mocha_dolce

We have a private tour booked out of Edinburgh to visit some of the Highlands and countryside. Perhaps those of you who are familiar with Scotland can help improve on the suggested itinerary (we can make changes)? We have a maximum of 10-12 hours. The trip is in late August. We'll be doing Stirling Castle and Falkirk on our own on a different day.

There are some additional stops for viewpoints, comfort stops, etc, but here is the gist. The tour company is suggesting Fort William for lunch. Should we consider adding any other stops? I was thinking perhaps we might want to stop for dinner before returning to Edinburgh since we would otherwise be in the thick of the dinner rush there. Any suggestions for a small, walkable town within 30-45 minutes of Edinburgh with a good selection of restaurants?

Start tour: Edinburgh
Loch Lomond
Glencoe
Fort William
Pitlochry
Stop tour: Edinburgh

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

janisj

Sorry - but if I was paying a (likely expensive) driver guide for a full day tour that isn't an itinerary I'd lay out. Did the guide suggest this plan or was it your idea? With a local driver you can get to just about any really scenic off the beaten path places and chose Ft William and Pitlochry? Nothing actually wrong with Pitlochry but it isn't special really. And Ft William is really nothing much.

If Loch Lomond is a 'must' I'd consider something like:

Edinburgh > Luss > Inveraray > Oban > Glencoe > Glen Etive > Killin/Falls of Dochart > Edinburgh. Meals could be in Inveraray, or Oban or Glencoe or Killin depending on times.

Or another option could look like:

Edinburgh > Perth/Scone Palace > Fortingal > Killin/Falls > Glen Etive/Glencoe > then back towards Edinburgh via Callander, or extend the day by driving south to Oban then Luss and then back to Edinburgh

mocha_dolce

Janisj--- Thanks for the feedback. I think the itinerary is a combination of a few sights I requested --Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Kelpies -- and the tour company's suggestions (which I had solicited) to fill in the loop. Admittedly, I don't know much about the logistics, so I was looking for their advice since I've tired of planning a bit. Loch Lomond is a national park, so that seemed worthwhile, and I'd heard that Glencoe is scenic. I do see where a lot of tours include Fort William and Pitlochry (not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing). In addition to the natural sights of the Highlands, I would be interested in some smaller towns where we could eat lunch, stop and stroll, possibly have an early dinner, etc. Let me know if anywhere else comes to mind. (I will try to find some videos of some of your suggestions; I've already mapped them out.) We have to be back in Edinburgh by 8 PM.

janisj

" I do see where a lot of tours include Fort William and Pitlochry (not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing)."

That's because they are just about the only towns that have big enough restaurants and/or hotels that can handle a tour bus. Certainly not because they are the cream of the crop.

Yes, Loch Lomond is part of a national park . . . national parks in the UK are not like NPs in the States -- there are no entrance gates, entrance fees, etc, They are basically vast scenic areas with normal villages, roads, hotels, etc. When I mentioned Luss -- that is the most scenic village ON Loch Lomond.
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Glencoe is a must - Glen Etive is a scenic detour off the main road through Glencoe so an east 'two-fer'. Killin is a short detour off the main route from Glencoe to Edinburgh. Google 'Falls of Dochart' and you'll see why a Killin detour is VERY worthwhile. The Glencoe/Glen Etive/Killin leg is 10000% more scenic than either Ft William or Pitlochry.

KarenWoo

I second what Janisj is saying about Glencoe/Glen Etive. We returned from Scotland in June, and Glencoe and the Glen Etive road are spectacular! We spent 2 nights in Glencoe and we wish we had a 3rd night. As beautiful as Skye is, we put Glencoe slightly above Skye for beauty. Perhaps not everyone will agree with me on that, but Glencoe will take your breath away!

Gardyloo

Do you know what sort of vehicle and how many people will be on the tour? Some roads like Glen Etive are "single track," meaning there's room for one ordinary sized car - with passing pullouts every few hundred yards. They're not suitable for full sized tour coaches.

