peglegpete99

Hello,
We are a party of 4, 60+ adults traveling from the US to Scotland for 10 days. We are active, but not looking for a lot of hiking. Seeing/touring a few castles, a couple of golf days and enjoying the beauty and history of the country are our primary goals. I have just started putting this together, so I know I may need to make some changes using your comments and advice. Our flights are already booked, so I can't change that part, but the rest is negotiable! Thank you!

Here is my itinerary thus far:
May 13 - JFK - LHR (daytime flight) Spend the night near LHR.
May 14 - LHR - EDI Arrival at 10:40 Car rental through Celtic Legend (automatic). My husband is familiar with driving on the left side of the road.
Drive directly to St. Andrews to tour the area. Nothing pre-arranged. Dinner in the area. Sleep in Dundee at the Hampton Inn (award points night).
May 15 - Drive up the coast to Cruden Bay area. Golf tee time at 13:30, Cruden Bay Golf Club. Sleep in Cruden Bay, local BNB.
May 16 - Drive to Balmoral Castle (1 1/2 hrs drive). Tour the castle. Drive north to Nairn. Sleep in Nairn two nights.
May 17 - Visit a couple of whisky distilleries and/or the working sheepdogs.
May 18 - Drive to Urquhart Castle, then on to Eileen Donan castle. Will we have time for both castles? Travel to and sleep in/or near Portree for two nights.
May 19 - Tour Isle of Skye.
May 20 - Head south to Mallaig, Glenfinnan, Glencoe. Sleep in Glencoe. What will we have time to see on this day?
May 21 - Drive from Glencoe to Scotscraig or somewhere south of Edinburgh for another golf day. Sleep near the golf club.
May 22 - Golf day
May 23 - Drive back to Edinburgh, return the car, and stay at a hotel near the airport. Spend the afternoon in Edinburgh.
May 24 - Very early flight back to the US.


May 23

janisj

A few random comments for now - lots more later.

1) How important to you is staying at the Dundee Hampton Inn. Now I know free is good -- but it is not that great an area (well most of Dundee isn't that great TBH). Unless the free night is a must, I'd stay in St Andrews or one of the fishing villages (Crail, Anstruther, Pittenweem etc)

2) If you could rearrange the whole itinerary so you are in Fife/St Andrews on the Sunday (May 19) you could walk the entire Old Course. There is no play on Sundays and the Old Course becomes a huge public park and you can walk every hole -- see Hell Bunker, all the double greens, etc.

3) Might have to wait for a few months to see what Charles' plans are for Balmoral. In the past all that was open to the public were the grounds and one room in the Castle. I know Charles has plans to open more of the royal properties to the public bit AFAIK no announcements of changes as of yet. IMO there would be better uses of your travel day from Cruden Bay to Nairn. BTW "Drive to Balmoral Castle (1 1/2 hrs drive)" - not likely. More like 2 hours if you are lucky and there is no traffic on Deeside . . .

4) Driving from Nairn to Portree would give you plenty of time for Urquhart and Eilean Donan (though I personally would only tour Urquhart and do a nice photo stop at ED).

5) You would only have one full day on Skye -- you won't see much in just one day. The Island is very large and the driving is VERY slow.

janisj

OH -- I just noticed this "May 21 - Drive from Glencoe to Scotscraig or somewhere south of Edinburgh for another golf day. Sleep near the golf club."

Do you mean Scotscraig Golf Club which is in Tayport - i.e. directly across the water from Dundee, i.e. 10 miles from St Andrews. Certainly not south of or near Edinburgh.

peglegpete99

Yes, janisj, I was referring to Scotscraig Golf Course. I was not very clear. I realize it is not south of Edinburgh, it was just another golf course option not too far from Edinburgh. Anyway, we have decided to make a quick stop at the Scotscraig course on our way to Dundee (or Crail, or Anstruther or wherever) on our first day. We live on a Scotscraig Drive in the US. Would be fun to buy a hat or shirt with Scotscraig on it! I think we will remove the second golf day from the end of the itinerary to give us another night in Glencoe, or Edinburgh.

peglegpete99

janisj...Thank you for your random comments. I had a hunch from other poster's comments that the Dundee area wasn't the best. So, I'll change that plan. I'm not sure how important it is for DH to see the entire Old Course. That is up for discussion. As for Balmoral, that's a disappointment for me, but I'll live. lol What would be my better uses of that drive to Nairn?
I'll definitely take the advice of skipping Eilean Donan except for a pic. That would get us to Portree a little sooner. Should I add the night I'm taking away from the end of the trip to Skye or Glencoe? Also, May 20th looks to be a bank holiday. Will that be a problem for our weekend in Skye?

