My wife and I want to do a driving tour of Scotland in May to enjoy small towns, scenery, and light hiking. We are flying into Edinburgh from Virginia, and plan on staying mainly in B&bs while in Scotland.
Please tell me what you think of this itinerary. We've already booked our air. I would prefer to book our lodging early too so we can get what we want.

1) Fly into Edinburgh, Drive to Oban for 4
nights (I realize its a good 4hr drive
with jet lag) While based in Oban, we
could visit Mull, and do some driving
tours to Glencoe, Inveraray, etc.

2) Drive from Oban to Skye for 3 nights.
While based in Skye we would like to
drive up to Applecross and Torridon for
a day.

3) Drive from Skye to Callander for 2 nights

4) Drive from Callander to Edinburgh for 2
nights.

I know most of you would probably recommend a longer stay in Edinburgh, but I think I'd much prefer the countryside to the city.

Anyway I appreciate your advise, and thanks for your comments on my previous post.

I think my first advice would be to reverse the stay in Edinburgh. When you arrive, stay in Edinburgh for the 2 nights - then you would spend your jetlagged day touring the city - instead of driving a car. On the 3rd day take the bus to the airport to pickup your car and set off for Oban.

Yes, I can see the sense in that, but I'm trying to avoid an extra packing day. If we do Edinburgh 1st wouldn't we still have to stay overnight in Edinburgh again at the end of trip?

What time is your flight out of Edinburgh?

Whenever I hear of someone proposing a long, jet-lagged drive on the other side of the road, I recall the <i>charming</i> girls I visited in the hospital after they did the same. The person driving the vehicle they collided with wasn't there. They'd killed him. He was a milkman, young, married, and with two children.

I think it woould be wiser and more responsible to spend the first night or two in Edinburgh.

Point well taken. We fly out at 1pm.

I tend to disagree with that. I personally would feel more comforable staying in Edinburgh the night before my flight home to the US. That would be too nerve-wrecking for me to have to drive in from somewhere that morning (anything could happen, flat tire, etc.).

How do you handle jet lag? I personally have never really been affected by it. The two times I went to Scotland, I landed in Glasgow and had a three hour drive immediately to Aberdeen... and it was fine. But I really handle the change in time zones and lack of sleep well.

Good luck planning. I love the Isle of Skye I wish I could go back there this trip in June, but that won't be happening.

1pm means you should be to airport by 11am at the latest.
Stirling is only about an hour outside of Edinburgh (which is where we stayed our night before departure).

Wait for other people's opinions (because I am not an expert). But with a 1pm departure you could probably stay in Callander. Callander is about 2 hours from Edinburgh - so you would have to leave your lodgings at 8-9am.

We ran into no traffic at all in all our time in Scotland. Even on the major highway at rush hour there was no congestion.

amelie is right too - it depends on how you want to structure your trip and how you handle jet lag.
Either way would work - it comes down to what you prefer.

Do you really only go 2 hours before? My husband swears we must go 3 hours before. We usually go 2 hours before for domestic flights. I guess that is a personal thing though and just a moot point.

It's all about comfort levels, as far as the driving the day of, and what time to be at the airport.

When we went to Scotland in October we went to the airport 3 hours before - but that was during the whole &quot;liquids are bombs&quot; scare, and it was required.
Otherwise 2 hours is sufficent for us --but youre right--it is all about comfort level.

Before the experts advise, I have a few comments.

Reagardless of how one handles jetlag and personaly I think it's unpredictable, Oban is a long trip. Four hours it may be, but you'll not be driving on four lane highways. Driving in Scotland can be a lt more tiring than one suspects. If you must take off immediately, it'd stay the first night at Stirling, Callander or somewhere nearby.

Are you going to Skye via Mallaig and the ferry to Armadale or by way of Lochalsh? Spending one day of your Skye time driving to Applecross/Torridan means you'll be missing out on a lot of what Skye offers. Plus it's just a lot of driving. Doable yes, advisable ..not IMO.

While I'm one of the few that thinks Oban is a reasonable place for a short stay ( Cal Mac ferries to a variety of islands as you mentioned and the Manor House), 4 nights IMO is too much, I'd add a day to Skye.

Oh those typos. Well, I'm only n my seocnd cuppa.

Have you considered taking the train to Oban on the day of arrival and then rent your car?

Why would you have to unpack on your last night in Scotland - all you'd have to unpack is the stuff you need that night &amp; the next day.

For me that normally means a clean(er) set of clothes, toothbrush, shaver &amp; toothpaste.

At worst return the car to the airport, go to the airport, leave the majority of your luggage at the left luggage office &amp; take a small bag into Edinburgh.

maybe i need to rethink this a liitle bit.

alanRow....you make good sense but have apparently never traveled with my wife. There isn't such a thing as a short stopover. Thanks for you suggestions though, they are very much appreciated.

Please, PLEASE don't try to drive to Oban on your first day! Even if you feel wonderful when you land - the 4 or 5 hours later when you crawl into Oban you will probably be a mess (if you haven't run off the road by then)

either

1) stay the first night(s) in Edinburgh w/o a car and rearrange your itinerary,

2) stay the night somewhere really close to EDI like Linlithgow. It is only about 9 miles from teh airport and you could visit the amazing Palace.

3) drive maybe as far as Stirling/Callander (motorway and not far - but still not the best choice)

Edinburgh would be my first choice.

Okay, We'll probably do one of these:

edinburgh 2 nights
oban 3 nights
skye 3 nights
callander 3 nights, and drive to
airport

OR

callander 3 nights
skye 3 nights
oban 3 nights
edinburg 2 nights, and drive to
airport

Do you think these make good bases to see the countryside? Would you recommend we divide our length of stays differently at any of these locations?

Thanks for the help!

w/ your flight out not until 1 p.m., either of those would be good options. You can easily drive from Callander to EDI w/o having to get up at the crack of dawn.

Doing Edinburgh at the front end is probably the best choice though. You'd have 2 days w/o a car to get over the jet lag. But driving as far as Stirling is all motorway and then Callander is just a few miles farther so it is a doable drive.

My personal choice would be to go into Edinburgh first off.

As for a different division of time - anyone can quibble and say you need more here or less here - but each of those places could easily fill a week or more. So I'd just stick w/ your 3/3/3 idea.