Scotland Highlands Advice?
 

Hello! We are old college roommates (yep, we’re 50) from the USA doing a girls week in Scotland. Will fly in and out of EDI… looking for advice on how to best spend our M-F Highlands driving trip (we’re flying in earlier and leaving later… but 5 days total for the driving adventure in and out of EDI is the question here). We booked this fairly spontaneously so delighted to have found lodging within our preferred touring area; they are set, no flexibility. Would love advice on how to best maximize our day tripping given the hotel plans. In general, we are interested in scenery, good food, hiking/walking (max 5 mi. / day). History and whiskey are interesting for a stop but not primary focus.

Happy for any input but specific scenic routes and restaurants would be great!

Skeleton Plan:
Day 1 (mon): Depart Edinburgh by 10a à Stirling Castle à ??? à arrive MHOR 84 Balquhidder (dinner and overnight) (STAY: MHOR 84)

Day 2 (tue): Mull / Iona island tour (West Coast Tours) in/out of Oban – returns Oban 6pm. Dinner recs or should we eat at MHOR again?? Note we would swap this island tour to WED if the weather is particularly awfulDay 3 (wed) (STAY: MHOR 84)

Day 3 (wed): ?

Day 4 (thu): Thinking Inverness?

Day 5 (fri): ??? Travel from Glecoe à Edinburgh, best stops? Return before dark.

@janisj @gordyloo would appreciate your advice!

Initial thoughts for now (its late where I am and I'll think more about this in the AM)

• I'd really REALLY try to be on the road before 10AM. Stirling Castle opens at 9:30 and I'd aim to be there by 9:15-9:30-ish

• I'd visit Stirling Castle, and Inchmahome Priory before heading up the A84 to the MHOR 84 (it isn't actually IN Balquhidder which is 4 or 5 miles in off the main road)

• MHOR 84 is a good location . . . either before or after checking in I'd take the 15-20 minute drive up to Killin/Falls of Dochart then back to the Motel

• Day 2 will be an absolute killer -- don't know what time the tour starts but I assume early in the morning. The drive from MHOR 84 to Oban can take close to 2 hours so you'll have total about 4 hours car time PLUS the tour.

• Just throwing this out to think about . . . Stay at MHOR 84 just one night and drive over to Oban via Glencoe on Tuesday afternoon and ferry over to Mull. Do Mull/Iona independently all day Wed and Thursday morning (staying on Mull Tues/Wed nights) then ferry back to the mainland Thursday afternoon.

• You'd have Thurs afternoon / Friday to explore either Kilmartin, Loch Lomond , or more of the Trossahcs before returning to EDI

Janisj: Thank you so much for your quick reply! All great advice. I realize that I didn't fully explain our lodging plans, which are booked and non-refundable.

nights 1 & 2: MHOR 84
nights 3 & 4: Guesthouse in Glencoe

Given your comments about the drive time between MHOR 84 to Oban (I did not realize this, thought it was closer to 1 hour), would it be better to do the Oban ferry to Mull/Iona on Day 2 and then go directly to Glencoe hotel? Or even Day 3 and drive to / from Oban from Glencoe?

Appreciate your advice!

OK -- great -- Definitely do the Mull tour from your base in Glencoe since the drive to Oban will take about an hour give or take.

Apparently Inchmahome Priory is closed for renovations. On our day from EDI to Stirling (a.m.), would Loch Lomond in the afternoon make sense or not enough time? If no, would you have a suggestion for afternoon stops between Stirling and MHOR 84?

Any dinner recommendations in the vicinity of MHOR 84 that you'd recommend? We have a reservation at the hotel for night one but would love to find another more traditional dinner spot for night two.

Oh -- that's too bad about Inchmahome.

Doune Castle -- interesting by itself but if you are at all Monty Python Fans its a must. Be sure ask if they still lend out the coconut shells ;)

A boat trip on Loch Katrine -- The steamer Sir Walter Scott is currently out of commission but they still use the Lady of the Lake excursion boat https://www.lochkatrine.com/cruises/loch-cruises/

Plus a side trip from Mhor 84 out to Balquhidder/Loch Voil to visit the graves of Rob Roy and his wife in the village churchyard.

As for dinner nearby . . . depends on what you mean by 'nearby'. The motel is a stand alone place (with an all day cafe) and there aren't many nearby villages. There are a few restaurants and cafes in Killin about 20 minutes north and in Callander about 20 minutes south. Crianlarich has a few restaurants/pubs/cafes but it is about 30 minutes away.

janisj thank you so much for all of the advice -- we fly to Scotland in a week!

Have a great time . . . hope you can sleep in broad daylight ;) :sunny: The sun will be up about 18 hours (0415-ish to 2015-ish) but what they call 'civil twilight' - so including dusk - runs from about 3AM to 11:30PM