Pula

Three of us will be traveling around Scotland for a few days prior to a week-long Hebridean cruise. We have decided to make a loop that goes Edinburgh-Nairns-Lochinver-Kingussie-Oban (where we board our ship). That's four cities and we have only five nights, so my question is, where should we spend two nights?

sheila

That's one city, one hamlet, a village and a town. Don't add any more- that's a lot to do in a week.

You COULD spend three days in Edinburgh easily if you haven't been before, but if you do, I'd be inclined to suggest you drop one of your overnight stops.

If you spend two nights in Edinburgh, you would have a very long day en route to Nairn; then spend the next day looking over the area north of Nairn.

Next day head up to Lochinver- the journey is not THAT long, so I'd loop north and come back down into Lochinver, then head on south to Kingussie the next day- again that's a very fill day, and you can spend another full day exploring the area to the south of Kingussie.

On your last day head west to Oban- that's not too far, but there's lots to see en route.

Are you taking the Hebridean Princess?

Pula

Yes, a return journey on the Hebridean Princess and last time we did this we also stayed in both Edinburgh and Narin (with a side trip to St. Andrews en route) so I'm inclined to stay two nights in Lochinver (after looping east as you suggest) which is a new destination for us and Kingussie, which is new as well.

sheila

OK. It's just that Lochinver is tiny- really tiny- and whilst its hinterland is special it's all about scenery. Pretty much no built environment.

I'd love to do that- the boat I mean- but only if I could guarantee the weather

Pula

Guarantee the weather in Scotland??? Hmmmmm. We had pretty terrible weather in '06 and had an absolutely delightful time in spite of it -- hence the repeat. Thanks for the clarification about Lockinver, and maybe that's not all bad. I am more interested in scenery than architecture and one of the three of us WILL NOT PARTAKE in anything smacking of tourism (one wonders why he likes these trips at all). Last time we spent two nights in Achiltibuie and that was both tiny and lovely. If you're familiar with that (near Ullapool), maybe you could tell me if L and A are similar?
Whether or not you can answer that last question, I certainly do appreciate your comments thus far.

sheila

The lack of weather guarantee (and, frankly, the cost) are why I've never been on the Princess. But I've admired her from afar.

Achiltibuie is smaller and prettier. I am not slagging Lochinver at all. I would consider it a lovely place to spend a couple of days, but not all of your compatriots (indeed, very few of them; and yes, I know I'm making a wild assumption) would agree.

Notwithstanding all of the above, I still think I'd spend a couple of nights in a couple of places. Since you've been to Nairn, would you consider somewhere else instead?

Pula

Sure! Might you have a recommendation? All things being equal (which of course they never are) the big driver for us is food.

sheila

I think the answer is Fife, but give me a day or two

sheila

OK, so you have 5 nights, leaving from Edinburgh, and spending the last one in Oban. This is high end stuff with good food being at the centre of your evenings.

I have cracked your code- you're following Michelin restaurants.

So day one gives you a cracking tour of Fife and I would send you to the Peat Inn. Classic cuisine in a lovely place. Now, if you wanted to stay somewhere else and go to Sangsters in Elie, that too would be good. There are lots of OK places to stay in Fife and some very nice. But none near Elie- except the Peat Inn. You could stay at the Rusacks Marine in St Andrews and eat at the Seafood Restaurant?

Next night, I think, at either Monachyle Mhor or Ardeonaig hotels. Neither is a long way from Edinburgh- two hours tops- but both are in lovely countryside. I haven't stayed at Monachyle Mhor, but it gets a great name and seems to specialise in Scottish fare. I have stayed in the Ardeonaig and loved it. It's owned by South Africans and the food is very "red meat"

Then take a slow meander north and stay at Kingussie the next night (I assume you're going to the Cross?).

Next night, the Albannach.

Last night, if you're not going to the Ballachulish or the Isle of Eriskay, then i would suggest you eat in Ee-usk on the pier in Oban.

Now that is a bit lopsided, but it's based on food. I might do it slightly differently and have merely good food in the equation, to make it less lopsided.