I will be travelling to Scotland in 2018 and have just started my research. I am thinking either the last week in May (Memorial Day in the states) or early September (Labor Day). I will be travelling with my husband, my 4 year old son and my in-laws. I plan on renting a flat in Edinburgh for the week and doing day trips. My son has some special needs and it will be easier to drive ourselves than keep up with a tour. I know Stirling, St Andrews and Inverness will be on our list. My question is regarding the dates - what would you recommend? Also, are most places stroller compatible?
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6501 posts
More daylight in May, longer days for your day trips.
Posted by
RIchmond, BC,Canada
853 posts
I went at the beginning of September, in part because I wanted to go to the Braemar games which are the first weekend in September. You can do it as a day trip from Edinburgh. If you just have a week then Inverness will be too far for a day trip, but there are many other places that are easy to do as day trips from Edinburgh. Check out Rabbies and Discover Scotland, I did tours with each and both are good. Also, TripAdvisor has many good suggestions, just search day trips from Edinburgh and are lots of comments and suggestions.
Posted by
824 posts
Tracy,
I have visited Edinburgh in early September for the exact reason Anita suggests (the Braemar Gathering) and the visit, and the games, were splendid. The only downside to arriving early enough to attend the Braemar Gathering is that you may be competing for lodging space with those Edinburgh International Festival attendees who haven't yet departed. If the Braemar Gathering isn't something you plan on attending, you can always delay a week or so to get into shoulder season.
When looking for an apartment, I would look in the outskirts of the city but with good public transportation into the city center. Traffic and parking in the Edinburgh city center can be nightmarish.