jkirk

We are planning a trip to Scotland March 21 -28. Spending several days in St Andrews and then drive to another area to spend one or two nights. Can anyone tell me about road conditions north to Inverness at that time of year. Snow? Ice? I am not fond of winding roads. Friends traveling with us want to go to the Whisky Trail. How much driving time should we allow for this trip? Any ideas where to stop and where to stay?

sheila

Oh, an easy one, then?....

You need a to predict crystal Ball weather conditions round here. It could be glorious sunshine, or wet and windy. It COULD be snowy. It's unlikely to be very cold.

The quickest/widest road is to go west to the M90 at Perth and then north on the A9 to Inverness avoiding most windy roads.

Without stopping, you could do it in 3 hours on that road. The Whisky Trail, is just that, a trail. It's well east of the A9 at Aviemore, so you have to decide where you want to go to. You could pick up a couple of distilleries on the way north from Perth without doipng the detour- Edradour and Dalwhinnie spring to mind.

If, OTOH, you DO want to hit the Trail, take the windy roads north through Angus and Aberdeenshire and cross into Moray over the Lecht at Tomintoul. Go down to Dufftown which is on the Trail. To get there will take you 2 1/2 - 3 hours, and you're still 2 hours from Inverness. But you pays your money and you makes your choice.

jkirk

Sheila
Thanks for your comments. We do hope it is "warmer" as you predict - I am from California so might have a different perspective on "warm." Because you were so kind to reply I wonder if you can comment on our lodging selection in Edinburgh. We are considering a B&B (6 Mary's Place) on Raeburn Place. Is this a good spot for easy transportation to Historic District? Do you have alternative lodging suggestions?

sheila

I sent this to you by email, but...
I don't know much about B&Bs but Raeburn Place is central, more to the
New Town and shopping area than the Old Town- 20-25 minutes brisk walk
from the top of the High Street.

I don't have suggestions in the B&B category. Not my bag. I always find Edinburgh dear, but
since I prefer hotels, the cheapies are the Travel Inn in Morrison Street
and the Grassmarket hotel. You can get good deals in the Apex in the
Grassmarket too.

janis

6 Mary's Place is apparently very nice -- I haven't stayed there myself but have referred several people there over the last 4 or 5 years (mostly when Castle View has been booked up and they've called back to ask for other suggestions) and all have come back w/ good to great reviews.

jkirk

Janis and Sheila - thanks for the replies. I will check out the suggestions. Janis, I was set to stay at 6 Mary's and then found a very negative review (bugs, dirt)on line. I just can't believe it with all the positive I have found elsewhere. I have found that it is located across from a the "shelter shop" - is this a place for homeless people?

jkirk

Janis, Can you tell me more about Castle View == I find a Castle View B&B and also a Castle View Guest House. Which are you referring to?
thejfk

janis

Castle View Guest House is the one I was talking about. Castle B&B apparently is OK too, but Castle View is probably the single best located B&B in the city. But because of that it is often fully booked. The only downside is that it is on the 3rd and 4th (American 4th and 5th) floors and does not have an elevator.

As for 6 Mary's place -- be really careful about on-line reviews. I would look at the overall reviews and not fixate on a single bad one. Just like sometimes happens here on Fodors, one person may have a bad experience and then goes on a mini-crusade to slam a place.

So if any hotel or B&B has mostly very good or great reviews and then one pops up with entirely different opinions - well just take them w/ a grain of salt . . . . . .

As I said - I haven't personally stayed at 6 Mary's Place - but it is a 4 diamond AA property so it really can't be terrible.

KT

A Shelter shop is a charity shop that benefits a charity for the homeless. It's like a Goodwill in the US. Many high streets or other shopping areas in the UK have several charity shops: Shelter, Oxfam, etc. It doesn't connote anything negative about the neighborhood. In fact, Raeburn Place is in Stockbridge, a nice neighborhood that over the past 30 years has gone through the transition from hippy to arty to yuppie.

JJBhoy

jkirk,

A "Shelter" shop is a shop which sells donated second hand goods to raise money for Shelter - a charity for the homeless in the UK.

Shelter shops can be found in many town & city High Streets in the UK & are in no way a negative reflection on the area.

Jim

caroline_edinburgh

I wouldn't walk from Raeburn Place to the Old Town or to Princes's Street - I'd say it's at least a 20 minute walk - *uphill* - to anywhere you'd want to go. (Sheila, I certainly couldn't walk from the top of the Royal Mile to Raeburn Place in 20-25 mins, even though it's downhill that way !!) Stockbridge is nice but it's not great for buses.

The cheap hotel I always recommend is the Ibis - http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhote...he_hotel.shtml. It's part of a French chain & very centrally located, right next to the Royal Mile. I haven't stayed in the Edinburgh one but I've stayed in others & although the rooms are simple, they have always been well enough equipped and very clean. The Edinburgh one is currently showing as £52.95 per room per night until the end of March, so about as cheap as a B&B.

I suppose you are aware your trip covers Easter ? I think many places will be already full so don't hang about !