"The Scotland Appetizer Trip" Please Review my itinerary
May 21st, 2007, 09:58 AM
#41
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OK trumpan thanks.
Your favorite Hike on Skye is?
Best Place to stay on Skye for 2-3 days?
Best cheap good food place on Skye (or Anywhere)?
Any hidden places (anywhere) that you think are jewels that tourists don't often go to? But whisper it so we don't give it away
Your favorite walks?
As soon as I post this I will check out the airport Hilton?
I'll let you know how I make out.
Your favorite Hike on Skye is?
Best Place to stay on Skye for 2-3 days?
Best cheap good food place on Skye (or Anywhere)?
Any hidden places (anywhere) that you think are jewels that tourists don't often go to? But whisper it so we don't give it away
Your favorite walks?
As soon as I post this I will check out the airport Hilton?
I'll let you know how I make out.
May 22nd, 2007, 01:09 AM
#42
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My email address is
trumpan at gmail.com
If you would like to email me I can give you my phone number in case you need help while you're here.
We live in Inverness but the family home is in Skye.
My I.D on here is taken from the name of our local cemetry. : )
trumpan at gmail.com
If you would like to email me I can give you my phone number in case you need help while you're here.
We live in Inverness but the family home is in Skye.
My I.D on here is taken from the name of our local cemetry. : )
May 22nd, 2007, 03:28 AM
#44
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Hi again Shelia,
I have an outlandish question (especially since we are leaving in a few days) so here goes...would getting to the Orkeny Islands be so very unrealitic on this 12 day trip...we could just go up the west and do Mull, Skye, then head up to the Orkney Islands. I just came across some info on them and they sound so interesting...(are they as wonderful as they sound)I know I want to do it all in such a short time. We really do not have to do any of the big cities so that will give us an extra day or two. And one or two castles is just fine with us.
We are doing what you you suggested and heading for Dunoon and not going any further than Creggans our first night. Please let me know what you think.
Ok Trumpan I will do that, you will hear from me via e-mail and this is much appreciated.
Oh my I can't believe it is almost here!!!!! 5 days and counting.
I have an outlandish question (especially since we are leaving in a few days) so here goes...would getting to the Orkeny Islands be so very unrealitic on this 12 day trip...we could just go up the west and do Mull, Skye, then head up to the Orkney Islands. I just came across some info on them and they sound so interesting...(are they as wonderful as they sound)I know I want to do it all in such a short time. We really do not have to do any of the big cities so that will give us an extra day or two. And one or two castles is just fine with us.
We are doing what you you suggested and heading for Dunoon and not going any further than Creggans our first night. Please let me know what you think.
Ok Trumpan I will do that, you will hear from me via e-mail and this is much appreciated.
Oh my I can't believe it is almost here!!!!! 5 days and counting.
May 22nd, 2007, 04:03 AM
#45
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It sounds a bit mad, to be honest. Whatd oes your overall itinerary look like now?
You COULD do it but you'd be cramming stuff in. Not a good idea, I think.
I like Orkney very much. More than Mull, for sure.
You COULD do it but you'd be cramming stuff in. Not a good idea, I think.
I like Orkney very much. More than Mull, for sure.
May 22nd, 2007, 04:16 AM
#46
travel in the west/isles/north can be very slow. Not much traffic - but long distances and a fair amount of single track roads (one lane roads for 2-way traffic)
If you drop the cities and the east coast/Fife you could work in Orkney fairly easily. But you really can't do it all
So you really do need to prioritize a bit. What do you most want to see/visit?
If you drop the cities and the east coast/Fife you could work in Orkney fairly easily. But you really can't do it all
So you really do need to prioritize a bit. What do you most want to see/visit?
May 22nd, 2007, 05:09 AM
#47
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Hi all,
Overall itinerary is very simple. Heading up to Mull, then Skye for several days of Hiking and then we were heading down to Fife. More or less rambling along stopping at several of the places that you both had mentioned.
But if you think the Orkney Islands are something that is out of the ordinary we would love to fit it in. It is so hard to tell by the tour books because everything sounds wonderful. But as I had noted before we are people who when we travel we like to take the off beaten path, hike and just relax, take lots of photos and meet interesting folk. Driving isn't a problem because we always find something interesting. So what do you think??
