bonny scotland
Nov 27th, 2005, 05:25 PM
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bonny scotland
My wife and I are going to be in Scotland for about a month. We will be staying in the town of Gourock on the river Clyde. Can someone tell us if there are bus tours to the north of Scotland and which ones are the best. We will be there in May and part of June 06
Nov 27th, 2005, 07:27 PM
#2
Sure there are bus tours of Scotland. But w/ a month to work with I personally wouldn't choose a tour.
Are you staying in Gourock most of the time and just have a few weekends (or a few days) to tour? Or are you planning on traveling around a lot during the month? What are your general plans, timewise?
If you can drive, renting a car for weekends or more would be a great way to tour parts of Scotland. Or you can take trains to lots of places.
But give us more info about how much time you actually have for touring, etc and we can give you more useful info.
Are you staying in Gourock most of the time and just have a few weekends (or a few days) to tour? Or are you planning on traveling around a lot during the month? What are your general plans, timewise?
If you can drive, renting a car for weekends or more would be a great way to tour parts of Scotland. Or you can take trains to lots of places.
But give us more info about how much time you actually have for touring, etc and we can give you more useful info.
Nov 28th, 2005, 12:40 PM
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Gourock?! You're kidding??
Staing with rellies? there couldn't really be another reason (although I do have friends who spent a wet week in a caravan in Wemyss bay, one year)
Anyway, I digress. Yes, there are bus tours to the north of Scotland. I have no idea which ones are best, but given your location you may want to have a look at the Prestige website.
As Janis says, fill us in on more background and maybe we can help more.
Staing with rellies? there couldn't really be another reason (although I do have friends who spent a wet week in a caravan in Wemyss bay, one year)
Anyway, I digress. Yes, there are bus tours to the north of Scotland. I have no idea which ones are best, but given your location you may want to have a look at the Prestige website.
As Janis says, fill us in on more background and maybe we can help more.
Nov 30th, 2005, 03:57 AM
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As far as I know right how my wife will be staying in Gourock most of the time but as for me I will be taking off for parts unknown as often as I can get away. I have been there and done that scene(Clyde River Towns) for the past twenty years and I believe there must be more to Scotland than the West Coast. I have been to the boarder area and found that very beautiful.
As for driving in Scotland I will have to say that is not an option. Have you ever seen the Scots driving??? or maybe I should say "pointing the car in some direction and just going. I live in Boston and I would much rather risk my life to the Boston drivers than even think of getting on any British highway. I drove over thirteen hundred miles through England back in 1990 and I promised myself that I would never do that again no matter what.
As for driving in Scotland I will have to say that is not an option. Have you ever seen the Scots driving??? or maybe I should say "pointing the car in some direction and just going. I live in Boston and I would much rather risk my life to the Boston drivers than even think of getting on any British highway. I drove over thirteen hundred miles through England back in 1990 and I promised myself that I would never do that again no matter what.
Nov 30th, 2005, 04:10 AM
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Now now takie, Did You Know (TM) that the UK has the third safest roads in the world, according to accident statistics, after the Netherlands and Swtizerland, whilst the US comes in at 27? And those statistics include tourists attempting to drive on the 'other' side of the road LOL.
Nov 30th, 2005, 05:48 AM
#6
Trust me, I would <b>much</b> rather drive in Scotland than I would in LA or especially in Boston (And I'm from California). Driving anywhere in Scotland except maybe central Glasgow and central Edinburgh is easier and less frantic than most places in the States.
I am amazed you have been going to Gourock for 20 years and haven't seen anything but the Clyde and a bit of the Borders.
I personally would not take tours in your situation. The rail service out of Glasgow will get you to the far north, to the Ferry to Skye, to Edinburgh, to Inverness, Aberdeen, Oban, Stirling, Ayr, Dumfries or just about anywhere.
Since you have so much time to play with, every few days I'd just pick an area and take the train. The TIC in each town can find you a place to stay.
I am amazed you have been going to Gourock for 20 years and haven't seen anything but the Clyde and a bit of the Borders.
