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-   -   Scotland for a month summer 2025 (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/scotland-for-a-month-summer-2025-a-1724861/)

ronaldmaurice Sep 6th, 2024 06:49 AM

Scotland summer 2025
 
you have all been very helpful.
It sounds like getting from Glasgow to Fionnphort on Mull in one day is a bit extreme..Oban overnight might be a better stop.
Then our route is from Fionnphort to tobermory ferry to Kilchoan drive to Mallaig and ferry to Armadale to Kyle of Lochaish staying on the mainland.Is this possible in one day??Any advice welcome

ronaldmaurice Sep 6th, 2024 07:09 AM

Scotland summer 2025
 
Thinking of staying at Sealladh guest house Ardelve near Dornie and exploring Skye from there across the bridge for 2 full days.Is this reasonable as opposed to staying on Skye.Most of what we want to see on Skye is in the middle/south of the islandThanks for your advice

janisj Sep 6th, 2024 07:37 AM


Originally Posted by ronaldmaurice (Post 17595511)
Thinking of staying at Sealladh guest house Ardelve near Dornie and exploring Skye from there across the bridge for 2 full days.Is this reasonable as opposed to staying on Skye.Most of what we want to see on Skye is in the middle/south of the islandThanks for your advice


Absolutely not. Do note all the comments about how slow the driving is. Driving just from Ardelve to Portree takes more than an hour. Or Ardelve to the top of the Trotternish at say Duntulm takes more than 2 hours each way. A minimal driving day tour something like Ardelve, around the Trotternish Peninsula, Dunvegan, Talisker and back to Ardelve would require more than five hours butts in seats. With stops that would be a 10 hour day. It simply isn't practical to tour much of Skye from off island, or even from the southern end of the island. Either stay in Portree, at Sligachan,. Orr in some airbnb or B&B sort of mid-Isle., i.e. not in Broadford.

ronaldmaurice Sep 8th, 2024 07:50 AM

Scotland summer 2025
 
New itinerary glasgow 678 june
mull 9 10 11 june
skye 12 13 14 15 june
lewis and harris 16 17 18 june
ullapool 19 20 june
gairloch 21 22 june
\fort william 23 24 june partner wants to do the jacobite train
inverness 25 26 june
cairngorms 27 28 june
edinburgh 29 30 june 1 july
glasgow 2 june
fly home to canada 3 july

what do you think//all suggestions welcome

janisj Sep 8th, 2024 08:37 AM

Not bad -- I'd maybe consider fitting Ft William in between Mull and Skye (though I'd stay in Ballachulish or Glencoe rather than IN Ft William). So it would be: Mull > Ft William area/Jacobite > Skye > Outer Hebrides > the rest of your plan.

And I would not stay IN Inverness but somewhere like Nairn, or on the Black Isle, or Culloden

ronaldmaurice Sep 8th, 2024 09:51 AM

Scotland summer 2025
 
Thanks Janis
We are going to do the train form fort William to Mallaig after Skye the outer Hebrides Ullapool Gairloch Inverness.Going from Inverness to fort William
then we are driving the A 86 A 9 down to Perth with one stop on the way.then overnight in Stirling and on to Edinburgh.Any suggestions for where to stop betwwen Fort William and Perth??Thanks

janisj Sep 8th, 2024 10:14 AM

That just seems more zigging and zagging than needed. And driving Gairloch to Ft William takes almost twice the time of Gairloch to Inverness.

Mull > Ft William area for the train (again - not IN Ft William). Then Skye > ferry from Skye to Harris, then ferry From Stornoway, and so forth. Just seems easier to fit in Ft William/train between Mull and Skye.

Then Inverness / Cairngorms / Stirling is an easy, direct drive down the A9

ronaldmaurice Sep 8th, 2024 10:46 AM

Scotland summer 2025
 
Sorry Janis I messed up..............1
we are doing fort William after Inverness and then travelling the A86 A9 to Perth and on to Stirling Edinburgh.Any ideas for any stops before reaching Perth?Thanks

janisj Sep 8th, 2024 10:52 AM

And my comments wouldn't change. Ft William just makes more sense between Mull and Skye, and from Inverness down the A9 makes more sense than zigging over to Ft William and back. Why build in extra mileage/drive times when not needed?

