I am wondering if it is better to take public transportation or get a rental car for a trip to Scotland in June(2019)? I am planning to visit the "main" tourist attractions and a few " out of the way places" also like The Devil's Pulpit. Any suggestions or recommendations?
Thanks,
Kathy
You should really take a look at a map to see the location of the places you want to go, then check the available train/bus schedules to see how long it will take you to get there. Using public transit to get around takes a lot more planning in order to avoid spending a lot of time waiting for the bus or train. It may depend on how much time you have for your trip as to whether or not you use transit. I had done a three week trip to Ireland by train and bus, and it mostly worked fine, but the train system in Ireland seems to work better for tourists than it does in Scotland. When I sat down to plan my three week trip to Scotland I discovered that the train did not go to a lot of places I wanted to see, and the bus was not always frequent enough to fill in the gap. In the end I rented a car for ten days and did a loop from Edinburgh up to Inverness and back down to Glasgow with many stops that would have been difficult without the car.
We did a trip to Scotland on Public Transport and it worked just fine. Every place we wanted to go was served by public transport. You will need to do some research and see if there are places you want to go where only a car will do.
My suggestion is to use public transport where it makes sense. If there are one or two places where it doesn't, just rent a car for that period of time. You certainly don't want cars in the cities. It doesn't have to be just public transport or just rent a car. You can balance those two items to meet your needs.
Local transit makes the most sense in urban areas. Cars are a liability in cities.
Trains and coaches make sense for point to point trekking be it day or multiple day walks.
Cars are only essential to access remote locations or trailheads. And Scotland has remote....
We did London to Edinburgh to Glasgow to Fort William and back to Glasgow via trains and buses.
Thanks Everyone for the info!! I doubt I would rent a car for the cities but will probably take the suggestion for renting to get to remote locations. Have to figure out itinerary for when and where to get the car, beginning, middle or toward the end of the trip. I know I will need to do research on places and times of public transportation and exactly where they will go (buses and trains that is). My friend and I are going to the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain, NC next week and we will do some picking out of "must see" places and do some serious planning. I want to definitely get some beautiful landscape photos as well as attraction photos. Thanks again, everyone!!!
Other than Edinburgh, I like having a rental car so I can stop where I want, when I want, for as long or short as I want. I avoid most large cities. With a car, one can also stop at places they didn’t plan on stopping at. Most often those are some small towns or out-of-the-way places not served by public transportation.
Traveline Scotland has a travel planner that identifies public transportation otpions:
https://www.travelinescotland.com/?lang=en
I like to have a car outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow. You can either start your trip in either city and then get a car, or end your trip in the city. It's less than an hour train ride between Glasgow and Edinburgh, so you can visit one of the cities without staying there. If this is your first trip, I would recommend staying in Edinburgh and visiting Glasgow.
Well andrew.reis, that is what all the books, blogs and videos say, so, yes I believe they do drive on the left side. It's a little different from the U.S., but I believe I can manage. If not, my friend should be able to. Thank you for your comment/response. Sorry, just reread my response. If I sounded rude, I didn't mean to be. It will definitely be a different driving experience. I think I will only need a car for 2-3 days, at least as planned as of now.
Yes, indeed, Americans can drive on the left and not kill themselves or any British or EU citizens in the process. I know it sounds incredible, but concentration and driving skills can prevail! Seriously, I now live in NYC and rarely drive in the here, and so was a tad edgy about driving again in the UK for the first time in 7 years. And, guess what, I did fine. I had one moment when I got a loud horn blast, but to be honest, I am 100% positive that would happen to me if I tried to drive in NYC! There are things to remember when driving in the UK.
Pam
I appreciate all of the positive thoughts regarding driving in Scotland. We are making our third trip to Scotland in September and this is the first time that we will be driving a vehicle. We realized that the places we want to see this time around are not readily accessible from public transportation. We are excited about the adventure ahead.
Have a great journey Kathy!
Have a fun and safe trip Steve!!!
Kathy
Pam - THANK YOU!! Loved your response, especially about the roundabouts!! Her in the South, or especially in NC it seems, they are the newest things in road work. I have actually gone around more than once on one roundabout looking for the correct exit :))
Also, waving at people you pass while driving is a natural thing to do for most Southerners;)) I like the comments about writing down all the locations between your starting and ending destinations. I definitely make sure my friend "the navigator" knows this.
Thanks again!!!
If you do rent a car you will really enjoy the freedom to stop, change your destination at will, and stay in out of the way places. We drove two times in Scotland and had no problem with left side driving; half the time the road is so narrow you drive down the middle.
