Itinerary to Scotland 2008
Jul 30th, 2007, 03:44 AM
#21
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,282
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Are you aware you'll be in Orkney during the St Magnus Festival ? http://www.stmagnusfestival.com/
Depending on where you want to stay, it's probably worth booking your accommodation there asap.
We keep thinking of going but it keeps losing out to the Italian weather
Depending on where you want to stay, it's probably worth booking your accommodation there asap.
We keep thinking of going but it keeps losing out to the Italian weather
Jul 30th, 2007, 11:59 AM
#22
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 963
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When I was in Scotland a couple years back, we drove from Inverness to John O'Groats and took the ferry there to Orkney. It was a nice drive and ferry ride. Also while in/on(?) Orkney, a stop at the Italian Chapel is worth the time.
On the way back, we stopped at Dunrobin Castle. We hadn't heard about it before but saw sign on the road and it was around lunchtime, so we pulled in. We could only spend a couple of hours, but would have liked to have an afternoon to fully appreciate the gardens and falconry as well as the castle itself.
On the way back, we stopped at Dunrobin Castle. We hadn't heard about it before but saw sign on the road and it was around lunchtime, so we pulled in. We could only spend a couple of hours, but would have liked to have an afternoon to fully appreciate the gardens and falconry as well as the castle itself.
Jul 30th, 2007, 01:25 PM
#23
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Green Dragon, Have a look at my website, www.glasgowstepon.com If you think Ican be of help, please email. I can give advice on Glasgow and Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, but Glasgow is the largest city, there are cultural differences. you can have a better time at a Glasgow funeral than at a Edinburgh wedding !!!
Jul 30th, 2007, 02:56 PM
#24
Chris_1943: Welcome to Fodors. We have a lot of Scots on here - and they are willing to share great info w/o flogging a for-profit website. (unless you missed the rules when you registered, advertising is not allowed on here)
Jul 31st, 2007, 11:22 AM
#26
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,159
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Chris.. have you joined us? Another weegie? Good, we could do with one- that JJBhoy bloke is just unreliable
Do stay please(just don't punt the web site- Fodors are pretty sensitive about their rules). I speak as a furryboot.
Do stay please(just don't punt the web site- Fodors are pretty sensitive about their rules). I speak as a furryboot.
Jul 31st, 2007, 11:18 PM
#30
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,159
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As always, I can't really do B&Bs, but for eateries:-
Edinburgh- Vin Caffe, The Dining Room, Cafe Vittoria (and I read they'd opened somewhere more upmarket on the Bridges. Have you been, Caroline?), the Kalpna, Black Bo's.
Inverness:- forget it. Culinary desert.
Orkney- I've always been disappointed in Orkeny, but I think it's something I'm doing wrong. There's a very nice wee cafe with good food, down on the pier in Stromness, and the Creel in St Margaret's Hope, gets a good name. Ummm. That's it, ed.
Skye- Cafe Arriba on the Harbour, Eilean Iarmain and Kinloch Lodge on Sleat; oh, and did I mention the Three Chimneys?
Mull- mmm. YOu might like to get the Fishnish ferry across to the White House in Lochaline
Glasgow- Babbity Bowster, the Ashoka, Cafe India, Rococo, Rogano, Stravaigin, the Ubiquitous Chip, the Wee Curry Shop
July 3-July 5, stay in Glasgow
July 6, fly out of Glasgow
Edinburgh- Vin Caffe, The Dining Room, Cafe Vittoria (and I read they'd opened somewhere more upmarket on the Bridges. Have you been, Caroline?), the Kalpna, Black Bo's.
Inverness:- forget it. Culinary desert.
Orkney- I've always been disappointed in Orkeny, but I think it's something I'm doing wrong. There's a very nice wee cafe with good food, down on the pier in Stromness, and the Creel in St Margaret's Hope, gets a good name. Ummm. That's it, ed.
