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help with route plan please!
Mazzy
Member ✭
we have almost 3 weeks in Scotland in September and will be visiting family in the Galloway area for a few days. Our plan goes something like this:
arrive Edinburgh early morning and drive to Inverness for 3/4 days -this looks like a good base- then work our way down to family and then drive back to Edinburgh for three days. We are hiring car , hiking is out as one of us has poor mobility at the moment but we can do strolling. Places we would like to see/stay are Skye, mull, glencoe. We need to get a move on as have not booked any accommodation yet! Does the above itinerary look reasonable? Thanks for any help and advice.
arrive Edinburgh early morning and drive to Inverness for 3/4 days -this looks like a good base- then work our way down to family and then drive back to Edinburgh for three days. We are hiring car , hiking is out as one of us has poor mobility at the moment but we can do strolling. Places we would like to see/stay are Skye, mull, glencoe. We need to get a move on as have not booked any accommodation yet! Does the above itinerary look reasonable? Thanks for any help and advice.
1
Best Answers
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willmackenzie
Member ✭✭
Hi @Mazzy.
I think with three weeks in Scotland you can see lots, especially with access to the car. While I completely agree that Skye, Mull and Glencoe are must-sees, I think I'll pitch you on a five, six or seven day trip which I think will take you to the most incredible and lesser-seen parts of Scotland, easily accessible as you'll be in Inverness (which happens to be the start/finish point). I'm talking about the 'North Coast 500' road trip.
Numerous publications are suggesting this is one of the best driving routes in the world. Aiming to be a Scottish version of America's world-famous Route 66, the route takes you north from Inverness right around the very coast of Scotland and back to Inverness again, around about 500 miles (although when I did it we were closer to the 800 mile mark because we were off piste exploring constantly). The trip is what you make of it. We explored some of Scotland's most incredible beaches, Smoo Cave, whisky distilleries, sea cliff stacks, lighthouses, the most northerly mainland point of Scotland, saw puffins, visited standing stones, cairns, brochs, ate locally caught seafood (Isle of Ewe Smokehouse sell fantastic hot and cold smoked salmon I high recommend), ice cream and one of the UK's best chocolate manufacturers (Cocoa Mountain in Durness), took in incredible sites, history and dramatic landscapes. Thrillseekers can surf and walkers can explore the hills. It has something for everyone.
You'll find itineraries as well as the maps, accommodation and everything else you could need by visiting the official website - 'North Coast 500'.
Torridon
Oldshoremore beach
Kinlochbervie
Dunrobin Castle
Smoo Cave
Stacks of Duncansby
Durness beach / Sangs Sands
Myself and a friend undertook the above NC500 road trip last month and I made a quick video. Maybe you'll find it provides a little inspiration.
I'd also suggest visiting/staying at Loch Lomond while near Glencoe and perhaps even considering a trip over to the Isle of Harris and Lewis by ferry from Uig on Skye. Harris' landscapes are to be seen to be believed. They have wonderful beaches such as Luskentyre which are among Scotland's best. Lewis also plays host to the stunning Callanish/Calanais standing stones, one of my favourite Scottish sites, and the Carolway broch. If you were feeling adventurous I'd recommend driving up the Butt of Lewis for the lighthouse and sea cliffs there too.
Butt of Lewis Lighthouse / cliffs
Callanish/Calanais standing stones
Dun Carloway broch
Harris scenery / Luskentyre beach ahead
(I don't have any better photos of the beach but 'google' it for a better idea!)
Hope this helps
. Edinburgh | Highlands of Scotland | Part-time explorer
> My Instagram13 -
VisitScotlandStephen
Member, Moderator, VisitScotland Staff ✩
Good afternoon Mazzy,
Yes, this is a reasonable holiday plan. Spending three weeks in Scotland is comfortable and you will get to see a lot of sites, whether they are historical (such as Edinburgh Castle) or natural (such as the Sands of Morar). One thing I will advise, however, is to book your accommodation in advance - especially if you are going to remote rural areas such as the Isle of Skye as they can be very busy - in order to secure places to stay and have less to worry about.
I hope you have a great time in Scotland when you arrive :^)
P.S. - If you are ever coming to the Outer Hebrides, please contact our Stornoway office on (+44)1851 703 088.5 -
sinead_fleming
Member ✭✭
I've seen that Calmac do a "Hopscotch" ticket for island hopping, looks pretty reasonable and allows you to explore a number of islands.Mazzy said:Places we would like to see/stay are Skye, mull, glencoe.
https://www.calmac.co.uk/hopscotch
Also - if on Skye, check out the Skye-Glenelg Ferry back to the mainland!
http://skyeferry.co.uk/
It's run by a lovely man called Donnie McDonald and is Scotland's only Turntable ferry. It runs until October and is pretty cheap, like £20 or something for a car and passengers. If you're lucky you can see sea eagles & otters on the trip over, and I cannot recommend the Glenelg Inn enough on the other side for lunch, dinner, or to stay, some of the freshest seafood I've ever had! Sheila, the owner, is lovely as well.
http://www.glenelg-inn.com/
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Answers