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. 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.

sorry for the double post - was editing to take out the "though" and somehow posted both.

A much better itinerary.

Slainte mhath!

Given those two choices, I'd do the Callander first. I like to spend the night in the place I'm flying out of. For me, 11:00 a the airport gives enough time for a little walk in the city in the morning, breakfast and a leisurely trip to the airport (easy to do in Edinburgh). I've seen plenty of traffic in Scotland - like the time a truck fell off the side of the road into a ditch and the road was totally closed!

Callander first and finish up in Edinburgh. As Noe 847 mentions this would alleviate any possibility of unexpected road / traffic problems. It would also give you a couple of days to relax without a car and enjoy Edinburgh.

In either direction, I think your revised itinerary is a splendid one.

You'll love this trip, trust me...especially the people. They're among the nicest folks I've ever encountered!

Hey everybody, thanks for the advice.