Not only is the route proposed a little sub-optimal in my view, I suspect you're likely to arrive back in Edinburgh pretty knackered. Google maps says the route with the stops you've listed (Kelpies, Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Fort William, Pitlochry) has a drive time of 7 1/2 hours. Typical for Google, this is pretty unlikely IMO - probably closer to 9 hours wheels turning, maybe more. So if you have 10-12 hours available before having to be back in Edinburgh by 8 PM, when are you leaving? OMG o'clock is my guess.

A couple of things to suggest. First, if you're visiting Falkirk and Stirling on your own, just include the Kelpies on that trip. It's around a £10/10 min. cab ride from Falkirk. Second, while Loch Lomond is lovely and Luss is the nicest town along the water, the drive alongside Loch Lomond is very trafficky and can be quite congested. In any kind of large vehicle it can be something of a white-knuckle experience. Since you're seeing Glen Coe (and ideally Glen Etive) during the drive, honestly, missing the stop at Luss wouldn't be the end of the world in my view. By including it you'd be forcing a return to Edinburgh along the M8, which is a very trafficky road and not at all scenic.

Just as an exercise, have a look at this route - https://goo.gl/maps/WTigL8u7jVzciWrU8 . This bypasses Loch Lomond but includes a couple of other destinations that you might find rewarding. The idea would be to head to Killin and the Falls of Dochart for a tea and nature stop, then on across the Rannoch Moor to Glen Coe, then down Loch Linnhe past Stalker Castle (used in one of the Monty Python films) to Oban for lunch and a walk-around.

The return would include a stop to view the ruins of Kilchurn Castle, one of the most scenic spots in the Argyll Highlands, then back to Edinburgh. As for a nice place to stop for dinner, I'd suggest South Queensferry, the picturesque and very historic village located beneath the Forth rail and road bridges, half an hour from the city. Maybe have dinner at the Hawes Inn, where Robert Louis Stevenson wrote part of Kidnapped, or at the Orocco Pier with its views of the Forth and the bridges.

Just some thoughts.

janisj

Gardyloo: "Do you know what sort of vehicle and how many people will be on the tour? Some roads like Glen Etive are "single track," meaning there's room for one ordinary sized car - with passing pullouts every few hundred yards. They're not suitable for full sized tour coaches. "

I may be wrong but I interpreted the OP that it is a private tour in a car - "We have a maximum of 10-12 hours." and them working with the guide to tweak the Itinerary.

My proposed itineraries are very aggressive car-time-wise but pencil out at about the same drive times as the one the guide suggested. I agree that is a LOT.

"By including it you'd be forcing a return to Edinburgh along the M8, which is a very trafficky road and not at all scenic. "

I'd never take the M8 myself - I'd go via Drymen and Stirling. Same-ish drive time and avoids driving through Glasgow.

Tacking on to the route you plotted -- IF (and only if) Loch Lomond is a must, from Kilchurn instead of back tracking on the A85/A84, jogging down to Luss then around the loch and via Drymen on to Edinburgh takes only about 30 minutes longer

mocha_dolce

Thanks for the suggestions; I have to admit my head is spinning a little. It's hard to evaluate which itinerary would suit us best.

Our criteria:

we
-- don't want to spend the whole day in the van. (FYI, they use a ten passenger van for the tour.).
-- would like a mixture of scenic stops and smallish, walkable town/village stops
-- don't necessarily want to follow the large coach tour route
-- don't have to max out the time
-- may want to have dinner on the way back to Edinburgh so we don't have to fight the dinner crowds there
(tour company has discouraged this, perhaps because it might be hard to control the time it takes)

Gardyloo

I confess I'm a little confused. If this is a private tour and they're using a 10-passenger vehicle (BTW "van" in Britain is a delivery vehicle; try "MPV" instead) are you filling the whole thing? How many are touring?

