Would like to spend a few days poking around Edinburgh & maybe Loch Ness in May of this year. Does anyone have any good advice about a place to stay in Edinburgh that is comfortable and has character (private bath essential!), what to see/do there, and any good day trips? We will be without car, so location & day-trip tour operators are important. Thanks for any tips you can provide! (I LOVE this site!)

Hi Millie! I had the fortune of touring parts of Scotland in May '98. I absolutely loved every second of it! I was mostly impressed with the people (genuinely friendly), the food (strangely enough, you never hear about the food....other than Hangis (sp?)), history (fascinating), the scenery (breathtaking), and the variety of sights. A little rainy, still enjoyable. <BR> <BR>I have posted since numerous times offering tidbits of info fitted to specific inquiries. If you do a search you'll find those along tons of valuable advice from, specially from Sheila. <BR> <BR>We drove from London to Inverness, making random stops along the way. Some people on this forum find that route very boring; we were blown away by the breathtaking scenery, the majesty of the Highlands, and the history of some of the towns. While on Inverness we stayed at The Beaufort House across from the Inverness Castle. Sheila had some listings for hotels in Inverness that appeared to be better choices than Beaufort, but I would recommended still and would stay there again. Friendly staff, outstanding restaurant. Side trips from Inverness obviously Loch Ness (the Urquhart Castle was eerie, but fascinating!), the site of the Battle of Culloden, the Stuart Castle (hunted!), Isle of Skye (an absolute do-not-miss!), and Cawdor Castle. We spent three days on Inverness and barely scrapped the surface.... <BR> <BR>In Edinburh we stayed at The Coach House. This is a hotel across the street from the Waverly train station. No character whatsoever, but clean, comfortable, obviously conveniently located. On Princes Street, it is half-way one street over the the Royal Mile, which means is walking distance to the Edinburgh Castle and the Holyrood Palace. About $80/double, includes an excellent breakfast. I've read postings with hotel recommendations for Edinburgh that sounded like what you are looking for. Again, strongly encourage you to search old posts. <BR> <BR>I post frequently, but hardly ever too extensively. The lenght of this post (and obvious enthusiasm) should conveyed to you my opinion of Scotland as a travel destination; ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. Feel free to e-mail me directly if any further questions.

(I tried to post this earlier, but it didn't seem to take. Forgive me if this becomes a double post.) <BR>------------- <BR> <BR>Millie, <BR> <BR>Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities. If this is your first visit, I'm sure you'll love it. As you probably know, there is an Old Town (medieval) and a New Town (Georgian), separated by a valley which contains the Princes Street Gardens. The spine of the Old Town is a volcanic ridge, paved to form a succession of streets collectively known as the "Royal Mile". At the top is a spectacular Castle, midway down the Royal Mile is St Giles Cathedral, while at the foot is Holyrood Palace. Along the way are a number of interesting sights, including several exhibitions/museums. The New Town is an excellent example of Georgian architecture and town planning. Some noteworthy sights include the Georgian House Museum, Heriot Row (including Robert Louis Stevenson's boyhood home), and the Round Church (or the "Displaced Church). <BR> <BR>To get an orientation of Edinburgh, you can take a hop-on/hop-off bus tour. Catch the first bus from Waverley Bridge in the morning and make the entire circuit once. Then stay on and let the bus climb up to the Castle for you. Then you can stroll downhill along the Royal Mile, and catch the bus again to take you back to your starting pointor on into the New Town. <BR> <BR>Be sure to spend some time exploring the closes and wynds of the Old Town, as well as the more obvious sights. There are excellent views from Calton Hill, and if you're feeling fit you can hike up Arthur's Seat (Edinburgh's very own mountain) or along the Salisbury Crags - both are part of Holyrood Park, just SE of the palace. <BR> <BR>There are a number of day tours that leave from Waverley Bridge (just by the main rail station in the heart of E-burgh). I haven't been since 1998, so I don't have any current knowledge, but info and tickets can be obtained at the Tourist Information Center on Princes Street. You may be able to find something on the web (http://www.edinburgh.org/index.html) - otherwise just stop by the TIC on your first day in Edinburgh and check out the options. <BR> <BR>As I recall, there are several different operators with various itinieraries. Usually the itineraries vary from day to day throughout the week, so your options may be limited by your schedule. I would strongly suggest a minibus (van) tour rather than a coach (tour bus) tour. You'll only have to share your driver/guide with half a dozen other people. Although it's of course impossible to do justice to the Highlands by zooming through in a day, it's amazing how much one can see in a short time. <BR> <BR>I believe there is a tour from Edinburgh which includes a visit to Loch Ness. However, I would highly recommend giving preference to Glen Coe - one of the most beautiful spots I've visited. Two years ago I took a one-day minibus tour from Edinburgh that visited Oban, Inverarry, Glen Coe, and Loch Lomond with roadside stops to see several other scenic spots (including Kilchurn and Stalker Castles). Not bad for around $20US. <BR> <BR>If you really have your heart set on visiting Loch Ness, and you have the time, you might consider a trip to Inverness - about 4-5 hours from Edinburgh if I remember correctly, so at least one overnight stay is probably necessary. Inverness itself is not particularly awe-inspiring, although a walk along the river to the Ness Islands is certainly worth the exercise. More importantly, from Inverness you can take a tour which combines a coach along the shore of Loch Ness to Castle Urquhart, and then a cruise on the Loch, through the Caledonian Canal, and back to Inverness. Pickups are made at the Inverness Tourist Center. As I said, you would need to have a couple of days available for this trip, but this is certainly a much more satisfying way to see Loch Ness, and the train ride from Edinburgh to Inverness offers good views of the Grampian Highlands. <BR> <BR>I hope some of this is useful. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. <BR> <BR>Dave

