I'm heading over to Scotland on Wednesday for 12 days... Flying into EDI, and spending my first night in Inveraray. Is there enough to do there to spend two nights?

Heading to Skye next... I was thinking maybe four or five days. I want to spend some restful time writing, photographing, relaxing as well as doing some hiking/climbing, etc. Does anyone have any specific town/villages that I should definitely stay in? I'm looking at Dunvegan for sure. I should also mention, yes, I have a car hired.

After I round up Skye, I'm heading towards Aviemore and such to spend some time in Monarch of the Glen country. Any suggestions on anything in that area?

Lastly heading back towards Edinburgh for a day or two. I need to spend some time on the way back down seeing some of the other Campbell sites.

I definitely need to get to the Museum of Flight for the Concorde.

As a last note, I grew up on farms during my Summers so I'm trying to find Scottish Farm B&B's when and where I can. If anyone is familar with any specifically where they've head a great experience, please let me know. My budget is pretty much from L20-L35. I'm trying to still in the low L20's but... a vacation is a vacation after all.

Kind regards,
Steven

Inveraray itself would be s truggle for 2 days but there's lots to do- at least a fortnight's worth- in the vicinity.

Skye is more problematic for staying in because it's such an odd shape. Given it's winter, stay in Portree- a wee bit from the mountains, but closer to the Storr, and the north coast, and where all the services are.

Alternatively, stay in the Eilean Iarmain. Off the main drahg, buta lovely location and nice people (given last week's review I'm going to have to go and stay there just to check it out again). Oops- just saw your budget- forget that.

What suggestions are you looking for in Upper Speyside? Accommodation? touring?

There'sa very good B&B between Aviemore and Kingussie which does sheepdog demonstrations and has had a great name. I'll see if I can find the name of it.

Excellent... are there many B&B's in Inveraray? The first one I tried is already booked up...

If you do find the name of that B&B up in the Aviemore/etc area, that would be great!

Dozens in Inverary; the place at Aviemore isn't doing B&B, but it's called Lealt Farm and you'll find something nearby no hassle

Cool... I just booked into the George Hotel since it's my first night (and I'll be deathly tired) I wanted something set up in advance.

By the way, I'd just like to thank you and everyone for the help. It's incredibly special that people thousands of miles away are so helpful. Thank you.

After Inveraray I'm heading up to Skye. You mentioned staying in Portree. I'm guessing I'll stay in the area for four or five days. I'm really just after some relaxing exploring and relaxing. I'd like to see the various parts of the island. Does it make sense to spend a night in Broadford (would head down to Elgol and back or stay there if there was a good B&B), a night in Ardvasar, a night up NE (Staffin? or somewhere), one or two nights in Portree and one in Dunvegan. I guess that would make it up to six nights, which would be fine too. Any thoughts? I'm doing some photography, writing, exploring... just getting away from my job and related stress (grin). Thoughts?

, or two in Portree, Dunvegan. Broadford,

Two photogenic areas near Portree are The Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing, both of which require some hiking to get to. The Old Man is a tall stone standing before a cliff. The area around is full of hollows and smaller twisted, peaked stones. You can use these as subject or as foreground to views over the hills and sea. The Quiraing is, if anything, even more beautiful, with views of a spectacular valley and again, the sea.

Didn't get to the Cuillans -- I think they are a different order of hiking/climbing, but perhaps I'm wrong -- but you will catch glimpses of their ragged profile from many points of the island.

The frequent fogs and mists only add to the mystery of these locations. It is a sort of fantasy landscape, such as you might imagine Tolkien envisioned for Middle Earth.

In addition to these subjects you'll find plenty of harbor scenes, sea coast and home-grown architecture.

Bring your hiking boots and foul-weather gear, at least a rain jacket. Several times I wished I had a tripod. Hard to hold the camera steady while catching your breath from a long climb.

