Notes on driving/sightseeing around Scotland (very long posting)
Tom Gutnick
have questions, here are some notes I wrote up after our trip a few years
ago ... enjoy!
Tom & Mary's Trip to Scotland, 1997
First some miscellaneous notes about logistics, then the details on what we
saw and where we stayed...
Money: We never cashed a traveler's check -- just got cash from ATMs every
few days. Even with our bank's service charge, it worked out to a better
exchange rate. (Only the very small towns did not have ATMs; we were never
more than a day or two away from a machine.)
Lodging: We never made a hotel reservation earlier than the same day. (We
were travelling in late May and early June -- before the greatest hordes of
tourists.) Mostly we worked with the Tourist Information Centres (they
charged £1 for a local reservation or £2.75 for out-of-town, plus 10% of the
room charge, which was credited against our bill by the hotel). (A few
times, we couldn't get to a TIC before closing time, so we just worked it
out on our own, using booklets from the Scottish Tourist Board or just
walking down the street.) The TICs were good people to work with, because
they also provided excellent sanity checks on our travel plans. All prices
shown are per night for a double room with ensuite facilities, and include
tax. (We stayed in a range of properties, rated by the Scottish Tourist
Board as Commended, Highly Commended, Deluxe, or unrated. Some of the
lower-rated ones we actually considered among the nicest; even the least
desirable of the bunch were still acceptable, and we had no disasters.)
Most places accepted credit cards.
Fuel: Petrol ain't cheap! We paid between 59p and 72p per litre (roughly
$3.70-4.50 per gallon) -- the more remote the area, the more expensive the
fuel. We averaged 32 miles per gallon, in a Vauxhall Astra 14 -- especially
the single-track roads were not conducive to good mileage.
Car: If you belong to AAA, stop by the local AA office for maps, etc. If
you’re looking for stone circles and the like, get a good road atlas (we got
one that was 4 miles to the inch -- absolutely indispensable!). We logged
nearly 1,500 miles in fourteen days. Especially in the remoter areas, don’t
expect to cover a lot of miles in a day -- many of the roads were very slow
going.
Meals: All hotels included full Scottish breakfast (huge!) in the room
rates. Lunch was hotel bar meals, snacks bought at convenience stores,
fish&chips, etc. Watch out for the trap we hit: because of the big
breakfast, we weren't hungry around noon, but many of the bars do not
provide food between 2 and 5 PM. Dinner prices shown include tips, and
generally were 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 1-2 desserts, and a large bottle of
mineral water. Seek out the restaurants listed in the "Taste of Scotland"
guide -- these were generally the best meals, and not necessarily more
expensive. Most dinner places (and even many lunch places) accepted credit
cards.
Passes: There are several admission passes available, including the
Scottish National Trust and Historic Scotland. We bought the Historic
Scotland Explorer pass at the first attraction we visited -- £17 for 14 days
(the 7-day pass costs £12), and it had paid for itself within a week. We
visited only one National Trust property, so just bought a regular ticket.
Your mileage may vary.
Ferry: For the Hebrides, we bought an island hopscotch ticket. They have
several options, covering various combinations. For our 5 ferry rides, it
saved us £10-20, and saved us time from buying individual tickets. We
mostly got away with not having reservations, but a few weeks later we
probably would have suffered some disappointments.
Rocks: If you’re interested in standing stones and stone circles, be sure
to check out. http://utenti.micronet.it/dmeozzi/Scotland/ScotlandMain.html
Itinerary:
Thursday: Arrive Edinburgh. Wander the Royal Mile, visit St Giles
Cathedral.
Dinner: Kalpna, Indian vegetarian. Excellent food, economical (£21 for the
two of us, including tip). 2 St Patrick Square, Edinburgh.
Lodging: Newington Cottage, 15 Blacket Place, Edinburgh EH9 1RS, Tel/Fax
0131-668-1935. Rated Deluxe by Scottish Tourist Board. Historic old
building with new interior, and Freda Mickel, the proprietor, made us feel
really pampered. One block from bus line, 5 minute ride to city centre, or
a 20-30 minute walk. £70 per night.
