Back from Scotland-quickie trip report
May 19th, 2007 | 08:15 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 366
Likes: 0
Back from Scotland-quickie trip report
Hi Everybody!
I just came back from my Scotland Holiday and wanted to thank everybody for all their advice and suggestions. I had an absolutely fantastic trip, much better than I had expected. Here is a general trip report:
Day 1: Glasgow for just half a day. I took the hop-on-hop-off bus as I only had a short time. It was good considering my time constraints and I got a good overview of the city. I spent most of my time in the West End near Glasgow University as I love old campuses. Walked around Kelvingore Park. Had dinner at Stravaigin which was delicious.
I stayed at Adelaides Guest House on 209 Bath Street and would NEVER recommend it to anybody. They had an orchestra rehearsing till almost 10pm and it was just plain awful, and deafening. The sheets also had dirty spots all over them. Location was great though!
Day 2-4: West Highland Rail ride from Glasgow to Mallaig. This was a highlight for me. The views were stunning! I was ultimately heading to Skye. On the schedules, it seems as though the connections from rail to ferry to bus to Portree are planned so that you can make these connections right away, however, that wasn't so. Also, the bus can be quite unreliable and I was told that they sometimes miss the spot from Armadale ferry. We finally got to Portree.
Best meal there was at Cafe Arriba.
Stayed at Sandra Campbell's B&B which was very nice and clean, and she was quite hospitable. Only issue is that the B&B is up a hill so could get quite tiring.
Using the bus, we were able to get to walks up to Old Man of Storr, and the walk from the Quirang (sp?). If we had gotten out early enough, we could have made the loop trip around Old Man of Storr and other sites on the bus but we missed that bus. Note that the bus schedule on weekends is very very limited. If relying on bus in Skye, I'd have gone on a weekday only, not the weekend.
Had an ordinary meal at Bosville Hotel....it was quite plain and dull actually. Another good meal was at the Prince of India.
Day 5-7:
Edinburgh.....
As much as I liked Edinburgh, I really preferred Glasgow. More artsy, cultural, interesting, and 'liveable'. Next time, I'd stay longer in Glasgow.
Stayed at Mingalar Guest House which I highly recommend. Very convenient to walk to New Town, clean, interesting. If you get a street-side room, it can be a bit noisy from traffic but tolerable. I'd stay here again.
Walked around Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat (got lost here actually as we went via Dumsapie Loch....it was also quite windy and very slippery so we didn't make it to the top. Don't think I'd do it again!), walked around Old Town.
Best Meals: L'Alba D'Oro for very fresh fish and chips. Highly recommend.
Another great meal at Olive Bar on Broughton Street. Not many other good meals, afraid to say!
Day 8-9: East Neuk Fishing Villages.
One of my favourite parts of this holiday. I'm so glad I decided to stay for 2 days. Took the train to Leuchars, bus to St. Andrews, and another bus to Crail. This trip was very easily manageable using the bus system.
Stayed at The Marine in Crail. Don't recommend, unless you have no other options.
Took the bus to Anstruther. Visited the Scottish Fisheries Museum which was brilliant! I loved the museum and wish I had more time there. One of my favourite museums. Ate at the Waterfront which was alright. Didn't try the famous fish and chips shop there. I wanted to eat at the Cellar and thought they did lunch, but it's only dinner. Reservations are a must.
Took the bus to Pittenweem, my most favourite fishing village. Very 'real' and seems to be the most authentic fishing village with shipbuilders tinkering around the ships at the harbour. If I were to go again, I'd spend extra time here, and less time at Elie & St. Monans. Went to St. Filian's Cove which was a nice little surprize and very peaceful. Enjoyed walking around the different wynds and the cottages were so lovely!
St. Monans was also charming, and very pretty with the windmill. By this time, it was raining, however supposedly this area has some interesting geology for those interested. A highlight of this little village was the Chinese Restaurant on the main road! Food in Scotland was quite bland, so it was nice to fill up on some spicy and tasty food. Quite fresh too.
St. Andrews was an unexpected stop for me, and I loved it. Loved walking around the university, seeing St. Andrews Castle and Cathedral. Wish I had more time to learn about the history and explore more.
