Philip

<<Texas is flat-except our beloved Hill Country>>

Not out in the Guadalupe Mountains it's not.

Your right. Out of sight out of mind. I even went to school at Tech. I cannot see Guadalupe Mountains from either SAT or HOU.

<< being a Texan, you can understand I am just use to drinking "Lone Star">>

I stand corrected! Shiner Bock vs. Lone Star. The winner is________________.

Great help-thanks!

LET'S SAY:
1. Add one night to Edinburgh
2. Eliminate Pitlochry and sightsee one day from Fife to Inverness (3 nights) - looks about 150 miles and 4 hours. Gives us enough time to do some touring along the way.
3. Tour Glenmorangie (our golfer is also an expert on all things adult beverage (was TGIF exec))

FYI:
1. We will have two cars so golfer can drive to links and we can sightsee.
2. Looks like about 1 hour (43 miles) from Inverness to Dornoch.
3. London is primarily for departure city. I agree and will see about adding day or two or recommending other couples add on their own.

MAJOR PENDING QUESTIONS:
1. Inverness to Glencoe/Ballachulish - looks about 85 miles and 2 1/2 hours. Add sightseeing time of course. BIG QUESTION any hotel recommendations? We would be there for one night.
2. BIG QUESTION Glencoe to where? The "where" would need to be close enough for golfer to drive to Ayrshire Region (Turnberry) AND interesting enough for sightseers. We would stay at the "where" for two nights. Perhaps, somewhere in Lake Lomond region? This would be our last stop before heading to Edinburgh to drop off rental cars and catch train to London.

Y'ALL ARE THE GREATEST -- WHICH I COULD BUY YOU A DRAM!

janisj

Do not stay IN Inverness. Stay someplace nice in the general vicinity.

>>2. BIG QUESTION Glencoe to where? The "where" would need to be close enough for golfer to drive to Ayrshire Region <<

To Ayrshire. Where exactly you stay is up to you -- but for Prestwick/Troon, staying anywhere in Ayrshire works. And there is PLENTY for the non-golfers. Culzean Castle (almost half a day there alone), Robert Burns sites, Crossraguel Abbey etc.

You could stay in Prestwick, Troon, Maybole, Ayr, or any of the surrounding villages.

janisj

Oh - meant to add >>sightsee one day from Fife to Inverness (3 nights) - looks about 150 miles and 4 hours. Gives us enough time to do some touring along the way.<<

The straight drive could be done in 4 hours. But depending on which route you take there is either a LOT to see or a <B>LOT</B> to see en route. So basically about a 9 hour trip.

Gardyloo

If you're heading as far north as Dornoch, stay somewhere around the Dornoch Firth instead of Inverness.

There's plenty to see and do in that area. Glenmorangie is in Tain, just over the bridge from Dornoch, and there are several good touring areas not far - Falls of Shin, Strath Carron and Croick Church... Combine visits to Croick and Dunrobin Castle outside Golspie for a vivid (and possibly upsetting) picture of Scotland in the 19th Century.

To the north and west of Dornoch is some of the most scenic and dramatic country in all of Scotland. It can be visited in the course of one or more day trips, or can be seen en route to places farther south and west, such as Skye or Glen Coe. Much of this is somewhat off the beaten path, which is not a bad thing.

janisj

>>If you're heading as far north as Dornoch, stay somewhere around the Dornoch Firth instead of Inverness. <<

That's what I tried to explain . . . maybe you can crack that nut.

xcountry

If your buddy truly is a great golfer and this is his first time playing the links courses you have mentioned he might want to consider playing a couple of them twice. It is extremely difficult to identify some of the target lines on links courses, even with a caddy or yardage book. This is especially true of the Old Course, less so on Turnberry where you can see your target on almost every shot.

There is still a great thrill with playing these courses a first time. It is a little more satisfying to play them a second time.

Philip

I'm back! Went on line and printed Karen Brown's Scotland. QUESTIONS general and then please see Day 8 and share with me your guidance. Trying to balance out hotels and B&Bs. I know below still has plenty of holes and aggressive traveling.

Day One Edinburgh
Stay Inn On The Mile; visit pub (e.g., Halfway House, Cafe Royal, Deacon Brodie's); relax

Day Two Edinburgh
Sightsee & golf

Day Three
Sightsee

Day Four
Drive to Fife (about 35 miles) and sightsee along the way.

Day Five
Sightsee and golf.

Day Six
All day drive to Dornoch (about 200 miles) and sightsee along the way. Used your suggestions and Karen Brown's itinerary route. Essentially: Fife to Perth - Kinclaven - Blairgrowrie - Dunkeld - Pitlochry - Balmoral Castle - Ballater - Craigievar Castle - Kidrummy Castle - Dufftown - Grantown-on-Spey; Cawdor Castle - Dornoch. Stop at a distillery on way (e.g., Glenfiddich, Glenliviet or Craigellachie); stay Links House or "at No.9.

Day Seven
Sightsee and golf.

Day Eight
All day drive to Ft. William and sightsee along the way. Stay at The Grange. Dinner at a pub (e.g., The Clachaig Inn/The Boots Bar).
QUESTION It is about 125 miles (3 hours) if we drove straight through A82 to Fort William (which obviously we are not - with sightseeing). However, it would be fun to be able to work in a right turn after Fort Augustus on A87 to Kyle of Lochalsh, left turn on A851 to Mallaig (ferry) and then on to Genfinnan and finally Fort William. YOUR THOUGHTS on seeing at least a part of Skye.

Day Nine
All day drive to Ayrshire (about 140 miles) area and sightsee along the way. Stay at either Glenapp Castle, Carrick Lodge Hotel or Ayr's and Grace Luxury B&B. Dinner at pub (e.g., Rabbie's Bar).

