Hello,

I'm traveling from Shannon to Scotland on a Sunday this July. I was thinking of flying Ryanair to Glasgow Prestwick(the cheapist flight) I want to go to the Isle of Skye and see Edinburgh but I don't know whether I should drive (scary on the left) or take trains. Any info would be very helpful.
Thanks!!

Train to Mallaig via Glasgow & Fort William, then the ferry to Skye. The leg from Fort William to Mallaig is some of the best scenery in the UK.

Edinburgh is train to Glasgow, train to Edinburgh.

Can't see why you would need a car especially in Edinburgh where parking centrally is EXPENSIVE

Last post reminds me of trying to get out of central Edinburgh in a rental car...and trying...and trying....

We've pretty much taken trains ever since! : )

Whilst I pretty much agree with the other two posts, at least as far as Edinburgh is concerned, it may not shock you to know that there are no trains ON Skye.

You will be restricted to service buses which are, at best, infrequent; or using a tour guide of some sort.

For maximum enjoyment, hire a car in Mallaig and take it onto Skye. I don't mean to suggest you can't do it any other way, but the foregoing will give you wider options.

Don't be scared about driving on the left. In theory, yes, the idea is pretty terrifying but I've never had a problem with driving on the right - remember that the entire road system is designed TO drive on that side of the road and it's actually pretty hard to get it wrong as you're 'herded' along the way!

Thanks for the info! I was just told to take the train to Fort William and drive to Skye, because there are no cars to hire in Mallaig. Is that right? Would the scenery be better on the train or the drive.

Thanks a bunch!

You CAN hire in Mallaig (although I've forgotten the name of the place- it's on here somewhere)but you must book in advance.

The scenery's pretty similar whether you drive on go by train. But you can look at it when you're not driving; and there are places where you're higher up so the view is better, and you do get to go over the Harry Potter viaduct.

There are details of a garage in Mallaig which hires cars on this site which also has info on the area, train trip etc.
www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/mallaig.htm

Another option would be to contact Kyle of Lochalsh Car Hire www.lochalsh.net/taxi and get them to meet you with a car in Armadale. You could then cross from Mallaig to Armadale as a foot passenger.

Annw, I had the same experience! It was like I was on a carousel, couldn't find a way OUT of city centre!!!

We did the same trip last Spring. Flew to Edinburgh from Shannon and didn't pick up our car until the last day in Edinburgh. We had had a week of driving on the left in Ireland so by then it wss't as scary and thought the roads were much better in Scotland. Even then single tracks (l-one-lane roads)have plenty of pull out places and I can't remember dangerous blind curves. We explored Skye from one end to the other and really enjoyed the freedom of having a car. At the end of the trip we drove down to Glasgow which was not difficult to drive in, if you are at all used to city driving, and then over to Edinburgh to fly home. Have fun you'll love it.

Here's another vote for train to Mallaig and rent car there if you can. The train ride is gorgeous and it's nice to enjoy the views from up high.

I found driving on Skye to be less scarey than some other islands in Scotland (fewer single-track country roads, more normal size highways). But if you still don't want to drive there, joining a small tour group will let you enjoy the scenery without worry. It just depends on what you want to see and do and how much flexibility you're willing to trade off.