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A week in Scotland - how to add Scottish authentic culture

Sat: 11am fly to Edin, 1pm Drive from Edinburgh via Stirling to Aviemore, Sun: Circuit up to Loch Ness, Urquhart, Inverness, Culloden battlefield, whiskey trail: nearby Clava Cairns (prehistoric burial mounds). Mon: R&R; Tues: Orkneys tour? Wed: Glen Coe???Thursday: Isle of Skye? Frid: Aviemore Sat: Return to Edinb.

I know a week is ridiculously short.The above week lists the usual tourist sites for our first trip to Scotland. What are some of the ordinary Scottish activities that a middle-aged Australian couple could experience, that would be different from our Australian lifestyle?

Is this a joke - are you planning on using a helicopter between Tuesday and Friday as it's the only way this can be done. Do you know what the roads are like - the Orkney islands are a long way from the Inverness area, not including the sea crossing. There's probably a whiskey trail in Ireland - in Scotland it's called whisky! What do you mean by 'authentic' Scottish culture - I don't see any mention of pubs,chip shops and football matches. I think you need to be a bit more realistic in yout plans!

Let me be slightly less scathing, and try and answer the question. There's always a question as to what "ordinary" is; and nothing is ordinary for a holidaymaker (tho I am gobsmacked at the concept of needing R&R whilst on holiday:)) 1. Aviemore for sure? It's one of the least authentic places in the country being a figment of the fevered imagination of 1960s planners. If you want to be on Speyside go slightly east and stay in Nethy Bridge or Dulnanin Bridge or somewhere. If you want to be on the A96, stay in Kingussie or Newtonmore. 2. What time of year are you going? If in winter and you're in that area, go to a shinty match. 3. Find a good pub and spend the evening in it. Converse. You won't find it hard. for some reason we love Australians. 4. If at an OK time of year go fishing on the Spey. 5. Go to church. 6. If summer go to a Highland Games (I can check the schedule if you give me dates) 7. Walk up a mountain (or if you must, take the funicular up Cairngorm). To be authentic is should be raining:) 8. You can do a day trip to Orkney from Inverness. Review your priorities before you commit. It's a long way and a long day. Wonderful island if you do it. 7. You will prefer Glen Coe to Loch Ness. Ask yourself why you're doing both. If you are going to go to Skye, you can drive down the side of the loch to get there. 8. Anything called a ceilidh will be for tourists. Go to a "Dance". Have a great time

Thanks,Chas, for explaining the two spellings of whisky. That's something I've gained.

Sheila, thank you for your excellent suggestions. We'll make good use. Some other points:- 1. By R&R, I meant a less structured day, although we may be tired after 10 days in southern Africa and an overnight flight to Edinburgh then the drive to Aviemore. Southern Africa and Scotland are the beginning of a longer trip. By R&R I was keeping time for your suggested activities rather than tourist sites. 2. Aviemore: this is a timeshare week that cost us nothing, and we will certainly look at Nethy Bridge, etc. 3. 6 June to 13 June 2003, then 3 nights in Edinburgh. Will there be any Highland Games then? 4. Orkney Islands: We are still undecided on this, and know it would be a long day. Someone on Fodors said they took the bus tour from Inverness and said it was an excellent experience. We would like to know the cost and times, and whether it runs everyday. Perhaps it should have a lower priority. 5. Although we recently climbed Uluru in Australia, we may take the funicular to the Cairngorms (Sp?). 6. How long would it take to drive from Aviemore to Skye? It seems on the map to be approx 31/2 hours each way. 7. Thank you again for your great suggestions. If you have any more, we would be grateful.

Eileen Donan castle, not far from the Kyle of Lochalsh(?) on the way to the Skye ferry...

Jim OK. More is understood:) If you have the timeshare thing, then don't move. It'll do fine. I've checked the games web site and next year's programme is not yet up. Given that they tend to be about the same date every year, the ones you are likely to be around about are (these are this year's dates):- JUNE 2 (Sunday) MARKINCH HIGHLAND GAMES JUNE 8 (Saturday) KILMORE & KILBRIDE HIGHLAND GAMES JUNE 8 (Saturday) BEARSDEN & MILNGAVIE HIGHLAND GAMES JUNE 8 (Saturday) HAWICK BORDER GAMES JUNE 9 (Sunday) FORFAR HIGHLAND GAMES JUNE 15 (Saturday) NEWBURGH (Fife) HIGHLAND GAMES JUNE 15 (Saturday) OLDMELDRUM SPORTS & HIGHLAND GAMES JUNE 15 (Saturday) SELKIRK COMMON RIDING GAMES 771425 JUNE 22 (Saturday) DRUMTOCHTY HIGHLAND GAMES The people who dio this are Puffin Express. Their web site is:- http://www.puffinexpress.co.uk/ I haven't done it, but it gets a great name. I think it should not take more than 2 ish hours to the bridge to Skye. It's quite a long way from the Bridge to anything worth seeing. The ferry Maurice refers to is defunct with the opening of the bridge, but Eilean Donan is still there justa few miles south of Kyle. Most people here think it's stunning for its setting but the tour's not up to much. I can't comment on the ltter, because I haven't done it.