Scotlandmac Sep 8th, 2024 11:59 AM

When do the two days in Cairngorm(Aviemore area?) fit into things , as after Fort William you mention heading for Perth?

it doesn’t really matter , it’s through lovely scenery, but you do know that the train journey pretty much follows the road route from Fort William to Mallaig? My point being that if you travel from Mull to Skye via Ardnamurchan and the Lochailort road, you will be driving the same route that the train takes from that point to Mallaig.Just to point it out…chances are the weather will be completely different and it will all look quite different!

You don’t seem to have Glencoe and Rannoch Moor into your plans, so I would be doing that Fort W - Perth journey via the A82 through Glencoe then across to the A9 and Perth via Crianlarich.

However, my question about Cairngorm still stands…

Nice to see you have the Outer Hebrides and part of the NW Highlands in your plans.Do try to see something if Torridon as you head south…20 min drive through Glen Torridon to the village and immense scenery from Kinlochewe but..given where else you are planning it may have to wait for that second trip!






janisj Sep 8th, 2024 12:08 PM


Originally Posted by Scotlandmac (Post 17596111)
. . . but you do know that the train journey pretty much follows the road route from Fort William to Mallaig? My point being that if you travel from Mull to Skye via Ardnamurchan and the Lochailort road, you will be driving the same route that the train takes from that point to Mallaig. . . . !


Tried to explain that a few times but apparently the train is non-negotiable

ronaldmaurice Sep 8th, 2024 12:41 PM

Scotland summer 2025
 
driving from Inverness via the Cairngorms to Perth on to Stirling and on to Edinburgh. in 4 days.Where to stay in the Cairngorms for 2 nights and Stirling 0ne night?

ronaldmaurice Sep 8th, 2024 02:36 PM

Scotland summer 2025
 
My partner really wants to do the Jacobite train but we cannot book it till 25 november.If we base our itinerary around 2 nights in fort William in the earlier part of our trip we may have more of a problem booking later days as opposed to booking Mull Skye Lewis and Harris Ullapool Gairloch Inverness and then going down to fort William for the train.I know we are zigzagging a bit but it seems to make more sense booking the train later??

janisj Sep 8th, 2024 03:13 PM

I'm not quite sure I follow?? Why would booking the train early in the Itinerary be more problematic than booking it for 12 days later in the trip?

ronaldmaurice Sep 9th, 2024 04:02 AM

Scotland summer 2025
 
Hi Janis
we feel that we cannot confirm our stays onward until we have booked the train so we have to delay booking our itinerary until after 25 november which might limit our avalability at planned locations.We cannot book the train until Novemer 25.does this make sense?

ronaldmaurice Sep 9th, 2024 05:59 AM

Lewis and harris accomodation
 
3 Nights on Lewis/Harris June 16 17 18gGetting the 14.10 ferry from Uig on Skye to Tarbet coming back from Stornaway to Ullopool.Any suggestions on where to stay?
Are there any ferry cancelllations ever on this route in June?

Scotlandmac Sep 9th, 2024 09:05 AM


Originally Posted by ronaldmaurice (Post 17596317)
3 Nights on Lewis/Harris June 16 17 18gGetting the 14.10 ferry from Uig on Skye to Tarbet coming back from Stornaway to Ullopool.Any suggestions on where to stay?
Are there any ferry cancelllations ever on this route in June?

Yes even summer ferries get cancelled or delayed..there have been regular issues across the whole aging fleet.That said, weather is less likely to be an issue in June..ie high winds.Technical issues can happen anytime.





Scotlandmac Sep 9th, 2024 09:30 AM

Re accommodation..I'll come back on that re bases.

ronaldmaurice Sep 9th, 2024 10:01 AM

Lewis and harris accomodation
 
Hi ScotlandMac,
Been looking at Royal Hotel, Ceol na Mara,Arch Inn and Caledonian hotel as options on Lewis/Harris for 3 nights in June.Is that a reasonable time frame?Thanks for your help

Ron

ronaldmaurice Sep 9th, 2024 10:07 AM

Lewis and harris accomodation
 
Sorry Scotland Mac Ceol na Mara is the only one on Lewis/Harris the other 3 I mentioned are on Ullapool.your advice on those on Ullapool would be welcome.Ceol na Mara looks like we will pick unless you can come up with a better alternative.We need a bedroom with twin beds which can limit our choice.


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