Scouting Scotland
 

We have never been to England/Scotland. After crossing the border by car on route from Newcastle on Tyne to Edinburgh we (3 adults, triple room search) intend to stay two days in Edinburgh followed by a 3 day driving tour of Scotland ending at the Glasgow International airport. Our interests fall within castles, places of historical significance, and popular countryside landscapes. I've read a couple of threads and look forward to any suggested route from the informed and experienced people on this site. The rhythm would likely be up to 4-5 hours intermittent driving per day. I'm not certain whether it is best to head northeast towards Sterling and Perth or lands directly westward.
Thanking you in advance for any insight: always appreciated.

Visit New Lanark near Glasgow. It is an old cotton mill village. Fascinating as they paid their workers fair wages and educated their children. Mind you the Children starte work at about 10 years old.

http://www.newlanark.org/

The Isle of Skye is fantastic. Loch Ness is lovely as well.

With only three days I would go to the Islands of the Hebrides and do a Distillery Crawl.

If you go to Nairn near Culloden the Latino Mexican restaurant was great five years ago. Culloden is missable unless you are particularly interested in the battle site and history. Scenery is fantastic everywhere.

Just a few quick thoughts as I'm off to bed.

You really don't have time for the Hebrides. In fact even Skye would be a quick visit at best.

Of all the lochs in Scotland, Ness is probaly the last one I'd visit. It's really only for those that think they might catch a glimpse of Nessie ( they won't ).

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the comment that Culluden is "missable" unless one is only interested in the battle site and history. I'll try and still my angst!

I'm sure that the real Scottish experts will give you a number of reasonable options for your three days.

Only time for a quick note right now, will be back later w/some suggestions. But -- w/ only 3 days you <u>do not</u> have time for New Lanark, Loch Ness , Skye, the Hebrides and Nairn (or even half that).

There is really no such thing as a "Distillery Crawl" -- well except for maybe on Islay since there are so many distilleries on the island, but you don't have time for Islay. If you are interested in Single malt whisky - visiting one distillery is enough.

(It is Stirling BTW)

Sorry, a bit of word confusion here...too much birthday wine:) When I used the term angst I was referring to the previous poster. I should've of said, I'll try and still my anger(frustration).

Thanks peterSale....from a map a circle tour option of Culloden/Mallaig/Glasgow looks like a managable three three-hour days of driving.

Wow...while checking out peterSales's suggestions and responding many more posts arrived. I'm off to bed too, so I'll check them out on first opportunity tomorrow....thanks :)

"<i>from a map a circle tour option of Culloden/Mallaig/Glasgow looks like a managable three three-hour days of driving.</i>"

Absolutely isn't. Plus Mallaig is not a destination. It is the ferry terminal for getting to Skye. You wouldn't go there unless you were heading to the Isle - which would mean at least one overnight.

You don't need to stay AT the airport in Glasgow....at most times the airport is a less than 15 mins £20 cab ride from the City Centre or the West End and at worst might take 30 mins (although I've never had it take that long) and you'd much better enjoy your last night in an interesting location with a massive choice of excellent bars and restaurants rather than the confines of a hotel restaurant in than a less than exciting area.

Culloden IS wonderful but with only three days it is a long way to go if you don't have a particular interest.

I was not suggesting that all the places on my list be visited, just that they were the places we went to and liked. Sorry for any confusion. Three days is very short for Scotland.

I agree with other comments, in that 3 days isn't enough to tour. May I suggest that from the airport you head to Oban, catch the ferry to Mull and spend three days based at Tobermory.

There's a good choice of restaurants and smaller hotels. See my trip report to Mull for a few suggestions.

Canuck = Canada ?

Canuckk, I live in Scotland and where do we go on holiday? - Vancouver Island. I have to say that Scotland excels in the castle/history department but quite frankly we ate most of our wildlife 400 years ago and the landscapes are pretty but nothing close to that which is probably around on your own doorstep!

What I am coming to is that I simply don't see the point of endless days of driving looking for landscapes that will drop your jaw. This advice would differ if you had spent all your life in NYC.

From Newcastle I would spend some time (a day) on the Northumbrian coast. The castles there have coastal settings and the seascapes are great. I would then go up to Edinburgh. From there you could go straight up to Stirling Castle (and the bridge!!). It would be possible to then go over to Oban and down the coast of Loch Fyne and take the ferries over the Lochs to the Clyde Coast.

Any thought of trips up to Skye etc need to be removed from your plan. It is just too far, it can be done but the schedule is far too tight with an awful lot of driving.

Arran is often called Scotland in miniature.
You've got two castles, a distillery and wildlife. There are some nice beaches and hills.
Golden eagles nest just by the distillery.
If you visit the distillery, try their liqueur, Arran Gold. It's delicious.

and Arran is quite easy to get to

I would agree with missprism - It wouldn't be difficult to head for Inveraray from Stirling from there down to Claonaig get the ferry over to Arran, drive over Arran to get the ferry to Ardrossan and on to Glasgie.

I still think this is all too much. With three days and Edinburgh and Glasgow at either end, I'd do either the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway; or Fife and Perthshire. You hit all the hot buttons.

For three days I'd only do one island, and I'd spend all the time there. It really has to be Arran, Islay or Skye for distance. Otherwise you're just knackering yourselves.