Day 9-10: Back to Edinburgh
Last day was raining most of the day. Mainly relaxed. Walked around the Botanic Garden which was quite pretty. Visited the National Museum of Scotland....it was nice and small, and not-so-overwhelming. Enjoyed the Scottish artists work the best.
I was hoping to see a music session at Royal Oak or Sandy Bells but they were postponed and it was raining too hard.
Stayed at McCrae's B&B in Edinburgh this time. It was lovely and clean, owner was nice. Door locks were very stiff though, and could barely manage them when coming in after the rain. On a nice, quiet street though.
All in all, this was a great trip. I never thought I'd want to go back, but I definitely do. I loved how accessible Scotland was using the bus and train, and how genuinely nice the people were. Also very safe if travelling alone.
Loads of thanks again to everybody for all the suggestions. I know this is why I had such a lovely holiday.
Cheers,
gtrekker2003
I just came back from my Scotland Holiday and wanted to thank everybody for all their advice and suggestions. I had an absolutely fantastic trip, much better than I had expected. Here is a general trip report:
Day 1: Glasgow for just half a day. I took the hop-on-hop-off bus as I only had a short time. It was good considering my time constraints and I got a good overview of the city. I spent most of my time in the West End near Glasgow University as I love old campuses. Walked around Kelvingore Park. Had dinner at Stravaigin which was delicious.
I stayed at Adelaides Guest House on 209 Bath Street and would NEVER recommend it to anybody. They had an orchestra rehearsing till almost 10pm and it was just plain awful, and deafening. The sheets also had dirty spots all over them. Location was great though!
Day 2-4: West Highland Rail ride from Glasgow to Mallaig. This was a highlight for me. The views were stunning! I was ultimately heading to Skye. On the schedules, it seems as though the connections from rail to ferry to bus to Portree are planned so that you can make these connections right away, however, that wasn't so. Also, the bus can be quite unreliable and I was told that they sometimes miss the spot from Armadale ferry. We finally got to Portree.
Best meal there was at Cafe Arriba.
Stayed at Sandra Campbell's B&B which was very nice and clean, and she was quite hospitable. Only issue is that the B&B is up a hill so could get quite tiring.
Using the bus, we were able to get to walks up to Old Man of Storr, and the walk from the Quirang (sp?). If we had gotten out early enough, we could have made the loop trip around Old Man of Storr and other sites on the bus but we missed that bus. Note that the bus schedule on weekends is very very limited. If relying on bus in Skye, I'd have gone on a weekday only, not the weekend.
Had an ordinary meal at Bosville Hotel....it was quite plain and dull actually. Another good meal was at the Prince of India.
Day 5-7:
Edinburgh.....
As much as I liked Edinburgh, I really preferred Glasgow. More artsy, cultural, interesting, and 'liveable'. Next time, I'd stay longer in Glasgow.
Stayed at Mingalar Guest House which I highly recommend. Very convenient to walk to New Town, clean, interesting. If you get a street-side room, it can be a bit noisy from traffic but tolerable. I'd stay here again.
Walked around Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat (got lost here actually as we went via Dumsapie Loch....it was also quite windy and very slippery so we didn't make it to the top. Don't think I'd do it again!), walked around Old Town.
Best Meals: L'Alba D'Oro for very fresh fish and chips. Highly recommend.
Another great meal at Olive Bar on Broughton Street. Not many other good meals, afraid to say!
Day 8-9: East Neuk Fishing Villages.
One of my favourite parts of this holiday. I'm so glad I decided to stay for 2 days. Took the train to Leuchars, bus to St. Andrews, and another bus to Crail. This trip was very easily manageable using the bus system.
Stayed at The Marine in Crail. Don't recommend, unless you have no other options.
Took the bus to Anstruther. Visited the Scottish Fisheries Museum which was brilliant! I loved the museum and wish I had more time there. One of my favourite museums. Ate at the Waterfront which was alright. Didn't try the famous fish and chips shop there. I wanted to eat at the Cellar and thought they did lunch, but it's only dinner. Reservations are a must.
