Scotland trip

Zaukrie

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My wife and I are heading to Scotland in May and June next year. I'm looking for less obvious suggestions for hikes, bars and restaurants, and whatever that most people wouldn't know about. Oh, and small distillery or brewery.....

I have a long list of castles and some birding sites, and I think I've decided on golf courses.
Any suggestions are welcome.

If this wasn't appropriate for the site, sorry
 

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If you make it to Skye, way on the north western edge there's Castle MacLeod. It has a very nice garden.

Probably not worth driving all the way there just for that. But we stayed with a very nice lady who lived at the Northwest point of Skye, and that was an attraction that was relatively close.
 


I assume you have the obvious things like Edinburgh Castle and Ben Nevis? Something different that might appeal to RPG people: the Glasgow Necropolis.

Inverewe Gardens has an interesting microclimate, and should be midge-free at this time of year if you are interested in nature. Expect to lose a lot of blood in May/June though.

If you visit Cawdor Castle (of McBeth fame) then walking by the Moray Firth nearby is a good place to spot dolphins and seals.

You can see a plaque commemorating Clan Farquhar at Culloden Moor battlefield!

Remember to allow plenty of travel time, roads are long and likely to be slow even when the weather isn’t bad.
 
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For dolphins the hot spot is chanonry point - a few miles north of Inverness. The dolphins chase salmon in on the tide. Google for the best time to be there.

There’s also a chance of Orcas at that time of year further north - let me know if you are interested and i can invite you to a sightings facebook page.
 

There are distilleries in most places, though a lot of them are much of a muchness. Possibly of interest is the Clydeside Distillery in Glasgow - it has the distinction of being both the newest (I think) and also built into older buildings on the river, so you can see something of Glasgow's industrial past at the same time.

That said, and much as it pains me to say it, our other big city, Edinburgh, is probably better for a visit. Glasgow is pretty run down and depressing these days. :( (Big is, of course, a relative term - Edinburgh numbers all of 300k people.) Do check your dates, though, as the Edinburgh Festival (7-30 August) is very much something to miss.

As with everywhere else, you can basically take your pick of cuisine in either of the cities, but within each option you'll find fewer places than in larger cities. I'd suggest lamb and seafood as go-to options, but that's maybe just me. Outside of the cities, you won't have as much choice. :)

Within the cities I advise avoiding driving if you can. The public transportation systems in and around the cities tend to be pretty good. (In particular, there's a direct tram link form Edinburgh airport into the city centre which is good. Transport from Glasgow airport, or worse Prestwick, is not so easy.) Outside the cities you'll need a car, or absurd amounts of patience.

If museums are your thing, I'd suggest the National Museum of Scotland and the National Galleries (both Edinburgh, both free to enter, though both usually have some sort of special exhibit on that they charge for). There's also the Burrell Collection in Glasgow that's worth a look if you're there. If you can't find a Distillery, or are short of time, Edinburgh also has the Whisky Experience - note that it's very much aimed at tourists.

For a TV/film/other media link, there's Glamis Castle and Birnham Wood (both of Macbeth fame), the steam train from Fort William to Mallaig (which passes over the Glenfinnan viaduct, probably most famously in Harry Potter), Doune Castle (of Monty Python and the Holy Grail - if you do go there, the audio guide does, or at least did, have a tour recorded by some of the Pythons), and may other castles (most of which probably featured in Outlander at some point).

If you fancy a UFO encounter, there are hot spots in Bonnybridge near Falkirk (next to the distillery) and in Livingston near Edinburgh (next to the distillery). Given that the latter is right on the flightpath to Edinburgh, you may find identifying flying objects easier than previously reported.

As @BornAgainGamer mentions, there are hot spots for seeing seals and other marine life - if you make it as far as John O'Groats (which is as far north as you can go in the mainland), it's worth taking a boat tour. There are also plentiful options for wild swimming, if that's your thing, but please be careful. And wrap up warm - even in the height of summer it won't be hot!

Hopefully there's something in that lot that's of some help. :)
 

It's much more likely we spend time in Edinburgh than Glasgow given what to write, and what I've read, thanks.

We plan to drive, but not in Edinburgh at all if we can avoid it, which I might need to do if we base there for a few days for visits to Berwick and surrounding areas. But yes, we definitely use mass transit in Europe.

Seeing marine life is something we've considered. We didn't take a boat tour in Norway a few years ago, which we should have, so we are covering it there.
 

It's much more likely we spend time in Edinburgh than Glasgow given what to write, and what I've read, thanks.

We plan to drive, but not in Edinburgh at all if we can avoid it, which I might need to do if we base there for a few days for visits to Berwick and surrounding areas. But yes, we definitely use mass transit in Europe.

Seeing marine life is something we've considered. We didn't take a boat tour in Norway a few years ago, which we should have, so we are covering it there.
If you are based in Edinburgh you can get around by bus easily enough, or walk, it’s only a small city. Arthur’s Seat, behind Holyrood, is a pleasant evening walk. You can get the train to Glasgow, it doesn’t take long, to see the Burrel Collection for example. IMO Glasgow has the better museums and galleries.

However, you might want to consider a second base, near Inverness or Fort William, and hire a car. Most of the nature stuff, famous views and mythical lake monsters are in the Highlands (and more castles than you can shake a haggis at), and they are not as well served by public transport. Public transport in the UK is generally not as good as mainland Europe.
 

If you are based in Edinburgh you can get around by bus easily enough, or walk, it’s only a small city. Arthur’s Seat, behind Holyrood, is a pleasant evening walk. You can get the train to Glasgow, it doesn’t take long, to see the Burrel Collection for example. IMO Glasgow has the better museums and galleries.

However, you might want to consider a second base, near Inverness or Fort William, and hire a car. Most of the nature stuff, famous views and mythical lake monsters are in the Highlands (and more castles than you can shake a haggis at), and they are not as well served by public transport. Public transport in the UK is generally not as good as mainland Europe.
Oh ... We'll be there for a month. I'm guessing four or five days in an Edinburgh base. Four in skye. Four in Inverness. We will golf in machirinish area for two days. Near Aberdeen, though likely a smaller town three or four days.
 

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