I think too many people try to "See everthing but do nothing".

Pick one or two places and explore them in detail.Three days anywhere in the world is pretty tight.

BTW National Geographic for January this year has some good photos and descriptions to drool over for the Islands of Scotland. Just to make things harder.

Thank you to all responders. I've gone to websites of places that have been suggested. It has help me to shape an approach to travelling in Scotland for the week. I'm still loosely laying out and revising plans.

If I'm going to England/Scotland for the first two weeks of October and considering Fall weather should I travel north to Edinburgh from London or south to London from Edinburgh? Or does it make only a marginal difference?
To historytraveller...are there any significant Mary Queen of Scots sites outside Edinburgh?

To "yanumpty"...yes, Canuck = Canadian. If you enjoyed Vancouver Island, try Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Canada.
To peterSale.... I looked up the Nat'l Geo and the places in the pictures were definitely inviting even though they were photo composites.
To always helpful janisj and everyone...your knowledgable input is truly valued.

"I'm still loosely laying out and revising plans"

Half the fun! Plan, ask, revise, plan, ask, revise, plan.

Cape Breton is on the horizon at some stage. Still just drawn to two places on earth. VI is one. We all have pidgeon holes, for some it is Dubai, some NVC, some Florence. For me it's VI.

The weather is always (generally)(unfortunately) better in the South (on average). October can be damp in Scotland but the last two have been pretty good.

How are you working the flights from Canada/ car hire in the UK?

Mary Q of Scots Linlithgow Palace http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/Castles/Linlithgow.htm

Also really good food at The Four Marys

re your weather question....you can't really tell!

Four Marys...http://www.thefourmarys.co.uk/
also you should check out the Falkirk Wheel while you are in the area....just amazing.....http://www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk/

yanumty....next time you are on VI. take the highway to Tofino ( if you haven't done so already)

alihutch...thanks for the links....good summary on Mary Queen of Scots and sites.

Canucck

Yes, we will!

I think from our last experience we will skip the city totally and go straight out to VI. We just fell on Sooke last time and loved it. It took four days out of seven to do the place justice. There were many restaurants which just looked "not our type" one night we gave one a shot and discovered some of the best food we have had.

Tofino is somewhere that past us by last time. We have done some research this time and are suprised how up- market it seems.

How's the planning for going?

Do try and get to Northumbria it's impressive.

I am in Inverness now having spent 3 days in Skye. I must say when I was driving in the NE region, I was reminded of Vancouver Island. I am from Singapore originally and living in the US for the past 10 years.

tangwash and yanumpty.....if we're talking islands in Canada, don't forget two island provinces in the east...Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland....both are unique.

yanumpty...trip planning? Now I'm trying guess the timing, distances, terrain, and motorways ( other than M series) from Bath to Edinburgh via York and Newcastle. Likely I'll be begging advice in another thread soon.

"<i> . . . and motorways ( other than M series)</i>"

The ONLY motorways are the M series. Do you want to use off-the-beaten-path, scenic roads, or do you want to drive as quickly as possible (on M's), bypassing places in between?

How many days do you have to travel between Bath and Edinburgh?

Hi janisj...I was taking a stab at the term motorways instead of highways. Between Bath and Edinburgh I was hoping to take a route off the M series ( I guess more like the A series and such),drive through some interesting historical and/or scenic towns ( possibly Lincoln, York, and Newcastle outskirts or other northeastern shore places). I have no idea of the conditions in which to drive. We suspect it will take three days to four days if we chose to take an hour or so stop at one or two interesting sites daily. Now, I need experienced travellers to give me sense of reality.
Always thankfully enjoyed reading everyones' responses.

Hey yanumpty, Glad to hear you like VI. We live in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. We also would like to visit Scotland after our next trip to France and Italy. Are you saying that Vancouver Island has better or similar scenery than some areas of Scotland? What wows me when we go to Europe is the history and beauty of the buildings, not to mention new food, languages etc. We also have done the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia and was told that it was similar to Scotland. Sorry to intrude on the post but I couldn't resist.

The term "highway' really doesn't apply. The M's are the motorways (like freeways, interstates, in north America). "A" roads can be major divided sort of thruways, or smaller two lane roads.

Off the motorways you will be on every sort from divided dual carriageways to narrow roads. So just forget the concept of 'highways' :)

W/3 days heading up the east side you can easliy see either York, a bit of North Yorkshire and one other area (maybe Hadrian's Wall, or the Scottish borders)

Up the west side -- the Lake District and again Hadrian's Wall or some of SW Scotland.

W/ 4 days it would be less of a rush and you could see more.

Chiming in here because I've been reading all the Scotland threads for future travel.

Admit to loving Sooke Harbor House on VI, the winery, and of course staying at The Empress.

ps Canuckk - I almost forgot we have our own pretty good distillery

http://www.bladnoch.co.uk/

Which is small and family run, a far cry from the corporate affairs further north.

yanumpty...thanks for the link, but it seems I won't get south of Glasgow ( Jedburgh, Edinburgh, Skye, Glasgow, Flight)
.....annnnd it looks like I'll need to ( want) return to Scotland again soon after.

Canuckk what is your trip looking like, now?