Solo in Scotland: Trains, Cars and Ferries and a Wee Dram (or two)

Stirling Castle: This was one of my favorite places in the area and I am so glad I went. It was easy to get to, involving a quick walk to the Queen Street station and a fast 30 minute train ride to Stirling. You must buy a ticket before you can get on the train, though, as they have turnstiles you have to go through and you use your ticket to open them. And hang onto the ticket, as you will need it again when you exit.

When I got to the Stirling train station, I opted to walk up to Stirling Castle. In hindsight, I don’t know that I would’ve done that again as it was very steep and you can take the bus or a cab. But I did get some beautiful views walking up. I planned on buying a membership to Historic Scotland at the site, but booked my time slot online. There’s a way you can do it if you are a member so you don’t have to pay. So I got in line, showed them my booking confirmation, and then paid for the membership.

Make sure that you take one of the free guided tours. There’s one every hour starting at 10 am and they are wonderful. Our guide was named Brian and he was so knowledgeable and very funny. It was a great way to understand the castle.

After leaving the castle, I walked down into the town, stopping at the Holy Rude church, and a few other places. I also stopped at the Darnley Coffee House, which is located in the house that Lord Darnley, who was married to Mary Queen of Scots, lived in. I highly recommend this place. When I was there, the room was filled with locals, and we all started talking. They were asking me lots of questions about the states and about my travels, and why I was traveling alone and so on. But they said they all come here a lot because they like it. The food was very good, and the building itself is pretty cool.

Arnold Clark rental car: I reserved my car through Celtic Legend, and they were wonderful to deal with. Very prompt with responses and you heard from a real person. The car I rented came from Arnold Clark, so I picked up my car from their office at 1330 South St., just outside Glasgow. The woman who helped me was incredibly friendly and helpful. She explained everything to me about the car, what my requirements were, how the CDW worked, and so on. I knew a lot of it, but I appreciated her telling me all of this.

Also, I had requested a manual transmission and she asked me if I still wanted that. She said that they did have an automatic if I preferred, and there was no extra charge. Of course I said yes and was so happy that I did. I drove in England with a stick shift 25 years ago and didn’t have any problems, but the English roads are not like the Scottish roads, and I am very glad that I got the automatic. It was just one less thing to think about on these narrow single-track roads.

She also asked me if I wanted to return it with a full tank of gas or empty. She said that if I return it empty, they fill it and they guarantee that the price is what it currently is at gas stations. In fact, you pay for it at that time. I paid an extra £42 for them to fill the tank, which was about 9 1/2 gallons.

Ardrossan Ferry: This was the ferry I took to the isle of Arran, and it’s a large ferry. When you drive your car on board, which is a very easy process, make note of where you are parked and what set of stairs to use to get up to the passenger area. I did not, and it took me a few minutes to figure out where to go.

The ferry offers quite a bit of food options and a lot of lounge areas to sit in. I opted for some tea and a pastry. The ferry itself takes about an hour to get to Brodick Ferry Terminal on Arran. Now that CalMac has the new booking system, you don’t need to print out paper tickets anymore. You just show them the QR code from your email. By the way, the CalMac wifi is very good, even on small ferries. I never had any problems, and it was always a strong signal.

Isle of Arran: I really liked this island. It’s small, but there is plenty to see and some beautiful spots. I stayed at the Lagg Hotel, which was built in the late 1700’s and is near the south coast. You definitely have to drive to get anywhere, but the hotel itself serves both breakfast and dinner (breakfast is included). The dinners were not fancy, but were very good. The owner prides himself on his "American" burger, and it was good. They also have a bar. Kilmory beach is a short walk from the hotel, and on the way, you can stop and see the 5,000 year old Torrylin burial cairn.

Brodick was a nice little town, with decent restaurants and fun shops. I liked Arran Aromatics and The Arran Cheese Shop. I also enjoyed my time at Brodick Castle and Gardens. The gardens were lovely and there were quite a few walks available on the grounds. When I left to head back, I saw my first hairy coos. I can see why everyone goes crazy over them, as they are adorable and so docile.

There are mostly single track roads on the island, but overall they weren’t too bad. When I drove from Lagg up to Lochranza, which is where the CalMac ferry terminal is for Mull, there were a few scary parts, but overall not bad. And the drive was absolutely beautiful. After you get through Brodick, it’s mostly along the coast, and it was so pretty. Lochranza itself is a very cute little town and I could easily see staying here on a future trip. The castle ruins were interesting, and there is a wonderful place called The Sandwich Shop that’s right across from the ferry terminal. The sandwiches were good, and the bread was to die for.

Also don’t forget to visit the Lochranza Castle ruins. It sits right on the water and is interesting. You can’t go inside but you can see inside. The ferry terminal has a toilet that is usually open, but just in case, there are also toilets across the street and up a bit from the terminal. It’s just an outdoor building with toilets inside, but they were very clean.

Isle of Mull: I loved Mull! It was peaceful and beautiful and I could easily have spent more time here. But having said that, traveling to Mull was sort of a nightmare for me, because of CalMac. The original plan was to take the ferry from Lochranza to Claonich, then drive to Oban and get the 3:55 pm ferry to Craignure on Mull. Unfortunately because of technical issues, CalMac started rearranging the ships and bumped me back to the 8 pm ferry. This meant that I could be driving on Mull in the dark, and it’s a single track road for the last half of that journey. Thanks to isn31c, I found out that CalMac brought in a few other ships, and I was able to get on an 11:25 am ferry by basically driving like a bat out of hell from Kilchoan to Oban. That is not my favorite thing to do in Scotland, although the roads were double track most of the way.

Harbour Guest House: I loved staying here! The guest house is right on the harbor, and very easy to get to. I had a harbor view from my window. There’s tons of free parking around and I never had any problem finding a place. The rooms were super clean, spacious, and the owners were very nice. Breakfast was included and you submitted a menu the night before with your choices for cooked food. The breakfast area was charming, and had one huge picture window at the end with lots of greenery outside and several bird feeders, so you could sit there, eat breakfast and watch the birds fly around. The owner is also a great resource for places to visit on the island. Very reasonably priced and as I said, since it was on the harbor, it was a very short walk to many of the restaurants and shops along the harbor.

Iona and Staffa Tours: On my first day there, I was scheduled to take a Staffa tour to see puffins. I opted to pick the tour up on Iona, so I drove to Fionnphort to catch the ferry. I had hoped to get there early, but the drive to Fionnphort took much longer than I thought. The owner of that B&B told me it would take about an hour and a half, but it took me two hours. Most of it is single track, and some of it gets a little high at times, which made me a bit nervous, but I barrelled on through.

When you get to Fionnphort, there is a free car park off the road to the left as you come into town. There’s another car park right outside the ferry terminal, but that one costs money. There is also a gas station about 3-4 miles outside of town. There is food available at the ferry terminal, and The Creel is right across the street, which sells fresh seafood meals. They are open in the morning for snacks but they don’t really start selling fish and chips or anything like that until noon.

The ferry ride goes back and forth frequently during the day and only takes about 10 minutes. Iona is quite charming, and could be easily seen pretty quickly, unless you want to hike someplace. There’s some lovely hikes, but I did not have time to do anything since the boat trip was departing soon. But sadly when we got to the island of Staffa, the boat could not land because of the swells in the water. So we got to see some puffins from a distance, but not up close. I guess that happens sometimes. But I did get to practice my German with one of the passengers on the boat, so that was fun.

After the boat ride, I walked around Iona, and found it really charming, especially the Nunnery ruins and St. Oran’s chapel with the graveyard outside. I think it’s definitely worth a visit.

Duart Castle: The castle is in a beautiful setting, and I enjoyed my tour through it. But I really liked just walking around outside and seeing the beautiful views, then stopping in the café and sitting outside with a drink. It was a nice peaceful afternoon when I was there and made for a lovely outing. The castle is about 2 miles past Craignure but there is a narrow 3-4 mile single-track road to the castle after the turn off..

I had planned to drive to Calgary beach the next day, which is supposed to be quite beautiful. It was approximately a 12 mile drive from Tobermory, but before I made it halfway, I had to turn back. As I mentioned, I have a fear of heights. It used to be worse but will probably never go away so I sometimes have to adapt. Most of the high roads did not bother me that much, but this road turned into switchbacks going up the mountain. I just couldn’t do it and had to turn around.

But on the way back, I stopped at Glengorm Castle, and really enjoyed my time there. The castle itself is closed as it has self-catering apartments (which are lovely but pricey), but there is a cafe open to the public and you can walk around the grounds and through the woods. It was a lovely day, and I had a lovely walk.

Eating: The Tobermory Bakery was wonderful. She had lots of pastries that were wonderful along with coffee, but also sandwiches and toasties to take away (there are a couple of small tables inside). Another wonderful restaurant is the Galleon Bistro. I had a really good meal here one evening, and the ambience is nice, too. I enjoyed this more than Café Fish, which I also went to. The food I had there was good, but just not up to the level of the Galleon Bistro. Also, if you go to Café Fish, be aware that they only take cash. That’s the only place I went to that had that requirement.

Ferry: The Tobermory ferry terminal is small, and if you’re staying close by, it’s an easy thing to drive down there in the morning, park your car in the queue, lock it, then walk back and have a leisurely breakfast. Then when you get back, your car will be at the front of the queue. It may not matter, but it is a show up and go route, so you always run the risk of being shut out if there are too many people.

Driving: Mull has a lot of single track roads, but they’re all in halfway decent shape and there was not a lot of traffic on them (unlike Skye). Some of them are a bit narrower than I would have liked, but nothing was insurmountable except for the Calgary drive, and that was mostly the switchbacks on the hills (and my fear of heights).

Isle of Skye: Skye was another place where I had problems with the ferry. It wasn’t bad. They just bumped it back an hour, which was annoying but not catastrophic. As it turned out, I wound up getting there around 1 pm and the ferry didn’t leave until four, so I had plenty of time to go scout out the town of Mallaig and get some lunch. Fish and chips and a glass of wine at The Cabin did quite well for me. I was planning on parking in the town but I couldn't find a spot, so I just went over to the terminal and pulled in there. They checked my reservation before I was allowed to park, but then told me which queue to get in, so I got in, locked it up , and went to have lunch.

Avonlea B&B: I stayed at a B&B about a mile outside of Portree city center. It was a house called Avonlea and the couple that owned it were so sweet. The single room was a trifle cramped but not too bad, and the included breakfast was very good. They had a lounge for guests to use also. The price at £50 was the lowest of all my accommodations. I was glad I stayed there because parking in Portree is difficult as it was so crowded and there were never any parking spaces. And if you did find one, it was timed and you had to leave within 30 minutes.

Sights: I did not see all of the major sites that most people see, mostly because I was worried about how the roads would be getting there. But I did get to see the Trumpen church ruins, which I highly recommend. The story behind that is tragic and it was well worth a stop. If you go there, I would also recommend a stop at SkyeSkyns to take the tanning tour, visit their wonderful shop, and get something to eat and drink in their yurt café. I also stopped at the Fairy Bridge, and tried to get to Fairy Glen but it was too crowded.

Dunvegan Castle was nice, although I enjoyed the gardens much more than the castle. I spent a lot of time walking through the grounds and seeing all the trees and flowers and waterfalls. It’s definitely worth a trip to see that. And you can buy a ticket to the gardens separately if you want.

Originally, I booked an AquaExplore excursion, which was a 6 hour boat trip that went out to several islands to look at wildlife and birds. But I received a text the night before that said that they didn’t have enough bookings to do the trip. We tried to reschedule for another day, but it just didn’t work.

So instead, I went to the Isle of Raasay. This is a small island close to Skye - you access it by ferry from Sconser. It was a beautiful place and so peaceful and quiet, compared to Skye. Honestly, I fell in love with it. There’s a lot of hiking and walking over there, and you can drive out and see Calum‘s Road and the ruins of Brochel Castle. I was the only person out there for miles. Then I came back into town, stopped at the local Community Store, then headed to the Raasay House for lunch and after that, went to the Raasay Distillery for a wee dram.

Food, Drink and Meet-ups: I had the pleasure of meeting Jacqui (SkyeGirl) at the Cafe Arriba on Portree, and had such a wonderful time with her. She was such an enormous help to me in planning my trip. And she’s been to Duluth! It was really fun talking to her.

Later that evening I also met up with Emmye (from this forum) and her mom at the Edinbane Inn, which is about 20 minutes outside of Portree. It was great fun meeting both of them! The Edinbane Inn had some good non-seafood options. I love fish but sometimes it’s nice to have a change, so I ordered the pulled pork, leek and mustard pie served with cheese sauce, creamy mashed potato and a vegetable, which was very good. If you get there early, visit Edinbane Pottery as they have some beautiful pieces.

I also made a reservation at Fraser and the Bracken Hide, which someone had recommended here. They just opened in late March and so still had seats available for dinner. It’s a hotel with guest pods and a restaurant and bar. The building is gorgeous and it’s in a beautiful setting. While I was there, I met a couple from Memphis and we wound up sharing a table together. The food was wonderful! I had grilled salmon that melted in my mouth and a berry mousse that will live forever in my taste buds. The only problem was the service, which was not so good. They had some younger servers there who were inexperienced, and the newness of the place led to some glitches. But my Memphis friends and I got along so well that our dinner stretched to over 3 hours and by the end of it, we were laughing hysterically over the service misadventures. And we all agreed that the food more than made up for the bad service.

Food: You can pick up food at the local co-op. There’s a small one in the center of Portree (but hard to find parking for) and a bigger one that has more options right outside Portree off the roundabout. There is also an ATM but even though it says transactions are free, they are not. I was charged £3 for a single withdrawal.

Driving: Driving on Skye was difficult. There were some roads that were in some disrepair, but nothing major. It was mostly the crowds. Single track roads are fine until you have a lot of traffic, and then they become difficult. By the time I got to Skye, I had been driving on two other islands, and had down to a science.

• Go to the passing place on your left, or stop on the road while the other car goes to its left.
• Acknowledge passing courtesies by lifting your hand
• Flash your lights if the location of the passing place is uncertain so the other car knows that you are stopping and they can proceed, and if you see another car flash their lights, feel free to proceed.

But on Skye, there were so many tourists driving around who really didn’t know what they were doing, that it got to be a giant headache sometimes. That’s another reason why I went to the more isolated areas like Trumpen Church and Raasay. There were also lots of camper vans, which can be a nightmare to be behind.

That said, many of the roads weren’t bad, and the main road (A87) from Armadale to Broadtree to Portree and up to Uig is a double track road in good condition.

Ferry: I took the ferry from Uig to Tarbert on Lewis and Harris. Uig is a cute little town around 20 to 25 minutes north of Portree. I’d been up here the day before to check out the drive and also to visit some of the shops like Uig Pottery. This was the largest ferry I’d been on by this point, with a lot of food options, numerous lounges with TVs and reclining leather seats, coffee shop, and so on. It made the one and a half ferry hour ride to Harris & Lewis go quickly.

Lewis and Harris: On the day I arrived, I had planned on spending that first day on Harris, because I wanted to see some of the beaches, and tour some of the small towns along the coast. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard when I got there and there was a lot of fog. That made me a little nervous about driving along the coast. I did stop at some Harris tweed shops, and bought some fabric. The rain didn’t look like it was letting up for a while, so I headed up to Stornoway on Lewis.

Driving: There is a mountain range separating Harris from Lewis, so I wasn’t sure what the roads would be like. But really, this island has the best roads I’ve been on yet. Everything was wide enough, nicely paved, and mostly double track roads, especially the main road (A859), which travels through the mountain range. Nothing was too scary for me and there was not a lot of traffic either. Even the single track roads are nicely paved and easy to drive.

Manor House: I stayed with a couple who lived about a mile outside of Stornoway in a place called Manor House. It was very nice, included a good breakfast and was quite reasonably priced. It was an easy walk to the city center, and there was a food co-op just a quarter of a mile up the road. My first evening I went out for a walk and enjoyed a beautiful evening wandering through the woods surrounding Lews Castle. The owners, Henry and Christine, were lovely. I had to be at the ferry terminal at 6:15 the day I left, so I couldn't eat breakfast. But Christine very kindly made me a bag of food to take with me.

Sights: I only had one full day on Lewis and pretty much drove around in a circle, seeing all the sites that were in the vicinity. I started with the Callanish stones, which were really interesting, then headed to Dun Carloway Broch (well worth a stop), the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village (interesting but only reproductions). The Shawbost Norse Mill and Kiln were interesting - to get there, you must walk up some steps made of flat stones, then walk about a half mile to the 2 buildings. I also really liked the Blackhouse in Arnol. I drove to Port Ness and wanted to head out to the lighthouse, but due to construction, the road was closed so I didn’t make it all the way.

After that I headed to town and toured Lews Castle, which I loved. I really wanted to see the 900 year old Lewis chess pieces, and they were every bit as fascinating as I hoped.

Ferry: The ferry from Stornoway was even bigger than the one from Uig on Skye. And had even more amenities. But this was a 2 ½ hour trip to Ullapool, so I was glad there were a lot of options.

The Mainland: I took the ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool, then drove through Inverness to the Culloden Battlefield. I’m glad I saw it and spent some time remembering all the soldiers who were killed, but didn’t spend a lot of time there. I really liked Clava Cairns a lot, though, which is just about a half mile up the road from Culloden.

Cawdor Castle: My next stop was Cawdor Castle. I’ll be honest - I wasn’t that enthralled by the castle, but I loved the gardens, which were more of a formal style and quite beautiful. It's nothing against the castle - I like castle exteriors and grounds, but I’m not a fan of renovated castles, although I do like ruins.

Nairn: I stopped in Nairn briefly so I could walk on the beach and have some ice cream at the Strathnairn Beach Cafe, which was a lovely experience. I liked the town a lot and would enjoy coming back here, perhaps to stay a few days.

Elgin: I spent the night here at the Premier Inn, which was your basic Premier Inn, mainly so I could visit the Elgin Cathedral, which was incredible! I spent a lot of time here and found it really magnificent. I also stayed in Elgin so I had a good base to visit the Gordon Castle Highland Games and Country Fair, which was the next day. I’d bought a ticket and was excited about going.

Gordon Castle Highland Games and Country Fair: This was loads of fun and I’m very glad I came. There were all kinds of competitions; in sports, piping and Highland dancing, and I loved watching all of them. There were food and drink stands galore and lots of vendors selling everything from high quality crafts to whisky. I had a roast pork bap, which was pulled pork on a bun with a layer of oatmeal and a layer of applesauce and liked it.

