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Late May-Early June family trip (does this itinerary makes sense)

I'd love to get some feedback on the feasibility of my plans for our trip. If my travel times will work, if there are good places to eat or buy groceries, good places to stay, or any other tips...I've got my plane tickets, and a couple hotels but those are still flexible. Our group consists of my husband and I and our three kids (4, 8, and 11). The kids are all good road trippers, but we'd rather make 3+ hours in the car the exception rather than the rule.

Day 1 Arrive in Edinburgh in the afternoon:
Eat a meal, if we feel up to it Prince's Street Garden, National Gallery, Writer's Museum. Go grocery shopping, probably fall asleep very early.

Day 2: Edinburgh Castle, RS Royal Mile walk with stops at St Giles, Museum of Childhood, and a hike up Arthur's seat. Take an evening walk in Dean Village after dinner

Day 3: Edinburgh: Farmer’s Market, National Museum of Scotland, Greyfriars Kirkyard, Victoria Street, in the evening Scot Monument, Caulton Hill

Day 4: Edinburgh-Stirling: Pick up a rental car, Falkirk Wheel, Kelpies, Stirling Castle (not necessarily in that order) stay the night near Stirling

Day 5: Stirling: day trip to the Scottish Crannog Centre, stop at Doune Castle on the way back if there's time.

Day 6: Stirling-Aberdeen: start driving in the morning with a stop at Dunnottar Castle, walk around Dunnottar Woods, this would be something of a rest day, sleeping near Aberdeen.

Day 7: Aberdeen: Crathes Castle and maybe Tolquhon Castle and Loanhead Stone Circle.

Day 8: Aberdeen–Inverness: head out in the morning making stops at Huntly Castle, Elgin Cathedral, and maybe get to one of the possible stops for the next day of there's time or just walk around Inverness.

Day 9: Inverness: possibly Sheep dog demonstration, Culloden, Clava Cairns, stop at Urquhart Castle in the evening.

Day 10: Inverness–Kinlochleven: drive to Fort William and we try to book the afternoon Jacobite Express, of so we'd head out early a drive straight there with minimal stopping.

Day 11: Kinlochleven: Glencoe Hiking, waterfalls, Glen Etive?

Day 12: Kinlochleven–Kilmun: Scenic drive through Glen coe, Falls of Falloch, maybe Ardkinglas Woodland Garden.

Day 13: Kilmun: Puck’s Glen, and maybe Benmore Botanic Garden. This would be mostly a rest day.

Day 14: Kilmun-Glasgow: Scenic drive through Loch Lomond Trossach national Park, ditch rental car in or near Glasgow, do one of the R.S. City Walks in the evening

Day 15: Glasgow: Kelvin Grove Museum, walk through the University of Glasgow campus, Botanical Garden

Day 16: Glasgow-London: Breakfast at the Willow Tea Rooms, Riverside Museum and Tall Ship,
Sleeper train to London

Day 17: London: I haven't settled on what we'll do as I hadn't initially planned to visit London, but I've been twice before so I'm sure I can figure it out.

Day 18: Fly home from London

Posted by
8202 posts

Hi, Claire, that actually looks like a wonderful itinerary and should give you plenty of time to see a lot of Scotland.

One alternate route you might consider on your way to Inverness from Aberdeen would be to detour a little bit up the coast and stop at some places like Newburgh Seal Beach, the ruins of Slains Castle and the Bullers of Buchan. It wouldn't be too much more out of your way and would be a more interesting drive (imo) than the A96 route you probably planned to take. You could stop at a few of the charming coastal villages like Cullen or Portknockie on your way to Elgin.

And even if you decide to stick with your route, I would suggest adding in a stop at Nairn, either on the trip up to Inverness or on the day trip to Culloden and Clava Cairn. It's a lovely beach town, and would be a fun place to stop and have lunch or ice cream on the beach.

Posted by
8187 posts

On Day 14 you are coming a long way back on yourself just to come down the busy A82.

