Scotland driving vacation
 

I am planning our trip to Scotland...two couples..we would like to see Edinburgh and a few other cities and possibly drive down to Wales...we would love to visit some castles....I am looking for recommendations of routes take. We will have two weeks..we are coming from the US.

<<we would like to see Edinburgh and a few other cities and possibly drive down to Wales...we would love to visit some castles>>

This is kinda funny. Some castles. Scotland. That's like saying you want to see "a play" on Broadway.

Let's go through some of this. First, what do you really want out of your trip? There is a castle and palace in Edinburgh and another notable castle and palace within a couple of hours' drive (or train) in Stirling and Perth, respectively. If you get castled-out easily, you could be done with those four and consider your trip successful in seeing Scottish castles.

There are around 400,000 castles (estimate may be a bit high) in Aberdeenshire, which is about 1.5-2.5 hours (depending upon which part you go to) away from Edinburgh. Glamis Castle (where the late Queen Mum resided and was raised and where HRM has spent plenty of time) is on the way from Edinburgh to Aberdeenshire. And the recitation could continue but Fodors will cut me off. Note that of the most notable castles outside Edinburgh, most are far to the north or to the north-east of the city (not Stirling, it's northwest). Wales is in the completely opposite direction.

The castles are in various states of repair - complete ruins, partial ruins, well-maintained (just cosmetic retouches), refurbished, etc. The Nazis didn't get any during WWII, I don't think, so there are no rebuilds (contra Japan, where the US flattened a sizable number and the Japanese did full reconstructions).

As for Scottish cities . . . less fun. Glasgow is fully modern; Edinburgh has its core Royal Mile that harkens back a half-eon or more; Inverness is . . . a gateway to the north of Scotland and not much else; Aberdeen is similar for the east coast and Aberdeenshire; Dundee is not known as a tourist destination. Other than some oversized towns (Elgin, Pitlochry, Ft William), Scotland doesn't really have other cities.

Second, the point of driving around Scotland is NOT to drive around Edinburgh. If you stay in a central location, you can walk the city (for the most part) and it has buses of some use. Driving is a right pain because the streets are narrow and you're not going to be in a grid layout (although Edinburgh is better about this than London). And Edinburgh saw fit to screw up its traffic even more by building light rail. Glasgow is about a 90 minute or less train ride from Edinburgh, so there's no need for a car there either. Ultimately, if you want to drive around Scotland, you want to drive around the countryside.

Any routes to take from Scotland to Wales will head south and west. There's a well-known wall at some point. The others on the board who've been to the home area of the mendacious arse George Galloway can tell you about that. Check with the rental company as to whether you'll incur drop charges for leaving the car halfway across the UK from where you get it.

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...LakesAndWales#

Denmal, following my own personal policy of offering pix rather than dialogue, here are some of Scotland, the English Lakes and Wales. Some go back to the 1980's, most are more recent in the 2000's. Big Russ said it: countryside driving is much more revealing than city driving in Scotland.

Enjoy your visit.

Stu

there is no way we can build the itinerary for you. There are literally hundreds of places you could go. Do you have any guidebooks? Usually it works better if you devise at least the framework of a plan and then we can help you revise/refine/improve it.

How long is your trip in total and which part(s) of Wales do you want to visit? Scotland could fill months and Wales several weeks - But just a cursory visit to Edinburgh and maybe 2 scenic regions in Scotland (there are many) and some time in say North Wales would be a 2.5-3 week trip.

Bigg Russ forgot Craigmillar Castle in Edinburgh. Then there is Blackness Castle on the Firth of Forth, about 15 miles west of Edinburgh. About 15 miles to the south east is Crichton Castle. Don’t forget Linlithgow Palace too.

In North Wales you are spoilt for castles. In no particular order there are Conwy, Caernarfon, Beaumaris, Rhuddlan, Ewloe, Flint, Criccieth, Harlech, Dolbadarn, Denbigh, Dolwyddelan...

Bigg Russ 'forgot' . . . Tantallon, and Dirlton, and St Andrews, and Doune, and Kilchurn, and Dunnottar, and Edzell, and Cawdor, and Fraser, and Craigevar, and Braemar, and Urquhart, and and and and and . . . there are hundreds.

That is why you need a guide book or two.

Big Russ is not a guidebook. He has, however, been to some of those Janis says he "forgot."

Big Russ acknowledges that you cannot swing a dead feline without hitting a castle in North Wales.

Big Russ is now going to stop referring to himself in the third person.

Why not do something other than dull and ruined castles and go to York. It is a light year better than all the Scottish cities other than Edinburgh and easily reached by car from Edinburgh. There is such a lot to see there that it will take several days to take it all in. You can then go cross country to Wales.

Big Russ - my post was more in response to ESW's who said you forgot a few ;)

>>dull and ruined castles and go to York. It is a light year better than all the Scottish cities other than Edinburgh and easily reached by car from Edinburgh.<<

Silly comment. York is wonderful -- yes. But so are most Scottish castles. York is 'worth' visiting -- but that would be a different trip. Sort of like saying "Don't go to the Grand Canyon, San Francisco is much better." Apples / oranges.

<<Big Russ - my post was more in response to ESW's who said you forgot a few ;)>>

I know.

Didn't know those Scottish castles like Stirling, Glamis, Scone (Palace), Holyrood House (Palace), Drum, Craigevar, Fraser, Cawdor, Brodie and Dunrobin (which I've shilled for on this board more than once) . . . were "ruined." I should live in such a ruin (with the appropriate staff to run the joint).

You have been well welcomed. Might I refer you back to Russ's first set of questions and then we'll all try to be more helpful. But we do need a wee bit more input from you first.

I guess I was not clear - We want to stay in Edinburgh for a few days THEN rent a car to see the countryside. Was looking for suggestion of sites/cities in the countryside to see. We will have a total of two weeks to travel. If I need guidebooks - any suggestions on the best ones for Scotland

We could still use a wee bit more guidance. We are awash with castles, beaches, mountains, lochs, and, indeed, routes. How far do you want to drive? What are your priorities?

Sorry denmal but that really doesn't clear things up much. Edinburgh a few days - yes. Some countryside - yes. Wales - ?? Two weeks is not very long so you have to be REALLY selective.

>>Was looking for suggestion of sites/cities in the countryside to see.<<

There are (I'm not kidding at all) a hundreds wonderful places you could go. You need to give at least a little help/do some of the leg work. Most any guidebook will help you -- My favorite/favourite is "Scotland the Best" by Peter Irvine. But It may be too early/overwhelming at this early stage of your planning. It is more the 'master list' of all the very best things in Scotland. I'd get a DK eyewitness, or Fodors or some other general guidebook first to get some ideas where you might want to travel -- and then if you are still looking for ideas, Scotland the Best can fill in the blanks.

Then work out a general itinerary and we can help you tweak it for you.

("countryside" and "cites" are sort of mutually exclusive. A place is in a city - OR - in the countryside. Can't really be both)

My favourite guide book is DK Eyewitness Scotland which can be bought cheaply on Amazon. It has good pictures, enough information to whet the appetite and reasonable maps. It also covers many places ignored by the other guide books.

If you really are stuck on planning an itinerary, you may find this website helpful:
http://www.secret-scotland.com/

Have a look at some of their outline itineraries for ideas:
http://www.secret-scotland.com/Conte...and-tours.html