It is very difficult if not impossible for me to look at Scotland from the perspective of a first time visitor.

I could list a 100 places worth visiting in my opinion and that still wouldn't be an exhaustive list. What I do know is no one can visit everywhere, no matter how much time they have. I also know there is no BEST places and I have no time for 'must sees'. There is no such thing as a must see unless YOU make it a must see. Each person has individual interests and that is what makes a place a must see obviously.

I may consider Wigtown a 'must see' while you probably have never heard of it. Wigtown is an IOB (International Organization of Book Towns). For a bibliophile, it is a must see. For an architecture buff, the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow would be a must see as they were designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. We all have our own interests.

The problem is that the traveller often only has a vague idea based on comments by others, guidebooks, etc. as to why they want to go to a place. They often have a romantic vision of a place that initiates the original decision and then go on to looking for places to see when they get there. This is what I believe leads to, "Our reading here indicated that Stirling Castle was indeed a huge deal and one of the top five things to see in the country - the Falkirk Wheel is always noted as well. However, the guide books list Loch Ness up there in the ranks, despite our reading here on the forum that it is not the end-all either. All along, we were thinking we absolutely MUST get to these sites." A list of places you probably had no idea about before now. A list of 'must sees' that someone ELSE decided are 'must sees'.

If you have a definite interest in the Glencoe Massacre (your a MacDonald for example), then Glencoe becomes a must see for you. If you have an interest in canals and locks then the Falkirk Wheel becomes a must see for you. Otherwise it is just 1 of 1000 other tourist attractions.

Most tourists actually have NO 'must sees' when they visit a place. They come up with a list based on where everyone else says, 'Oh you simply must see X, we loved it'. If you actually have no real 'must sees' then which of the 1000 possible things to see/do that you manage to see/do is irrelevant. Any 10 are as good as any other 10.

I fear I'm going to regret this diversion back to specifics, but where are you now for committed overnight locations, and of what durations? Let's break the back of this puzzle and move on.

OMG - you and improvisor have a wonderful dialog. The loooooong posts are getting very confusing/in the weeds.

Improvisor: Why ON EARTH bring up Charles Rennie Mackintosh in a thread already too convoluted by half???

(And I am a Mackintosh aficionado)

We 1st planned to come in through Glasgow - the flights arrive mid am - there was also the idea to fly into Edinburgh instead and see some sites on the way up to the Highlands. We plan to drive the A82 "Skyfall" drive into the Highlands either way - this is a must for us.

We are firm on reservations at Glencoe House for 3 or 4 nights at the beginning and will not stay for less as one day is spent on the Jacobite (plus the house is nice).

We are firm on finishing in Edinburgh - we can take 2 to 4 nights (but 2 seems short, e.g. 1 day).

We have time in between the stay in and around Glencoe and time in Edinburgh - we can:

1) take time to travel to North Skye - self-catering stay
2) travel to Perthshire and see sights like Stirling, Wallace etc. from there - self-catering
3) take less time in Scotland and focus on the Glencoe House area and Edinburgh only

We value the opportunity for a self-catering stay as it works well with kids, gives us a break from hotels, and allows us to experience things a little "less" like tourists (if this is possible). So this makes a self-catering break in Scotland (in Skye or Perthshire) appealing.

We can move from 9 days to 10 if we overnight at the start in the Inverlochy Castle, before going to Glencoe. We now see an opening at Cameron House (L. Lomond) too but we were thinking if we were already up that far, why not take a couple of hours more to get to the castle.

If we do not start at Inverlochy, we start at Glencoe and have 9 days/10 nights.

Improvisor, we can most likely only get to Scotland once so indeed our situation is different. I hope you can appreciate why travellers like us must turn to guide books and the like for information on places we have never been, and may never see again.

Janisj, I gave an example of a must see for someone. If examples are too confusing for you, skip them.

TravelG, Cameron House is simply a hotel with older architecture. Over-priced for what it is in my opinion and yes I've stayed there. My wife called it 'stuffy'. ie. the staff had pretensions of grandeur.

You would do better to look at the hostel on the opposite side of the road. It even has a ghost.
http://www.google.ca/search?site=&so...hp.Jd0R9xZHK5o
They have family rooms I believe.

It appears your plans are still somewhat in flux, so I’ll now propose a simple itinerary that will give you a variety of landscapes and experiences, then I will retire from this thread. This itinerary departs slightly from your current options, for which I have my reasons.

Three or four nights in Glencoe.
Two or three nights in... wait.... Fife.
Four nights in Edinburgh.

Glencoe days - train, hike, drive around, drive around.

Fife days - St Andrews and East Neuk villages, Falkland, Optional Stirling.

Edinburgh days - Edinburgh (2), Queensferry, East Lothian villages, optinal Stirling.

Why:

Glencoe is very close to Fort William and not far from the Great Glen. If you want to see Loch Ness it's barely an hour from Glencoe. Splitting your time between Glencoe and some “castle-like” hotel in the west, be it in Fort William or Loch Lomond, is, in my view, overdoing it, never mind that staying in the Inverlochy Castle Hotel is about as much a castle lodging experience as eating a slider at White Castle is a dining one. Except <i>a lot</i> more expensive.