So a wee reality check. In August and starting from Edinburgh, following the "large coach tour route" can mean just about anywhere. It's the peak season throghout the country, and places like Glen Coe can be so popular that the local authorities simply stop letting people park along the road. Popular Glencoe tourist route hit with 'no stopping' order | STV News

I'm also not sure I'd take a 10-passenger vehicle down Glen Etive, even if the driver was okay with a single-track road, and especially if you're on a tight-ish schedule. Sadly, the same goes for a number of roads in the west. If they're big enough for big buses, they're going to be popular tourist routes. If they're too narrow for the big buses, they might be too narrow for the 10-passenger ones too.

So I'm going to throw out an alternative that won't take you to Glen Coe, but which will still offer most of what (I think) you're looking for. Here's the map. Google the places on it or use Undiscovered Scotland - Undiscovered Scotland: Home Page - a terrific resource. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/ihcpk6qEQ3Yny3Ce8

This starts with a visit to Culross, a remarkable restored village along the Forth, used extensively in Outlander, if that matters. It's like being transported back 300 years, badda bing. The route then heads into the Trossachs. I haven't shown a spur to Loch Katrine, but that migh be possible if you're making good time. Anyway, the next stop would be Killin and the Falls of Dochert, after which you'd follow the shore of Loch Tay until a brief overland (single track) detour to Fortingall at the head of Glen Lyon, one of the most beautiful glens in the Perthshire Highlands; indeed, all of Scotland.

Fortingall is a very beautiful, very historic place, with a collection of thatched buildings, a yew tree in the churchyard that's one of the oldest living things in Europe, standing stones and other prehistoric sites nearby. But what I'd do is pre-arrange lunch at the Fortingall Hotel, a beautiful and excellent structure set in magnificent countryside.

From Fortingall you'd head overland to impressive Blair Castle near Blair Atholl. This structure is definitely on the big-coach-tour circuit, but it's worth it. From there, you'd travel south (initially on the A9/M90) past Perth, then divert east and south to the small town of Falkland.

Falkland is a remarkably important and historic town, a little under the radar for many tourists, despite its influence on Scottish history. Falkland's Royal Palace has many associations with Mary Queen of Scots, and the palace gardens are among some of the best in the country. Falkland was also used extensively in Outlander, where it stood in for Inverness. (Inverness should be so lucky.) This is a lovely wee town to wander about, have afternoon tea, whatever. Then it's an hour or so back to Edinburgh, or around half that to my recommended dinner stop in South Queensferry.

Like I say, this is a huge departure from the current plan, but maybe one worth discussing. It would make for an easier day but one that would be no less rewarding IMO.

janisj

"-- don't necessarily want to follow the large coach tour route"

Trust us, Ft William and Pitlochry are the absolute epitome of the Coach tour route. This may It sound harsh, but seems to me the tour company's itinerary is not 'custom' in any way. It is just a basic off the shelf "tartan trek" they pawn off on overseas visitors. Depends on how much say YOU have -- can you actually go where you want on a custom itinerary? Which company is this, how many in your party, and have you already paid for it?

I agree that Glen Etive would be difficult in a 10 seater.

bilboburgler

good advice above, I'd go back and request it

mocha_dolce

Thanks all--- we'll definitely incorporate this input into our final itinerary (which supposedly can be completely customized). We'll be 6 on the tour; it's pricey but will be split among three couples. That makes the planning a little complicated. It's a well regarded company with a lot of experience with both private, small group, and large coach tours. Again, I appreciate the many suggestions. We did something like this in Ireland and were pleased.

janisj

Google some of the sites we've mentioned up thread then decide which look like what you's like to include. To be honest, the original itinerary as listed in the OP, sounds like something they could/would manage in a full sized coach. With a 10 passenger MPV some roads would be tough (somehow full sized lorries do manage though), but they definitely could get to nicer, more off the beaten path, scenic places.

janisj

meant to add -- this is a good resource for checking out various destinations: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk