Hi, we have 8 days mid April flying in and out of Glasgow. We’re using train transportation and planning on doing day trips. We’re walkers, in the food & beverage industry so looking to do some distilleries and scotch tastings but definitely want to see the country, with a few attractions thrown in. WAs thinking Edinburg and would like suggestions on either Oban or Inverness, I’m seeing that we can’t reasonably do both. Help! I’m feeling overwhelmed. Thx. Exact details. Arrive on a Thursday at 11 leaving the following Friday, we definitely want to spend our last night in Glasgow with its close proximity to where we fly out
Posted by
Paris
10285 posts
You could consider 2-3 days in either Glasgow or Edinburgh, combined with a tour from Rabbie's for example the three-day Speyside Whisky tour . They take care of all the details and getting you around once you meet up with them (they have tours that leave from both Glasgow and Edinburgh), and they will book rooms for you at the destinations along the way, or you can book your own room if you prefer more control. Their driver drops you off and picks you up at the interim hotel; when departing on the tour itself and returning at the end, you go to the meeting place.
They explain pretty well on their website.
I guess the main first question is how many days do you really have ? Day 1 is kind of lost to arrival although you can of course do some exploring of your arrival city, and the last day doesn't really count as all it is is going to the airport to leave. How many nights will you have in country?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17560 posts
We are avid walkers and travel to hike.
We spent a very pleasant May week in Scotland with my sister and her husband a few years back, without a car and without taking an organized tour. Our itinerary was 2 nights in Edinburgh, 1 at Bridge of Orchy ( a train stop on the West Highland Way with a very nice hotel), 2 nights in Oban, and 2 in Glasgow.
In Edinburgh, we skipped the castle and walked past the Scottish Parliament buildings to and up Arthur’s Seat instead. Also walked around the university of Edinburgh campus, admiring the late afternoon grilling activities on one of the meadows, and spent two fascinating hours in the Museum of Scotland.
At Bridge of Orchy, we spent the afternoon we arrived walking the West Highland Way to the north (it was beautiful) and my sister heard her first cuckoo ( she didn’t realize it is a real bird). Dinner in the hotel dining room was quite good. The next morning, we walked the West Highland Way to the south before returning to the hotel to board the noon train to Glasgow; it was not as scenic as the north section.
https://www.bridgeoforchy.co.uk/
At Glasgow, we changed to a train to Oban for the next two nights. We splurged on a beautiful BandB with a stunning view of the harbor—-we voted it the best accommodation of the trip. Unfortunately they are no longer in business, but I am sure there are other good options.
For our full day at Oban, we elected to take the little passenger ferry over to the nearby Isle of Kerrera, and walk the 9-mile loop around the island, getting off-route more than once, as is our habit. This left us little time in the afternoon for exploring whisky venues, but we did manage one. You could easily limit your Kerrera visit to the morning by walking to the ruined castle and back, 5 miles RT I believe. Then have the afternoon to visit one or more of several distilleries around Oban. We enjoyed excellent seafood dinners in Oban.
This blog provides a good description and photos of the ferry ride and walk to the castle:
https://www.secret-scotland.com/blog/scotland-travel-blog-september-2017
Then on to Glasgow, where we explored the city by foot, walking first to the excellent and architecturally stunning Museum of Transport, by Zaha Hadid. After that we picked up and followed the Charles Rennie Macintosh trail, or what was left of it. Sadly, the famed Glasgow School of Art, one of his major projects, suffered a disastrous fire the very day we were in Oban. It was still smoldering and the area around it was closed off.
https://www.scotsmagazine.com/articles/charles-rennie-mackintosh-trail/
Four years later, another fire struck, and it appears the building will not be restored.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-60112316
We did enjoy visiting other sites on the Mackintosh Trail.