Love all the details, as I said before. Glen Etive sounds amazing. Well, it all does actually. :)

Looking forward to more.

Good point about last orders in restaurants being relatively early. Many visitors are caught out by this - we recently saw some incredulous French tourists being turned away from a restaurant on Islay at 8:45pm as they were closing for the night.

And yes for whisky distillery tours, it's always worth phoning ahead to book a place as they can often fill up resulting in a potentially wasted journey.

Thanks for posting!!!! I'm still planning our similar trip that leaves next month! I will keep this bookmarked!!!

Thanks for the feedback. Trying to finish the TR soon, as I have some long travel coming up.

Day 13 : May 22nd : Thursday :
CALLANDER :

We had a longish drive ahead of us today. We had an early breakfast, sad goodbye to our very helpful host couple on Skye, and were on our way by 9:15 am. The weather was a little better than the previous day, with partly cloudy skies, but no rain.

We were driving our of Skye via the Skye Bridge, where we stopped to take some pictures, as the views near the Skye Bridge were just amazing. Our next photo stop was at Eilean Donan Castle, which is extremely photogenic. We just clicked from outside, at the carpark, as we had no intentions of going into the castle. After that, we drove virtually non-stop to Callander, stopping occasionally for a picture. As we neared Callander, the scenery got quite pretty, although the beauty was of a very different type compared to the Highlands.

We reached our B&B, the Annfield Guest House, at slightly after 2 pm. It was a classy place, with rich décor, very tastefully done. The quality of furnishings were excellent. We rushed out to grab a late lunch at a nearby café called the “Atrium” which had a nice friendly atmosphere. I had some warm paninis, whereas wife had toasted sandwiches.

We drove quickly to the Lake of Mentieth, as we knew that the boat rides there close early. We managed to get a boat at 4 pm, which took us to the island, where the Inchmahone Priory is. The place was an absolute delight. It is a serenely beautiful place, in a beautiful setting. We got excellent peaceful vibes there, and we just wanted to stay there for a long time. Very relaxing, and makes for great pictures in that backdrop. We were less interested in the history of the place as we were in its beauty. We spent some time there, after which the boat brought us back.

We next roamed around Main Street of Callander, and entered the few shops that were still open (why does everything close down by 5:30 pm ?!!). Did find an interesting shop which sold a lot of beads, which DW was interested in. Then we drove to the Bracklin Falls car park, and walked to the Falls. It was a pleasant walk of 15 minutes, a lovely waterfall, with a very cute wooden bridge over it.

We drove to the Meadows car park, and started walking on the trail for some distance. Then slowly walked back, and sat near the pond, watching the ducks gliding on the water. We went for an early dinner at an Italian restaurant called “Cilo”, which turned out to be disappointing. Then back home for an early night to bed.

Day 14 : May 23rd : Friday :
EDINBURGH :

We awoke to a wonderful day. The weather was the most important part of this trip, and the first thing we did when we woke up was to look out of the window. It was clear, bright and sunny, although a bit cold. But we could live with the cold if the skies were blue. We had an excellent breakfast, loaded our luggage, and were off by 9:15 am.

The Stirling Castle was just 20 minutes away. We did not want to enter the Castle, as we knew we had the Edinburgh Castle coming up later in the day. We just clicked pictures from outside and left. We drove straight to Edinburgh airport, filled the tank with petrol, and returned our rental car at Arnold Clark. They were also super efficient in car returns, and once again, we were very satisfied with our experience with Arnold Clark. Good rates, excellent vehicle, and efficient service with no hidden costs. We took the airport shuttle bus into Edinburgh City centre, from where we took a taxi to our B&B, the Straven Guest House, where we received a very warm welcome from Mac, our host.

We checked in, and left quickly by bus to Princess Street, and walked over to the Royal Mile. The moment you reach the Royal Mile, you are transported to a different era, and it is exhilarating. The grandeur of the place is overwhelming. We were doing window-shopping on Victoria Street when we spotted a Mexican restaurant called “Machiato”, where we went in for lunch. Turned out to be very good. I had a spicy mushroom burrito (which was very spicy) with a margherita, and wife loved her nachos and fajitas. Excellent restaurant.

We walked up to Edinburgh Castle and went in. Saw the Argyle Battery, the One ‘o clock Gun, the Prison of War exhibitions, Crown Jewels, Long Hall, Margaret’s Church and the Dog Cemetery. We loved the castle interiors and the exhibits. It was a very enjoyable experience.

We strolled on the Royal Mile for over an hour. There are excellent shops on both sides, making it hard for any lady to resist going in. So wife kept dragging me into the shops, which were mostly selling woolen goods. Then we hopped down to Princess Street and did some more window shopping. Finally, we returned to the Royal Mile, and sat down at a pub for a spot of beer. We had made dinner reservations at David Bann, which was a gourmet restaurant just off the Royal Mile. The food and ambiance was great. We had their buttersquash and coriander soup, which was amazing, followed by a tartlet of caramelized onions.

Then we took a bus back to our B&B and retired to bed before 10 pm.

Oh - I'm so glad you made it out to Inchmahome - it is one of my very favorite places in all of Scotland.

(It was my late parents' 'home from home' over their 12 or 13 trips to Scotland through the years. Two years ago I hired one of the fishing boast and scattered part of Mom and Dad's ashes in the Lake out in front of the island.)

Day 15 : May 24th : Saturday :
EDINBURGH :

This was our last full day of vacation. It was a cloudy day, but did not show signs of rain. After another wonderful breakfast (breakfasts all over Ireland and Scotland had been most wonderful), we left for the day, buying the all-day bus pass, which is excellent value for money in Edinburgh.