One time it was just enough room to drive between two houses. So don't rent too large a car unless you plan to camp in a van...not a bad idea as there are lots of campgrounds. Edinburgh and maybe Glasgow are crowded and parking can be a problem...but US traffic is 10x worse so we're not scared. Check Secret Scotland, Historic Scotland, World Heritage and Visit Scotland web sites for lots of great info. My personal recommendation is to not fixate on "The Highlands" and visit the rest of Scotland, too. There are some fun excursions trains; but public transportation can take so much of your time worrying about making connections, etc. Bon Voyage
Thanks Kathleen! There are just a few places in the Highlands I want to see specifically, but would love to get some great vista shots. I really want to visit Culloden and Finnich Glen (aka The Devil's Pulpit). I really like being able to come and go as I please too.
Kathy:
it sounds like you're looking for confirmation that a car rental is the way to go. If your mind is made up, then go for it. A car will get you were buses and trains can't--for sure. If by out of the way, you mean the Isle of Skye or more broadly the Inner and Outer Hebrides the Orkneys or maybe even Shetland, think through the arrangements to get a car from wherever you rent it to where the out of the way places are you plan to go. Also, look into whether or not reservations are required to ferry a vehicle, the timetables for the ferries, and the cost of transporting a car.
One another note, I've posted elsewhere on RS Scotland, when we were on the Isle of Skye this past May 5-8, (we didn't have a car) the typical venues (Old Man of Stor, Kilt Rock, Dunvegan Castle, Lealt Falls, Fariy Pools, Quiraing, Fairy Glen, etc.) the car parks (parking lots) were packed, and this was early May, before the larger tour buses and more tourists arrive. By the way, while we were there the weather was bordering on miserable (almost gale force winds and rain most daylight hours) but the car parks were still full. Our driver told us the parking lots will be virtual grid-lock in the high season. We toured Skye in a small van driven by a local. To us (as observers) it was "funny" to watch non-UK drivers (drivers unaccustomed to the steering wheel on the right and the transmission "stick" on the left),, struggle to back-up their manual transmission cars on a hill; they would usually stall the engine 3 or 4 times during the process. Regarding serendipitous stops that a rental car will permit you to do, we're not aware of the roadway layout on the other islands, but for the more out of the way places on the Isle of Skye you can only rarely pull off the road and stop as the roadway pavement is quite narrow and there is no "shoulder" as we're accustomed to in the US.
Regardless of what transportation you use, if you're in the West Highlands in June be aware you may encounter midges.
Have a great time.
Thanks Jon! Yes maybe I am looking for confirmation about the car. One hour I'm say yes I'll get a car, the next hour I'm saying no maybe not as public transportation might do. UGH!!!!!! Decisions, Decisions :0) or :0(
I like the idea about coming and going as I please instead of being on a timetable with tours. What if there are lots of people and I'm not able to see everything?? But I also like the idea of letting someone else do the driving, Have you used the taxi services in Scotland? Are they expensive? I am unfamiliar with these type of services as I do not live in a city and have not used taxis before.
Thank you for your comments!! They are appreciated!
P.S. What are midges?? Are they similar to mosquitos?? Will bug spray work??
Thanks,
Kathy
Internet serach (Goggle) "Scottish midges":
https://must-see-scotland.com/midges-in-scotland/
https://www.smidgeup.com/midges/midge-season/
Midge season is suppose to start late May. We trekked the Highlands late May several years ago and were thankful to not experienced midges. But that is a single season experience.
Midges are smaller than mosquitoes and like mosquitoes are most prevalent at dawn, dusk, and with still air. The weather has a real impact. It's always wet in Scotland, so it's not so much the rain, as when it's warmer and stiller that they come out. I've done many walking trips--probably 6-8 weeks over 10 trips. I would always pack some strong bug repellent--from REI--and a midgie hat. The latter is basically a piece of mesh that you put over or under your own hat and extends past your neck and shoulders. I always hike in long pants and have a long-sleeved shirt. I brought all this with me again this past June and didn't need any of it. Mostly, I didn't need it because the wind was strong. I have had to use my midgie gear maybe a half dozen times in all those trips. Maybe I have just been lucky, but I was hiking from the Cairngorms west to Ben Nevis area, to Harris and north to John O'Groats. Of course, I did grow up vacationing in northern Wisconsin, so maybe I am more accepting of insect pests than Californians. :)
You can get a midgie hat on Amazon. I got mine in an outdoor store in Edinburgh and it came in its own cute little stuff bag. And you can get the bug spray at REI. I think I got the Jungle Juice.
And on the driving front, I have to say that part of the reason I drive in Scotland is that I enjoy it. I like driving on the small roads. I prefer them to our interstates. And there is a marvelous book, Raw Spirit by the late Iain Banks that doesn't just cover whisky, but also traveling in Scotland.
Pam
We rented a car. It was perfect for what we wanted to see. We stayed a week in Callandar. We took the train for a day visit to Edinburgh
OMG, thank you Edgar!! I just looked at the link you sent about midges and have been on that site for over 45 minutes!! I lost track of time, what a great site!! Loved it!! Very informative.
Pam (and others), I like the idea of the hat. I actually bought a hat to wear for the Highland Games here in NC. I think that will work for Scotland too.