The Highland scenery available in day trips from Glencoe is among the best there is. While there are many, many beautiful areas in the Highlands, for the first time visitor the differences from one area to another are likely to be quite subtle. I hate the expression "good enough," but honestly, a drive up Glen Etive (a few miles from Glencoe village) will give you a sense of wildness and a feel of remoteness that you'd probably find indistinguishable from what you’d experience in less accessible places. http://flic.kr/p/eLouXa

Spend 4 days in the western Highlands and call it good.

Then spend a two or three days in Fife. Fife is a largely rural county directly across the Firth of Forth from Edinburgh.

Why there? Because from a reasonably well-situated base you can visit a variety of places that will broaden your understanding for the great diversity Scotland offers in a small territory. St. Andrews is more than just a golf town; it has a splendid ruined cathedral, an ancient university, and a beach where you can run just like the lads in <i>Chariots of Fire.</i> Not far are the “East Neuk” fishing villages of Crail, Anstruther, Pittenweem and St. Monans (and others). These are historic and incredibly picturesque little towns, easily visited in a day. Or, visit the lovely little village of Falkland and Falkland Palace, home of the Stuart royals including Mary Queen of Scots. http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Falkland-Palace-Garden/

Fife would stand in sharp contrast to the Western Highlands; no less scenic but different, and historically and culturally every bit as important.

Then head into Edinburgh for a couple of days of sightseeing. Include the villages of South Queensferry, Cramond and/or Swanston (not to mention the Dean Village) all within the Edinburgh urban area. If you still want to see more countryside, then a day trip to Stirling is super easy (40 min.) or head east out along the Firth of Forth to some of the villages along the south side of the Firth – Dunbar, St. Abbs – also historic and picturesque. Visit the ruins of Tantallon Castle, perched on the cliff looking out to Bass Rock and its lighthouse. This is an easy day’s (or afternoon’s) drive from Edinburgh.

Once more, incredibly important historically, scenic, and yet again a different face of Scotland.

A final thought – as you leave to the south, route yourselves via the Holy Isle (Lindisfarne) down the Northumbrian coast a little ways from Berwick on Tweed. Talk about historic importance… Then the little village of Bamburgh with its castle looming over the village is another easy “drive by” scenic highlight. (Old photo - http://gardyloo.us/bamburghcastle2.jpg ) Finally, Alnwick (“Annick”) Castle is spectacular and of course recently famous for its stand-in role as Hogwarts. If you’re heading to Hadrian’s Wall on your way back south, these sights are not terribly far out of your way.

>>Janisj, I gave an example of a must see for someone. If examples are too confusing for you, skip them.<<

Jeeze louise improvisor. Poor travelGeek can't focus as it is, so introducing CRM and Wigtown when they weren't even on the radar is just showing off and not at all helpful IMO.

No, it is NOT too confusing for <i>me</i>. But then I am not the one who needs help for this trip. I (and several other regulars) can <i>almost</i> always help Fodorites works out really terrific itineraries in the UK/Scotland. But travelGeek is all over the place and can't/won't light on any plan(s). So have at it - it seems the two of you are very compatible . . .

Just got back today from Scotland and read your post and everyone else's replies. One thing you should know is that the Old Man of Storr hike on Skye has been ruined for this year. We went there and they had clearcut the entire area where the trail had been. Logging equipment made the trail extremely muddy and in some places treacherous. There are still other areas on Skye that offer good hiking however so don't limit your time on Skye because of that.

Oh wow JanisJ - compatible with Improvisor...

Given the dialogue between you and Improvisor online, this cannot be seen as anything but a jab (no offence Improvisor but you will know how it was meant and it was aimed at you as well).

Forums are open communities - when people are judged and criticized they are not - Janis is faulted for suggestions, Improvisor faulted for examples, we are faulted for questions.

For Gardyloo who has cast a constructive and helpful reply - thank you (again). It was very nice of you to do this. TBH, the Fife area, despite our reading and research, never even showed up on the radar so I will break out the map and check for availability as your itinerary is logical.

How many days/nights would you recommend in Fife?

Gardyloo - What made you chose Fife over Perthshire Hills territory and Isle of Skye? And if you could only see Scotland once ever, would you still recommend Fife over these other areas?

Access to scenery, sites and activities at both locations combined with the fact that there were accommodations available there to make them our options for the middle of the trip.

About the last part of your trip (leaving Edinburgh) - we were going to take the A68 through Northumberland hoping it would leave enough time to stop at Vindolanda and Housesteads (Chesters, maybe Castlerigg Stone Circle). If we stop at Berwick and travel over to Lindisfarne on route, will we still have enough time to make these stopsl, and make it to N. Lakes for dinner?

Improviser - it looks like the hostel has closed down effective 2012.

<i>Gardyloo - What made you chose Fife over Perthshire Hills territory and Isle of Skye? And if you could only see Scotland once ever, would you still recommend Fife over these other areas?</i>

I said I wouldn't come back to this thread, but alas I am once more compelled.

