ruecrew

I have been tasked with creating the schedule for the family's 2-week trip to Scotland.
The only item on the agenda is to be at the Military Tattoo on 7 Aug to see our daughter perform.

I am traveling w/my mother, aunt, husband, and teenage son. Interests run the gambit from the animals and scenery-to the arts-to the castles. (of course my husband would also include golf under "interests&quot Can someone advise on which sites are not to be missed? Equally as helpful would be a list of sites that can be skipped.

We will be traveling by rental car and I hope to lodge in two or possibly three different "home-base" spots.

Thank you in advance for the help.

janisj

There are many more can't miss spots than you have time for.

So help us a bit here. Has your husband already booked tee times anywhere or does he just plan on getting on as a single if possible? Also do your plans include any of the famous courses - or just golf in general?

Do you already have your Edinburgh accommodations booked? If not - that should be your very first move - places book up far, FAR ahead in Edinburgh for August.

What day do you arrive in Scotland and when do you leave -- in other words, where in the schedule does Edinburgh fall?

Renting a cottage for a week in one place is a great way to see a LOT w/o having to pack and move so often. There are lots of central areas that would work as a base.

So give us a bit more detail and we can help . . . . .

caroline_edinburgh

In case you are not already aware, the Tattoo is one of several August festivals in Edinburgh. If you are interested in the arts, especially check out the International Festival (8-31/8, www.eif.co.uk) and the Art Festival (31/7-31/8, www.edinburghartfestival.org). Priority booking for the EIF opens on Wednesday (which is also when the programme is published) and I am champing at the bit ! The Art Festival is primarily about contemporary art and has good events like guided walks (all free). The Fringe is the biggest festival & is open to anyone so there's no qualitry control, but does include good stuff - theatre, music, dance and far too much comedy(www.edfringe.com, 3-25/8). The Book Festival takes place in tents in George Square and it's nice to while away some time there when the weather permits (9-25/8, www.edbookfest.co.uk).

Programmes & tickets for the Fringe & the Book Festival will be available in June.

Happy to offer more details if you're interested, like good Fringe venues.

If on the other hand you are not *that* interested in the arts, it might be better for you to stay outside Edinburgh & just travel in by train or bus on day trips - it's very busy & accommodation is more expensive during the Festivals.

Michael

Some parts of my trip report might interest you:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35058184

Viajero2

Scotland is awesome and a lovely place to visit. Based on the input you provided, I would say do not miss a drive up to the Loch Ness area. The Western Highlands are definitely a NOT MISS on my book!

So, I would have a max of three (3) homebases, one of them by Fort William/Western highlands area. Inverness is not the most atractive city, but it is certainly a great home base from where to explore.

sheila

I think you'll struggle for people who will take less than a week's booking at that time of year.

If you haven't already booked, I'd organise a week somwhere you can easily commute to Edinburgh by train. I think you'll quite likely want to visit the capital more than once.

Places to consider would be anywhere in the East Neuk of Fife, Dubar or North Berwick or Perth.

Then for week 2, go somewhere completely different. Argyll? Ullapool? Islay? Orkney? Strathspey?

Dozens of lovely options.

ruecrew

Thank you.

We arrive in Glasgow via air on the 29th of July. We are taking in the Tattoo on 7th Aug. We will be returning to the states on 14 Aug. so I will book the final night at the airport in Glasgow.

My husband has not booked tee times as of yet. Of course he would like to be at St. Andrews just to say that he played there but he is flexable about playing so long as he can at least visit it.

We are not touristy people, by that I mean we like to go off the beaten track looking for those hidden jewels.

I appreciate any help you might have to offer.
W

janisj

OK - That helps a lot. I'd stay the first night in Glasgow proper. It is a bad idea to start of driving after a sleepless transatlantic flight. So you can explore Glasgow the first day and get a good night's sleep. Then pick up your rental car on the 30th.

