ttandy

My wife and I (both early 60's like food, beer, wine, gardening and history) are going to Scotland this coming May and I need to confirm I have a decent schedule. Also i need to know if we should take the bridge to Skye and return via ferry. Is the ferry too complicated to schedule so you don't have to waste time. Also would like suggestions on what not to miss on Skye.

Here is the schedule:

May 20 - Depart US

May 21 - Arrive Edinburgh early morning - Three nights staying in an apartment near Hanover & Princess Streets. Dinner -Wedgwood Restaurant , Music Doric Tavern

May 22- Purchase Lothian 2-day bus pass , Edinburgh Castle - Old Town, Dinner -The Grain Store

May 23- Visit Royal Botanical Gardens, Explore Edinburgh -( Any other Suggestions) Dinner - Castle Terrace Restaurant

May 24- Rent Car -8 Days (Celtic Legends), Drive to St. Andrews, tour castle and do Hawk Walk in Cupar. Lodging - Six Murray Park, Dinner - Forgan's restaurant.

May 25 - Drive to Blair Castle and watch the Atholl Highland Games
Continue to Fort Augustus - Lodging two nights- Abbey Church Highland Club Scotland

Any restaurant suggestions in Inverness or Fort Augustus?

May 26 - Inverness , Jacobite Loch Ness Cruise, Urguhart Castle, Corrimony Chambered Cairn

May 27 - Eilean Castle on the way to Skye. Two nights lodging at The Spoons

Any other suggestions for stops on the way or Restaurant suggestions in Portree?

May 28 - Hiking, Dunvegan Castle, Claigan Beach,and explore the island. Dinner at the Three Chimneys.

May 29.
May main question is should we go to Inveraray Castle via the ferry or retrace our route and go back by the bridge?

Inveraray Castle ( my wife is a Campbell) other stops? Three nights lodging at The Auchenheglish Lodges in Arden.

Dinner suggestions?

May 30 - Day trips to Stirling Castle, Glengoyne Distillery ( Whiskey & Chocolate Tour) and hike in Loch Lomond area.

May 31 - Explore area, British Pipe Band Championship in Bathgate, farewell dinner at Martin Wishart at the Cameron House.

June 1- Mid-morning return rental car an
d depart from Glascow back to the US.

Any suggestions on side trips and additional events, restaurants would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all.

Gordon_R

Looks like a very well-thought out plan to me (though I personally wouldn't bother visiting Inverness - the surrounding area yes, but the town no).

A few quick comments about restaurants:

Wedgewood in Edinburgh is arguably the best in the city - I was there myself a couple of weekends ago. Fabulous meal.
www.wedgwoodtherestaurant.co.uk/‎

Why Forgan's in St Andrews though. It, and the adjoining Mitchells (which was a butchers shop back in the day) are not bad, but cater mainly for he studenty crowd, not fine dining. What about The Dolls House (Kate Middleton used to work there and I once met Sean Connery in there)? Or there's the Seafood Restaurant which is great on a summer evening.
www.dollshouse-restaurant.co.uk/‎
www.theseafoodrestaurant.com/st-andrews/‎

Portree: the Harbour View is great for seafood (book early, its often full). More casual but still wonderful is the Cafe Arriba - move heaven and earth to eat there if the Talisker Lamb if on the day's menu (slow cooked lamb in a Talisker Whisky jus).
http://www.harbourviewskye.co.uk/
http://cafearriba.co.uk/cafe.html

Near Inveraray (yes, definitely try to fit this in, it's a great wee town with a beautiful castle and gardens - check out the town gaol too)) is the famous Loch Fyne Oyster Bar (the original one that inspired the chain restaurants of the same name all over the UK).
http://www.lochfyne.com/restaurant-oyster-bar/

janisj

Good itinerary over all. I wouldn't plan on any dining - fine or otherwise in either Inverness or Ft Augustus. Just find a pub coin meals and accept what's offered. Maybe the Boathouse in Ft Augustus. I haven't eaten there in years so don't know the current food - but the views are terrific.

Definitely 100% take the bridge on to Skye and the ferry off. On the way you'll see Eileen Donan, the Bridge and perhaps Plockton if you take the short detour. From Mallaig you'll see Glenfinan, amazing scenery, and Neptune's staircase.

I personally think you are cutting Fife a little short -- the fishing villages etc . . . but in just 11 days you are fairly limited and you've balanced things pretty well.

ttandy

Gordon_R and janisj , both excellent responses. Just the kind of information and reinforcement I was looking for. Thank you both very much.

janisj

I <i>HATE</i> autocorrect should have read >>Just find a pub doing meals and accept what's offered.<<

TravellingScotland

Sounds like you've done your research! Something to add if you are in the Stirling area. The town of Dollar is lovely with a great backdrop of the Ochil Hills and a certain Castle Campbell that's one of the best situated in Scotland. May be of interest. For when you are in Loch Lomond area, drive a little further west to get to Loch Awe which is also spectacular.

dulciusexasperis

Well for my money Gordon The Witchery is both the place to stay and dine in Edinburgh. If you want to name drop (Middleton and Connery) check out The Witchery's guest book.
http://www.thewitchery.com/

