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Late May itinerary - any revisions or suggestions to make?

We are arriving into Edinburgh the morning of May 25 and depart the morning of June 3. Below is the itinerary I have put together. Anything seem out of whack or something I should change? My wife and I are late 40's, outdoorsy, and are looking forward to scenery, some walks/hikes, perhaps a kayak, maybe a distillery, and lots of castles. We are renting a car from the airport on our departure day from Edinburgh.

By chance, we are arriving into Edinburgh the weekend of the marathon, and my wife (an avid runner) has signed up for the 1/2 marathon on May 26. We should be back at our hotel and ready to tour around noon that day (the race starts at 8 am, and she should finish around 9:40 am). I am taking the bus there to pick her up and we will bus back together (I've read the buses are about a 15 minute walk from the finish line).

May 25 - May 28
Edinburgh - tour the city, a 1/2 day trip to Stirling on May 27
Staying at Sheraton Grand Hotel

May 28 - May 29
Drive through Pitlochry, see sights, perhaps a castle stop or two
Sleep at Glengarry Castle Hotel, Invergarry

May 29 - June 1
Drive to Isle of Skye via bridge, staying at Cuillin Hills Hotel
2 1/2 days to explore the island

June 1 - June 2
Take ferry to Mallaig, drive to Glencoe
1 1/2 days visiting this area
Staying at Ardno House B&B

Drive to EDI night of June 2, sleep near airport

Posted by
3123 posts

On May 28-29, you will be within range of Glamis Castle, which has lovely gardens, place(s) to eat, and a very good guided tour. Check the schedule for the times when the tour starts.

Posted by
44 posts

Very helpful, thanks! What would be the best castle to try to visit on the drive from Edinburgh to Invergarry? Also, will we regret not having time to explore Loch Lomond? Clearly we can't see everything in 8 days, but that was the one area that I am concerned is getting shortchanged. But I don't want to race from place to place.

Posted by
5678 posts

I am a bit confused about your plan. Are you leaving Edinburgh on the 28th and planning on staying in Invergarry that evening or are you looking to stay somewhere on the 28th and staying at Glengarry Castle Hotel on the 29th. If that is your plan, then be aware that you have 4 hours plus of driving time alone on this route. I would plan on at least 2 hours at Glamis. It's a wonderful castle. Here's the travel route that you would likely take. If you want to see castles then Blair Castle might be an option. It's a bit more on your route. On this route, you're also might decide to visit the Explorer's Garden, or stop in Dunkeld for lunch and go for a walk in Birnam Wood. Also, you'll be driving through Monarch of the Glen territory past Newtonmore. Or you might want to visit the Highland Life open-air museum.

Pam

Posted by
44 posts

Thank you for this, Pam. So helpful. Just to clarify, we will leave EDI early on the 28th and stay at the Glengarry Castle Hotel that evening.

Posted by
3123 posts

You asked about Loch Lomond. I would say it's nice, but not any more attractive than many other lochs and countryside in Scotland. Probably more of your friends will ask if you went to the Isle of Skye, and you can say yes to that. Save Loch Lomond for another trip that might center on the western highlands.

As for Blair Castle vs. Glamis, it's true that Blair is more directly on your route. I haven't been, but my understanding is it's operated by a theme park company or something similar. That may be fun. OTOH if you're interested in a historic castle experience, Glamis is kept very much as it was when the Queen Mother was alive and the tour guide gives pretty solid historic information about the building, the property, and the Bowes-Lyon family.

Posted by
13 posts

Sounds like we'll be in country at the same time. We're arriving in Glasgow the morning of May 26th and leaving June 5th. We plan to move north and west along the coast to Skye, north and east to Inverness, south and east through the Cairngorms, and into Edinburgh for several days. We're mainly staying in B&Bs in an effort to experience as much of the local culture as possible and hopefully find some off the beaten path sites and adventures. Per mere per terras!

Posted by
44 posts

Maybe we will bump into each other Ian! We can’t wait for our visit. While we have a couple nights at B&Bs, our preference are hotels. I think, living in NYC, we are used to some anonymity. But i expect we will have plenty of time to mingle with locals at our nightly visit to every pub we can find! Here’s hoping there is good weather for both of us.