Friday: Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, Holyroodhouse Palace, Carlton Hill
Dinner: Creelers Seafood Bar & Restaurant, 3 Hunter Square (just off Royal
Mile), Edinburgh, 0131-220-4447. Taste of Scotland. £33.
Saturday: Cairnpapple cairn, Linlithgow Palace, Culross. Overnight in
Perth.
Dinner: Littlejohns Restaurant, 24 St John St, Perth. It’s a chain like
TGI Friday, with a diverse menu. (Not our first choice, but the good places
had an hour wait.) £20.
Lodging: Sunbank House Hotel, 50 Dundee Rd, Perth PH2 7BA, 01738-624-882.
10-minute walk, across the river, to city centre. £70.
Sunday: Scone Palace, Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum, stones at Aberlemno,
Brown/White Caterthuns. Overnight in Aberdeen.
Dinner: Shish Mahal Restaurant (Indian), 468 Union St, Aberdeen. £24.
Lodging: Brentwood Villa Guest House, 560 King St, Aberdeen AB2 1SR,
01224-491-113. Small room. Lots of cable channels. Near University, 5
minute drive to city centre. Cash only. £39.
Monday: King's College Chapel, Brig of Balgonie, Cullerlie stone circle,
East Aquhorthies stone circle, Bramsbutt Pictish stone, Loanhead stone
circle, Maiden Stone, Elgin Cathedral, Burghead well, Sueno's stone.
Overnight in Nairn.
Dinner: Fingals Restaurant at Ramleh Hotel, 2 Academy St, Nairn.
Excellent. £28.
Lodging: Sunny Brae Hotel, Marine Rd, Nairn IV12 4EA, 01667-452-309. Nice
room overlooking the beach, 5-minute walk to city centre. £46.
Tuesday: Cawdor Castle, Clava Cairns, Culloden Battlefield, Inverness,
Groam House Museum in Rosemarkie, Dunrobin Castle, Cairn Liath. Overnight
in Dornoch.
Dinner: Sutherland House, Dornoch. Very good. £30.
Lodging: Eagle Hotel, Castle St, Dornoch IV25 3SR, 01862-810-008. Right in
city centre. £45.
Wednesday: drive to Scrabster (Thurso), car ferry to Stromness, Orkney.
Maes Howe, Stones of Stenness, Ring of Brogdar, Skara Brae, Brough of
Birsay.
Dinner: Golden Dragon (Chinese), Kirkwall. I have had worse, but I think
I could have done a better job. £21.
Lodging: Lynnfield Hotel, Holm Rd, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1RX,
01856-872-505. Spacious room. 5 minute drive to city centre. £55.
Thursday: St Magnus Cathedral, Italian Chapel, Churchill Barriers, Earl's
Bu and round church, Orkneyinga Saga Centre, Unstan Cairn. Ferry back to
Scrabster. Cnoc Freiceadain Long cairns. Single-track road, slow going.
Overnight in Tongue.
Dinner: Ben Loyal Hotel, Tongue, IV27 4XE, 01847-611-216. Taste of
Scotland, excellent food, great view of mountains and loch. £54.
Lodging: Mrs Lina Mackay B&B, 7 Glebelands, Tongue by Lairg, 01847-611-223.
Shared bath, cash only (but woke up looking at Ben Loyal through the bedroom
window). £30.
Friday: Smoo Cave; from Durness/Keoldale, ferry and minibus to Cape Wrath;
beautiful lochs down to Ullapool; ferry to Stornoway (Isle of Lewis).
Dinner: on the ferry (oh well).
Lodging: Seaforth Hotel, James St, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2QN,
01851-702-740. 5 minute walk to city centre. £50.
Saturday: Callanish standing stones, Dun Carloway broch, Arnol Black House,
Steinacleit cairn & stone circle, Clach an Trushal standing stone, drive to
Harris, ferry to Skye, overnight in Uig.