Skye- Cafe Arriba on the Harbour, Eilean Iarmain and Kinloch Lodge on Sleat; oh, and did I mention the Three Chimneys?
Mull- mmm. YOu might like to get the Fishnish ferry across to the White House in Lochaline
Glasgow- Babbity Bowster, the Ashoka, Cafe India, Rococo, Rogano, Stravaigin, the Ubiquitous Chip, the Wee Curry Shop
July 3-July 5, stay in Glasgow
July 6, fly out of Glasgow
Aug 1st, 2007, 01:35 AM
#31
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,282
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Sheila. No, haven't been to the new Vittoria's. Or the Herbe Bistro, also on GIV Bridge, where the Marque people went - have you ?
GreenDragon - my recommendations for Edinburgh eateries...
If you want gourmet, there are three restaurants with one Michelin star.
Martin Wishart's in Leith is fantastic, especially if you have the six course tasting menu (which will all be cooked by the man himself) – now also available in a veggie version. The tasting menus are £60pp for food, £50pp for a wine to match each course - £10 less for each at lunchtime. Three courses £50, bargain set lunch at £22.50 available Tue-Fri. It's very high class but friendly and unstuffy. Book 2-3 months in advance for weekend dinner, less for weekday dinner and lunch. IMO should be 2 stars.
The other starred restaurant is Number One in the Balmoral : food nothing special IMO, ambience is more formal & traditional.
The Kitchin, also in Leith, opened last July & got a star this January – some going ! It's really good but not as good as MW.
If you want 'modern Scottish', Stac Polly on Grindlay Street used to be good, but I've read mixed reviews in the last year. Also branches on Dublin Street and St Mary's Street.
La Garrigue on Jeffrey Street is a small French restaurant specialising in cooking of the Languedoc where the chef-proprietor is from, as are all the wines. The food & the chef are both lovely and the ambience is correct but relaxed. If you sit near the window there is a view of Calton Hill & its monuments.
For Italian, La Partenope on Dalry Road is wonderful. The chef-proprietor & his food are Neapolitan & it's the best Italian food (especially seafood) I've had outside southern Italy. Unusually for an Italian restaurant, in the UK at any rate, even the desserts are home made & very good. They also have a very interesting list of southern Italian wines largely based on little known grape varieties. The ambience is very relaxed.
Centotre on George Street is a busy, buzzy Italian caffe-bar offering everything from a coffee & cannolo to cocktails to to a full slap-up 4 course meal. Can be expensive for the full works but v. reasonable for just a pizza or a bowl of pasta, both of which are very good (best pizza in town IMO).
When we have visitors we've always taken them for Sunday lunch in Leith (the old docks area - which I have now moved to !). There are lots of nice waterfront places, notably the Shore, where you can eat in the restaurant or in the pub; the Waterfront (more upmarket) and Skipper's. All of these are particularly good for fish but do other things too - the Waterfront does vg steak from the Duke of Buccleuch's estates. I used to think Fisher's in Leith was the best for fish but had a very disappointing experience there last time we went. I haven't tried Fisher's in the City for some time so won't judge it, but other posters here have praised it recently.
Both Black Bo's and David Bann's do very interesting & innovative vegetarian cusine. BB's is very casual, studenty even, & DB's is smart casual & v. modern . Both v. reasonably priced.
Incredibly cheap - a) the Mosque, Chapel Street/West Nicholson St (1-7pm I think, except Fridays), for more curry & rice/naan etc than you can eat for £3 (meat & veggie) - outdoors eating, though, so no fun if cold or wet; b) Palmyra on Nicholson Street - £2.80/£3.80 for vg chicken shwarma with salad in flatbread, or even cheaper veggie ones like feta or baba ganoush.
I've never had good fish & chips in Edinburgh.
If you want recommendations for any other specific types of cuisine, please ask.
GreenDragon - my recommendations for Edinburgh eateries...
If you want gourmet, there are three restaurants with one Michelin star.