I'm afraid my previous post might sound as if the coach/cruise tour of Loch Ness takes several days. What I meant was that a trip from Edinburgh to Inverness would require several days - the Loch Ness tour is a one-day outing.

Hi, <BR>We took a short trip to Edinburgh last June. We took the "Flying Scotsman" train from London's Kings Cross Station to Edinburgh's Waverly Station. We stayed at the Avondale Guest House which had good rates (about 50 dollars a night) and included a full breakfast. The only problem is that there were shared bathrooms. We took the Guide Friday city orientation tour which lasted an hour and a half. We got off the bus at the top of the royal mile. We toured the Scotch Whiskey Heritage Center, the Camera Obscura, and the Edinburgh Castle. We were with a 22 month old, so we were limited in what we could fit in. Deacon Brodie's Tavern is a popular spot. We loved the views from the castle. The people and the pubs were great. We felt very safe in Scotland and would definitely return.

If your feet are tired from walking and you want to drift back in time, why not stop by the George Hotel in central Edinburgh and have tea some afternoon. Their dining room will make you think you are aboard the Titanic, with its elegrant furnishings and glass ceiling. The service and the pastries are unmatched.

Millie <BR>I've done a bunch of postings on this subject before, and not to bore repeat readers won't post again here, but i'll send you an e-mail with a couple of word documents I store for such queries. Please come back with specific questions. <BR> <BR>All advice given so far is endorsed. i ahve the contact addresses for the day trip people Dave talks about. And I agree that if I could only do one day out it wouldn't be to Loch Ness unless I was a monster junkie. <BR> <BR>The other option is a private hire car. There are a few about. One is run by a friend of mine. I don't think it's economic for less than 2 people but it does hugely increase your flexibility. <BR> <BR>Incidentally you could do what you propose by public transport, but it would be like a military expedition to co-ordinate the timings.

Hi, Millie, <BR>I'd recommend the UK Automobile Association's execellent hotel/B&B listings at <BR>http://www.theaa.co.uk/hotels/index.asp <BR> <BR>If this is your first visit to Scotland (sounds like it is) you might find a trip to Loch Ness a little uninspiring unless you get lucky and see you-know-who. <BR> <BR>As the others have said, a car would be a real help, but you can still see some wonderful sights in Scotland using trains or buses. For example, although it would involve an overnight stay, the rail trip on the West Highland line was described some years ago as one of the most beautiful train trips in the world. There are closer day-trip destinations such as St. Andrews (train + bus) or the small towns in East Lothian (east of Edinburgh), or the restored medieval village at Culross on the Firth of Clyde...there are lots and lots of options. A day trip to Glasgow for the Burrell Collection or a walk in the Pentland Hills, all great breaks. <BR> <BR>But whatever you do don't short your stay in Edinburgh. <BR>

That's Firth of Forth. Sorry.

Sheila <BR>We'll probably be in Edinburgh for just one Saturday in May. If any of the info you've already posted would suggest the main sites to see in such a short time, I'd appreciate reading them in your word documents. Is there much of a difference in the city on a Saturday as compared to a weekday? Although we'll have cars, will probably take public transport into the city--any comments on that?