Just booked last minute flight to Scotland, would love some quick help!
 

I am normally completely anal about my travel planning and now on a whim I am off to Scotland in 8 days. I would love some help.

How do I best get from Glasgow airport to Edinburgh?

I am planning on spending 4 nights there and then would like to spend 3 nights somewhere in on location to tour and enjoy the outdoors - water is optional. Any suggestions on a good home base to slow travel from (I know it is only three days!)

Specific recos on places to stay would also be appreciated, this is a birthday gift so we can live a little, if you know somewhere special! Would it be insane to think I could wander around and just find B&B's?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Susan

August is the busiest month in Edinburgh with the festival although I don't know the actual dates. I imagine you will have great difficulty finding accommodation in Edin at this stage - you may be better to stay in Glasgow - there was a recent post on this subject. There are frequent trains between Glasgow and Edin and the trip is about an hour.

Glasgow International airport or Glasgow Prestwick?

Besides which airport are you using - are you looking for accomodations for just the 3 free days, or in Edinburgh too? Edinburgh is EXTREMELY crowded from now through the beginning of Sept. Several international festivals and the Tattoo are all running concurrently.

Now, it won't be impossible to find a room - in fact there was a thread just last week where a fodorite (surprisingly) found last minute rooms in the city. But it will take a lot of time/effort. You stay somewhere else and take a day trip(s) into Edinburgh?

If you do already have your rooms in Edinburgh - great.

w/ the 3 days assuming you eventually need to be back at glasgow you could:

1) Drive through the Trossachs and stay the first night near Callander. Besides the lovely scenery/lochs/waterfalls, you could see Stirling/Doune castles and Inchmahome Priory on an island. The the other 2 days I'd stay somewhere near Oban. See Kilmartin Glen and a day trip to Mull/Iona. Then back to Glasgow.

or 2) Two days in Fife (St andrews/fishing villages etc), then 1 day in the Trossachs/Loch Lomond which are quite close to Glasgow.

Or any number of other itineraries - these can at least get you started . . . . .

Get the bus to Glasgow Queen Street from the airport and take the train (which is a shuttle- every half hour or so) to Edinburgh.

I'd suggest west Perthshire- Killin, maybe; or Lochearnhead- somewhere not too far north, and central so you can spead out all over the country.

I have recommended the Ardeonaig Hotel on South Loch Tay a couple of times. It might be a good choice, as might the Monachyle Mhor. They're both classy without being OTT.

You would certainly get B&Bs whilst wandering around, but you couldn't guarantee the quality or location.

If you plan to stay in the Callander area there is a nice B&B in Aberfoyle--the Creagh Ard House (sp?). The area is just beautiful and Aberfoyle is a very pleasant little town.

I'd be looking on laterooms.com so quickly just to see WHAT is available...
then I'd ask "things to do"...

Will you have a car for the three days that you are outside of Edinburgh? Without a car, you won't be able to go as far or see as much, but you can still enjoy yourself. If you don't have a car, finding a town on the train line will be important. Ideally your lodging should be within walking distance of the train so you can explore nearby.