Scotland help - Glencoe or Oban? Or neither?
Apr 10th, 2024, 10:43 AM
#1
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Scotland help - Glencoe or Oban? Or neither?
I’m heading to Scotland at the end of August with a friend. We will be there 11 days: 2 travel days and 9 sightseeing days. We both like history, museums, nature; we dislike Scotch -blasphemy, I know.
I’m trying to work out our itinerary, which is a road trip starting in Edinburgh and ending in Glasgow. Right now, we are planning on 2-3 days in Edinburgh, then to Inverness. Inverness will likely be 2 days, with stops at Culloden Moor and Cairngorms National Park, among other things. Then on to Isle of Skye for 2-3 days, where we plan on doing light hikes (2-3 hours each), visiting castles and seeing nature.
This is where I am stuck. I don’t if I should work in time at either Oban or Glencoe. I’ve read Glencoe is beautiful but the hikes seem SERIOUS (~8 hour duration) and I worry that will be too much after several days walking around Skye. Then I was considering Oban but reviews seem mixed…like, it’s a cute town but how much is there to do? Would you recommend time in either OR would you skip that area and build in more time in Edinburgh/Inverness/Isle of Skye? FWIW, our last stop will be a full day/overnight in Glasgow before flying home.
I’m trying to work out our itinerary, which is a road trip starting in Edinburgh and ending in Glasgow. Right now, we are planning on 2-3 days in Edinburgh, then to Inverness. Inverness will likely be 2 days, with stops at Culloden Moor and Cairngorms National Park, among other things. Then on to Isle of Skye for 2-3 days, where we plan on doing light hikes (2-3 hours each), visiting castles and seeing nature.
This is where I am stuck. I don’t if I should work in time at either Oban or Glencoe. I’ve read Glencoe is beautiful but the hikes seem SERIOUS (~8 hour duration) and I worry that will be too much after several days walking around Skye. Then I was considering Oban but reviews seem mixed…like, it’s a cute town but how much is there to do? Would you recommend time in either OR would you skip that area and build in more time in Edinburgh/Inverness/Isle of Skye? FWIW, our last stop will be a full day/overnight in Glasgow before flying home.
Apr 10th, 2024, 11:22 AM
#3
Welcome to Fodors. Some random comments:
I would not stay IN Inverness. You will have a car so you can stay in any attractive village / town without staying in what is in reality a city. Traffic, supermarkets, industrial parks - and a nice river running through. Nice-ish as cities go but why -- you are in northern Scotland so stay in maybe Grantown-on-Spey, or Nairn, or Culloden, or anywhere on the Black Isle, or any number of other places.
Comparing Oban and Glecoe is like comparing Yosemite to Santa Barbara -- both 'worth' visiting but nothing at all similar to compare. Glencoe is awe inspiring and the nearby Glen Etive is if anything even more so. Yes, there are 8 hour hikes -- but no one forces you to do one of those arduous (and dangerous) treks. Between Glencoe and Glen Etive there are many reasonable walks/hikes.
Re Skye -- You'd better nail down your accommodations ASAP. It is insanely popular. and late Aug/Early Sept - even more so. I would not even consider Skye unless I had a minimum of three nights and four would be better. It is a very large island with very slow traffic and parking issues at most of the main beauty spots.
Unless your hearts are absolutely set on Skye . . . I'd consider Mull instead
I would not stay IN Inverness. You will have a car so you can stay in any attractive village / town without staying in what is in reality a city. Traffic, supermarkets, industrial parks - and a nice river running through. Nice-ish as cities go but why -- you are in northern Scotland so stay in maybe Grantown-on-Spey, or Nairn, or Culloden, or anywhere on the Black Isle, or any number of other places.
Comparing Oban and Glecoe is like comparing Yosemite to Santa Barbara -- both 'worth' visiting but nothing at all similar to compare. Glencoe is awe inspiring and the nearby Glen Etive is if anything even more so. Yes, there are 8 hour hikes -- but no one forces you to do one of those arduous (and dangerous) treks. Between Glencoe and Glen Etive there are many reasonable walks/hikes.
Re Skye -- You'd better nail down your accommodations ASAP. It is insanely popular. and late Aug/Early Sept - even more so. I would not even consider Skye unless I had a minimum of three nights and four would be better. It is a very large island with very slow traffic and parking issues at most of the main beauty spots.
Unless your hearts are absolutely set on Skye . . . I'd consider Mull instead
