Going to Scotland!

Re: Going to Scotland!

• buttercup1958

  

  February 2015

  I've never been but sounds like fun! Enjoy! I think its a great idea to rent a car, I love road trips. V and I were visiting my dad and we had the best time driving around and visiting state parks. So I would suggest some fun hiking trails and good food. I wouldn't focus on cities too much but that's my personal preference.

  

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• hellosweetie1015 member

  

  February 2015

  I have no advice but I came in here solely to say I AM SO JEALOUS.

  
  

  I would say to make sure you've got a decent camera. If your phone has a good camera, it makes it one less thing to worry about, but I doubt you will think the phone camera is good if you're considering a DSLR.

  

  
  

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• WinstonsGirl member

  

  February 2015

  I love Scotland!!  Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities.  My first view was coming out of the train station.  I looked over and saw a huge green park at the bottom of a small valley (they used to bury the dead there).  If you follow the cliff up your eyes go to Edinburgh Castle at the top and edge of the cliff overlooking the city.  It's stunning.  

  
  

  Anyway, do a ghost tour while you're there.  The later at night the better.  So much fun and it's the perfect setting.  They meet at a square on the Royal Mile.  There are signs everywhere, so if you walk it you can't miss it.  

  
  

  I also did a bus tour through the Highlands. So pretty. Very green, slight mist.  Bring rain gear just in case.  We drove by Ben Nevis, Loch Ness, Inverness and Culloden Field.  Our tour was amazing cos we got all of the folklore and stories on the bus too.  

  
  

  I can't suggest places to stay as I stayed with friends and in hostels.  Buy a wool tartan blanket on the Royal Mile.  Most were 30 pounds but you can find them for 20, at least back when I was there.  Go check out the Greyfriers Bobby cemetery.  The story is pretty cool.  Lots of history in that city and the entire country.  

  
  

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• Kahlyla member

  

  February 2015

  I've been twice and love it! Our first trip in 2002 was mainly hiking and hitch-hiking, through the West Highland Way then across to Inverness, north to Thurso and on to the Orkneys. Then back down, this time hitting Edinburgh, Stirling, and Glasgow (we have friends in Glasgow). Done on the cheap, lots of camping in farmer's fields and some hosteling (the hostels are great there, many of them are just like inns or hotels - some aren't).
  
  The second time was in 2008 and we were willing to spend a bit more money and we also did more of the trip with our friends. This time we visited Skye as well as the Outer Hebrides, and Edinburgh and Glasgow again. But we spent a lot of time on Harris where, because of our friends, we were able to just hang with local people, and it was absolutely magical. Again lots of hiking, hill-climbing, visiting the ocean, and just going to the pubs. A few castles, always a few castles.
  
  The thing about Skye - and yes, this is a generalization, but - our understanding is a lot of people want to live/retire there, so they open B&Bs or restaurants to support their lifestyle but they don't so much want to be doing it. We met a lot of surly innkeepers who didn't seem to really want to be there. The scenery is beautiful, but a day or two is all we wanted to stay there because it just wasn't really as pleasant as... well, anywhere else. The Outer Hebrides and the Orkneys, in contrast, are so unbelievably friendly. I wouldn't want to drive in the rural Hebrides, though - there are single-lane, winding roads with pull-over places and you have to get used to the etiquette of who pulls over when (and remember that it's on the counter-intuitive side!). Plus sheep. Our friends just drove their car there, and even then I thought I was going to die, like, several times.
  
  We love Edinburgh as well; if I could afford a vacation flat somewhere in the world, it would be there. Leave the car and just go out walking into town. I second the ghost/vault tour - even though it sounds silly, the hosts are awesome and it's just a fun way to see a lot of the city and the underground vaults (and there's whisky at the end).
  
  We've stayed in many different ways - B&Bs, hotels (there aren't really a lot of chain motel-type places), inns, campsites, hostels - and one thing to keep in mind is that there's a "star" rating system, but it's mainly based on amenities, not quality. So a B&B might be rated as 2 1/2 stars, but that doesn't mean it's lousy, it means that maybe there's no cable TV, no in-room coffee (it could be just outside the door in the hall), and the bathroom is outside of the room and shared with one other guest room. All of those things in-room add to the star rating, but a less-equipped place might be just as lovely and cheaper.
  
  If you get seasick (I do) and are looking at ferry rides, keep in mind you may need to spend the ride outside to combat the nausea. It will be cool, so jackets/blankets are good. It's worth it for me, because I don't get sick at all if I'm out on deck but I'm a disaster if I have to stay inside.
  
  Another thing to keep in mind is that some areas are quite religious, and small, remote towns all but shut down on Sundays. Many places also close between the lunch and supper hours, so you may not always be able to grab a bite at 3:00 (shouldn't be a problem in the big cities).
  
  You're going to love it!
  

  

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• Chipmunk415 member

  

  February 2015

  When in Edinburgh, go to the bottom of the Royal Mile to the Palace at Holyrood House. There's a great deal of artwork, and a headset audio walking tour telling you about everything in that palace. I saw Victoria's coronation portrait in the dining room, and the bedroom of Mary Queen of Scots (perfectly preserved). There's a whole section dedicated the the Tudor/Stuart entanglement, though while nearly all the Tudors have a portrait there (Henry VII and VIII, Elizabeth of York, Margaret Tudor, Mary Tudor, Mary I,) Elizabeth I does not have her portrait hanging there- she was the one to execute Mary Stuart.  The abbey attached is in ruins, but still beautiful. 

  
  

  Additionally, at Holyrood House is the Queen's Gallery- this is a small museum of various pieces of art and history owned by the Crown, and the displays regularly rotate. I got to see sketches by da Vinci, and a Stradavarious violin, among other things, but who knows what is up now!

  
  

  Holyrood House is also right across from the Scottish Parliament building, very cool.  

  
  

  If you want a hiking day, Arthur's Seat is the name given to the summit of a mountain overlooking Edinburgh and the sea.

  
  

  I was unimpressed with Loch Ness, it was just a lake with a stoney shore. St. Andrews is nice, and you are on the North Sea right there, not the Atlantic.

  
  

  I wouldn't hike Ben Nevis, but the park at Glen Nevis is beautiful, and has various hiking trails aside from Ben. There's also a whiskey distillery nearby.

  
  

  You can also pretend to elope at Gretna Green!

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• climbingsingle member

  

  February 2015 edited February 2015

  Scotland is amazing! I was there in '93 so I'm having a hard time recalling everything I saw. But I remember it being so beautiful and the castles were fantastic.

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