Martin Wishart's in Leith is fantastic, especially if you have the six course tasting menu (which will all be cooked by the man himself) – now also available in a veggie version. The tasting menus are £60pp for food, £50pp for a wine to match each course - £10 less for each at lunchtime. Three courses £50, bargain set lunch at £22.50 available Tue-Fri. It's very high class but friendly and unstuffy. Book 2-3 months in advance for weekend dinner, less for weekday dinner and lunch. IMO should be 2 stars.
The other starred restaurant is Number One in the Balmoral : food nothing special IMO, ambience is more formal & traditional.
The Kitchin, also in Leith, opened last July & got a star this January – some going ! It's really good but not as good as MW.
If you want 'modern Scottish', Stac Polly on Grindlay Street used to be good, but I've read mixed reviews in the last year. Also branches on Dublin Street and St Mary's Street.
La Garrigue on Jeffrey Street is a small French restaurant specialising in cooking of the Languedoc where the chef-proprietor is from, as are all the wines. The food & the chef are both lovely and the ambience is correct but relaxed. If you sit near the window there is a view of Calton Hill & its monuments.
For Italian, La Partenope on Dalry Road is wonderful. The chef-proprietor & his food are Neapolitan & it's the best Italian food (especially seafood) I've had outside southern Italy. Unusually for an Italian restaurant, in the UK at any rate, even the desserts are home made & very good. They also have a very interesting list of southern Italian wines largely based on little known grape varieties. The ambience is very relaxed.
Centotre on George Street is a busy, buzzy Italian caffe-bar offering everything from a coffee & cannolo to cocktails to to a full slap-up 4 course meal. Can be expensive for the full works but v. reasonable for just a pizza or a bowl of pasta, both of which are very good (best pizza in town IMO).
When we have visitors we've always taken them for Sunday lunch in Leith (the old docks area - which I have now moved to !). There are lots of nice waterfront places, notably the Shore, where you can eat in the restaurant or in the pub; the Waterfront (more upmarket) and Skipper's. All of these are particularly good for fish but do other things too - the Waterfront does vg steak from the Duke of Buccleuch's estates. I used to think Fisher's in Leith was the best for fish but had a very disappointing experience there last time we went. I haven't tried Fisher's in the City for some time so won't judge it, but other posters here have praised it recently.
Both Black Bo's and David Bann's do very interesting & innovative vegetarian cusine. BB's is very casual, studenty even, & DB's is smart casual & v. modern . Both v. reasonably priced.
Incredibly cheap - a) the Mosque, Chapel Street/West Nicholson St (1-7pm I think, except Fridays), for more curry & rice/naan etc than you can eat for £3 (meat & veggie) - outdoors eating, though, so no fun if cold or wet; b) Palmyra on Nicholson Street - £2.80/£3.80 for vg chicken shwarma with salad in flatbread, or even cheaper veggie ones like feta or baba ganoush.
I've never had good fish & chips in Edinburgh.
If you want recommendations for any other specific types of cuisine, please ask.
Aug 1st, 2007, 11:23 AM
#32
sheila and caroline have given you all sorts of great selections. On Mull be sure to eat at the Keel Row pub in Fionnphort. Really good fresh food. I usually like to stay in Fionnphort .
This B&B is terrific and is right next door to the Keel Row and about a hundred yards from the ferry to Iona (well just about ALL of Fionnphort is w/i a 100 yards of the ferry ) http://www.seaview-mull.co.uk/
But you'd probably have to book up the whole place to fit you group and it is very popular so you'd need to book ASAP. The view across the sound to Iona and the Abbey is terrific and the sunsets are to die for.
This B&B is terrific and is right next door to the Keel Row and about a hundred yards from the ferry to Iona (well just about ALL of Fionnphort is w/i a 100 yards of the ferry
) http://www.seaview-mull.co.uk/But you'd probably have to book up the whole place to fit you group and it is very popular so you'd need to book ASAP. The view across the sound to Iona and the Abbey is terrific and the sunsets are to die for.
