Scotland
 

Well....here goes. This is my rough itinerary. I welcome any suggestions and critiques!
We are: Me, DH and my sweet mother (74). We love museums, castles, history, art, flowers, and FOOD! We travel together frequently and my sweet mother is one tough cookie but I don't think we will be on any "3 mile" hikes on this trip.

22nd -26th June - EDINBURGH
(4 nights) (11 Nelson Street Bed and Breakfast )
These are just some ideas:
1. The Castle
2. Royal Mile
3. St. Giles cathedral
4. The People’s Story Museum
5. Huntly House, museum
6. Palace of Holyroodhouse
7. Princes Street Gardens
8. The Royal Botanic Gardens
9. The Scotch Whisky Experience
10. Visit the Old Calton and Greyfriars cemeteries
11.. Craigmillar Castle and Duddingston Village??
** Maybe take the bus to see Rosslyn Chapel??

Music for the evening:
Sandy Bell’s and The Royal Oak. Any other suggestions.
Cloisters Bar, The Bow Bar

CALLANDER

26th and 29th June ….TROSSACHS – 3 nights
(Leny Estate, Callendar cabins)
1. Doune Castle and the Scottish Antiques Centre outside of town
2. Bridge of Allan Brewery
3. Balquhidder (told to go here on another blog, have no idea on this one) I think it might be a great drive with stops for scenery
4. Crieff and stop at Drummond Castle Garden.
5.. Grouse Distillery ??

SKYE:
Would you suggest this route???
Route #1 (outward): Head up to Fort William then turn right on the A830, the "Road to the Isles" through Glenfinnan (worth a stop for the Bonny Prince Charlie monument and the viaduct) then on to Mallaig (stopping at the Arisaig beaches) before getting the Calmac ferry over to Skye.

June 29th – July 2 - Skye – 3 nights B & B Ben Tianavaig
1. Talisker Distillery
2. Castle Dunveagan - little boat tour below to see seal colony – pretty neat
3. 2mile hike 5 minutes from Ben Tianavaig called Scorrybreac.
4. Attadale (I think right off of Skye) in Plockton is a privately owned garden
5. Several walks around the area. (Scorrybreac. etc..)

OBAN
1 night DUnheanish Guest house
Urquhart Castle - is this close enough nearby to visit and is it worth driving to? We want to just enjoy the town for the evening.

MULL
July 3-6 –3 nights Cuidhe Leathain - Tobermory
1 - We are there during the Mendelssohn on Mull festival and plan on taking in many concerts at various locations.
2. ferry over to Iona
3. Ferry over to Staffa (Fingal's Cave)
4. Castle Duart (hopefully there will be a concert here)
5. . Ulva Island
Again, I think we will drive around and "experience" this island.

Back to Oban for one night and then on to Edinburgh. We (me and sweet mother) fly on to Dublin for three nights and then home.

I have food places picked out but if anyone wants to suggest something I would appreciate it. I welcome any advice. I have used every trip report and every response I can find to other postings. Thanks so much!

Mostly fine -- just a few comments:

>>26th and 29th June ….TROSSACHS – 3 nights<<

• I'd 100% find time (at least 2 hours) to do Inchmahome Priory on the Lake of Menteith

• Yes to Balquhidder. It is a longish detour off the main road but Rob Roy's grave and the chapel are worth it IMO. - but it can also be done enroute from Callander to Skye if you leave early enough. Also - a side trip to Killin/Falls of Dochart.

• Absolutely YES to Drummond Castle

(I'd skip Famous Grouse if it meant having to skip one of the four above)

Skye:

For traveling to/from Skye - I'd take the bridge TO Skye and the Mallaig ferry to leave the island. That way you get both roads. Plus the bridge route via Kyle be convenient to both Plockton and Eilean Donan.

Then you can drive the Road to the Isles on the way back enroute to Oban. Both routes will take about the same time -- the bridge route is a bit farther but there is no ferry wait. In facts depending on the ferry - the Kyle of Lochalsh route might be a bit faster.

OBAN:

No, Urquhart is not at all doable from Oban . . . if you MUST see it - do it as a lengthy detour enroute to Skye.

Oh Janisj :):):) I was so hoping you would reply! You are right to the point and give such great advice! I will take all of your tips! Thanks for your expertise!

Sorry, I can't help on Scotland, willowjane. Just so nice to see a poster that has done her research and asks for real, sensible tips. (There's been a dearth of such posts, lately. MAde me feel as if the entire UK forum had been taken over by trolls.)
Hope you have a great trip!

While in Oban you could visit Dunstaffnage Castle. It's only a few miles from Oban at the mouth of Loch Etive. The nearby ruins of the 13th century chapel can appear either a bit creepy or mystical. Personally I was enchanted.

Bookmarking

The trip is coming up soon!! Sweet Momma is so excited and I am too - I am counting down the days!:):) I do have another question. Would you recommend booking the ferry(from Oban to Mull)and (Mallaig off of Skye) ahead of time? I wasn't sure how "busy" it normally is and if this is good thing to do. I think I would rather not, so as not to be tied down if we get distracted. We are known for getting sidetracked with scenery and flowers. Thanks in advance for the advice. Janisj, I am definitely adding/changing our plans to include your advice for the Trossachs!

Hi willowjane, enjoy your trip! I'm just back from mine. Occurred to me today that a week ago I was thousands of feet in the air and today doing a short pop downtown for a can of soup from the local grocery. Happy to be home, but missing the traveling too.

Your Edinburgh B&B isn't far from Cuckoo's Bakery, http://www.cuckoosbakery.co.uk/. Pop in and enjoy a terrific looking, but more importantly, tasting cupcake.

My favorite stop is the People's Story. If it's open, do go up to the very top and view the video that chronicles changes to regular daily life from about 1920-80.

The Museum of Edinburgh at Huntly House has a display case about Greyfriars Bobby. It's sort of at the back of one of the rooms (or was, when I visited before the refit indicated on its web site). If you've a Bobby interest, do look for the case.

From my visit in June 2010, I remember enjoying raspberries marked as grown in Scotland. The taste of them was amazing. Cheers.

Scotlib, I remember that feeling from other trips - the "weirdness" of being back to the normal life! haha Thanks for the tips!

You need to post a trip report. I love your travel quote!:)

I'd substitute the Scotch Whisky Experience for a trip to Royal Mile Whiskies further down the Royal Mile and to the Cadenhead shop on Canongate (which is the Holyrood House side of the Royal Mile). More interesting and rarer stuff in each.

Don't go to more than one distillery - they distill. Ok. What they make is more interesting than how they make it. ;-)

Hi Willowjane, newest trip report is posted and just about finished. BigRuss, you got a nod in it :-)

Cheers.

Woo hoo, I'm (in)famous!