My son (25 yr), and I (mom)plan on visiting Ireland/Scotland this summer for 10-14 days. Looking for suggestions for "must sees"and accommodations. Yes, budget friendly but not scary. :)
Posted by
Port Townsend, WA, USA
100 posts
My husband and I went to Scotland and Ireland in 2007. We relied heavily on the RS books for places to stay. Our favorite place in Ireland was the Dingle penninsula, Cliffs of Mohr (don't miss), and Howth. The highlight (for me) in Dublin was the Kilmainham Gaol (very historic prison)... I am very glad that I read "Trinity" by Leon Uris before going. I got so much more from the visit to the prison than my husband. We stayed at Ann's in Howth (a short bus/train ride into Dublin) and would highly recommend it. In Scotland we took the ferry to the isle of Mull and enjoyed it very much. From Mull, we took a very small ferry to the historic isle of Iona. Very scenic. I don't know if it would be your cup of tea, but as photographers, we had a great time.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
Since it's been a few years since I visited Ireland, I'll leave that part of your trip to others. For Scotland, however, I do have some suggestions. First, I would suggest that plan on at least a couple of days in Edinburgh. The Castle, the Royal Mile, etc. are all wonderful sites and the city is the capital of Scotland. ; ) There are lots of B&B's in the city. the earlier you book, the better the price you'll find. It's a small city so you don't have to stay right on the Royal Mile in order to enjoy it. They have a decent bus system and you can get a day pass for about 3 pounds. The question is what do you do with the remainder of your time? There are so many directions you can go. I would strongly recommend a visit to Stirling Castle no matter which way you go. Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle both feature strongly in Scotland's history and they are both wonderful castles. Mull, which was mentioned above is a lovely island. There a great PBS show on the Eagles of Mull which you should research. I would recommend a car though, if you want to got there. An alternative would be to take the train from Stirling north to Dunkeld in Perthshire. You can see beautiful scenery, go for walks, visit the music bar. Then head north to Inverness and base yourself there for day trips to the west coast and many other places. If you enjoy theatre check out the Festival Theatre in Pitlochry and think about staying there instead of Dunkeld. You stop off and visit Blair Castle before heading to Inverness. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me. Pam
Posted by
OP
Quincy
13 posts
Thank you Dianne and Pam! Very helpful and I am sure I will be in touch with the 2 of you again.