From there you could go anywhere. Most cottages rent Sat/Sat ( a few are Fri/Fri and even fewer Sun/Sun) so you'd have 3 days before your first Saturday. You could spend those 3 days exploring Argyll/Oban/Kilmartin/Mull/Iona - or go out to Mallaig/Skye.

Then you could head back east to a cottage you've rented somewhere in the Trossachs or near Perth/Loch Tay. Either of these would make a great base for exploring the whole center of the country on day trips. Plus while there, you could take a train from Perth/Stirling/Dunblane into Edinburgh on the 7th. If you take an early a.m. train you'd have the whole day to explore Edinburgh and then see the Tattoo.

After checking out of the cottage on Aug 9 you have 5 days before you want to be back in Glasgow. I would head up to Deeside, or near Inverness for a couple of days

Then down the coast to Fife and stay near St Andrews for 2 days/nights. Maybe not IN St Andrews but in one of the nearby fishing villages like Crail. Your husband can try the daily lottery for getting on the Old Course (make sure he brings his handicap cert and/or letter from his club secretary). If he makes it great - if not he still would have a slight chance of getting on. The Starter will put singles w/ already booked twosomes/threesomes when available. And if that fails - there are all sorts of lovely courses all over that part of Fife even besides all the St Andrews courses. (the New Course is also pretty much booked solid but the other St Andrews links usually are MUCH easier.

If you reverse this loop (cottage &gt; Fife &gt; Deeside or Inverness) you end up in St Andrews on Sunday and there is no play on the Old course so you'd be limited to just the Monday to get on. But then since there is no play - the old course becomes a vast public park and he could walk the entire course if he wanted. Step into Hell Bunker, see the road hole, walk across the bridge to the 18th green -- so you just need to decide if you want a <i>chance</i> to play it, or a sure thing to see the full course. . . .

Whichever - you can then work your way back towards Glasgow - maybe stay along Loch Lomond the last night (unless your flight is VERY early in the a.m.) It is a short drive from Loch Lomond to GLA.

For the one week cottage, I'd look w/ a few miles of Callander or near Dunkeld/Aberfeldy

a1139a

Scone was my favorite castle in Scotland. But I don't remember exaclty where it is. Also love Iona.

janisj

Scone Palace is in Perth . . . .

ruecrew

Thanks for the help. My husband is thrilled with the Sunday visit to the old course! So far we are reserving the 3rd for &quot;his day&quot; since we can all walk the course and enjoy the view.

I have also booked a B&amp;B in Portree on the 10 &amp; 11.

Now I am working on a central home and one to the NW...

Since we have just 2 weeks should I skip the borders?

ruecrew

Sorry, one more question. While doing my research I saw mention of a town where Scottish craftsmen gather but now I can't find it. Can anyone help me? My mother and I would like to &quot;shop&quot; from local craftsmen not necessarily mills etc.
thank you.

janisj

There are local craft shops in lots of areas so don't worry to much about going to any particular area.

As for the Borders - they are one of my favorite areas in Scotland. W/ the Border Abbeys, St Abbs Head (sort of Scotland's Big Sur), some really beautiful castles and stately homes. When combined w/ east lothian (Tantallon and Dirleton castles and some wonderful/famous golf courses) -- the Borders area would be a great area to explore for 2 to 4 days.

But since you have such a short time - you just need to bite the bullet and decide if you want to head north to the Highlands or south to the Borders for you spare days.

And we haven't even mentioned the SW yet -- Like I said in my first post - &lt;&lt;There are many more can't miss spots than you have time for.&gt;&gt;

noe847

If you plan to attend the Tattoo as part of a day trip to Edinburgh via train, you will want to check the train schedule. Members of our group have done this on our past trips to Scotland, and, particularly when we were based out of Stirling, it was difficult to make it in time for the last train to Stirling after the Tattoo ended.

robertino

Iona. One of the most historically important places in the whole country.

sheila

http://www.westkilbride.org.uk/

An odd place to go for your hols, but to each his own