Scottish Highlands and logistics HELP
 

I am on the last bit of planning our UK 5 week trip

I am a bit stuck on the last bit

Where I got up to is The scottish boarders ... We will be in the area of Kelso and Melrose
Jedburgh...
I now have 10 days remaining .... I do know that I want to end in Edniburgh
but I can not figure the middle ....

what i was thinking was to drive from Jedburgh to fort william ... it isa bout a 3 1/2 hour drive so I thought maybe a stop somewhere ??? not sure where though...
Then next day my childrens only request on this enitre trip was to take the Jacobite HP train so the next day we will do that roundtrip to Maillag. Then drive to Skye and then I thought Mull... but maybe not Mull ... ???
so it would be 1 night FT William Then I thought 3 nights in Skye... then 2 nights in Mull ?? .... then 2 nights EDI ...
This is the part I am lost on ... I just am not sure if I am doing justice to my 10 days or not

then i was thinking should I go from Jedburgh .. up towards Balmoral ... then cut over towards inverness to skye ... to fort william ... ?? Yikes ....

If anyone could give me an intinerary or thoughts ...
Any and all help would be greatly appreciate.

>>what i was thinking was to drive from Jedburgh to fort william ... it isa bout a 3 1/2 hour drive <<

It wil take longer than that - at least 4.5 hours and could be more.

I love LOVE Mull but I probably would not do it on this trip. From Jedburgh I'd maybe head north to near Perth (about 2.5 hours) or Blair Athol (about 3.5 hours) for the next night. Then drive to Ft William and catch the Jacobite. It is less than 2 hours from Blair Athol to Ft William, so if you time things right you can avoid having to stay that night in Ft William. The morning Jacobite departs at 10:15 and returns at about 4PM so after the train ride you can drive late that afternoon to Skye. Is the trip during the summer? If so It will be daylight till very late so you wouldn't be driving to/on Skye in the dark. Stay 2 or 3 nights on the island.

Then head back towards Edinburgh -- If you have a night to spare enroute I'd stay in Callander and visit Inchmahome Priory and Stirling Castle - then on to Edinburgh.

(It is the <i>Borders</i> BTW)

I have now a rough outline and was hopingfor comments please ....

drive frm JEdburgh and stop either at Drummond castle or Sterling head
to inverary or Kilchum sleep
Next day visit inverary - Kilchum - castle stalker
sleep Oban
next day do a day trip to Mull
sleep Oban
leave am to catch the 10:15 Jacobite train in Ft William .. I see it take 1 hour to drive but if it takes 2 we can still make it
after train at 4 pm arrive in ft willian drive 1.5 hours to Eileen Dorian sleep there
Am head to skye
sleep skye
leave skye headed to inverness visit
Invermoriston and Urquhart castle on way
sleep inverness
drive to EDI for two nights

It is alot but ANY comments very appreicated

many thanks

Now you have two threads going w/ exactly the same question/itinerary. This will likely end up w/ dueling suggestions/advice since folks reading one may not see the other . . .

anyway -

First to correct some of the place names which might help you find info:
Stirling
Kilchurn
inveraray
Eilean Donan
EDI is the airport -- Edinburgh is the city

Jedburgh to Stirling to Kilchurn to inveraray is more than 4 hours 'car time' plus at least 2.5 hours for Stirling Castle and an hour at Kilchurn. This will be a very long day.

Drummond Castle and Stirling Castle are two entirely different animals. Stirling is a massive fortress, Drummond is mainly about the garden

If you want to see Mull than this would work but if it was me, I'd ditch the detour to Inveraray. The drive from Oban to Ft William will take more than an hour - probably 90 minutes.

>>after train at 4 pm arrive in ft willian drive 1.5 hours to Eileen Dorian sleep there<<

No need at all. Eilean Donan is a 10 or 15 minute photo op stop and is only 10 minutes from the bridge to Skye. Stay the 2 nights on Skye.

<i> Then next day my childrens only request on this enitre trip was to take the Jacobite HP train so the next day we will do that roundtrip to Maillag. Then drive to Skye</i>

Drive the same route to Mallaig for the ferry at Skye - you can watch the Jacobite coming over the Glenfinnan Viaduct rather than being in it.

Plus you were given lots of suggestions on your posts in December.