Mobility Solutions sought for trip to Scotland
 

I am planning to travel to Scotland with my 22 year old grandson to help me in late June. I am in my 70's and just had a knee replaced a month ago because I cannot walk very far, but the replacement will help but not solve the problem. I also have lung issues which make me short of breath when walking any distance. I want to rent a scooter or some such contraption for the time, What I can't figure is when the scooter may be more of a liability than an asset when I'm not allowed to use it. We will probably be driving by car, and my grandson lived in Europe for 4 months last year, and so I feel confident he can handle that part. I also would love suggestions for an itinerary with stops that are more accessible. If there is a "must see" please include that. We both love castles and breath taking landscapes, and if there is a particular music event, destination, that would be great also. I hope this is not an impossible adv

Your main problems are going to be stairs, gravel and cobbles.

You might two long walking poles, certainly they help my sister who has loads of knee and feet problems.

You can hire the scooter sort of thing but then you need to hire a scooter carrying vehicle, which is possible so these sort of people https://www.visitscotland.com/info/t...e-hire-p889211 exist and advertise, no idea on prices.

music ; Scotland Events June 2018

Thanks. Can you tell me why no one seems to be seeing my thread., please?

>>Thanks. Can you tell me why no one seems to be seeing my thread., please?<<

Maybe because it is not tagged for the UK so it is mixed in with all the general Europe threads. You can ask the moderators to tag it for you (click the triangle and that will connect you to them)

Re a mobility scooter - it will be next to useless in Edinburgh except for Princes Street and a bit of New Town. Also difficult in many/most castles etc. What parts of Scotland were you hoping to visit? Also - how is your rehab going? By June you may be able to walk more than you think now. A cane/walking sticks may be more useful than a scooter actually.

You can often find more useful information by using Google than by posting here. I just googled accessible castles in Scotland and found several sites that looked as if they might provide information on visiting places and needing accessibility. Of course, most were using wheelchairs as opposed to scooters, but if you do some research you may find that scooters will work too. I did a trip some years ago with a wheelchair. It wasn't electric and needed to be pushed, but it was collapsible and would easily fit into a taxi. You might consider this as an option. I did find that everyone was extremely helpful and went out of their way to accommodate me. You will need to check out the places you hope to visit to see if and what kind of accessibility they offer. If you can manage with walking sticks just plan on a number of stops ( nothing nicer than stopping for tea and cake ). Edinburgh actually is probably the worst possible place to tour if handicapped in any way, but it can be done. Do check out Google.

I agree with history traveler that a folding wheel chair would possibly be more useful than a scooter. Much smaller - no special vehicle/mount required and more useful in tight spaces. Some places you will be able to walk, in some a folding chair will work -- and some places you'll just have to view from the car or from a bench.

You also have to be aware of legislation and the term scooter. If you mean the two wheeled thing that kids use with an electric motor on the back they are not allowed just about anywhere. If you mean the powered four or five wheeled things that are speed limited they are allowed everywhere but motorways. :-)

You can buy a very portable walker or wheelchair. People travel with them often. They fold up easy and are very light for trains, planes, cars or buses. I laugh and tell my husband I am bringing one for the next trip if he starts walking any slower. I am serious, he has arthritis and we aren't going to stop traveling.

I agree that Edinburgh is not very wheelchair friendly ... My suggestion for you based on your interests would be to base your self outside of the city. If you love nature there is plenty to see in Scotland which requires min walking. For example, Glencoe is spectacularly majestic ... just driving through Glencoe you are hit with the beauty of the mountains. While there are plenty of hikes you don't have to walk at all. There are pull out spots right off the main road to enjoy the beauty. The tourist center is wheelchair friendly... you step out the back door and enjoy the views. We stayed at a lovely little town Argyll - the Airds hotel. The views and sunset right outside will stay with me forever. Glenfinnan also is lovely with its beautiful lake and memorial. Very little walking. On Skly - while certain areas require hiking - much of Skye can be enjoyed by simply driving around the island. Breathtaking. We stayed at the Cullins hotel - views right outside the window. The Quiraing which you drive to is unreal scenery. Hope this helps.

>> If you mean the two wheeled thing that kids use with an electric motor on the back they are not allowed just about anywhere. If you mean the powered four or five wheeled things that are speed limited they are allowed everywhere but motorways. If you mean the powered four or five wheeled things that are speed limited they are allowed everywhere but motorways.<<

Probably neither -- most likely one of these: https://www.millercare.co.uk/kestrel-mobility-scooter/

There are also travel scooters that fold up and can be checked free on your flights. A friend has this one: https://www.travelscoot.com which is very light weight. I saw one that folds and unfolds with the push of a button, and when folded can be pulled behind you like a suitcase... sorry, I can't find the link right now.

Thanks for the suggestions, I have googled a lot but having trouble putting anything together. Could anyone suggest an itinerary? That would be a huge help.

I hate for my grandson to be stuck pushing me, but I don't know if a walker with a seat would be enough. I can't imagine either being a solution for some long uphill walk to a lovely Castle.

The yellow triangle says it is only for scams,etc Should I contact them anyway? I didn't see a way to tag Scotland before.

Edinburgh is not going to be friendly for someone with mobility issues. Its castle is built on a hill, its Royal Mile is an unrelenting incline or decline (depending upon your direction) and both Princes Street Gardens and the Grassmarket areas are down from the Royal Mile, so as a city it has its literal ups and downs. I've said often that Edinburgh has a lot of hills that all go up and that's from the perspective of someone who is not limited physically. Know that in advance. And it's unavoidable.

As stated in my previous post you really need to check out accessibility at various sites to see if visits are possible or not. Online websites for castles etc. will generally make note of accessibility issues. I have toured most of Scotland's castles and tourist sites but never noticed if one could manage in wheelchair, scooter or walker since it wasn't a consideration. Would love to tell you where to go and suggest an itinerary but can't. I advise you to make a list of places you'd like to visit then check online to see if it'd be possible in your situation. For Edinburgh, you will need a taxi to get you most places. A hassle but doable.I'm afraid that you may have to bite the bullet and be pushed uphill, use a taxi or just avoid difficult venues. Most castles, even if situated on relatively flat land, will have numerous stairs to negotiate. When I visited Hampton Court Palace in a wheelchair, they took me up stairs via a lift, but that's a huge place and I doubt many castles in Scotland will have lifts.

I think you need to reverse the planning process from what people would normally do. Find out what places ARE more easily accessible and plan your trip around those. Places where you can drive a rental car close to the attraction/castle/entrance.

Also make sure your airline knows and has wheelchair assistance for you at any of the airports you are going thru. That helps a lot with the travel portion of your trip.

I adore Edinburgh specifically and Scotland in general . . . but I am not going there this year because of my knee. I am likely more mobile than you but the prospect of Edinburgh a bit on the gimpy side is not a pleasant one. Hopefully the cortisone shots I'm starting next week will help because I try to visit Scotland every couple of years. Some sites have easy access - but getting from one to another is inconvenient. Walking is a LOT of uphill and occasionally downhill ;)

When I get home later I'll think about which sites outside of Edinburgh would be most accessible.

>>The yellow triangle says it is only for scams,etc Should I contact them anyway? I didn't see a way to tag Scotland before.<<

It is now tagged for the UK - there is not tag specifically for Scotland.

ps: to get you started there are some helpful links here. https://www.visitscotland.com/holida...ks/accessible/

Visit Scotland is the official Scottish tourist authority

and here: https://www.euansguide.com/reviews/r...umberOfReviews

"It is now tagged for the UK - there is not tag specifically for Scotland."

Yeah, that's part of why FM Salmond resigned.