I personally would not take tours in your situation. The rail service out of Glasgow will get you to the far north, to the Ferry to Skye, to Edinburgh, to Inverness, Aberdeen, Oban, Stirling, Ayr, Dumfries or just about anywhere.
Since you have so much time to play with, every few days I'd just pick an area and take the train. The TIC in each town can find you a place to stay.
Dec 1st, 2005, 01:53 PM
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takie,
The Clyde Coast has it's good points but you should definitely head north and west. Trains run from Glasgow Queen Street to Oban, Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh (jumping off point for Skye) and umpteen great places in between. There's a lot of country you can't reach by train, sometimes not even by bus, but as long as you go with the attitude of enjoying where you go rather than fretting over where you miss, you'll have a great time.
Driving in Scotland is no real problem as long as you take your time and avoid the busiest periods near the big cities.
As for accommodation, decide where you want to go and ask Fodors - someone will know a good place to stay. Alternatively do a google search on the name of the town or village you want to visit and there's a good chance there will be a site maintained by local residents that will give you useful informaiton on accommodation and lots more besides. (Don't try this approach with big cities or your computer will melt with the number of matches it tries to give you.) The official Scottish Tourist Board web site visitscotland.com is worth checking out, but you'll probably pay through the nose if you book accommodation with them - find a place you fancy, check their contact details and contact them directly. Local Tourist Information Centres will arrange accommodation for a small fee, though the Scottish Tourist Board seems to be actively discouraging this - they want to channel everything through the web site. If you're going by public transport away from the main tourist destinations I'd advise you to book even a day or two ahead - you won't have the option of driving twenty miles to the next town, and evening buses and trains are often non existent in the remoter areas. Accommodation is often busier and more expensive the weekends that contain the first and last Mondays in May as these are Bank Holidays in England and Public Holidays in many parts of Scotland. Trains and buses to the most popular destinatons can also be full immediately before and after a holiday weekend - you might need to book ahead to get a seat.
The journey planner on travelinescotland.com is a good way of getting public transport information for your intended destinations - you're probably looking at buses from Buchanan Bust Station or trains from Queen Street, both in the centre of Glasgow. The "standard fare" shown on traveline is often way above what you should expect to pay.
Once you've firmed up your ideas on where you want to visit, post something on Fodors with your intended destination in the title and we'll keep you right.
The Clyde Coast has it's good points but you should definitely head north and west. Trains run from Glasgow Queen Street to Oban, Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh (jumping off point for Skye) and umpteen great places in between. There's a lot of country you can't reach by train, sometimes not even by bus, but as long as you go with the attitude of enjoying where you go rather than fretting over where you miss, you'll have a great time.
Driving in Scotland is no real problem as long as you take your time and avoid the busiest periods near the big cities.
As for accommodation, decide where you want to go and ask Fodors - someone will know a good place to stay. Alternatively do a google search on the name of the town or village you want to visit and there's a good chance there will be a site maintained by local residents that will give you useful informaiton on accommodation and lots more besides. (Don't try this approach with big cities or your computer will melt with the number of matches it tries to give you.) The official Scottish Tourist Board web site visitscotland.com is worth checking out, but you'll probably pay through the nose if you book accommodation with them - find a place you fancy, check their contact details and contact them directly. Local Tourist Information Centres will arrange accommodation for a small fee, though the Scottish Tourist Board seems to be actively discouraging this - they want to channel everything through the web site. If you're going by public transport away from the main tourist destinations I'd advise you to book even a day or two ahead - you won't have the option of driving twenty miles to the next town, and evening buses and trains are often non existent in the remoter areas. Accommodation is often busier and more expensive the weekends that contain the first and last Mondays in May as these are Bank Holidays in England and Public Holidays in many parts of Scotland. Trains and buses to the most popular destinatons can also be full immediately before and after a holiday weekend - you might need to book ahead to get a seat.
The journey planner on travelinescotland.com is a good way of getting public transport information for your intended destinations - you're probably looking at buses from Buchanan Bust Station or trains from Queen Street, both in the centre of Glasgow. The "standard fare" shown on traveline is often way above what you should expect to pay.
Once you've firmed up your ideas on where you want to visit, post something on Fodors with your intended destination in the title and we'll keep you right.