Portknockie: I needed to get to Cruden Bay by early evening but wanted to stop at a few places along the way, so I made a quick detour to Portknockie, which has an incredibly beautiful harbor with very scenic views.

Cullen: Mike (Auchterless) recommended Lily’s Kitchen Cafe in Cullen for the best Cullen Skink soup, and he was dead on right. Lily’s is a tiny restaurant in the center of town with only 4 tables, but the soup they served was wonderfully delicious. It is made with smoked haddock, potatoes, onions and milk. I will definitely get back here at some point so I can have some more.

Bullers of Buchan: The Bullers were formed when a sea cave collapsed, which left a large, bowl-shaped hole in the cliff face. It was an amazing sight to see the waves crashing against the side of the hole. There were also tons of seabirds, including guillemots, razorbills, and puffins (sadly the puffins do not usually come out till later in the evening so I missed them). There is a short path from the car park that leads to the top of the cliffs, where you can get a panoramic view although there are signs all over warning you to stay on the path.

Slains Castle: I really wanted to see these ruins, as they are the location for “The Winter Sea,” one of my favorite books by Canadian author, Susanna Kearsley. It’s amazingly beautiful - it was built in the 16th century but deteriorated quickly when a previous owner removed the roof in 1920 to avoid taxes. Bram Stoker spent a lot of time in this area and it is widely believed that Slains Castle was his inspiration for Dracula’s castle. It sits right on the edge of the sea with a dramatic dropoff. You reach it via a car park and then a pathway to the castle (about a half mile). You can also take a path from Cruden Bay to the ruins.

Cruden Bay: I spent the night here at the St. Olaf Hotel, which is a charming hotel built in the late 1800’s. My room had a lovely view of the North Sea. I ate dinner at the hotel, and it was very good, with excellent sticky toffee pudding. Breakfast was included as well.

St. James Church: Located very near Cruden Bay. It is a church that is on the site of the battle of 1012 between the Scots and King Canute’s son from Denmark. There is a font inside the church that dates back to the time of battle, but the church was locked when I got there so I could not see it.

Newburgh Seal Beach: I really enjoyed going here even though the seals were not here. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful beach with sand dunes all over and many birds and other wildlife. I met a local man with his dog who showed me a pillbox on one of the dunes. He said they were left over from WWII, and were small, fortified structures that were used to defend against enemy attack along the beaches. He apologized for the lack of seals, although I laughed and told him it certainly wasn’t his fault! I love meeting people like this in random encounters. We wound up walking along the beach for about a mile, then when we got back, he showed me a shortcut to get back up to the car park (the way down had been a steep 45 degree trail made of sand coming from the car park boardwalk). There is a car park but you have to pay (minimum £3).

Dunfermline: I stopped here before Edinburgh as it was fairly close to the Arnold Clark office, and stayed at the Premiere Inn. I visited Dunfermline Abbey and Nave and it was well worth a visit! If you go, park at St. Margaret St. car park right up the street. I also enjoyed a walk through Pittencrieff Park, which was lovely. I would highly recommend Pitta Mediterraneo, a small Greek takeaway place in the Fife Complex that Premier Inn sits in. It was wonderful! It's by the miniature golf place.

Rental Car Return: After that I headed to Arnold Clark in Edinburgh to return my rental car, which was easy peasy. No dings or scratches and it went very quickly. I love Celtic Legend and Arnold Clark and would definitely use them again. I returned it outside Edinburgh at the Sighthill location. It was very easy to get to.

Edinburgh: I stayed at the Premier Inn on York Place, and really liked this location. In fact, I would stay there again or in that area. It was quieter than the Royal Mile and had more of a residential vibe. And Edinburgh is so small that it doesn't take long to get to places. Breakfast was not included but is reasonably priced (£7.99 for continental, £9.99 for cooked) and was very good. When I got there at 11 am, I had the option of checking in early for an extra £10 but decided to just store my luggage in the locked storage room and head out until 3 pm. The only thing I didn't like was their wifi - more on that below.

Food, Drink and another Meet-up: I had lunch with another forum member, Lane, at Dishoom on St. Andrew Square. Lane was great and so much fun to talk to! He is much more traveled than I am, and I enjoyed our conversation and lunch very much. And I loved Dishoom! You cannot make a reservation for dinner here but you can for lunch, which is advisable.

I had lunch at Bertie's Proper Fish & Chips on Victoria St. The fish was excellent - moist and tender and the batter was light and crispy. They had a very nice selection of beers, too, and I really enjoyed my IPA. Another day I was craving Italian so I ate lunch at Avarome on St. Andrew Square. I had the Bucatini con Chorizo, which was delicious!

On my last night I met a hometown friend for dinner who happened to be in Edinburgh on the same day. We met at BABA on George St. in New Town, which has great Middle Eastern cuisine. We ordered a starter, a couple of mezzes and some grilled fish. The rooms and decor were really beautiful and I loved the location. It was a little under a mile and a straight shot along George Street from my hotel so I walked there and back (my friend was staying near the castle so we left separately). It was around 10:15 pm when we were finished, but the walk home was wonderful. There were fun shops and restaurants to look at, lovely homes, small groups of people walking along and a beautiful crisp evening.

Sights:
St. Giles Cathedral: Loved this cathedral! It was beautiful on the outside and inside, and had some interesting history. I especially enjoyed seeing the John Knox statue, but even more finding out that his burial site is outside in the car park below number 23.

Calton Hill: Lane told me about this walk and I loved it! It was not a long distance from my hotel, although there are some steep climbs, but the end result is worth it and you get a glorious view over the city.

Greyfriars: This was one of my favorite places and not just because of Harry Potter. It has a very macabre vibe to it, so going in the dusk of the evening is best. I first saw the memorial and grave of Greyfriars Bobby, the loyal little dog who guarded his master’s grave for so long. Then I tracked down the gravestone of Thomas Riddell, whose name was the inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s notorious villain. If you’re looking for it, just put the name in Google maps and it will show you the way. It was also fun looking through the black gates to see the school that inspired Hogwarts.

Sights (con't):
National Museum of Scotland: I loved this museum! There were so many interesting and eclectic items here that I could have spent days instead of hours. Dolly the cloned sheet is here, as are more of the Lewis chess pieces I saw at Lews Castle. And much much more! I was there when several school trips happened to be visiting but the kids loved it and were so excited about all the exhibits.

Gladstone’s Land: This is a 17th century tenement house that was built in 1617 by Thomas Gladstone, a wealthy merchant. It was later owned by a series of other merchants and tradespeople. The house was bought by the National Trust in the 1930s, and is now a museum that shows how people lived during those times. There is a nice cafe below with teas, coffees, pastries and ice cream. It sits right on the Royal Mile and is worth a stop if you like history.

Edinburgh Castle: Again, time for honesty but I did not really enjoy my visit here. I had bought a Historic Scotland pass so booked a time online but did not have to pay anything extra, which I’m happy about. I think that paying the steep price would have annoyed me. The sheer size of it and grandeur was impressive, I’ll admit, but the inside just wasn’t that appealing. I think I would have been happy just seeing the outside.

National Portrait Gallery: I enjoyed this a lot but I think you really need to like this kind of thing to enjoy it. I like history and so it was fun to walk through and see the various portraits.

Sandy Bells: This was a bar near Greyfriars that offers live music. I went here one night and got to enjoy some fun music, along with a beer and a Scotch egg! Very friendly people there!

Mostly I just walked through Edinburgh, and enjoyed all the interesting buildings, the Closes, the shops and that magical atmosphere it has. I only had one full day there and 2 half days, but felt like I saw a lot. However, I would love to come back and spend more time here.

Leaving: I needed to get back to Glasgow Airport, so my last day, I grabbed my luggage from the storage room, took a cab to Waverly Station (I would have walked but I had a lot of gifts - more on that in my packing
report). From there, I got a train to Glasgow Central station. I started heading to Track 12, where the 14:28 train was leaving from, but saw an electronic notice that it was delayed because a person had been hit by the train (I later found out the person had died). Anyway, I had to get to another, albeit slower train that was using a different track. But it took me to Glasgow. When I got off the train, I just headed for the signs saying “Airport Express Bus, which takes you outside to Waterloo Street. From there, head straight up the street about 2 blocks until you come to the Airport Express 500 bus (it’s on the left). I just bought a ticket on the bus using Tap and Pay on my phone and it took me to the airport in about 20 minutes. When I got off, I followed the pedestrian walkway to the Holiday Inn Express Airport Hotel.

Holiday Inn Express Airport Hotel: This hotel rocks! It was really spacious, great pillows, very clean, comfortable bed and lots of towels. It’s a quick 3 minute walk to/from the airport. They also serve dinner. You just go down to the bar and order it, then it’s served to you at the table. It was very good - I had chicken makhani and sticky toffee pudding with a beer.

Breakfast is included and has great hours. You can get a continental breakfast starting at 4 am, and a cooked breakfast starting at 6 am. Lots of food options there as well. The staff was very nice and very helpful. I would not hesitate to stay here again.

Flying back: Coming back, I was in the regular Main Cabin (not basic) but wonder of wonders, the flight was underbooked and I had an empty seat next to me (AB). Nice!

At MSP, there was a line at Global Entry because only about 8 of the 15 kiosks were working. Sheesh.

Random thoughts:
Hot water: Scotland hotels have really hot water, which is SO nice! They also have really deep bathtubs, which is even nicer! Some don’t have bathtubs but the ones that do are wonderful.

Electric showers: 3-4 of the places I stayed at had electric showers, where the cold water passes through a heating element. It hangs on the wall in the shower, and you just turn the knob and hey presto!

Haggis: I ordered it one morning for breakfast and liked it. Btw, you can buy it at the Costco in Aberdeen, which I stopped at.

Cell phone: This year I used T-Mobile’s free international plan. It was incredibly easy as I did nothing. On the day I got to Scotland, I received a message from T-Mobile welcoming me. Everything worked well and there was excellent cell coverage all over Scotland. I was seriously impressed! Data was fast using T-Mobile. I did receive a message about 2 days before I left saying I had used up my 5G of high-speed data and so it would drop to 256Kbps, but really I hardly noticed it. The only thing I noticed is that when I used GPS for getting around in Edinburgh, it was a titch slower to pull up the map and directions. But that was really it. And I was there for over 3 weeks, so the 5G lasted me a pretty long time (and I was using it for rental car GPS and so on)

Wi-Fi: Wifi was available in many places, including all the ferries, trains, train stations, airports and so on. The only time I had a problem was with the Premier Inn, where the wifi is extremely weak and almost non-usable, depending on the hotel. Twice I had to pay the £5 to upgrade to a higher speed, which annoyed me to no end. Next time I will think more carefully about whether to stay at a Premier Inn.

The people: I don’t think I’ve ever met friendlier people than the Scots. So many times they went out of their way to help, to inform and just to chat. I met so many people and had so many wonderful conversations. And not just Scots, but many Brits from England and Americans and people from all over. 🙂

It certainly made for a wonderful and marvelous trip. I fell in love with Scotland and will definitely go back again.

waiting, waiting…..

🤣🤣

Edit: I started reading while you were finishing posting. Now to get back to reading.

Re: paying for someone else to fill the car with gas. This is something I have now given myself permission to do. I generally don’t pre-pay, but if I am at the point of turning it in and it is going to make my heart beat faster to find a station and fill up, I just don’t and count it as part of the cost of renting. My husband is probably turning over in his grave at the idea…..🤦🏻‍♀️

I am so sorry you didn’t get to land to see the puffins! It was a pretty good hike, but so lovely. To make you feel better about driving to Fionnphort, I did not and had a LENGTHY wait for the last bus back to Craignure and Tobermory. And I had planned on the bus to Calgary Beach and just got lazy. Lol.

I agree that the gardens at Dunvegan Castle are the star of the show! I remember Allan saying the same. And good call on not driving Harris in the rain! Driving Skye didn’t bother me, but Harris roads were another story altogether - and I was just on the bus!). And yes, Lewis was so easy!

And now I need to get back and see some of the places you went after leaving the islands!!

TexasTravelmom, the best part about the gas was that it wasn't more expensive. If you do that in the states, there is a huge increase in the cost but there it was the same price. And it does save so much time and stress about finding a gas station in a strange place.

Re: the puffins, I didn't mention this in the report, but a woman from England who I met at the Tobermory ferry landing told me about her trip to Lunga. She said some man on their tour climbed to the top to see the puffins but then fell and broke his ankle, and had to be airlifted out to Glasgow. That made me feel a titch better, too. :) Not that he got hurt, though! Poor guy - can you imagine?

And I do remember you saying that about Dunvegan - that's one of the reasons I went to see the gardens. I'm really ambivalent about most castle interiors unless they're really done well (like Stirling and Burg Eltz in Germany). I liked Warwick Castle in England, too.

But on Skye, there were so many tourists driving around who really
didn’t know what they were doing, that it got to be a giant headache
sometimes.

We didn't go to Skye, but I had the same opinion about tourists on Mull. My one piece of advice I give anyone that will listen is to read about single track roads before you try them. I know I wasn't perfect, but you could tell who wasn't prepared. I'm sorry for your fear of heights that you couldn't make it to Calgary, the sign says 12 miles but I swear with all the switchbacks that it's twice that.

I'm nodding my head in agreement with your opinions on Stirling, Edinburgh, and Cawdor Castles. Glad your trip was a success.

Allan, yes, Mull was bad but the big difference is that there are many more cars on Skye than Mull, which really exacerbates the problem.

And you're right about it being important to read up on single track roads - I did that but also watched some videos (and had some great advice from the Scotland forum). I do remember you comparing Stirling to Edinburgh Castle (I read your trip report), so I had a feeling ahead of time that I would like Stirling much more.

Fabulous TR and impressed you have it done already! I can tell you love wild and remote places as do I. Your TR brought back great memories of our trip in 2018. Would love to go back.

What a wonderful trip report! And some fantastic insights and tips for future travellers. It was simply brilliant to meet you! Until the next time....

Jacqui (Skyegirl)

Mardee, I enjoyed reading your trip report SO much! Bravo for fitting in so many adventures during your time there! And I appreciate all of the detail! My husband loves to golf, so Scotland is probably on our horizon some time. I’m bookmarking your details, thoughts & what you liked/disliked for future reference.

How wonderful that you were able to meet up with some forum participants during your trip, also!

A wonderful trip report.

Lots of interesting things in there.

Interesting about the Holiday Inn Express- not a brand I have ever thought of using. I just gravitate towards Ibis or PI or Travelodge when pushed.

So happy you had such a wonderful trip. Well done Mardee!

So enjoyed reading your report. We left Scotland on the 26th as well; looks like we visited some of the same places (you had much more "island time"). I completely concur with your impressions of Stirling and Edinburgh Castles! We are already talking about including more islands "next time"; this trip report will be a very helpful planning resource.

Mardee, thank you for your detailed trip report. It's very helpful even though I have been following your blog, too. And thanks for the tips from you and others about single track driving. My husband and a friend will be doing the driving so I just sent them 2 videos on driving in Scotland: one about driving in Scotland in general and the other is about driving on Skye in particular. We are spending 4 nights on Skye and that is the place I am most worried about driving because of the crowds.

I appreciate your honesty about the castles. We do have a Mercat walking tour of the Royal Mile booked that includes tickets to Edinburgh Castle. My husband loves military castles so he will probably appreciate it more than me. We also have tickets for Stirling Castle, Urquhart Castle and Elgin Cathedral. So happy to hear you really like Elgin. We plan on visiting Cawdor and Dunvegan and perhaps Brodie and Doune if we have the time. I really wanted to visit Dunnotar but decided against it because of the almost 200 steps there and 200 steps back to the car park. I read on their website they have a defibrillator on hand! I hope I don't regret not visiting. We are in our 70's and not in the best of shape. And I now wish I included Mull in our itinerary. Well, we will just have to return some day.

We leave tomorrow! Can't wait! We have dinner reservations at Frasers and Edinbane Inn as well.

We also have dinner reservations at the Rosedale in Portree. Does anyone know if they have parking? I am getting a bit nervous about finding parking in Portree after hearing about the crowds. We are staying at the Viewfield House.
Thanks,
Karen

Mardee, wow, the journal of your trip, accessed on your page, is amazing! And, I love your photography! The photos take it to another layer of interest & excitement. Well done!

"basically driving like a bat out of hell from Kilchoan to Oban"

That’s nice.

Tammy, yes the wilder and more remote, the better. I think that's why the crowds on Skye bothered me. When I got back, I might think about going more in the off-season. And I really want to go back!

Jacqui, thanks so much but I owe so much to you! And I will definitely be back!!!

Jean, thanks! I think you would love Scotland! If your husband loves to golf, there was a golf course at Cruden Bay. I can't imagine a more beautiful place to play golf, although I'm sure St. Andrews is lovely - I wish I would have been able to visit it! And yes, the meet-ups were so much fun! Hopefully there are more in the future!

Stuart, thanks! Yes, it was a really nice hotel and very reasonably priced. There is a regular Holiday Inn there that is supposed to be even nice (but more expensive) but this one was great.

Thank you, Trotter! It was great!

Den, what a coincidence! Did you fly out of EDI or GLA?

Karen, how exciting! Have a wonderful time! Rosedale does not have parking there, but there are 2 car parks in Portree that you can park at and then walk down. You have to pay but you can use a credit card. There was some parking along the pier that I recall but not that many spaces. I would get there early to find a space and then plan on walking to it.

Oh, thank you so much, Jean! That is really sweet of you to say! I do love to journal as my memory is so bad, and it brings the trip back to me in so many ways.

Kernow, ha!! Well, my driving like that was still within the limitations of the road. I was disappointed that I had to, because really was looking forward to taking a leisurely drive, stopping in Kilmartin and so on, but I really wanted to get to that ferry. In hindsight, I probably would have been okay taking it easy (or easier).

Mardee - what a FABULOUS trip !! And what a wonderful trip report !! Between you and Pam this week, we are spoiled for great reading.

I seriously want to just follow your itinerary - and you have given such great recommendations, one easily could. You went to a couple of places I love, and sooo many places I dream of going !

Thank you for taking the time to write up such a rich and detailed trip report. I’m so envious of your trip !

Kim, thank you! It was such a wonderful trip that it was easy to write! I hope you can make it here - you're a lot closer than I am! 🤣

What a wonderful report! We were in Scotland at about the same time, and we stayed in that same Premier Inn at York Place. I didn't notice/really use the wifi. But we also appreciated the more laid-back, residential vibe of the area.

mctraveler, that's pretty neat that you were there at the same time!

Great trip report, Mardee. You did a lot more than I did, but it brought back some great memories from when I was there in 2016.

I agree about the 2 castles. I did enjoy Stirling more than Edinburgh, although I was taken by St. Margaret's Chapel and the Dog Cemetery there (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/edinburgh-castle-dog-cemetery).

I was drawn to the Neolithic ruins, so I went to Orkney from Edinburgh via train and ferry from Thurso/Scrabster. I stayed in Kirkwall and visited Skara Brae (https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/skara-brae/) among other sites. It was at the Skara Brae cafe that I had my first and only (so far) Cullen Skink with bere bannock. My mouth waters just thinking about it.

I flew from Kirkwall to Aberdeen. Going to the Costco there was an interesting bus ride from Aberdeen. I took lots of pictures of what they had for sale and enjoyed a £1.50 hot dog and soda deal.

Ever since my first trip to Scotland in 1977, I've felt I was home there. Several years ago I found out that I have 29% Scottish heritage. After returning from the 2016 trip I learned that I have an ancestor who was from the island of Rousay in the Orkneys. 🤔

It sounds like you had such a great time. I appreciate that you were able to pivot when things didn't work out as planned.
I have Scottish roots, not that far back, but still have not been. I need to up it on the list. It sounds wonderful.
I want to just mention that in India you aren't automatically served rice either. The south is the rice bowl, whereas Rajasthan and the north is all about wheat. So you order your curry and then you order your bread (which becomes your spoon) on the side.

Lo, next time I go to Scotland, Orkney and Shetland are on my list!

Maria, I was wondering about rice in India - good to know. As far as I know, I have no Scottish ancestry - I'm 44% German, and then most of the rest is English, French, Dutch and Flemish. But I still loved it!

Well, Sis, when you start offering small van tours of Scotland Sign me up!! You are fearless…well except for the heights and I’m with you there. I’m sure those adorable little Lewis chessmen who are biting the edge of their shields had just come off of a scary switchback road, lol!!

What an awesome TR!!! AND what an awesome time you had.

Thanks so much for your detailed report. I’m glad the ferry changes didn’t deter you.

Really excellent TR, Mardee. I read the one on your blog too (great photos). The driving and ferry issues sounded stressful but seems like it was all worth it in the end. You saw sooo much!

Mardee,
Thank you for the parking information for the Rosedale!
Karen

Fantastic TR! Thanks for your perspective on Edinburgh Castle. I just don't think my daughter and I would enjoy it and I can't see spending so much money to then be disappointed! She is a Harry Potter superfan, which is why we are headed to Edinburgh in the first place, so we will enjoy those sights instead.

Thank you for such a thorough report. :)

I plan to keep your detailed and thoughtful report in mind as our designs on Scotland come into focus. Nicely done - thank you! As for this week... we'll be guests on a Sartell > Superior day trip, thanks to my cousin. (Does that make me a mardee-groupie?)

Interesting read Mardee, and glad you enjoyed the visit. Was interested in your experiences of Mull, last time I was there Glengorm Castle was B&B but it seems the family have moved into the main bit of the castle.

The Galleon I was wary of recommending as it was a highlight of the trip but noted it has changed ownership. I'd always recommend visitors going from Tobermory to Fionphort to take the long way round, the road is not great but is better for visitors not used to Scottish single track roads.

What a great report; I loved it! This was my idea of a dream trip, except for the driving, which I would not want to do, but kudos to you for doing it. And thanks for sharing your trip with us.

Mardee, thank you for sharing such a thorough chronicle of your trip! You've got me even more excited about my own upcoming visit to Scotland--my first international trip in 15 years and my first solo one in 20+.

Pam, thanks and back at ya!! We ought to form our own tour group! Ha ha, yes, I think that's why I have an affinity for those little chess people! Sounds like we both had wonderful trips!

roubrat, thanks!! Yep, the more you drive, the better and easier it is to deal with. In fact, when I got home and drove my car for the first time, I started to pull out onto the left, lol!! And it's definitely worth it to see some of the sights!

Karen, you're welcome - I wish I could have eaten there! It looks good.

Laura, if she is a Harry Potter fan, you should definitely go to Greyfriars church and cemetery. It was fascinating even without the Harry Potter stuff, but even more so with that. There is more information about it here.

Russ, thank you! Are you in Minnesota/Wisconsin? That's so cool - I'm not familiar with Sartell but Superior is right next door. And ha ha ha!!! Hopefully no groupie!

MC, thanks! Yes, I did drive the long way. Maybe that's why it took 30 minutes longer than my B&B owner said - I didn't think of that. But I'm very glad I did as I talked to someone later who took the other route, and he said it was pretty scary in places. So I do not think I would have done well on it. :) That's interesting about the Galleon Bistro. It really was good food. And it could have been the choice of foods, too - at Cafe Fish, I had the skate wing, which I liked, but it involved picking out some bones, and dealing with the cartilage. But it was good, although I liked the ambience of the Bistro better.

Carroll, thank you! As for me, I would also have preferred not to drive, lol! But needs must!

NancyG, how cool! I know you will have a fabulous time!!!

I have to give you a lot of credit mardee. It is super impressive that you drove in Scotland. I don’t even like driving in the US and don’t see myself driving in Europe. But I sure would love to go to all the places you did. 😊 Sounds like you really had a great trip!!

Mardee, you’ve written a wonderfully informative trip report. Loved that you went to Slains Castle ruins to revisit your favorite book by Susanna Kearsley, The Winter Sea. I believe you suggested this great read on the Forum several months ago, so I borrowed it from my local library. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Big praises to you for driving in Scotland. It took some guts and you are braver than me.

Edit to add: loved seeing your photos and reading your blog post of your trip.

Carrie, it was definitely harder than I thought it would be! But I had fond memories of my very first trip overseas when I went to England in 1996. I rented a car and drove around the country for about 10 days and loved it. Of course England is relatively flat and for some reason, I totally forgot that Scotland has mountains! 🤣 And your trip report has give me ideas for some places to visit on my next trip to Scotland! I love those coastal towns, too!