We rode the bus to Princess Street, where we boarded another bus to Ocean Terminal. At the Ocean Terminal, we went first to the Royal Yacht Brittania. We started our tour at about 10:30 am; we were amongst the early visitors, and it was not very crowded then. Probably the best time to go there. The tour of the yacht was absolutely fantastic. It was extremely well laid out, the audio guides had just the right amount of details, and the experience was very nice. We enjoyed every minute of it, especially the royal quarters, the sun-deck, the bedrooms, and the dining room. It was one of the high points in our Edinburgh leg of travel, and we recommend any Edinburgh visitor to go here.

After the yacht tour, we did a fair amount of shopping at the Ocean Terminal. We bought fleece jackets, purses, shoes, and very soon we had more on our hands than what we could carry. After taking a quick lunch at a café, we returned to Princess Street and walked down all the way to one end, where the Palace of Holyroodhouse is located. Only to find out that it was closed for the day, as someone from the royal family was visiting.

We went over to the nearby Scottish Parliament building, and they had a guided tour which was about to start at 3 pm. We did not have much expectations from this place, and were in two minds whether to join the tour or not. But I am so glad that we did. It was a wonderful place, and not worth missing in Edinburgh. Certainly the most beautiful parliament building anywhere in the world. Very modern, designed with the artistic flair and genius of a great architect, so well laid out and so aesthetically done. The wall with handwritten comments about great Scottish women, the Debating Chambers, and just about everything in the building was overwhelming. The tour guide was excellent, and this is also a must see place in Edinburgh, which many tourists probably skip.

The rest of the vacation was earmarked for shopping. We took a bus which drove some distance up the Royal Mile, from where we walked down to St James Shopping Centre and the John Lewis store. The John Lewis store was an excellent place to shop. We ended up buying a lot of souvenirs and gifts. By now our hands were aching with the day’s shopping.

Finally we walked back to the Royal Mile, and sat down at a pub for beer. Once again we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner : “Pancho’s Villas”. The food was good, but the margheritas were bad. Then we returned home a bit early, as we had a lot of packing to do for our departure the next day.

janisj, so touching to hear about your late parents' connection with Inchmahone Priory. We had seen "similar" sights in this trip at Glendalough and Rock of Cashel in Ireland, but this place was something special. It had an air of tranquility about it. I do not know why we felt attached to this spot.

Day 16 : May 25th : Sunday :
Departure to India :

We had spent a lot of time packing our bags for the journey home. We had our last Scottish breakfast of the trip, kept our bags in the living area, and left for the Royal Mile. We had an afternoon flight to catch.

Our first destination was the Holyroodhouse palace, which was open for the day. We went in and did the tour, but cannot say that we enjoyed it as much as the other sights of Edinburgh during the last two days. After that, the rest of the morning was devoted to shopping on the Royal Mile. We must have bought huge number of scarves and fleece jackets for friends back home. Once this was done, we went to Grassmarket and sat down at the “Last Drop” pub for beer – my last beer in Scotland. We had lunch at a French restaurant nearby, which turned out to be average.

Edinburgh had been lovely, and a fitting place to end such a vacation. People spend 4-5 days in Edinburgh, but we thought that our 2-2.5 days was just right. We grudgingly tore ourselves away from the Royal Mile, and headed back to our B&B. We had called in a taxi to take us to the airport in the afternoon, which arrived on time. The the non-eventful trip back home : from Edinburgh to Heathrow, and then on to Mumbai, reaching home the next day.

This brings me to the end of my Trip Report. I have enjoyed writing it, and I hope you have enjoyed reading parts of it. I have a long travel week ahead, and I am glad I could finish it. Look forward to your comments.

Thank you so much for taking the time to finish your trip report - I have loved every word!

My sisters and I may be heading to Scotland next year so it will be lovely to have your experiences for reference.

Thank you so much ! We leave next week and I was anxious to read your final leg. Great trip report!

I just found this report and have read only the first couple of installments so far, but am enjoying your journey very much. Thanks for writing!

My daughter, my sister, and I have a trip planned to London, York, and Edinburgh for September; and I have copied some of your notes for our file. Thank you for writing your trip report in so comprehensive and interesting a manner.

>>we returned to Princess Street and walked down all the way to one end, where the Palace of Holyroodhouse is located<<

Just a quick point of clarification: I guess you meant the Royal Mile (aka High Street and Canongate), rather than Princes Street. Princes Street is the wide shopping street in the New Town with the gardens on the side facing the castle.

Glad you liked the Parliament building and tour - it has its detractors but I think it's a superb example of modern architecture.

This is the month for fabulous trip report! We are very lucky to have yours. Yo write beautifully and evoke a real sense of where you are visiting. We could very easily use this as our guidebook when we visit Ireland!

A friend is in charge of the guides at the Scottish Parliament, and I know he will be pleased to read your generous remarks.

Thanks everyone for the appreciation. I was travelling all of last week, and could not respond earlier.

Gordon, sorry for the typo. Yes, I meant the Royal Mile, and not Princess St when I rote about the Holyroodhouse. Thanks for correcting it.

Hi Indiancouple, I really enjoyed your wonderful report. I especially appreciate your mention of the Cliffs of Moher boat tour. I've been to the cliffs twice, but have not done the boat ride. I plan to do it next time. Sounds great!

In my opinion, the views from the boat are better than the view from the top.

IndianCouple, once again an excellent trip report. Thanks for taking time in writing the report.

Any photos you make like to share? Photos along with your report is a total package :)

BTW, reading your Greece and Turkey report. Awesome, Awesome. Feels like I am there following your report with the google maps and photos.

Keep up the good work.