I think we will go to Scotland next summer for about 2 weeks but this can be flexible. We will visit Edinburgh, Glasgow, Isle of Skye and probably golf once. We'd also like to hike or bike some. It helps me to start my research with some your favorite places and then narrow it down and come up with an itinerary. Thanks for jumpstarting me with your favorites in Scotland.

I liked Orkney Island. Skara Brae was very interesting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skara_Brae
We also enjoyed Castle Dunnottar but that may have had something to do with the unexpected (for us) gathering of Clan Keith there: https://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/

You might read up on the dreadful Midges which are quite pesky. You'll be encountering them quite a lot while hiking.

Wherever you decide to go, it's a gorgeous place.

Two weeks is nice but not long enough to hit even 10% of my 'must sees' -- you will have to be VERY selective. I would definitely get a photo-heavy guide/travel book to help you narrow things down.

Other than Edinburgh and Glasgow, some places to check out would include:

• The Borders . . . St Abb's Head, the Border Abbeys, Traquair house, Abbotsford, pop just into Northumberland for Bamburgh, Alnwick - and a ton more.

• The SW . . . Threave Castle+ospreys, Threave Gardens (not the same place) Culzean Castle, Robert Burns associations, a toe into northern England for Hadrian's Wall - and a ton more

• The Trossachs. . . . Stirling Castle, Doune, Inchmahome, Killin/Falls of Dochart, Loch Lomond - and a ton more.

• Argyll and the Inner Hebrides . . . Mull /Iona/Staffa (Amazing), Islay, Skye, Kilchurn, Kilmartin

• Outer Hebrides . . . Harris, Lewis, the Uists, etc.

• The far North . . . Orkney, the 'North Coast 500', Inverewe Gardens, Royal Dornoch (one of the best golf courses in the world) - and a ton more

• Inverness and Surrounds . . . Culloden/Clava Cairns, Fort George, Cromarty Firth dolphins, the Whisky Trail, Cawdor Castle - and a ton more

• Aberdeenshire . . . Deeside and the Castle Trail, Dunnottar, Crathes, neolithic standing stones - and a ton more

• Angus & Fife . . . St Andrews, Dundee (new V&A pus waterfront Discovery centre), Glamis, Edzell, Fishing villages (Crail/Anstruther/Isle of May//Pittenweem), Falkland - and a ton more

That is my high level 'short' list.

I'm with Janis - a "short list" runs to pages.

A couple of general guidelines. Edinburgh is one of the world's great cities, but in August there are various festivals that make the population explode. Things become very crowded and very expensive. If you're a fan of an incredible selection of performing and visual arts, then by all means come. But be prepared for a very intense time of things.

Distances on maps are very misleading. Once you're off the main roads, travel in rural Scotland is slow. Bringing North American (or, I believe, Australian) sensitivities about drive times and "road trips" to Scotland is going to leave you disappointed and exhausted.

Weather happens. The main weather comes off the Atlantic, consequently the western half of the country, including the islands to the north and west, gets considerably more rain than the east. You won't see pictures in the guides that show places like Skye when everything is so socked in that you can't see the mountains, but believe me, it happens. Patience is a virtue.

Latitude: The north of Scotland is at the same latitude as much of southeastern or southcentral Alaska. Daylight hours in the summer are LONG. (Conversely daylight in the winter is, well, not so long.)

Well-known (or well-marketed) places have limited accommodation and things book up early. That's especially the case in high-demand areas like Skye. Don't dither with your planning. It's easier to cancel reservations made in advance than to make them at the last minute.

A working knowledge of Scottish landscapes, and - really - of Scottish history will do you a great service. You'll be amazed what a short distance in miles can make in terms of the types of scenery, the vegetation, style of farming... And knowing something about Scotland's (and the UK's in general) history is VERY useful. History is VERY alive in Scotland. Likewise, some knowledge about current affairs is also useful. Political and social discourse in Scotland is very energetic at the moment.

Be prepared to fall hopelessly in love with the land and the people.

My favorite resource for trip planning in Scotland is the terrific Undiscovered Scotland website - https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/

Janisj and gardyloo have offered excellent information as usual. Having traveled through out Scotland, I would suggest you have a look at some of the less popular spots. Too many travelers to Scotland focus on the obvious and IMO miss out on some very special places.

My favourite part of mainland Scotland is probably Sutherland, with its elemental combination of very distinctive mountains, lochs, beaches and sea; the islands are also great places to visit - of the ones I have visited, I would particularly recommend Orkney; although it is difficult to go wrong visiting any of them. For hiking, places like Glen Affric and Glen Strathfarrar are considered by many hikers as a couple of the most beautiful glens in Scotland. My wife and I are looking forward to spending New Year at the Loch Torridon hotel with four american friends - Glen Torridon is one of the most spectacular glens in Scotland and is now on the NC 500 (unfortunately!).


I second historytraveler's suggestion about looking at less popular spots. Part of Scotland's appeal for me is the ability to get away from masses of people;this is becoming more difficult as Scotland's popularity increases, especially in "honeypot" places like the Fairy Pools on Skye etc, particularly during the summer months.

WOW! Great ideas to research. We could definitely have more than 2 weeks. This gives me some motivation to start planning. We will probably go early June or could go mid July. I realize now I did not tag this United Kingdom. I am still getting used to the new format.

>>I realize now I did not tag this United Kingdom.<<

It's tagged. (Tags don't display in the thread itself - but on the thread list it shows)