<i>Please</i> read my post again; I said why. The Perthshire Hills are lovely but - IMO - they're <i>not different enough</i> from the west Highlands and Inner Hebrides (Glencoe, Skye) to merit a "focus" of their own, while Fife and the east coast <i>is</i>. Throughout, I'm proposing that you use these places as bases for wider exploration. I chose Fife because it has the diversity lacking (IMO) in other alternative locations. Coast, lovely villages, history.

I'm sorry, I don't buy into "if you were never coming back..." lines of argument. You've come to a travel board and are asking for advice as a first time visitor, not a last time visitor. YOU WILL MISS THINGS. Get over it. We (all of us) are suggesting alternatives that will give you some variety, rather than seeing the same sorts of landscapes again and again. But if that's what you want, then by all means spend your uncommitted days in Skye, or in Perthshire. You will certainly have a good time regardless. But if you want to see more than the Highlands and a brief glimpse of Edinburgh, then you'll have to do a little more homework.

<i>If we stop at Berwick and travel over to Lindisfarne on route, will we still have enough time to make these stopsl, and make it to N. Lakes for dinner?</i>

Yes. Note Lindisfarne is only accessible via a causeway that floods at high tide, so you need to be sure you can get back.

TGL

We visited Fife on our Scotland trip this year. I tend to stay out of the itinerary discussions other than to pass on what we did to see if the visuals help:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-and-more.cfm

Others may disagree (and be in a more knowledgeable position), but I don't think you need to stop at all the Hadrian's Wall sites particularly if you are trying to get to Lindisfarne and other places.

What great advice - and other entertainment - from this thread!! I am bookmarking for future trips.

Why Fife? Well as I noted earlier on this thread, you will find the WORLD'S BEST fish and chips in Anstruther. That alone is cause to go there.

Gardyloo makes a good point as well about getting more diversity that way. I hadn't thought of that aspect. I tend to think in terms of the Highlands as the place to visit but then I was born in the Kingdom of Fife and so like most people tend to ignore my 'own backyard' as the saying goes.
http://www.fifeserve.com/

Ignore janisj travelGEEK, or as my Mother would often say, 'give it the weight it deserves'. ;-)

Just spent several days looking up accommodations in the Fife area - actually, the closest I came with availability for a family is at a place near Aberdeen (so not even in Fife).

Unfortunately it looks like we are restricted to available accommodations once again - at this point, all we have for the middle of the trip (between Glencoe and Edinburgh) is:

- Aberdeen (2 nights/means 4 Glencoe, 4 Edinburgh)
- Skye (2 nights south/means 4 Glencoe, 4 Edinburgh)
- Skye (4 night north/means 3 Glencoe, 3 Edinburgh)

The same nice accommodations have surfaced again in availability over on a castle estate in Loch Ness for three or four nights but I understand this is not the best either.

I did find an overnight accommodation on the banks of Loch Lomond on the first day into Scotland - this means that if we come in through Edinburgh, we can see the Wallace Monument/Stirling castle with enough time to land ourselves at Loch Lomond without being rushed or having to try and fit it in between Glencoe and Edinburgh. The next morning we can leave Loch Lomond and drive the A82 up to Glencoe unhurried if we chose this route.

I'll check out fifeserve.com.

So, to get back to the original post, any suggestions for lodging? We're looking for mid-range accomodations near the castle trail and Edingburgh. Coming from Inverness into castle country, so was thinking Dinnet would be a nice central location for two days. Regarding Edinburgh, is it better to stay in the city or outskirts? we will be there the last two days of our trip and then taking the car to the airport, as there are four of us. Thanks in advance.

How are you looking for accommodation travelGeek? If you are sticking to major booking sites you may not be finding all that is available.

Have you looked at these for example:
https://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF-8...21138720713453

traveling, you'd be better off staying in central Edinburgh. If you drop the car, you'll save the rental cost for those two days. In town you'll can walk to the sights and not have to find and pay for parking. And you'll able to split up and go back to the hotel as you want.

The Edinburgh airport isn't far out of town. Take the bus or a taxi.

<B><red>traveling:</B></red> You'll do MUCH better if you start a new thread of your own instead of tacking on to travelGEEK_live's looooong one...

Your question(s) are different and your post will get lost in the shuffle (plus tG's thread is complicated enough as it is w/o taking it off in another direction).

Re staying in Edinburgh - I'd definitely 1) stay IN the city and 2) drop the car before heading into the city. Driving/parking in central Edinburgh is more than a bear. You could maybe use the car to drop folks at the hotel and return it to EDI before taking public transport back into the city. But I wouldn't even do that. Drop the car at EDI and jump in a cab (they have van sized cabs that easily hold all 4 of you).

When you re-post - give us you actual budget. Midrange could mean anything.

was posting the same time as Mimar . . .

To traveling----Perhaps lost in the post (way) above:

re: lodging and in Edinburgh. We recently stayed here and we highly recommend it.

http://www.53frederickstreet.com