KarenWoo

We visited Scotland this past June and had a spectacular trip with the help of janisj and others on this forum. So I would listen to janisj's advice!

We stayed at some of the places you are overnighting at but we also had a much longer trip, 16 nights in total on the ground. Your trip feels very rushed to me but perhaps that is how you prefer to travel. Everyone is different.

We spent 2 nights in Anstruther, one of the Fife coast fishing villages that janisj recommends. It was wonderful! Such a lovely place to stay. We visited St. Andrews and Crail, and walked a very short portion of the picturesque Fife Coastal Trail in Crail. Stayed at the Waterfront Hotel which we enjoyed.

We spent 3 nights in Nairn and loved, loved our stay at the Sunny Brae B&B which I highly recommend. (Our favorite accommodation on this trip.) While in Nairn, we did visit the Glen Moray distillery, Cawdor Castle and Gardens, Elgin Cathedral and Culloden Battlefield.

We then drove from Nairn to Portree on Skye. Along the way, we visited Urquhart Castle and Eileen Donan Castle. At Eileen Donan, we purchased the tickets that allow you to go through the gates and cross the bridge to the castle and walk around the grounds. We didn't tour the inside of the castle. I had read the interior isn't that interesting, and we already had visited 3 castles and planned on visiting 2 more. We had lunch in the village across the street from Eileen Donan. We arrived in Portree around 5PM. So, yes, you have time to visit both Urquhart and Eileen Donan, especially if you don't tour the inside of ED. I can recommend Viewfield House Hotel in Portree if you are looking for hotel recommendations. Two nights on Skye is not nearly enough time but I assume you already know that. We had 4 nights on Skye. If you want to see Skye and you think this is your only trip to Scotland, I say go for it. One day is better than nothing. We loved, loved Skye! People will tell you it will be crowded, but we honestly didn't think the crowds were that bad and they certainly didn't deter from our enjoyment of Skye.

We also spent 2 nights in Glencoe which is just stunningly beautiful! Skye and Glencoe were our 2 favorites as far as natural beauty is concerned. IMO you should make the time to drive down the Glen Etive Road, which boasts more spectacular scenery. Mountains, valleys, river, Loch Etive at the end of 12 miles, and rhododendrons growing up and down the mountainsides. The road is one-way and ends at Loch Etive. We stayed at the Glencoe Inn which we also loved.

Here is my trip report if you are interested in reading it.
Our SPECTACULAR Scottish Journey!!!

peglegpete99

janisj...I just realized that Crail and Anstruther are South of St. Andrews. My reason for picking Dundee for our first night (besides the free points night) was to get us a little closer to our destination for the following day, Cruden Bay. Can you recommend another town along the A90 or A92 route that would be not too far from Scotscraig/Tayport? That will be our first day in Scotland and I don't want it to be too stressful.

janisj

We were posting at the same time and I actually ended up posting to a different thread with an almost identical title.

(this was written before I saw your latest post): I'm leaving for a few hours but thought I'd throw this out. . . seriously - just how important is visiting Skye for the group? You won't have time to see/do very much and if the weather isn't cooperating (a distinct possibility) you really won't see anything at all. I lived in the UK for several years and went up to Scotland often. It wasn't until my 3rd trek (over a span of 2 years) out to Skye before I saw a darned thing. Now, that 3rd trip was absolutely stunning but only having a 2 day window I wouldn't bet on your chances. There is a recent TR by KarenWoo re a visit in June - they REALLY lucked and had monumentally good weather Our SPECTACULAR Scottish Journey!!!

