edinburgh to highlands and back
Mar 10th, 2006, 10:13 AM
#1
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edinburgh to highlands and back
traveling this July to edinburgh and would like so thoughts on a highland fling to perhaps Oban/Mull and Iona with a return via Fort William/and bit of the Road to Skye [not wanting to return the same way naturally. Looking for the best places to see wildlife [both marine and terrestial] as well as castles/history and a bit of [e.g., cairns, dolmens, henges, etc] Any guidance would be most apprciated. We have about 11 days total.
Mar 10th, 2006, 11:33 AM
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Assume you're driving?
leave Edinburgh, and go via Linlithgow, and Stirling (both castles, then west to Drymen and Balloch and round the bottom of Loch Lomond. Drive up to Inverary over the Rest and be Tahnkful and stop in or near Inverary that night. See Inverary Castle.
Drive on to Lochgilphead and then drive all the way up to Oban. The whole of Loch Fyne is good for birds, and sometimes cetaceans, Just before you turn right into the bottom of Kilmartin Glen, if you go straight haed to Crinan, along tehcanaland then south to Keillmore, the whole of the Craignish peninsula is an SSSI (site of Special Scientific Interest). If, instead of going north up the main road, you cross the Moine Mhor- that's an NNR (National Nature Reserve), you'll come to Dunadd, the ancient crowning place of the Picts, then go north and see all the fantastic stuff in the Glen which is well signposted.
Stay in or near Oban. Take a boat trip to Staffa and Iona and the Treshnish Isles. Stay in or near Oban.
Take the boat to Mull, and do a tourie roon'. Stop at the Aros Centre andsee the video link to the Sea Egales- if you haven't seen them in the flesh and feather. Stay a night in Tobermory
Take the little ferry back to Lochaline and drive over the hill to Strontian and then round to Ardnamurchan, and over to Arisaig. Argyll oak woods are an SSSI too, as are the woods at Strontian. Fantastic beaches at Arisaig (see Local Hero). Stay somewhere there. Then come east to Fort William along the road to the Isles (backwards) down through Glencoe- stop at the visitor centres at Glenfinnan and Glencoe, east to Killin, and south to Lochearnhead, east to Comrie and south to Braco- Roamn marching camp at Ardoch, Doune Castle nearby. main road in to Glasgow.
Top and tail with the cities. Have fun.
leave Edinburgh, and go via Linlithgow, and Stirling (both castles, then west to Drymen and Balloch and round the bottom of Loch Lomond. Drive up to Inverary over the Rest and be Tahnkful and stop in or near Inverary that night. See Inverary Castle.
Drive on to Lochgilphead and then drive all the way up to Oban. The whole of Loch Fyne is good for birds, and sometimes cetaceans, Just before you turn right into the bottom of Kilmartin Glen, if you go straight haed to Crinan, along tehcanaland then south to Keillmore, the whole of the Craignish peninsula is an SSSI (site of Special Scientific Interest). If, instead of going north up the main road, you cross the Moine Mhor- that's an NNR (National Nature Reserve), you'll come to Dunadd, the ancient crowning place of the Picts, then go north and see all the fantastic stuff in the Glen which is well signposted.
Stay in or near Oban. Take a boat trip to Staffa and Iona and the Treshnish Isles. Stay in or near Oban.
Take the boat to Mull, and do a tourie roon'. Stop at the Aros Centre andsee the video link to the Sea Egales- if you haven't seen them in the flesh and feather. Stay a night in Tobermory
Take the little ferry back to Lochaline and drive over the hill to Strontian and then round to Ardnamurchan, and over to Arisaig. Argyll oak woods are an SSSI too, as are the woods at Strontian. Fantastic beaches at Arisaig (see Local Hero). Stay somewhere there. Then come east to Fort William along the road to the Isles (backwards) down through Glencoe- stop at the visitor centres at Glenfinnan and Glencoe, east to Killin, and south to Lochearnhead, east to Comrie and south to Braco- Roamn marching camp at Ardoch, Doune Castle nearby. main road in to Glasgow.
Top and tail with the cities. Have fun.
Mar 10th, 2006, 12:32 PM
#3
sheila's itinerary is about perfect. The only change I'd make is staying in Oban only one night and adding a day or two to Mull. You can take a boat to Staffa from Mull and there is a LOT to see on the island plus of course going over to Iona. Travel around Mull is slow since most roads are single track - so it really takes a minimum of 2 nights/2+ days to see much
