Finalizing our plans for May

If you're flying from NYC, there's a direct Delta flight to EDI and it runs 6-7 hrs.

Transport from the airport to your hotel near old town can be several buses (100 Airlink, Airport Express) or, depending on how far from St. Andrews stop just the tram. It depends on if you are okay walking a bit from that stop. They all take about 40 mins and leave in short intervals. The actual times may not have posted yet, but Google maps gives a good list.

You can snag hiking poles at many shops in Edinburgh and you can also order from your amazon account and have it delivered to your hotel in advance of or right at your arrival date.

leftoutknitter - thanks. This time we were deciding between United (flies direct out of Newark) or British Airways from Philadelphia (one stop at Heathrow, and the one we ultimately chose.) My husband had Avios points saved from his many work related trips to the UK, and that's what ultimately swayed our decision.

We used a taxi to our hotel the last time we stayed in Old City Edinburgh, and I was hoping to save a bit there, but it's a pretty far walk from where public transit would let us off, to our hotel, so I think we'll just go with taxi again. Not sure why I didn't think to put it into Google maps or Citymapper in the first place, but I could see the routes better after I did that.

I might just see what Amazon has on tap for hiking poles and go that route. Thanks for the suggestion!

-Any restaurant suggestions for Stromness/around Orkney, Edinburgh, Oban, Mull (Tobermory or otherwise), Inverary. Would I need reservations mid-May? If yes, how early ahead to book?

For Tobermory, I highly recommend Galleon Bistro, which is right on the harbor. Food was delicious and the sticky toffee pudding was excellent. Cafe Fish was also very good (also on the harbor), but they do not accept credit cards, FYI. And I also recommend Tobermory Bakery (also on the harbor), which had delicious breakfast and lunch items for takeaway (you can also eat inside but there are limited tables).

In Edinburgh, Dishoom is wonderful - it's right on St. Andrew's Square and available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They do not take reservations for dinner (but do for breakfast and lunch), and there will be a line at dinner, so get there early if you go. I also enjoyed Bertie's Proper Fish & Chips (on Victoria, near the Royal Mile). Very good fish and good beer, too.

You're probably okay without reservations in those places. I think I did get one for the places in Tobermory but only the day before.

-How easy is it to use credit cards (contactless preferred) in some of the further flung locations – ie: Mull, Iona, Orkney; we had great luck with them everywhere in London last year, but I’m guessing we might need a bit of cash on hand this time.

The only place I had to use cash was my B&B on Skye, and Cafe Fish (as noted above). Otherwise, I used tap and pay everyplace.

-Will midges be a concern for mid to end May?

Probably not. I was there the month of May, and the only time I ran into them was on a hike in Arran, and that was through a very boggy area without much sun. Even so, they weren't bad. But you should not have any real problems with them that time of year.

In Tobermory in 2022 we needed cash for our B and B, no credit cards or debit cards. Other than that we found credit cards were fine.

Outdoor shops in Rose Street, Edinburgh - Tiso, Cotswold Outdoor.

Contactless is everywhere. Link ATMs don't charge fees

For Orkney:

I enjoyed eating at The Sands restaurant a number of times. It's on the far end of Burray so might not be convenient for you. My cab driver from the Kirkwall airport out to Burray said he and his wife go there for special occasions and he usually gets the "whale and chips", lol .... portion sizes are generous.

For lunch, if you are in Kirkwall, the Judith Glue knit shop and Real Food cafe was recommended to me. It was extremely busy when I was in there and they were not set up for lunch when I went in but I'd try it again. It's right across from St Magnus Cathedral.

Also for lunch the cafe at Skara Brae is actually pretty good. Due to weather we wound up eating there twice for lunch and both times the soup and sandwiches were excellent along with the sweets!

We had lunch one day at the Birsay Bay Tearoom which again was great for lunch, very nice sandwiches and soup and delicious sweets. They have greenhouses and grow their own tomatoes as well.

Do be on the lookout for "honesty boxes" on Orkney. They are in a number of places and usually are stocked with very nice home made goodies. You'll need some pound coins or 5GBP note if you are getting several things. One of the biggest ones was right across the street from the Birsay Earl's Palace which you'll go by if you go out to the Broch of Birsay.

Other than the honesty boxes I used ApplePay EVERYwhere on Orkney.

Here is the link to check the midge forecast. They are not a problem on Orkney but may be on the mainland. If you plan to take a headnet with you, be sure to get one that is for midges. The ones for mosquitoes are not a fine enough mesh to deter these rascals.

https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/

The midge forecast is just a marketing tool by Smidge who make a (very good) repellant. There will be midges about in late May but not as bad as in July and August. They are around early morning and in the evening, when there is no direct sunlight e.g. in shady areas, when conditions are damp and when there is little or no wind.

I've never been bothered by midges in Orkney, but Mull and the Highlands are prone to midges. Best advice would be to buy some Smidge or similar in Oban. You might not need it but it's good to be prepared. Also if hiking then a midge net could be useful. Available in outdoor/hardware shops.

Looks like you already have some Edinburgh restaurants in mind but you may also try, Mussel Inn and Howie's. Both places the service was excellent and the food delicious. Reservations are smart, even in May

https://www.mussel-inn.com/

https://www.howies.uk.com/

Thanks everyone for all the replies!

Mardee - glad to hear Dishoom is good in Edinburgh too! We ate there in London last year, and will happily enjoy it again this time in Edinburgh. I also added your other suggestions, both there and elsewhere to our growing list, so we should be well fed! Good to know about reservations, too. And it's great that contactless seems to be the default almost everywhere in Europe. We'll make sure we have a good amount of cash if needed (and we have leftover from London as well), but we prefer the ease of credit wherever possible. Will probably pick up a small amount of midge spray in Oban, just out of caution, as Skyegirl suggested.

Allan - I believe all our lodgings take cc, but I will certainly check again before we go. Good to hear about credit cards.

Ramblin' - Thanks for the outdoor shops - haven't decided if we will do Amazon to our hotel or buy when there, but its great to have this info ahead of time. And I'm glad I remembered correctly about Link ATMs.

Pam - thanks for all the Orkney suggestions, and especially the mention of the honesty boxes! I love supporting those - we ran into those all over Prince Edward Island, Canada, while camping there one summer, and the offerings (mostly produce there) were wonderful. And again on the confirmation of contactless almost everywhere - we have Google pay, but same concept. I think we got spoiled using it in London, as its not quite as prevalent here around us at home. Thanks for the midge link as well - I'm adding it to the list of things to check before we leave home in May.

Skyegirl - we are staying a bit longer into May than we did on our last Scotland trip, so that's what got us thinking of midges. I'm going to take your advice and buy some midge spray in Oban, so at least we have it if needed. Since we will be hiking in Glencoe near the end of our trip, I'm considering getting the netting as well. Thanks for the advice!

Linda - can never have enough restaurant recs! Appreciate your advice. Noted on reservations as well. Thanks!

willyk5252, thank you for your notes of appreciation! It's nice when the traveler asking questions responds to any help he or she has been given.

I hope you have a wonderful trip! Your destinations just about guarantee that!