Help Planning itinerary

They drive on the left in Scotland.

And of course the left side is the right side to drive on. Lol
I think the OP may mean a right hand drive vehicle.

The weather can be awful or glorious any month in Scotland! Or even on the same day. Last year, I had 7 degrees one daytime in late June!

At that time of year, to be certain of getting back, I wouldn't attempt to go to any island. Ferries or planes may get cancelled. Don't hire a car if you are uncertain of driving - the roads can be icy at that time of year.

From Manchester, I would take a train to York and have 2-3 nights there to get over any jetlag. Then take a train to Edinburgh for 4 nights. You may want to look at Rabbies Tours to see if anything fits your interests, budget and timeline. Options include visiting Inverness then Fort William. Or Glasgow then Loch Lomond. For a leisurely pace, just pick 2 locations after Edinburgh.

Do you have to return to Manchester or are you flying open jaw out of Scotland?

Lidia,

One way to get an idea of what to see, take a look at where the escorted tours (like Rick's) go. Just keep in mind that when you're the one managing all the logistics (travel & transport, lodging, etc.), you can't keep up the same pace as an escorted tour.

On the plus-side, if you're managing your own travel plans, you can devote as little or as much time to any particular stop as you see fit.

I would devote a minimum of 4 days to Edinburgh - not counting any side trips to local communities like Stirling (easily reached by commuter train). Edinburgh also has one of the few "Hop-On/Hop-Off" sightseeing bus systems that I would actually spend money on.

The Castle Trail (info available on the Visit Scotland web site) can be used as a framework for developing a self-guided itinerary of the country.

Are you flying both in & out at Manchester? Do you have any interest in any places in the north of England, or do you exclusively want to see Scotland? If the latter, it might be worth flying Manchester-Edinburgh and back instead of taking valuable vacation time on the train -- and of course the train isn't free, so you have to weigh the cost of train fare vs airfare as well as the time taken up. 15 days is a reasonable but not overly leisurely amount of time to see Scotland.

To decide on your route, I second the recommendation to look at the places visited in escorted tours, allowing more time for the fact that you're wrangling your own logistics. If you want to stick with public transport, know that beyond the railways there's a pretty robust network of bus routes in Scotland that serve the more outlying areas.

Try to avoid 1-nighters as you will sleep better in a halfway familiar room on the 2nd / 3rd night. I can't comment on Glasgow, but 3 full days in Edinburgh would be my recommendation to have enough time to see the highlights. There are so many beautiful places in Scotland outside of the cities, you really can't go too far wrong. Just dress in layers and be prepared for chill and rain at least some of the time.

Here is some updates and some questions.
I could not find a direct flight from Manchester to Edinburg on the date of my arrival that didn't leave at 4 pm. I could stay one night in Manchester and leave the next day, but I really want to the to Scotland that is my first focus. Someone did suggest going to York (England, I know), for 2 nights by train, (I see that there are lots to do there too), then get the train to Edinburg stay for 4 nights, maybe check Fife nearby, then take a tour with a group like Robbies(sp?), for 3 nights to maybe Isle of Skye, then take the plane or train back to Manchester to go home. Suggestions? Is this a workable plan.

Well, I agree with what Jennifer said about making a stop in York, very pretty place, but if you are really keen on getting to Scotland then just get the earliest train you can to Edinburgh. I spent six nights in Edinburgh seeing the sights in the city, and I did a couple of day trips with Rabbies. If you want to go further afield then take a look at the Secret Scotland web site for some driving itineraries (I paid them to do a detailed ten day driving tour for me and it saved me a lot of hassle). Isle of Skye is a long way from Edinburgh, but if you have 15 days it is very doable. As another person suggested, check the web sites of companies that offer guided tours and see where they go, and from that come up with what you want to see and determine if car or tour is best for you. I like the out of the way ancient places and run down castles that the tours don't go to so a car was the best option for me.

These are great ideas, that you. I think I will take your advice and go directly to Edinburgh by train. In Edinburgh I want to stay 3-4 days, I'm not sure if I will need to extend it to 2 more days if these include the surrounding villages, or "towns" or if I should then rent a car and drive to Inverness and Skye. I never drove in UK, and don't live in an area with snow, so that will be fun, exciting and may be challenging. I know I will not end up doing the driving but my husband will, and he is fearless.
Now places to stay... If I make reservations now, I am likely to get better selections, but then I will be tied to the hotel. If I wait for when I get there, I am be out of luck. But I understand that winter is a low season so I shouldn't be too out of luck with places to stay. I once stayed at a hostel with my nieces when I went to Europe and it was better than I had expected, and I have stayed at hotels with my husband, never in a hostel with him. I was thinking I may stay at a hostel in Edinburg and stay at a castle for 2 nights somewhere else. Any suggestions or thoughts?

There are very few direct trains from Manchester airport to Edinburgh - only every two hours - most likely you will have to go via York, Crewe or Preston. It will take 4/4.5 hours.

Assuming you don't want to stay in a dormitory room in a hostel, you may find that the Premier Inn or Travelodge chains are not much more expensive and would be much nicer. Book in advance - the cheapest rooms will have been sold months ago.

I'd like to recommend you do a Stuart Usher Walking Tour of Edinburgh. Very fun, informative and affordable!