Sorry I am keeping you so busy with my plans. It was just that last night I came upon something about Skara Brae (of course it was at the end of the tour book so I hadn't looked at it before)and it just drew me in...more so than going to Fife or Edinburgh. Did the tour book lead me in the wrong directions????
Overall itinerary is very simple. Heading up to Mull, then Skye for several days of Hiking and then we were heading down to Fife. More or less rambling along stopping at several of the places that you both had mentioned.
But if you think the Orkney Islands are something that is out of the ordinary we would love to fit it in. It is so hard to tell by the tour books because everything sounds wonderful. But as I had noted before we are people who when we travel we like to take the off beaten path, hike and just relax, take lots of photos and meet interesting folk. Driving isn't a problem because we always find something interesting. So what do you think??
Sorry I am keeping you so busy with my plans. It was just that last night I came upon something about Skara Brae (of course it was at the end of the tour book so I hadn't looked at it before)and it just drew me in...more so than going to Fife or Edinburgh. Did the tour book lead me in the wrong directions????
May 22nd, 2007, 05:19 AM
#48
Orkney is wonderful. Fife is wonderful. the Borders are wonderful. Fife is wonderful. Mull is wonderful. Skye is . . . . well you get the idea.
You basically have 11 days plus day 1 which may be very jet lagged.
From what you want to do and how you like to travel - I'd pick three areas for 2-3 days stays and use the other days for travel between.
So a reasonable itinerary might look something like:
May 27 near Loch Lomond or Oban (keeping the driving to a minimum would mean Loch Lomond)
May 28-29 on Mull
May 30 - June 1 on Skye
June 2 or 2-3 in the NW
June 4-5 - Orkney
June 6-7 traveling back down towards Glasgow through Dornoch/Inverness/Perthshire/Stirling
Now this is only one version - lots of other options -- but evenn this one is not all that leisurely so really no way to squeeze in Fife and the east coast.
You basically have 11 days plus day 1 which may be very jet lagged.
From what you want to do and how you like to travel - I'd pick three areas for 2-3 days stays and use the other days for travel between.
So a reasonable itinerary might look something like:
May 27 near Loch Lomond or Oban (keeping the driving to a minimum would mean Loch Lomond)
May 28-29 on Mull
May 30 - June 1 on Skye
June 2 or 2-3 in the NW
June 4-5 - Orkney
June 6-7 traveling back down towards Glasgow through Dornoch/Inverness/Perthshire/Stirling
Now this is only one version - lots of other options -- but evenn this one is not all that leisurely so really no way to squeeze in Fife and the east coast.
May 22nd, 2007, 07:03 AM
#50
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For more info on Orkney try www.visitorkney.com.
May 22nd, 2007, 12:37 PM
#51
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I'd lose a west coast island for logistical purposes. For aesthetic reasons I'd lose Mull, but Skye is so far out there, it would be easier geographically if you dropped it.
Would you consider Mull, Orkney, Fife?
Would you consider Mull, Orkney, Fife?
May 23rd, 2007, 11:03 AM
#53
I've been to all those places many times so my opinion may be a bit jaded -- just as a preface to what I'm saying:
I love <b>LOVE</b> Fife - stay in Crail whenever I can. But unless St Andrews is the holy grail because you are golfers or something - w/ your very limited time I would drop Fife before dropping something on the west coast.
Mull/Iona/Staffa are unique, Skye is AMAZING, and Orkney is super interesting.
Fife is terrific too - but instead of crossing back and forth across the whole of the country, I'd stay to the west and north.
Now - IF you had 3 or 4 weeks that would be a whole other matter. I'd be recommending Fife and the Borders, and the SW and Aberdeenshire and LOTS of other places.
I love <b>LOVE</b> Fife - stay in Crail whenever I can. But unless St Andrews is the holy grail because you are golfers or something - w/ your very limited time I would drop Fife before dropping something on the west coast.
Mull/Iona/Staffa are unique, Skye is AMAZING, and Orkney is super interesting.
Fife is terrific too - but instead of crossing back and forth across the whole of the country, I'd stay to the west and north.
Now - IF you had 3 or 4 weeks that would be a whole other matter. I'd be recommending Fife and the Borders, and the SW and Aberdeenshire and LOTS of other places.