Instead on Day 13 you could continue nearly into Dunoon (at Hunters Quay) to use the Western Ferries crossing to Gourock then the M8 to Glasgow Airport to off rent.

I think you would be better with an extra day in Stirling to explore the Trossachs. Effectively that is Day 5, so your days 5 to 13 become 6 to 14. picking up the above again on Day 15.

Inverness has a whole range of grocery stores, and in Fort William there is a big Morrisons opposite the railway station. If you do take the ferry crossing and M8 there is a big Tesco right beside the highway

At Stirling there is a Tesco just at the north end of the City. Also, on your way in from Falkirk a big Morrisons on the Springskerse Industrial Estate.

Stirling to Aberdeen- maybe take the A9/A92 route via the Clacks and the Tay Bridge rather than the A9/A90 via Perth?

The Sleeper train doesn't run on a Saturday night.

On Day 10 it'll be close to 8pm arriving into Kinlochleven assuming the train runs (and there are doubts on that). I'm not sure I wouldn't have dinner in Fort William before going down the road.

Posted by
1476 posts

Hi, Claire89,

On day seven, since you'll be in Aberdeen for a day, after you've visited the castles and the stone circle, you may want to give the youngsters a treat by taking them down to Codona's Amusement Park at the beach in Aberdeen. There are quite a few rides there, and also arcade games inside for the two older children. I'd also recommend getting ice cream at the Inversnecky Cafe on the beach front. There is lots of free parking behind the restaurants, or if you're only staying for the ice cream, you may be able to snag a parking space along the beach front,

Aberdeen Beach is one of the longest in Scotland, and if the weather is decent, a stroll along the beach or the Esplanade would be a good way to unwind. You'd also enjoy the village of Footdee ("Fittie", as it's known locally), which is at the south end of the beach. Sometimes it's possible to spot dolphins from the vicinity of the Torry Battery, but that's mainly a matter of luck.

On day thirteen, if you're doing Puck's Glen, you may have to help or even carry your four year old, especially after a rain. The steps are steep in places, and slippery when wet.

Have a wonderful time in Scotland!

Mike (Auchterless)

Posted by
101 posts

Thank you all, this is stunningly good information. I'll be looking into the alternate routes that have been suggested, and I'm sure my kids would love to visit the beach and pier in Aberdeen.
It's also useful to know that taking the ferry at Dunoon may actually be faster as google maps was showing it taking just as long as driving back up through the Trossachs. From what I've read on this forum, the travel times on google are generally inaccurate for Scotland.
Keep throwing out suggestions if you have more!

Posted by
8187 posts

The ferry route from Kilmun- is 15 minutes drive to Hunter's Quay, then a turn up and go ferry every 20 minutes (every 15 on a Sunday) for the 20 minutes passage (if you have time go to the Salty Bean Cafe at the top of the slipway, open to 3pm daily except Saturday), then 45 minutes to Glasgow airport- from doing that daily for quite a long time that is a reliable timing.

The road route from Kilmun- down the A82 will take you through the Loch Lomond part of the National Park, but not the Trossachs part- that is something of a diversion at Balloch which would add a couple of hours to the journey.

Whereas if you did the Trossachs as a day trip from Stirling you would have the chance to do Go Ape at Aberfoyle, or ride the Steam Ship the Sir Walter Scott- maybe rent bikes at the Pier, do a one way on the ship and ride back on the north shore of the Loch., maybe visit the RSPB at Inversnaid.
Rather than staying in Stirling you have the option of staying in one of the eco lodges at Loch Katrine instead- a bit different. That would give you a different (more scenic arguably) route to the Crannog Centre, but a bit longer drive to Aberdeen.

Swings and roundabouts to weigh up.

Oh, and book the Caledonian Sleeper, ASAP- now would not be too soon.

Posted by
1461 posts

Are you absolutely set on the sleeper? You don’t get a lot of sleep which could leave the kids a bit tired for a day of London sightseeing. An alternative would be to fly or get a daytime train and a hotel in London instead. You’d all be more rested that way.