We’re spending 6 days in late May hiking in the Highlands and on Isle of Skye. Then we want to spend another 7-8 days on our own, without a car, in Edinburgh and Glasgow and ??? Where else should we visit on a day trip or with a driver? Does it make sense to spend 3 nights each in Edinburgh and Glasgow? I assume we’ll fly out of Edinburgh… Would appreciate all suggestions! We’ve never visited Scotland and look forward to this trip. We enjoy history, culture, the arts, food and wine, and beautiful scenery. Thank you!
Posted by
Freedonia
14939 posts
Does it make sense to spend 3 nights each in Edinburgh and Glasgow?
Yes.
You could also look into taking one day tours to places you didn't visit. One company I and many others here have used is Rabbies.
You could also do day trips on your own to places like Stirling Castle and St. Andrew's.
Posted by
3122 posts
If you'll be without a car and you have 7-8 days, sure, there's plenty to see in Edinburgh and in Glasgow.
One thing we did in Edinburgh was take the bus to Rosslyn Chapel. It's the regular Lothian bus, not a long-distance bus company, and IIRC it takes about 45 min from Edinburgh. There was a half day's worth of things to see and do at Rosslyn Chapel. We bought a day pass for the bus so we were able to get around in Edinburgh that evening for dinner (as opposed to eating w/in walking distance of our hotel).
I believe from Glasgow you can take a bus to Loch Lomond and go on a boat cruise. Check Cruise Loch Lomond and Sweeney's Cruises. We went out of Luss, a charming & very small village on Loch Lomond's western shore. Other boat stops are at Balloch, the southern end of the loch.
You can also easily get to Stirling and visit the castle there.
The main thing, IMO, is to enjoy being in Scotland rather than rushing from place to place.