Home Base for Ireland and Scotland
 

My sister and I will be travelling to Ireland and Scotland in the Fall of 2001. We are considering establishing a home base (1 when we're in Ireland & 1 when we're in Scotland)and travelling from there each day rather than picking up and moving on a daily basis. Any recommendations as to where home base should be?

In Scotland, I recommend Callendar - near Stirling. I can enthusiastically recommend the Leny Lodge self-catering (they also have a B&B if you want that). There is plenty to see in that area. The major roads in Scotland are good enough that you can drive quite a bit in one day - we went to Loch Ness and back in a full day of driving. <BR> <BR>In Ireland, the driving is very slow as the roads outside the Dublin area are quite narrow. I would decide on a small area of Ireland and then pick a central town. Killarney is quite nice

Jayne; it depends what it is you're coming to see. Cities? Highlands? Islands? Whisky? Castles? Golf? Beaches? <BR> <BR>If you narrow down, we can make a suggestion or 2

Jayne <BR>I agree with the Stirling suggestion, try to check out the areas of SW Scotland. We loved the town Kirkcudbright and the Logan Botanical Garden near Port Logan on the coast. Galloway is an undervisited part of Scotland that shouldn't be missed!

Hi Jayne: Where in Ireland are you coming into. I just spent a week in County Galway this past Sept. We did self-catering and had a great time. Took day trips to village of Cong, Kylemore Abbey, Knock Shrine(Co. Mayo), Galway City and took ferry to one of the Aran Islands. A suggestion: if you are not going to stay in the immediate area you are flying in and/or out of give yourself a day at the beginning and end of the trip for travel to and from airport. That's what we did and it saved wear and tear on us. Driving is slow and you need to allow at least double the amount of time it would normally take you if you are from the States!

Thank you for all the suggestions so far! To answer your question Sheila, we're currently still in the research stage of our travels - trying to soak in the most prevalent recommendations and all. This will be our first time visiting Ireland and Scotland, so we want to see as much as possible. We'll probably spend some time in the cities, but I've also read so much about the natural beauty of the highlands and neighboring islands, that I'm thinking they are not to be missed. We don't have many castles in the States so most assuredly a couple of those will be on out itinerary as well. Any tips you have for first time visitors and places/things that shouldn't be missed would be much appreciated!

Castles we saw in Scotland - Stirling, Edinburgh, Campbell, Doune, Caeverlock, Threave. Of these, my favorite is Threave which can be seen the same day as Caeverlock. TO get to the castle, you drive over small country roads and then park in a farmers front yard. Then you walk the path between his fields for about 1/2 mile. You then ring a big bell and the boatman comes across to take you to the island castle. <BR> <BR>We also saw Stirling, Doune, and Campbell castles on the same day. Many of the castles are small and quite ruined, so they don't take much time to see. They all have different features tosee however and often have interesting locations

Jayne <BR> <BR>I'm trying to get a handle on what you like so I can suggest somewhere kind of central for a base. If you are going to try cities and Highlands, then I think you need to be north west or Edinburgh, and thus north east of Glasgow. <BR> <BR>I think the suggestion of Callender is agood one and I think the alternative I somewhere between Dukeld and Aberfeldy. <BR> <BR>The advantage of the latter is, that whilst it is further from the two big cities, it is very close to good traffic links to both of them and well placed for forays further into the Highlands, distllery counry and all that. <BR> <BR>However, if you are serious about trying to reach an island as well, I think you have only three choices:- <BR>1. Arran, which would mean stayig somewhere more west of what we are discussing, and thus making access to Edinburgh more difficult; <BR>2. Bute, ditto; or <BR>3. staying somewhere further north than Callender (Strathyre, for example) and having a go at getting to Oban and then to Mull. <BR> <BR>The reasons are that all of the other islands are either too far for a comfortable day trip if you are within striking distance of Edinburgh and Glasgow (in fact only the bridge to Skye makes the suggestion feasible at all); or the ferry journeys are too long to make a day trip feasible. <BR> <BR>So, if an island is a real desire, I would suggest somehwere like Crianlarich or Killin or Strathyre; if you can cope with just looking at them, Dunkeld or Aberfeldy. <BR> <BR>If either appeal, (or indeed, if neither appeal) come back and let us know and we'll try to fill in the gaps.