That is not typical.

And - Now with the new info: Yes, an extra night on Skye will make a big difference. But weekdays would be MUCH better. Everyone in the UK goes somewhere over the May Bank Holiday, so popular places can get really crowded. Skye is quite large and can absorb the crowds -- however the roads are distinctly NOT large and cannot absorb the crowds. To be honest . . . If it must be over the Bank Hol, I would skip Skye altogether

peglegpete99

KarenWoo...Thank you for your advice. I spent many nights last week reading your wonderful trip report. I am super impressed! I chose Nairn because of your report and I am still picking up more tips. Thanks for the vote of confidence for Skye. I know it is not enough time. I kept telling my DH we needed another day or two for this whole trip...alas he won out, so I will make the best of it. Ha And, thank you for the Eilean Donan castle advice!
Glen Etive was on my radar, too. We'll see if I can figure all of this out. It takes so much time!

peglegpete99

janisj...Well my head is spinning, so I will need to rethink a lot of things. That Bank Holiday was something I just discovered today. I will give all of your advice some serious thought and get back to you at another time. I'm sure there are lots of questions to come! Thank you!!

janisj

LOL -- while I was trying to fix the mix up between the two Scotland threads, KarenW popped in to link her TR . . .

janisj

Dundee is about a 2 hour drive to Cruden Bay, whereas Crail is about 2.5 hours -- not a big enough difference IMO/IME to stay in Dundee. If you stayed in St Andrews - then it would be a little quicker than Crail. The hotel is perfectly safe but it sits on a busy roundabout in the middle of the city, a city with LOTS of problems.

St Andrews would probably be my choice - you could see at least some of the course including the 1st/18th and the Road Hole and the Swilkern bridge, as well as the West Sands where they filmed Chariots of Fire. And maybe even play the Himalayas https://www.standrewsputtingclub.com

But if you just want to get farther up the coast -- maybe Arbroath -- the Abbey is quite interesting

https://www.historicenvironment.scot...rbroath-abbey/

AJPeabody

May I ask why fly JFK -> LHR then next day LHR -> EDI? Why not fly nonstop?

bilboburgler

A lot of driving on some small roads. Scotland is a lovely place but I'd ease back on ticking off sights and start to have a holiday.

jtpj777

Balmoral would be a bit out of your way travelling from Cruden Bay to Nairn. For castles, en route to Nairn there is Brodie Castle and close to Nairn there is Cawdor Castle of Macbeth fame. You could also do the short walk to see Slains Castle, a 5 minute drive north of Cruden Bay. Not too much to see; however the coastal scenery is good ( from the same car park as for Slains Castle, if you walk the short path directly towards the sea you come to the impressive Dunby Rock arch. Slains Castle is reputed to have been the inspiration for the castle of Count Dracula as Bram Stoker holidayed for many years at the Kilmarnock Arms in Cruden Bay.

Gardyloo

I had a couple of questions which might render all that follows moot, but IMO they have to be asked.

You indicated that your flights are already booked, but does that mean both the transatlantic ones AND the domestic flight to Edinburgh? Is LHR-EDI on the same ticket as JFK-LHR and by any chance is British Airways the operator of all the flights?

Here's my thinking, and like I say, this train of thought might be for nought (ha ha.) First, if the LHR-EDI ticket hasn't been purchased yet, or if it's a stand-alone booking (presumably on BA) - or even if it's part of a complete booking, JFK-LHR-EDI-LHR-JFK, it might be worth your time to see what it could take (change fee, for example) to switch London-Edinburgh on the morning of the 14th to London-Aberdeen.

There are a couple of nonstop flights in the mornings (more later in the day) from Heathrow to Aberdeen, and the one-way prices (which might not apply if this is one big booking) are quite reasonable and comparable. If you could switch to ABZ instead of EDI, you could be in or near Cruden Bay in half an hour from the airport. Or IMO better, if you wanted a drop-dead picturesque spot for a night or two (easily commutable from the golf at Cruden Bay) look at the village of Pennan, on the Moray Firth coast of Aberdeenshire, roughly an hour north of Aberdeen airport. By any chance have you ever seen the movie Local Hero? (If you haven't, IMO it's required viewing before anyone's first trip to Scotland.) Pennan was the filming location for most of the movie; its red phone box became one of the most famous phone booths in the world for a time.