Took the bus to Pittenweem, my most favourite fishing village. Very 'real' and seems to be the most authentic fishing village with shipbuilders tinkering around the ships at the harbour. If I were to go again, I'd spend extra time here, and less time at Elie & St. Monans. Went to St. Filian's Cove which was a nice little surprize and very peaceful. Enjoyed walking around the different wynds and the cottages were so lovely!
St. Monans was also charming, and very pretty with the windmill. By this time, it was raining, however supposedly this area has some interesting geology for those interested. A highlight of this little village was the Chinese Restaurant on the main road! Food in Scotland was quite bland, so it was nice to fill up on some spicy and tasty food. Quite fresh too.
St. Andrews was an unexpected stop for me, and I loved it. Loved walking around the university, seeing St. Andrews Castle and Cathedral. Wish I had more time to learn about the history and explore more.
Day 9-10: Back to Edinburgh
Last day was raining most of the day. Mainly relaxed. Walked around the Botanic Garden which was quite pretty. Visited the National Museum of Scotland....it was nice and small, and not-so-overwhelming. Enjoyed the Scottish artists work the best.
I was hoping to see a music session at Royal Oak or Sandy Bells but they were postponed and it was raining too hard.
Stayed at McCrae's B&B in Edinburgh this time. It was lovely and clean, owner was nice. Door locks were very stiff though, and could barely manage them when coming in after the rain. On a nice, quiet street though.
All in all, this was a great trip. I never thought I'd want to go back, but I definitely do. I loved how accessible Scotland was using the bus and train, and how genuinely nice the people were. Also very safe if travelling alone.
Loads of thanks again to everybody for all the suggestions. I know this is why I had such a lovely holiday.
Cheers,
gtrekker2003
May 19th, 2007 | 10:12 AM
#5
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 0
Enjoyed your 'quickie' trip report. I was also glad to hear you were able to utilize the public transportation system so well. It CAN be done! And, yes, Scotland does have that "I have to return" effect on people.
Although I still prefer Edinburgh, I'm a fan of Glasgow too. Unfortunately it often gets the short schrift.
Although I still prefer Edinburgh, I'm a fan of Glasgow too. Unfortunately it often gets the short schrift.
May 19th, 2007 | 02:45 PM
#6
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 366
Likes: 0
amelie,
I usually like to visit a country once and then go see someplace else. I have so much to see and do on my list. I think I just loved how easy it was to get around Scotland.
Sheila, as for the good, bad, and ugly.
The 'good'....the people were so kind and genuine, ease with transportation (not once did I really feel limited, except on a weekend in Portree, and while waiting for the bus in Armadale). I loved the train ride from GLA to Mallaig. Next time I wwould like to do the train from Kyle of Lochalsh (sp?) I really liked the Scottish Fisheries Museum and wish I had time for the Lighthouse museum. I really liked Pittenweem and St. Andrews the best of the E. Neuk fishing villages. And I also really liked the walk around Portree Harbour and to the Old Man of Storr.
Another good service was the Edinburgh shuttle that goes directly from the hotel to the airport. I didn't learn about this during my trip planning, only when in the city.
The ugliest part for me was Adelaides. I even wrote them a letter expressing my disappointment, and they said that usually guests love to hear orchestra music till 10pm. It was definitely blaring in my ears and I got a massive headache on the first night there after being very jet lagged. It was also a bit dirty.
Another ugly/bad was walking from Broughton Street to Leith as I got some racial comments from another walker-by which was slightly frightening as the streets were empty. I wouldn't walk there again.
The last ugly was at Daniel's, a fish restaurant, in Leith. I had asked for a vegetarian soup which had pork in it, which I can't eat. That was all.
The 'bad'....I wasn't impressed with the food. I had a lot of Marks and Spencers meals which I fancied more. I'd also avoid travelling through Heathrow airport from the US, and maybe travel direct from Newark airport.
Another bad, the slipperiness of the trail through Dumsapie Loch to Arthur's Seat. I wouldn't do it on a windy or rainy day.