On Skye I would skip Portree ttandy and both dine and stay at the Three Chimneys. For me the beauty of Skye is in the north and west.

historytraveler

Inverness has never been favorite among those of us who comment on Scotland; however, it has improved over the last 20 years. It still wouldn't be my first choice for the area, but there are a couple of decent hotels and some pleasant B&B's along the River Ness. As to restaurants, I recommend The Mustard Seed located on the banks of the River Ness in a converted church. Nice atmosphere and good food.

janisj

The Witchery is over priced and pretty naff.

historytraveler

I agree. Some years ago, I looked at The Witchery. Personally, I was put off by the guest book on their website listing the famous people who had stayed there. How pretentious. I also thought the decor was over the top.There are much better places to stay in Edinburgh.

Gordon_R

The Witchery..? I ate there once years ago and thought it was over-hyped and over-priced. The location just outside the castle entrance and the twee faux-gothic decor pulls in plenty of unsuspecting tourists with money to burn, but I could easily recommend a dozen or more serious Edinburgh restaurants I've eaten in with better menus and ambience.

Nikki

I second the recommendation for the Dolls House in St. Andrews. The sticky toffee pudding with berries was the standard against which we measured all other sticky toffee puddings during our trip across Scotland last summer.

dulciusexasperis

"The Witchery is over priced and pretty naff."

That's amusing.

" I was put off by the guest book on their website listing the famous people who had stayed there. How pretentious."

Even more amusing.

"the twee faux-gothic decor"

Most amusing of all.

Some people never 'get it' I suppose. I have to keep reminding myself I'm dealing with the average tourist on this forum. My bad. I'll try to stick to the more ordinary, run of the mill.

BigRuss

<Some people never 'get it' I suppose. I have to keep reminding myself I'm dealing with the average tourist on this forum. My bad. I'll try to stick to the more ordinary, run of the mill.>

Yawn. Dulcius must have a Pinocchio-length nose (post-political campaign) to look so far down it at the rest of us folks.

Then again, some people are so drawn by the cults of celebrity and money they don't realize that better can be had for less.

janisj

>> I have to keep reminding myself I'm dealing with the average tourist on this forum. My bad. I'll try to stick to the more ordinary, run of the mill.<<

dul_sex: There are easily 20+ better restaurants in Edinburgh . . . It is <u>the tourists</u> who love the Witchery . . .

RM67

Nice to see the recommendation for Café Arriba - we liked it a lot. Very good value, and great views from upstairs. The macaroni cheese is less than a fiver and will fill you up on a cold day. They also do falafel and steak, as well as good coffee.

You might also consider the seafood stall by the quay in Kyle of Localsh - Buth Bheag - fresh prawn salad, Cullen skink, and home made ice creams in fab flavours like Jaffa cake.

noratravel

Hi all... I know the Witchery is very "twee" (though I don't know what naff is), but that's exactly why I wanted to go. I am, after all, a tourist.

So can you tell me some of the far better restaurants? Will be in Edinburgh June 27 - July 3, staying in a Randolph Place apartment. (And my thanks to all of you who helped me figure out my itinerary several months back.) I have a list of restaurants that goes on for miles, but would love your suggestions. A couple of really good restaurants, a good pub, a place with great traditional music, some budget but good places...

Any help in narrowing down will be very helpful! Thanks in advance.

janisj

naff - depending on who you ask means tacky, unfashionable, uncool . . . in other words . . . pants (which sort of means the same thing)

A few REALLY good Edinburgh restaurants include:

Wedgewood that Gordon_R mentioned (to absolutely die for!)

The Kitchin http://thekitchin.com/index.html

The Grain Store http://www.grainstore-restaurant.co.uk/about/

Martin Wishart http://www.martin-wishart.co.uk

First Coast http://www.first-coast.co.uk

Gordon_R

and...

Angels with Bagpipes www.angelswithbagpipes.co.uk

Dubh Prais dubhpraisrestaurant.com

Stac Polly (two branches) www.stacpolly.com

Tower Restaurant (on top of the Museum of Scotland) www.tower-restaurant.com

Ackislander

In Edinburgh, I think the OP should consider the Cafe Royal at least for lunch. It is near where they are staying, there is a choice between a dining room with white table cloths and formalish but Scottish food and the bar, which has excellent fish and chips and good draft ales and beers. The tiles on the walls are famous.

There is a local restaurant group whose places all begin with "A Room in . . . ". I have only ever eaten at " A Room in Leith" but I had a superb game platter followed by a wonderful cheese plate, both of which were obviously memorable. It's an odd sort of place; it backs up to a pub, and you get your wine or beer there and carry it into the restaurant. It was about £10 for four in a taxi from the World's End so ought to be less from Hanover and Princes Street.

If you like Indian food, there is a branch of the Ghurka, just off the Royal Mile in addition to the one out toward Morningside. Actually it is Nepali food, but I wouldn't know the difference.

I haven't eaten at the World's End and might not, but it is just a bit over halfway from the Castle to Holyrood House on the Royal Mile, so a good place for a refresher. Though perfectly safe, it figured in a famous murder case.