First-time Ireland/Scotland--Any tips?
 

Hi all! A friend and I are taking about two weeks in May to go to Scotland first then Ireland. I have been researching, but would love some personal experience tips from you all. We are thinking of about three or four days in Scotland to see Edingburgh, Glasgow, Loch Ness (is it worth it?) and some stone circles if not Stonehenge. Then on to Ireland for Dublin, County Cork, Waterford and anywhere else you would suggest. We want to do the touristy thing, but also hit some local places. Thanks so much. You all were a great help on my trip to Italy this summer!! <BR>Jess

Jessica, <BR>Just a few suggestions - since you are coming from Scotland to Ireland why not save time and fly - there are great cheap deals with Ryanair at www.ryanair.com. <BR>Also check out www.ireland.travel.ie for further information on Ireland - it is the official site of thr Irish tourist board. I would suggest that if you are interested in stone circles etc then you visit Newgrange, Knowth and Loughcrew (www.loughcrew.com) in the Irish midlands - it is doable in a day from Dublin and also consider taking in Trim Castel (where Braveheart was fimed). You might like to travel down to Waterford via the Wicklow Mts and visit Glendalough - an ancient monastery in the Mts beside some beautiful lakes. Finally when you are in Cork be sure and see the Cobh Heritage Centre just outside the city, you could also see the Rock of Cashel on your way back to Dublin from Cork, <BR> <BR>Hope this helps

Apart from Orkney which may well be somewhat out of your way, there are three main clusters of archaeological remains in Scotland. I say this from a tourist point of view because of course the whole place is awash with sites. <BR> <BR>In Kilmartin south of Oban you will find a lot to see, including a remarkable stonecircle at Temple Woods. There are a lot of Pictish remains in the Black Isle around Rosemarkie; and in Aberdeenshire there is a cluster of recumbant stone circles unique to the area. <BR> <BR>I'll post again when I get home because I've got a web site bookmarked there with lots of archaeology on it. <BR> <BR>I would miss out Loch Ness, at least as a stopping place, since it's fine enough, but there's better. If you're driving you could do:- <BR> <BR>One day Edinburgh, one day Aberdeenshire, one day Oban and Kilmartin and one day Glasgow, fly Ryanair to Ireland. That's doable in a frantic kind of a way. Or you could stay a day or two longer and actually SEE the stuff you'll be passing :-)

It will be in bloom and beautiful! 3 suggestion <BR>1. Kircudbright, Scotland (SW) the nicest town with the nicest people and a town cat Caesar. <BR>2. Logan Garden, Port Logan, Scotland on the far SW Coast. Amazing garden with stuff from the southern hemisphere... simply amazing. <BR>3. Waterfall walk, Glenariff Forest Park, <BR>Glenariff, or Waterfoot, Northern Ireland, NW Coast...Fairies live there! <BR> <BR>Wherever you go, it'll be fun, rest assured.

We loved Waterford Castle. You have to take a ferry from Waterford town to get there. Lovely, elegant. <BR> <BR>To see the Rock of Cashel, stay overnight at the Cashel Palace and request the room at the back of the place which looks out at the Rock. They light up the ruins at night. <BR> <BR>Travel up to Kinnitty Castle and stay there. It is about 10 minutes north of a spooky, spooky even in daylight, haunted castle called Leap Castle. Gave me the creeps when I walked up to the door and knocked. <BR> <BR>And then travel on over to Adare Village and stay either in a B&B for little dollars or in Adare Manor for big dollars. <BR> <BR>It is a very friendly country, easy to navigate, can't get too lost. Lovely people. <BR> <BR>If you get to County Clare, stay in the B&Bs there, on the windy west coast. Go to the pubs and enjoy the local music. <BR> <BR>

My wife and I just returned from a week in Ireland and it was the best vacation of our lives. If you will be by Cork, there is a really quaint town about 45 minutes south called Kinsale. We stayed at the Blue Haven Inn and spent 2 1/2 hours in a pub listening to a choir from Dublin. If it wasn't heaven, it was pretty darn close. Well worth the nights stay.

If you like natural wonders, and since you are coming from Scotland, you might consider the Giant's Causeway, which is in Northern Ireland, on the coast north of Belfast (Scotland side). The Causeway must be seen to be believed, and you get the bonus of passing through the Glens of Antrim en route.