Day-trip base, is this realistic?
 

Hi all,
I'm new to these forums. I'm planning/dreaming of our trip to Great Britain this coming August. I've read a lot of posts concerning our Scotland portion of our trip. We will be seven days in Scotland. I'm thinking of two full days for Edinburgh, but keep changing my mind as far as how to fill the remaining five days. We will have a rental car, and don't mind driving. The Highlands are particularly appealing for the scenery (even more than castles and whisky!). If we stay in Inverness for three or four nights (we hate having to change beds every night..) are day-trips realistic (for example going to see Eilean Donan or even Glen Brittle on Skye, going to Inverewe)? I would appreciate a reality-check given the often slow-going on the roads.
Many thanks in advance!

Yes, a 3 day base up north would be a good option. I normally rent a cottage and spend a full week in one location, doing day trips from there.

I would not personally stay IN Inverness though. It is really just a busy town w/ a river running through it. Since you'll have a car you don't need to stay in the city but maybe in a village w/i a 10 or 15 mile radius of there.

From the general Inverness area, a day trip to Skye is definitely doable. You'll pass Eilean Donan on your route.

Plus all the places closer like the Black Isle, the Cairngorms, Lochness/Urquhart castle (you can see these enroute to Skye too), Culloden etc.

I suggest that you re-post this with "Scotland" in the title - it'll get more responses.

It's kinda hard to base for day-trips in Scotland. The sights are fairly far apart and, as you say, there is 'often slow-going on the roads'. I think you should 'change beds every night'. You won't need reservations and it's fun to meet different B+B hosts.

I'd focus on the Western Highlands and especially the Western Isles (Skye and Mull). That'd be a wonderfully scenic and appealing one-week trip. And yes, definitely include Inverewe!

In my opinion, 2 days (out of 7) in Edinburgh is one too many - maybe even two too many. Go for that special Scottish scenery instead...

&quot;<i>It's kinda hard to base for day-trips in Scotland. The sights are fairly far apart and, as you say, there is 'often slow-going on the roads'. I think you should 'change beds every night'.</i>&quot;

I've been to Scotland many, many times and have hardly ever stayed just one night anyplace except when I needed to chill after an overnight flight and before starting my driving, and once in a while when I had no other choice. My normal plan is a couple of week-long stays separated by two or three 2-nighters in between. IMO 1-night stand after 1-night stand after 1-night stand gets pretty old pretty quickly.

Scotland has MANY areas that work for multiple night stays and bases for day trips. Near Inverness is just one.

janisj - Your opinion is most respected. You're much more knowledgable than I am on this subject.

It was my thought, given that hypolite has a mere 5 (or 7) days, it'd be better to move around a bit more. S/he doesn't (yet) have the luxury of going 'to Scotland many, many times'.

I think, however, it's hard to do a self catering let for a week and get in Edinburgh and the Highlands, and there'll be a problem with lets in August which are shorter.

I think you could do three bases and cover a lot. Say Edinburgh 2 nights- it would be a shame to come to Scotland and not spend some time there; then somewhere like Loch Carron from where you could do Skye, Gairloch and Poolewe and Torridon.

And then some where south of Oban to finish off

Oh - I definitely wasn't suggesting self catering. Was just using my experience to illustrate staying in one place for a few days lets you see a lot -- sometimes even more than if you move every night.

Many thanks to you all, janisj, TuckH and Sheila for your opinions. I really appreciate your comments.

If you decide on staying in Inverness or nearby, go to Dunrobin Castle. Seriously. I shill for that place so often on this board I ought to get a cut of the earnings.

Or not.

Dunrobin's just a couple of hours north of Inverness on good roads and through nice scenery. And for your whisky needs, you'll pass Glenmorangie's distillery -- the #1 distiller by volume of single malt scotch in Scotland (last info I had), Glenmorangie is one of the few single malt distillers that does not sell its casks to independent bottlers.

And then there's Cawdor Castle (legendary home of MacBeth, though not in anything akin to its current form), Culloden battlefield, Clava Cairns, Brodie Castle etc. all near Inverness.

Thank you BigRuss for the very interesting information. I will keep this in mind when making our final plans.