Day Ten
Sightsee and golf.

Day Eleven
Drive to Edinburgh (about 90 miles) - return car and take train to London. Stay at The Duke.

Day Twelve
Tour guide (London Private Tours) for all day sightseeing of some London highlights.

Day Thirteen
Go home and recover!

PS anybody else having problems navigating the new TripAdvisor format?

janisj

St Andrews to Dornoch is nearly a 5 hour drive by the fastest route without a single stop or any sight seeing. If you want to meander along Deeside etc along the route you describe, it will be 10 or 11 hours door to door. IF you want to see any of that part of the country you MUST break your journey somewhere.

As for Day 8 -- first of all Ft William is a dump, though that is one of the nicer properties in town. And driving across the Bridge and then taking the ferry will not give you a taste of Skye really. The main scenic parts of the Isle are to the far north and across to the far west sides. Assuming you just do the drive without exploring any of the rest of Skye - you will be in the car about 6 hours plus any stops, to no real benefit. But it would give you a peek at Glenfinan and/or Eilean Donan if you wanted.

IMO/IME you are being waaaaay too aggressive throughout.

>>PS anybody else having problems navigating the new TripAdvisor format?<<

I don't use TA except for once in a blue moon.

Philip

Thanks janisj
-- do you have a favorite place to stay that would break up the St. Andrews to Dornoch leg?

-- do you recommend Glencoe to stay rather than Ft. William?

Philip

Gardyloo

I've been looking through this thread and the direction things have gone, and frankly I'm going to suggest something of a major re-working. In the first place, you're talking about May, which is still a time when weather can play tricks on you, especially near the Atlantic and North Sea coasts.

I honestly wonder if Dornoch is the best idea. I love the area, but it's a very long way from everything else on your list, and there's no guarantee that you won't get there and have pretty marginal conditions both for the golfer and the non-golfers in your party. I understand Dornoch's place in the hierarchy of Scottish golf courses (pretty much at the top) but if you dropped Dornoch you could have more time in other areas. Your idea of going from St. Andrews to Dornoch via Deeside and the whisky country in one day is bonkers IMO - you'd arrive utterly spent. And if there are indeed six of you (you said two, possibly three couples) then that's a lot of butt-in-seat hours for the benefit of one round of golf on a windy, likely wet links course far from any other destinations you're visiting. Just sayin'.

In May the East Lothian courses are marvelous - not just Muirfield but courses in Dirleton, Haddington, Dunbar, North Berwick... with the advantage that these are lovely little towns full of things to interest the non-golfers. The golfer could be playing while the companions could be visiting Tantallon Castle, or driving up to picturesque Gifford and on into the Lammermuir Hills, which feel a million miles from everything - just heather, sheep and the wind. http://www.golfeastlothian.com/home

Since the trip isn't for nearly a year, what if you rebooted the idea absent Dornoch, and kept your loop a little more compact? Edinburgh and East Lothian, Fife and the Fife coast, then over to Glen Coe, maybe add Mull in lieu of Skye, then back to Ayrshire and Glasgow before heading south? Something like this? https://goo.gl/maps/f3C8fU9ftCT2

Just trying to keep you out of the scheduling bunkers. Fore!

xcountry

Gee. Let's see how that goes over when you say it.

janisj

Re Gardyloo's post -- I agree w/ all (or nearly all) of it. You do not have enough time to cover three regions of Scotland - all on the coast far from each other - plus a few days for Edinburgh and London, with 6 (or even 4) people.

You do have a lot of time to figure out what you want from this trip. To give you a bit of perspective: One of my trips where I took two friends who played the Old Course, Crail, Carnoustie, Dornoch, Prestwick, and Troon and we fit in sightseeing in Edinburgh, Fife, the Trossachs, around Inverness, Skye, and Ayrshire . . . but we were pretty rushed . . . and it was a 26 day trip home to home.

So all of you need to get together and decide how important and which courses, how long you actually have, and How many hours you are willing to sit in cars together (remember - Scotland ain't Texas and you won't be on motorways anywhere)

You could have a very nice 12 days w/ Edinburgh, East Lothian, Fife and Ayrshire. That wouldn't leave time for the far north or for London. OR East Lothian/Fife/Edinburgh and London. If do you have 14 days then there would be a couple of days to squeeze in London.

Just don't try to squeeze a 3 or 4 week trip into 12 days. Scotland is not a 'fast travel' sort of place.

Philip

The ULTIMATE Two Week Golfing and Sightseeing Scottish Adventure!

With your patience and knowledge and my tenacity, I am confident we are getting close - well closer.

What do you think of this Revision One - perhaps more revisions later as y'all corral me:
** delete currently what is Days Nine and Ten above. In other words, get rid of Ayrshire altogether! We would pick up at least two days and eliminated a lot of driving.

Then: add one night to what is now Day 6 - the long trip from Fife to Dornoch. Would really break up that leg.
QUESTION keeping in mind that we love interesting B&Bs or Inns, pubs, and scenery - where is the town (or inn) for us.

And Then: add one night to what is now Day 8 or another long drive to Ft. William (or wherever we were going to stay that night). That would give us another day to either see Skye or Lake Lomond.
QUESTIONS similar questions - where would you recommend (town or inn)? Skye vs. Lake Lomond area?

Again, love and appreciate your comments and suggestions. It is working.

xcountry

Wish I could help on the B&Bs but we (golfers or family) don't care where we stay. Turnberry is the most beautiful course I have played anywhere in the world, with Kingsbarns near St Andrews a close second. Still, I think you are making a wise decision.