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Itinerary input please

I would appreciate comments on my 11day draft itinerary and questions I have listed. We are coming in May and arriving in Glasgow as it is the most economical flight from Washington, Dulles. We could probably add a day to the trip if necessary.

  1. Arrive Glasgow - 1 night
  2. Drive to Oban or Glencoe. (Which is better town to stay overnight?) - 1 night
  3. Skye - 3 nights (too long?) We love a rest stop in the middle of gogogo.
  4. Inverness - 2 nights
  5. St. Andrews - 1 night
  6. Edinburgh - 2 nights
  7. Glasgow - late in the day - 1 night - depart following morning

Sights we plan to see besides the beautiful countryside (our major focus) are:

Glasgow: Mackintosh home/architecture, Hadid's Riverside Museum, Glasgow cathedral On way
to Oban/Glencoe see Loch Lommond

Oban: Craig's Tower, seaside area

Skye: On way stop in Glenfinnan & Ft. William. Dunvegan castle, standing stones

Inverness: Culloden, Clava Cairns, Cawdor Castle, suspension bridge, (Not lochness or Urquhart unless time)

St. Andrews: On way go through Cairngorms NP, stop in Pitlochry? Hope to play a around the next day in St. A

Edinburgh: On the way stop in Culcross. Castle, Royal Mile - all the highpoints

Posted by
33 posts

Just a point of clarification, but under Skye, you mention standing stones after Dunvegan Castle; Which standing stones are you referring to? I'm not aware of any there, but I could easily be mistaken...

Posted by
11 posts

Just rechecked my information - the stones are on Isle of Lewis which we could take a ferry to from Skye.

Posted by
3122 posts

Here are a few random suggestions.

Between Inverness and St. Andrews, you can exit the A9 at Dunkeld and head east via Blairgowrie to Glamis Castle, estate of the late Queen Mother's family. We greatly enjoyed the castle tour as well as lunch in the tea shop. Would have liked to walk the gardens but it was pouring rain.

At St. Andrews, if you want to play a round of golf you are aware of the handicap requirement and the lottery system for tee times, yes? Other than actually playing, there's the walking tour of the Old Course, the (excellent) British Golf Museum, and the Ladies' Putting Green aka Himalayas for mini golf. You do not have to have actual golf shoes for any of those, just no high or spike heels.

At Glasgow airport the night before your homebound flight, I'd recommend staying at the Holiday Inn right next to the terminal. The Holiday Inn Express is OK, but not quite as nice.

Posted by
11 posts

Thanks all. Should we make the trip from Glasgow to Glencoe over two days staying one night then driving to Glencoe the next day and spending the night before heading to Skye? Or is it really just a fabulous drive, stopping at a few spots, having lunch along the way and spending the night in Glencoe before heading to Skye but no need to add a second overnight.

Posted by
20087 posts

Now that you get into it, taking a couple of days to cover Glasgow to Glencoe might be worth it, if you have any interest in Scottish history (and old feuds). Just down the road from Loch Fyne is Inveraray and the Inveraray Castle, home of the Duke of Argyll, head of the Campbell clan. I did not stop, but it is apparently open to visitors. https://www.inveraray-castle.com/
Now your destination of Glencoe is the site of the Glencoe Massacre in late 1600's. Troops under the command of the Duke of Argyll slaughtered 50 or so members of the MacDonald clan who were apparently not quick enough to sign loyalty oaths to the British Crown.
I'll let some Scots fill in the details. It is complicated, but when I stopped at an overlook along Loch Lomond, I chatted with a fellow on a bicycle. He asked where I was headed that day, and I replied that I was going to Inveraray then down the east shore of Loch Fyne to the Isle of Bute and then ferry back to Troon.
"Ach, that's Campbell country! Thems which should be hung!"
I guess he was a MacDonald.

Posted by
3122 posts

Agree with Sam about Inveraray -- we enjoyed it so much our first time that we planned a second trip the following year to spend more time there. Brambles is great for lodging and daytime meals; the George Hotel for dinner and pub.