morning)
Last day
Edinburgh (night departure)
Please suggest is it ok. or i can add-delete something or taking tour is advisable

3rd option
Car hire:
- Car hiring: I was very MUCH interested but
- because everyone has advised me against it
- i haven't driven much on hilly roads and this is the main reason
- Mostly driven on Indian highways (though they train you a lot but still...!!!)
- I will be the only person driving so it will be a bit tiring

- Regarding waiting for buses etc. I will then make sure I have all time table and will visit a city-village accordingly..

davidx

Your second option owuld be easily the best for me. That rail route is indeed smashing. Personally I would cut the Inverness bit and have extra time in Skye.
Whereas you can see a lot by bus, I suggest that you might be better off trying to hire a car in Broadford or Portree for your time on Skye.

historytraveler

Regarding your second option, you say you plan to reach Glasgow at 11:30 and spend a couple of hours then leave on afternoon train to Mallaig. There is a train departing Glasgow about 12:30 reaching Mallaig later afternoon (5:30 ?)but no train afternoon.

You should really check Skye bus schedules before you arrive to see if your trip there is even feasible. Trying to do Skye in one day via local transportation seems a bit crazy IMO. I'm sure it can proably be done but certainly will require considerable planning and you'll not likely see more than a couple of places. The train from Klye of Lochalsh to Inverness is a better option than coach but personally, I'd drop Inverness. You'd only have a half day (at best) there anyway.

Too many one day, one night stops IMO. You said you don't like tours because they are rushed and don't allow you enough time. Well, that's exactly what your present itinerary does as well. Coach and train travel are great options but not with such a limited time frame and wanting to cover the distances you have mentioned. Rethink.

janisj

There is nothing (absolutely nothing) and no reason to stay a night in Mallaig.

Who is the "everyone" advising you not to drive? Driving in rural Scotland is very easy. The roads do twist and turn a bit but there are any mountains you have to drive up and down.

But if you are dead set against driving either

1) take a train to Mallaig and immediately ferry over to Skye, stay 2 nights then take the train (either Kyle to Inverness and down or back via Mallaig/Ft William) back to Edinburgh.

or

2) Take the train up to Inverness and stay two nights to explore the area (Loch Ness, Cawdor, Culloden, Ft George, etc) then take the train down to Edinburgh.

You can't really do Skye AND Inverness in essentially 2 days. So pick one or the other.

janisj

Oh - and in either case, unfortunately you won't have any free time to explore Glasgow. You'll want to catch the train to Mallaig or to I'ness.