Itinerary Help Please

Posted by Rosemary (Orlando, FL) on 10/09/16 03:31 PM

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice on my last post, I have decided to make room reservations for my trip to Scotland next August. I have already successfully reserved a number of places. I sure am glad I took the advice because a few of the places I wanted to stay are already full! I was hoping now to get some thoughts on what to do/ see for the last couple of days of my trip. Here is what I have so far.

August 10: Arrive Glasgow and sleep there for two nights.

August 11: Glasgow

August 12: Train to Edinburgh and stay for two nights. I have been to Edinburgh before so I do not see the need to add any additional time here. I mostly want to see the Tattoo and a couple of other things I missed the first time.

August 13: Edinburgh

August 14: Transfer to Pitlochry and sleep there for one night. I want to check out the distilleries nearby.

August 15: Transfer to Inverness and sleep for 3 nights. I will pick up a rental car here on my last morning.

August 16: Highlands

August 17: Highlands

August 18: Drive to Skye and sleep in Portree for 3 nights.

August 19: Skye

August 20: Skye

August 21: Leave Skye and head to Fort William where I will stay for 1 night.

August 22: Glencoe, sleep somewhere nearby.

August 23: Drive to Oban and stay for 2 nights.

August 24: Oban Games.

August 25 & 26: ???

August 27: Drop off rental car and flight home out of Glasgow. The flight I'm looking at leaves mid-afternoon. I haven't booked this yet though.

So, given what I am already going to see and do, does anyone have any suggestions on what I could do to fill those last couple of days? I'm thinking about staying on one more night in Oban so I can do the day trip to Mull and Iona. Other than that though, I'm not sure what to do that won't take me too far from Glasgow before my flight home. I don't really want to make changes to the itinerary I already have either. I was originally going to travel in the other direction, but when I realized I could be in Oban for their highland games I spent a lot of time figuring out how to make that work. Thank you!

Rosemary

Posted by epltd

10/09/16 05:57 PM

3123 posts

After Oban, you are in the perfect place to enjoy my favorite part of Scotland, Argyll. To drive back to Glasgow you have choice of 2 routes: A816 or A85.

A816 takes you through Kilmartin, Scotland's greatest prehistoric site. If you're into cairns and carved stones, be sure to stop there. Once you turn north on A83 along Loch Fyne out of Lochgilphead you'll also be passing the Auchindrain Township open-air museum. If you don't have time to walk around, at least stop in the visitor centre and read about the Scotttish township farming system; it's fascinating.

A85 takes you past the Cruachan "hollow mountain" underground power station. You can take a tour or just walk through the large visitor centre. Further on, you'll pass Kilchurn Castle (a ruin best photographed once you get around to the southern side of Loch Awe).

Either route, you end up in Inveraray, a totally charming Georgian planned town. I recommend Brambles B&B; the George Hotel serves wonderful dinners. Inveraray Castle is beautiful whether indoors or in the gardens, or out walking on the many acres of footpaths (and you'll see their flock of black sheep). You can also visit Inveraray Jail (though I've not been). And there's Argyll Adventure for horseback riding and paintball, should you be so inclined.

Driving back from Inveraray takes about 2 hours and you'll go along the banks of Loch Lomond. There are boat trips out of the village of Luss. Duck Bay, near the southern end of Loch Lomond, has a nice restaurant with a commanding view of the loch.

You probably already know that Glasgow Airport has both a Holiday Inn and a Holiday Inn Express right on the airport campus, literally walking distance to the terminal.