Best Hotel: Mingalar Guest House in Edinburgh
Best Food: The very best of all was Greggs and I loved their Steak Bake and the Apple pastry dessert with the whipped creme in it. Next was Olive Bar in Edinburgh, Cafe Arriba in Portree, L'Alba D'oro in Edinburgh (cheap too), and Stravaigin in Glasgow. I wish I had more time to also try Two Fat Ladies and Cafe Gondolfi in Glasgow.
Best Village: Pittenweem
Best City: Glasgow
Best Walk: Portree Harbour and Old Man of Storr
Best Unexpected stop: St. Andrews
Best Train Journey: West Highland Rail ride (If I were to do it again, I'd come back from Portree via the Kyle of Lochalsh route and stay less in Edinburgh).
Wishlist for next time:
Scottish Lighthouse Museum
More time at Fisheries Museum
Better research on good food/restaurants
Further out Western Islands
Train ride from Kyle of Lochalsh
More time in Glasgow
See a music gig in Glasgow
Hear a session at Sandy Bells and Royal Oak
Happy to hear you liked my quickie, informal trip report, albeit a bit scattered. Thanks again to everybody for their help!
Cheers,
gtrekker2003
I usually like to visit a country once and then go see someplace else. I have so much to see and do on my list. I think I just loved how easy it was to get around Scotland.
Sheila, as for the good, bad, and ugly.
The 'good'....the people were so kind and genuine, ease with transportation (not once did I really feel limited, except on a weekend in Portree, and while waiting for the bus in Armadale). I loved the train ride from GLA to Mallaig. Next time I wwould like to do the train from Kyle of Lochalsh (sp?) I really liked the Scottish Fisheries Museum and wish I had time for the Lighthouse museum. I really liked Pittenweem and St. Andrews the best of the E. Neuk fishing villages. And I also really liked the walk around Portree Harbour and to the Old Man of Storr.
Another good service was the Edinburgh shuttle that goes directly from the hotel to the airport. I didn't learn about this during my trip planning, only when in the city.
The ugliest part for me was Adelaides. I even wrote them a letter expressing my disappointment, and they said that usually guests love to hear orchestra music till 10pm. It was definitely blaring in my ears and I got a massive headache on the first night there after being very jet lagged. It was also a bit dirty.
Another ugly/bad was walking from Broughton Street to Leith as I got some racial comments from another walker-by which was slightly frightening as the streets were empty. I wouldn't walk there again.
The last ugly was at Daniel's, a fish restaurant, in Leith. I had asked for a vegetarian soup which had pork in it, which I can't eat. That was all.
The 'bad'....I wasn't impressed with the food. I had a lot of Marks and Spencers meals which I fancied more. I'd also avoid travelling through Heathrow airport from the US, and maybe travel direct from Newark airport.
Another bad, the slipperiness of the trail through Dumsapie Loch to Arthur's Seat. I wouldn't do it on a windy or rainy day.
Best Hotel: Mingalar Guest House in Edinburgh
Best Food: The very best of all was Greggs and I loved their Steak Bake and the Apple pastry dessert with the whipped creme in it. Next was Olive Bar in Edinburgh, Cafe Arriba in Portree, L'Alba D'oro in Edinburgh (cheap too), and Stravaigin in Glasgow. I wish I had more time to also try Two Fat Ladies and Cafe Gondolfi in Glasgow.
Best Village: Pittenweem
Best City: Glasgow
Best Walk: Portree Harbour and Old Man of Storr
Best Unexpected stop: St. Andrews
Best Train Journey: West Highland Rail ride (If I were to do it again, I'd come back from Portree via the Kyle of Lochalsh route and stay less in Edinburgh).
Wishlist for next time:
Scottish Lighthouse Museum
More time at Fisheries Museum
Better research on good food/restaurants
Further out Western Islands
Train ride from Kyle of Lochalsh
More time in Glasgow
See a music gig in Glasgow
Hear a session at Sandy Bells and Royal Oak
Happy to hear you liked my quickie, informal trip report, albeit a bit scattered.
Thanks again to everybody for their help!Cheers,
gtrekker2003