The village is set at the foot of very steep cliffs, along a fantastic rocky coast. The local hotel, the Pennan Inn (used in the movie) has evidently been much remodeled and gets good reviews. You could also use Pennan as a base from which to visit some Speyside or Banffshire distilleries; several within an hour's drive. I can't think of a better place to get your body clocks reset. Maps - https://maps.app.goo.gl/FxrF25u2B78cKVHw5 and https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ers5KHTjCc8AZ6c27


After this, well, if you followed this approach, it would pretty much turn your itinerary inside out. Like I said, this might all be destined for the circular file right off the bat, but the "what ifs" are cheap and easy at this stage.

What I'd propose is for you to pass on Skye. When you look at the logistics of your current plans, and given present uncertainties about things like the ferry system (Calmac ferries, e.g. Skye - Mallaig) as well as the time of year, the distances, school holidays etc., it could make the logistics complicated. Not undoable, just a (good) chance that things might not go as smoothly as possible. I also thought about Janis' comment regarding walking the St Andrews course,, and how Sunday falls right in the middle of your time in Scotland, which doesn't fit a big circular loop that includes Skye.

Here's a map with a revised route. Toss it, modify it, think about it... your call. Map - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LyMjUJDrqdzxR4PaA

What this does is send you to Braemar on the Royal Deeside, from which there are numerous castles including Balmoral that can be visited, all in glorious Highland scenery. You'd then head south to Fife, but consider staying in the lovely little village of Falkland, from which you could easily spend part of a Sunday walking the Old Course, then take off west to Glen Coe.

I've included Oban and would suggest two or three nights there, from which there are several interesting day trips possible - Kilmartin with its amazing collection of prehistoric relics - standing stones etc. - but mainly to allow a day to tour Mull, Iona and Staffa on a "three island" tour, several of which depart the Oban waterfront. In May the puffins will be present on Staffa, and the scenery on Mull IMO can compete with that on Skye, minus all the driving.


I'd then suggest you return to Edinburgh, and have your second "golf day" somewhere close to, or in, the city. If you can get a tee time, some of the famous links courses on the East Lothian coast - Gullane, Muirfield, Dunbar... or one of several excellent courses right in town. Google Duddingston golf, and while you're at it, google the Sheep Heid Inn, in Duddingston village on the other side of Holyrood Park from the Palace.

The schedule would look like two nights in Pennan, two in Braemar, one in Falkland (Saturday the 18th,) two in Oban and the last three in Edinburgh.

Like I say, maybe off the wall, or maybe worth a look.

peglegpete99

AJPeabody...I chose these flights because they are daytime flights. There are not many daytime flights from the US to Europe. Most of them fly into LHR. Plus, I was able to use my Delta points on Virgin Atlantic for a very good deal. I cannot sleep on a plane due to neck issues, so a daytime flight solves this problem. We will overnight near Heathrow and be somewhat fresh for our early morning departure to EDI. Yes, it's more trouble, but we are going to give this a try!

janisj

Can we assume - because of the overnight stay, that LHR to EDI is a separate ticket?. If so, Gardyloo's suggestion to fly to ABZ instead would make for a much better itinerary IMO. It is sooooo close to Cruden Bay and Deeside. Even if there is a change fee it would be worth it to me. if there is a schedule change on the LHR > EDI flight (very likely between now and next May) you probably can could change the final destination to ABZ w/o any fees even if your current ticket isn't changeable.

If you were to fly into ABZ, you'd have all sorts of flexibility arranging the rest of your itinerary


(Plus - you wouldn't have any reason to stay in bleedin' Dundee )

Gardyloo

Since Virgin Atlantic doesn't fly themselves, nor do they have any partners that fly from London to Scotland, I'd assume it's a separate ticket.

janisj

Thanks - I figured as much but thought just maybe it could be an OTA itinerary smushed together.