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Need Scotland advice for weekend

I'll be attending a conference in Perthshire (The Gleneagles Hotel) and will have a long weekend after it's over for a mini-vacation (3 days). I know I'm leaving this wide open, but any suggestions? I can fly into either Glasgow or Edinburgh. Thanks.

In light of the urgency I was about to send you an email when I realised you didn't mean THIS weekend. What do you like? How will you travel? Here's some tour stuff. If you'd rather do towns, let me know. Take the train to Fort William. You can wake up in the middle of rugged Rannoch Moor, and come down to the west coast through Glen Coe where the Macdonalds were slaughtered by the Campbells after the 'forty five. Then take the train to Mallaig right out on the far west of Scotland's mainland. Then take the ferry to Skye, and using public transport, which is OK but not great (or hitching which is not a problem) stay on Skye as long as the following makes possible. You should have time to climb at least one of the island's staggeringly beautiful mountains. Then get back to Kyleakin and cross the bridge (boo!) to Kyle of Lochalsh, and get the train to Inverness. Another stunning piece of scenery crossing from the west to the east coast. then get the sleeper back to London. Voila!

By car as an alternative, aim on through Fort William to Mallaig and get the ferry to Armadale on Skye. Spend an evening somewhere on the east side of the Sleat peninsula, then go up and spend an evening at Dunvegan (the Three Chimneys is meant to be good) or come back down and spend an evening in Portree (Rosedale Hotel on the harbourside is recommended- by me). Leave Skye the next morning by the bridge, and, stopping at Plockton, for the view, drive up Loch Ness to Inverness and spend an evening there. Come down to Blair Atholl then turn back along the Tay to Kenmore and spend the evening there, then next day go on to Edinburgh and finish your trip. An alternative to the last bit would be to do Sleat, Portree, Uig, on Skye; catch the early ferry to North Uist, and drive down through the Uists to South Uist spending the evening at the Polochar Inn for one of the best views in the Western Isles. Catch the ferry from Lochboisdale next day to Oban, sailing down through the Sound of Mull. From Oban go either back up to Loch Ness or straight across to Kenmore etc etc.

Someone else on here posted how they "stayed at the Balmoral in Edinburgh and dined that evening at the Witchery (very good). The next day they went up the east coast just south of Stonehaven to Banchory and stayed at the Banchory Lodge. Great accommodations, food, scotch, roaring fires and right on the river Dee. Next we visited the Coul House Hotel in Contin (near Strathpeffer) ---Spectacular service, staff, and a good secret. Dinner was superb (filet with a maderia cream sauce, cucumber with peanut sauce and very rich desserts). On to the Northern Highlands to the Torridon Lodge---beautiful (a bit snobby) but quaint and four star dining. The best thing about Scotland is renting a car and stopping when you want to where you want to. We hiked Rogie Falls just out of Contin and this was wonderful. We did the drive from Edinburgh down part of Loch Ness.... then across and through the highlands into Isle of Skye. I definitely recommend the highlands. Absolutely beautiful, but watch out for sheep herds - they cross the roads at random...(the carraigeways that is, not the highway. We didn't book any B&B's... just stopped at travel info centres and said - okay - we want a B&B here - they call for you, charge you a modest price - 3p I think, and you're booked! Its really convenient. We usually started driving, and then about mid-day we stopped and booked - although in some cases we did book once we got to the town/city.

The area around Gairloch, Wester Ross, is rightly famous for scenery and the laid back attitude of the residents. A friend and I drove up after work on Friday night, and stopped in the village of Badachro, on Badachro Bay on the south side of Gairloch. It's very pretty- nice harbour and pier, old croft houses, and, most important...a very nice pub. The Badachro Inn has recently changed hands and has a few good beers on tap and does good, if plain, food. It does not have rooms but does have a small cottage it rents by the night (3 bedrooms, 6 beds and a bed settee) which costs from £49 per night if you take if for one night to £27 if you take it for a week. There are 2 more B&Bs in the village and Harbour View where we stayed was vry pleasant without being anything to write home about. On Saturday we went hillwalking in Torridon- on of Scotland's more impressive ranges-hugely to be recommended but not for the fainthearted. Stopped for a drink at the Ben Damh Lodge when we got down- very hikerish. Gairloch and Poolewe and beauiful viallges with masses of B&Bs and good local facilities. I once stayed in the Pool House Hotel at Poolewe for a weekend- medium class hotel- very good food. Anyone who's doing Scotland in more than a week or who's prepared to focus on an out of the way place would be well recommended to give Torridon a go.

Thanks Shelia - appreciate all the information. As far as dates I'll be there from July 1-7 (the conference is ending on the 4th). AS far as likes - we love to hike, take photos, and of course, sample wonderful local cuisine!