BishopTango: You've received lots of good info, so just a couple of comments:

1) I hope you reconsider Inverearay for your first night. IF you are flying into the transatlantic, you will have been up for more than 24 hours by the time you touch your rental car. Driving at allyour first day is problematic, but driving all the way to Inveraray is a killer (literally or fuguratively). Driving impaired (and exhaustion/jet lag is definitely an impairment) is illegal and even if it wasn't, it can be really dangerous.

I would spend the first night in Edinburgh car-less, pick up the rental on day 2, and drive to Inveraray well-rested.

(if you are just flying in from continental Europe - ignore above lecture)

2) I would not move every day on Skye. All that packing, checking out, checking in, unpacking, packing again will really eat into your free time. Portree is really the only town on Skye and it is a nice place to stay. Especially if you are there for a few days because it will have more of the services (banks, restaurants, chemists,news agents, pubs, etc) that you might need over the course of your visit.

But it is not the most central location for touring - that would be Sligachan. But there is no "town" there - just a good hotel/restaurant/pub.

I would pick ONE place either in Portree, Sligachan, or almost anywhere else and use it as your base.

Ah -- I misread Inverarry for Inverness, so I have a bit more to add.

The George has a lively pub and restaurant. I think you'll like it.

You can spend your entire second day around Kilmartin. The area has stone effigies of medieval knights, neolithic rock carvings, stone circles and standing stones, and perhaps most evocative of all, Dunadd, site of an iron age hill fort.

There is also Skipness castle and its abbey and graveyard, all in ruins now, and offering a view across the sound to the island of Aran. You will want to keep going . . .

Along the raod to Skipness you will pass beaches lined with bizarrely eroded boulders. Be ready to stop.

We loved our Broadford B&B -- Tigh an Dochais -- and thought it was the perfect place from which to explore Sleat and Elgol.

We met a couple who spent three nights in Uig and then three in Broadford. They thought it helped them explore much of Skye.

Anywhere in the centre of the island is good for logistics but it's probably less scenic. The island is not so big that you'd want to move bases, however.

It's different strokes for diff'rent folks, but I don't find any difficulty with the drive from Edinburgh airport to Inverary

Pausanias, what's the deal on mediaeval knights in Kilmartin? This is news to me. I love the area generally so it would be interesting to see something new.

Sheila --

I'm referring to the effigies in Kilmartin Church graveyard. Some are in the ground, others have been gathered into an on-site shelter. Really very striking. There are a couple at Skipness, too.

About the driving -- I think someone may have made the same mistake I did and confused Inverary with Inverness.

Just driving from EDI to Inveraray - piece of cake. But driving from EDI to Inveraray after an overnight flight, acclimating to the "wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road", in potentially bad weather. Not something I'd want to do.

But it's likely to late anyway - since in the OP BishopTango said he was going on Wed. He may already be there.

HI -
Just returned from Scotland on Tuesday - and still have to get around to writing my trip report. All in all (besides a few let-downs in accomadation and some iffy weather) we had a fabulous time.

Skye is a very beautiful place, with a lot of scenery! Personally, I wouldn't want to spend 5 days there - as it is also a VERY quiet place - and I don't think I could keep myself occupied for that long just looking at the views. But if that's your thing - then there isnt a prettier place.
We stayed on Portree and are very, very glad we did. The "towns" on much of Skye are not much...sometimes just a few houses. Portree was a very sweet town, with a beautiful port. And most importantly, there was activity!! Shops, restaurants, pubs, bank, etc.
We stayed for one night in The Pier Hotel. Which we moved out of our second night because I (now admittedly, a self-confessed snob) didn't like it. But, if your budget is modest there was nothing really WRONG with the place. The guy who runs it was friendly, the room had a really great view of the port and the location was nice. I didn't like the room, (which had a tiny bathroom, and was outdated, with old looking bedding and smelled vaguely of smoke).
We did enjoy a really nice dinner one night at the Isles Inn - which is located in the town square and had a great menu and fitting atmospheric décor. They offer rooms as well, which I did not see. But the place itself was very nice... So maybe give that a try (we wish we had!). They have a website at http://www.accommodationskye.co.uk