Dinner: Harris Hotel, Tarbert. £35.
Lodging: Woodbine Guest House, Uig (Isle of Skye), 01470-542-243. 5 minute
drive to city centre (such as it is). Small but very attractive room, cash
only. £39.
Sunday: Isle of Skye, Trotternish Peninsula, Duntulm fort ruins, Quiraing,
Kilt Rock, Cuillin Hills, Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh (at £5.40 for
about half a mile, the most expensive toll bridge I've ever been on!),
Eilean Donan Castle, Armadale, ferry to Mallaig.
Dinner: Marine Hotel, Mallaig. Taste of Scotland. £25.
Lodging: Glasnacardoch Hotel, Mallaig, Inverness-shire PH41 4RH,
01687-462-184. Small but attractive room, nice country views. 5 minute
drive to city centre. £50.
Monday: Arisaig, Ardnamurchan Point, ferry from Kilchoan to Tobermory (Isle
of Mull), drive to opposite end of island.
Dinner: Argyll Arms Hotel, Bunessan, Isle of Mull. £15.
Lodging: Ardachy House Hotel, Uisken by Bunessan, Isle of Mull, Argyll PA67
6DS. 01681-700-505. We had their largest room (with a view of Ardalanish
Bay), and this was one of the best places we stayed. In the country,
surrounded by sheep, 10 minute walk to the beach, 5 minute drive to city
centre, 10 minute drive to Fionnaphort. £58.
Tuesday: ferry to Staffa Island (Fingal's Cave) and Isle of Iona.
Dinner: Ardachy House Hotel. (Dinner available to residents only, by
advance reservation.) £26.
Wednesday: ferry from Craigure to Oban. Kilmartin: Kilmartin House museum
(just opened!), Glebe Cairn, Nether Largie Cairns, Temple Wood Stone Circle,
Dunchraigaig Cairn, Ballymeanoch cairn + henge + stones, Dunadd Fort.
Overnight in Inverary.
Dinner: The Great Inn, Inverary. £25.
Lodging: Fernpoint Hotel, Inverary, Argyll, 0499-2170. Spacious room,
overlooking the loch. £70.
Thursday: Loch Lomond, Falls of Leny, Doune Castle, Sterling Castle, Holy
Rude Church, Argyll House, Tollbooth Theatre, William Wallace Monument.
Overnight in Glasgow.
Dinner: Creme de la Creme, 1071 Argyle St, Glasgow, 0141-221-3222.
Advertises itself as Europe's largest and finest Indian restaurant. Food
was excellent, and so was decor (old movie theatre renovated); but desserts
were European instead of Indian. £26.
Lodging: Sandyford Hotel, 904 Sauchie Hall St, Glasgow G3 7TF,
0141-334-0000. 5-minute bus ride or 20-minute walk to city centre. £48.
Friday: Queen St Church, Hill House (Helensburgh), Scotland St School
Museum.
Dinner: Sutherlands Restaurant (Argyll Hotel), 969/973 Sauchiehall St,
Glasgow, 0141-337-3313. Taste of Scotland. £28.
Saturday: Glasgow School of Art, Willow Tea Room, Mackintosh House at
Hunterian Gallery, Art Gallery and Museum.
Sunday: train to London.
Lodging: Woodbury House, Lewes Rd, East Grinstead (near Gatwick Airport),
0134-231-3657. Very attractive hotel, with nice amenities. Courtesy
transportation to airport. £85.
TooBabb
Thanks for your posting. My husband, 14 year old daughter and I will be
spending three weeks in England and Scotland this summer, so I am sure that I
will find your message to be very helpful.
We have a week reserved in Edinburgh - which will be the bulk of time we have
allotted for Scotland. Wondering if you could suggest day trips that might be
of particular interest (keeping in mind the age of our daughter) and give
approximate driving times?
Thanks for whatever help you can offer.
Marva