My father and sister are spending 2 weeks in Scotland at the end of June into July(my sister will be in a conference for 4 days). They are renting a car and touring the border area for a day, but the rest of the time they are using trains or buses to tour. <BR>I would like to book them a night or two outside Edinborgh as a fathers day gift. <BR>They will be day triping to Glasgow and St Andrew's via train. <BR>What is the most reasonable trip to take via train - Inverness and Aberdeen - can you see much without a car? Is the train trip through pretty scenery? Oban,Iona and Mull - would they need to stay 2 night in Oban in order to do the ferry bus ferry trip to the islands? - Or ??? <BR>Also, can you check small bags at most of the train or bus stations? <BR>I have been to most of western and central Europe but not to Scotland (I just got back from Prague,Vienna And Budapest so I can not go)- so I am no help with the planning. Your help would be greatly appreciated. <BR>Thanks - Aileen <BR>

Aileen <BR> <BR>I have collected a number of these in a wrod document. If your email address is kosher, I'll send it to you this evening. <BR> <BR>If not, if you email me at home, I'll send it.

Sheila, <BR> <BR>Thanks for your response and all of your previous posts on the site. <BR>My email is [email protected] <BR> <BR>Thanks again! <BR>Aileen

First, near Edinburgh: <BR> <BR>Don't neglect Stirling - very scenic, an easy daytrip from E'burgh by train, and one of the most historically significant places in Scotland. On the way, Linlithgow Palace is also worth an hour or two - a very majestic and substantial ruin. <BR> <BR>Also, Craigmillar Castle is well worth seeking out. It's on the SE outskirts of Edinburgh, about a 15 minute walk off Lothian bus route 42/46 (I think). Surprisingly nice, although ignored by the guidebooks in favor of Edinburgh Castle. <BR> <BR>(PS: a one-week bus pass on Lothian Buses in Edinburgh is 10.50GBP and requires a passport-sized photo, which can be purchased at the Lothian Regional Transport office at the southern end of Waverly bridge. It's VERY useful to be able to hop on without worrying about having exact change ready. You need a passport-sized photo, but there are self-serve photo booths in Waverly Railway Station.) <BR> <BR>Another excellent way to spend the day is to take the "Maid of the Forth" ferry to Inchcolm Abbey in the Firth of Forth. There is a bus (not Lothian, unfortunately) from Edinburgh Princes' Street to south Queensferry, where the ferry sails from under the Forth Rail Bridge to Inchcolm Island. If the weather is decent this is a really great day-trip. <BR> <BR>York and Durham are also within day-trip range of Edinburgh, if Northern England is of interest. <BR> <BR>Several companies offer minibus day trips from Edinburgh into the Highlands. Rabbies Trailburners and Timberbrush Tours both have websites showing their itineraries. <BR> <BR>---------------------------- <BR> <BR>Further afield: <BR>I would suggest spending one week in Edinburgh with days trips, and then spend the second week taking the train on a loop from Edinburgh-Inverness-Ft William-Glasgow-Edinburgh. <BR> <BR>Although Inverness itself is pleasantly unimpressive, there are a couple of good options for day tours: a bus/boat combo of Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle or a minibus tour (Puffin Tours, I think) to Clava Cairns/Cawdor Castle. <BR> <BR>One of the most scenic railway journeys anywhere is from Ft William to Mallaig along the West Highland Line. An easy day-trip from Ft William, including a stop at Glenfinnan or several hours in Mallaig. The railway line from Ft William down to Glasgow was also very scenic, crossing a pretty broad range of Highland scenery. <BR> <BR>--------------------------- <BR> <BR>If a loop isn't feasible, I would have to say that the journey north to Ft William is more scenic than the journey to Inverness (especially if the Ft William-Mallaig trip is added).

Hello Aileen, we just came back from Scotland. If you are interested in an excellent tout for your family, Mike Taylor was our guide in a mini van . The beauty was he was flexible and we were able to choose where we would like to see and then his input made each days tour excellent, he is a retired professor of botany and a history major so we learned many things. If you would like his email, just e mail me. I might mention his rates was reasonable. Joyce.

hi Sheila, do you mind emailing me the info you were sending Aileen? i am also looking for day trips outside of edin. by bus or train. i am staying in edin. for 4 ovn then off to london for another 4 ovn. thanks, pam

Pretty scenery - the mountains are in the west, trains from Glasgow to Oban or Mallaig (or Kyle via Inverness) are all beatiful journeys.One day I will understand why everyone heads for Inverness & Aberdeen!(nothing wrong with these places, wouldn't be top of my list.) <BR>Larger train/bus stations have left luggage. <BR>Not sure of ferry times from Oban, Caledonian Macbrayne run them, times/fares are on the net, or pick one up at the tourist office in George Square, Glasgow.They don't go to every island every day.

Deer pm, wear is edin.? is it nr ovn.?