Glencoe, Scotland in December or??
 

We will be in Scotland for 11 nights in late December. We are a family of 5 adults.

Starting in Glasgow (2 nights)
Loch Lamond for Christmas (4nights)
somewhere (Glencoe?) (2 nights)
Edinburgh (3 nights) (Hogmanay)

Given that it is winter, and weather and road conditions are unpredictable, does Glencoe area make sense for a taste of the Highlands?
We will have a car for the route in between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Any other suggestions?

Thank you!

In December I'd want a city-centric plan. Where are you staying on Loch Lomond? (note the spelling) Unless at a full service hotel/resort like Cameron House - which would a fabulous - even Loch Lomond could be iffy.

Glencoe is truly glorious -- but not if the wether is at all pear shaped - plus the days will be extremely short. For the two open days I'd consider Stirling, or Perth or St Andrews - not in rural places like Glencoe.

I assume you've already booked in Edinburgh??

Yes, we are staying at Cameron House! Glad it was a fabulous call. Yes, we have booked the hotel in Edinburgh. I’m sad to hear your recommendation about Glencoe! But, your advice was invaluable on another trip, so I trust your judgement. Is there any hotel near Stirling or St. Andrews that you would recommend?

If you stay somewhere near Stirling or Perth and IF the weather at all cooperates, you can always do a day trip up to Glencoe. These two hotels are not far from Stirling and are lovely

https://www.romancamphotel.co.uk Is in the town of Callander which is about 15 miles from Stirling.

And https://www.cromlix.com/?utm_source=...=hotel-cromlix which is Andy Murray's wonderful property about 10 miles from Stirling, 6 or 7 miles from Doune and 4 miles north of Dunblane.

Thank you! I will check them out.

I think your plan is good - you'll certainly get a taste of the Highlands driving up from Loch Lomond to Glencoe as it's a truly spectacular drive in itself , apart from the lovely places that are your objective.It's very unlikely that there will be an issue with the roads - they are also main trunk routes that you are using so if there was ice overnight, the roads are all well gritted.Snow tends to fall mostly on the mountains though it can be at road level but very occasionally.Again ,roads are kept clear.
Keep an eye on the forecast too.

Your issue might be in getting booked for that time of year as the Highlands are very busy then and it is peak season so - expensive!
The Kingshouse Hotel in Glencoe, for example, is very popular and in an amazing situation but it will, in Scottish parlance, 'no be cheap.'

Thank you Scotlandmac for your input! If it matters, we are skilled drivers in bad weather- we live in the Northeast US. Snow and icy conditions are the norm for at least part of the year- although not this year (yet!). And we will have an SUV. But it is the "other side" of the road driving for us, so there is that added issue. My husband has driven on the other side before, and is not concerned with that aspect. I was considering the Isles of Glencoe hotel, which has availability. Unfortunately, we usually need three rooms for the 5 of us and most places are non-refundable. So making decisions on the fly is not really an option.

We intended on visiting Stirling at some point (either the day we drive from Glasgow to Loch Lomond or on the way to Edinburgh) so I wasn't opposed to stopping there for a night or two. But it just doesn't have the same pull of Glencoe for us. Oh, decisions, decisions!

Stick with Glencoe, it's stunning as is the drive up there! Visit Stirling on your return.

the Kingshouse Hotel is just a few miles from Glencoe, Black Mount and Buachaille Etive Mor so I would recommend that . Deer come down to the hotel looking for food

We booked the Kingshouse Hotel and will keep our fingers crossed for reasonable weather. Thank you all for your advice and help.

I just hope the tyres on the car will be as you wish

I don't know of anyone who lives in the Highlands who puts winter tyres on.We travel throughout the Highlands and Islands, as far as Skye and the Outer Hebrides in the depths of winter and have never felt any need for such tyres.Main roads are gritted when there is ice and cleared on the few occasions when there is low lying snow(which tends to disappear as quickly and briefly as it arrived.)