I need help planning our trip. We will arrive in Edinburgh on an evening train and will have 5 days to explore Scotland. On the 6th day, we will need to catch a plane to Paris from Aberdeen. We can get a car, use the trains or perhaps even hire a driver/guide to take us from one place to another (within reason). Eager to hear you thoughts. There will be 3 of us. My husband, my self and our 22 yo daughter, and we will be going the last week of June.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
6310 posts
Hi, kctwalker - it would be helpful to know what your family's interests are - do you like cities or are you more for the outdoors? Do you want to see castles? Do some hiking? Shopping? Whisky drinking? :)
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thank you for asking. We like a little bit of everything but probably don’t need the big city tours or the distillery tours. I’ve been thinking mostly about…some hiking, antique shopping, a few castles, etc. I really would like to enjoy the beauty of the country.
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
1834 posts
where to begin - there are so many different possibilities... At this stage you may find destinations are determined by where you can find accommodation. This is particularly true of places like Isle of Skye where accommodation has probably been fully booked for months.
Are you wanting a circular tour stopping at a different place each night OR are you wanting to base yourself in an area to explore in more depth?
If wanting a circukar tour, have a look at the different ideas from the Secret Scotland website which will give you some idea of what you can do in the time available.
If you are wanting to concentrate on an area then think about :
• Borders and Northumberland
• Fife and the Angus Glens
• Dumfries and Galloway.
Any of these would meet your criteria and tend to be less busy than the Highlands or the islands.
Posted by
3122 posts
What's built in are your arrival in Edinburgh and departure from Aberdeen, and your 5-day stay in late June. Here is a suggested itinerary.
Day 1 & 2: Edinburgh, plenty to see and do
Day 3: Day tour to somewhere in the highlands like Loch Lomond & Trossachs, or Loch Ness & Glencoe, or to Stirling or Falkirk; sleep again in Edinburgh
Day 4 & 5: Rent a car to drive to Aberdeenshire. Visit Balmoral Castle (note advance tickets available now), Ballater, Braemar or whatever interests you. Sleep relatively near airport (many options in Ballater) to reduce stress getting there to turn in your car in time to check in for your flight.
See, for example, https://www.visitabdn.com/plan-your-trip/towns-villages/ballater/
Of course this is just one of many options. Hope it is helpful!