May 23rd, 2007, 01:02 PM
#54
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Janisj, How do you really feel about Fife
I know I hate to leave out that area but I am just being pulled to the north. Ok so I am going to head up the west coast. What is your best suggested way to get to the Orkney Islands from Skye and maybe catch something interesting along the way. (Am I detecting in your post that you prefer Fife over Orkney??)And what is it really like up there? And as I look at the map I guess on the way down to Glasgow I would cut down through Inverness.
You people are probably sick of me by now but I promise I will post when I get home and let you know how it all ended up.
I wish I did have 4 weeks.....
Thanks again, 6abc
I know I hate to leave out that area but I am just being pulled to the north. Ok so I am going to head up the west coast. What is your best suggested way to get to the Orkney Islands from Skye and maybe catch something interesting along the way. (Am I detecting in your post that you prefer Fife over Orkney??)And what is it really like up there? And as I look at the map I guess on the way down to Glasgow I would cut down through Inverness.
You people are probably sick of me by now but I promise I will post when I get home and let you know how it all ended up.
I wish I did have 4 weeks.....
Thanks again, 6abc
May 23rd, 2007, 01:16 PM
#55
No, I LOVE Orkney too - is there a theme here
I know Fife better since I've been there more.
If it were me heading from Skye to Orkney, I'd take 2 days/2 nights enroute. See Plockton, Glen Caron, Loch Maree and Inverewe gardens the first day staying somewhere between Poolewe and Ullapool that night. Then spend the entire next day driving around the coast to near Thurso. Then take an early ferry the next morning to Stromness.
I know Fife better since I've been there more.
If it were me heading from Skye to Orkney, I'd take 2 days/2 nights enroute. See Plockton, Glen Caron, Loch Maree and Inverewe gardens the first day staying somewhere between Poolewe and Ullapool that night. Then spend the entire next day driving around the coast to near Thurso. Then take an early ferry the next morning to Stromness.
May 23rd, 2007, 07:24 PM
#56
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I hope you do write a report of your trip, 6abc. Reading about all these wonderful Scotland plans is KILLING me! I had thought that we would be doing a bit of exploring in Scotland ourselves in August or September, but it turned out that we won't be going this year. So, I will want to live vicariously through you!!
When we finished out first sampler trip to Scotland (1999) I found myself wanting more of the North and West (although I must admit, I haven't seen Fife!). Haven't gotten to really do that yet, however.
You've whetted my appetite to begin planning - for 2008.
When we finished out first sampler trip to Scotland (1999) I found myself wanting more of the North and West (although I must admit, I haven't seen Fife!). Haven't gotten to really do that yet, however.
You've whetted my appetite to begin planning - for 2008.
May 24th, 2007, 12:18 AM
#57
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I think I'd miss out Skye and go to Arran instead.
I have just returned from a trip up North and was sad to see that Skye has become much more tartan tatty than when we first visited it.
We just popped over for a day to have lunch in the Three Chimneys.
Arran on the other hand is still pretty unspoilt. It is often described as Scotland in miniature, but Lonely Planet says that it is Scotland with the grotty bits removed. There's lots of good walking and they had a Wildlife festival when we were there with mini-bus safaris to look at birds etc.
It takes about an hour to get from Ardrossan (where the ferry stops) to Glasgow.
BTW. there is a very nice seafood restaurant just outside Brodick called Creelers.
You have to book because it is very popular.
I have just returned from a trip up North and was sad to see that Skye has become much more tartan tatty than when we first visited it.
We just popped over for a day to have lunch in the Three Chimneys.
Arran on the other hand is still pretty unspoilt. It is often described as Scotland in miniature, but Lonely Planet says that it is Scotland with the grotty bits removed. There's lots of good walking and they had a Wildlife festival when we were there with mini-bus safaris to look at birds etc.
It takes about an hour to get from Ardrossan (where the ferry stops) to Glasgow.
BTW. there is a very nice seafood restaurant just outside Brodick called Creelers.
You have to book because it is very popular.
May 24th, 2007, 03:40 AM
#58
I have to disagree w/ Miss Prism about Skye. Sure there are some touristy bits and tat. But the VAST majority of the Island is wide open, unspoiled scenery. Arran is lovely - but I don't really think it is a substitute for Skye. If one was in Glasgow and only had a couple of days, Aran would be a <b>fabulous</b> place to visit.