Linda, I'm so glad you enjoyed the book! And I don't know about guts as I didn't feel very brave when I was driving with white knuckles up in the Scotland hills. 🤣 But you know, hope on hope ever, it worked out. Thanks!

Just made a few edits - I totally forgot to add Sandy Bells, a bar in Edinburgh I went to that has live music, good beer and very friendly patrons. And I forgot to add my quick stay in Dunfermline right before I went to Edinburgh. Guess I should have waited till jet lag passed!

Hi, Mardee,

After reading about your adventures on the Tobermory to Calgary road, I am very glad that you didn't decide to tackle the Bealach-na-Ba!

Glad you had such a wonderful time! I knew that you would!

Mike (Auchterless)

After reading about your adventures on the Tobermory to Calgary road, I am very glad that you didn't decide to tackle the Bealach-na-Ba!

Holy cow, Mike! I just looked that up (and found it on a website called Dangerous Roads). Just looking at it made my body start quivering! Have you ever been on it? (shiver). And I just realized it's part of the NC500 route? Ye gods! Now I know I will never be driving that route. :)

Thanks for all your help! Did you see I made it to LIly's? And you were right about that soup - delicious! The friend I met up with in Edinburgh is still in Scotland and just posted a photo of her soup at Lily's on Facebook (I had told her about it when we met up). I wish I could have gone to all the other places along the coast but I just ran out of time. However, that means I will just have to come back!

Mardee, this was a great report. Reading the things you did that I also did was a fun reminiscence, and hearing about the things you did that I didn't do made me want to go back!

It was so fun meeting you in Edinburgh!

(BTW, it's "Darnley Coffee House," not "Darnell" in Stirling. I stopped there for lunch on your recommendation, and it was really good. I also had a wonderful breakfast in Stirling at Old Town Coffee House; very highly recommended.)

I'm still working on my final blog post from my last couple of days on the trip. So apologies to all, but I won't get around to posting a separate trip report here.

I'm now in Acapulco, where it's in the 90s every day and very humid. I miss the chilly days from bonnie Caledonia.

Lane, thanks! I know what you mean! I was just re-reading your Fort William report and wanting to visit it! And yes, it was so much fun - I definitely want to go back and was loving the location of your hotel. Hopefully it worked out well. I was checking your blog a few days ago but will go back and read the whole thing.

Oops, thanks for letting me know about the Darnley typo - I have a mental block with that name. And i know what you mean about the weather. It's actually nice and breezy here but May brings mosquitos in droves here and they are driving me crazy.

Mardee,
The Bealach-na-Ba is an optional part of the NC500, and can easily be bypassed entirely.
The tour buses and a lot of the RV's people hire to do the NC500 can't get up it in any case.
No-one quite agrees on what the true NC500 is anyway. There are all sorts of potential extra bits that can be added on or not and short cuts.
If you take the suggested diversion to Lochinver the road in is a surprisingly good road due to it being a big fishing port, but the continuation round the peninsula through Drumbeg is much more interesting. No one's going to mind or know if you just come back out on the main road.

That’s good to know, although I have a feeling I probably won’t be driving the NC500 because I have an even greater fear of getting behind a slow moving camper van or RV. 🙂 Thanks!

Hi again, Mardee,

Glad you enjoyed the Cullen Skink! Mrs A and I made the mistake of ordering a bowl each. We could barely finish it! Fortunately, the church up the street was having a jumble sale, so we were able to walk off our full stomachs!

I've done the Bealach four times. The first time was in the early 1970s (showing my age! :(), before the coast road round to Shieldaig had been built. That meant that the only way to return to civilization was to drive back over the pass. This was in the days before the road was improved. We had a few heart-stopping momemts, I can tell you! We stayed at the Applecross Hotel, which was many many years before it became the popular watering hole that it is now. Somewhere I have a photograph of a cow walking in the street outside our window.

The last two times over the Bealach have been on thankfully much improved roads, with the "escape route" along the shore of the Inner Sound and Loch Torridon.

The B869 Drumbeg Road from Lochinver to Kylesku, which Stuart mentioned above, is another road which would give you fits. It does have some spectacular scenery, however, especially overlooking Eddrachillis Bay. Maybe on your next holiday you could take some Xanax and Dramamine before you attempt it!

Best wishes once again, and welcome home!

Mike (Auchterless)

Maybe on your next holiday you could take some Xanax and Dramamine before you attempt it!

That might do wonders for my acrophobia but I don't think it will help my driving maneuvers much. 🤣

Best wishes once again, and welcome home!

Thank you!

Thanks for your review of your trip. I'm saying at one of the Premier Inns while in EDI - if the wifi is crap I'll be very annoyed as I'll need it to keep my family updated about my trip.

I'm saying at one of the Premier Inns while in EDI - if the wifi is crap I'll be very annoyed as I'll need it to keep my family updated about my trip.

Susan, I stayed at three different Premier Inns (Elkin, Dunfermline and EDI (York Pl) and at every one the wifi was so slow, but I think it might depend on what you are using it for. I was uploading photos and trying to talk to my daughter using FaceTime audio, and so I finally bit the bullet and paid the €5 to bump it up.

I will say that for the price, the Premier Inn was great overall. I just wish they would add the €5 price to the hotel rather than charge separately for good wifi.

I’m taking a second look at this because, like you, I’m already thinking about a return trip. 😊 I’m thinking of combining Scotland with the Lake District in England, perhaps staying in Glasgow for part of the trip. Rabbie’s has a couple of tours from Glasgow that I’m interested in. Anyway, when you were in Glasgow, how did you get around? Were you able to walk everywhere? I made a note of the Grasshopper’s Hotel as the location sounds super convenient.

Carrie, I walked almost everyplace (the city is very walkable) but they do have a really good bus system, which uses Tap and Pay, and I did use that occasionally. There were many bus stops convenient to the hotel. I think I took the bus to the Kelvingrove Museum but then walked back (stopping for lunch on the way). I also took the train for the day trip to Stirling, which left from the Queen Street station; a quick 5-10 minute walk from the hotel.

A combo trip with the Lake District sounds wonderful. I really want to explore the Borders in more detail as well - I was there (on the English side) in 1996 but didn't spend much time in that area, and would love to see it again.

Re Darnley, Mardee you will have actually passed by the place that Lord Darnley took the title from. It is just off the M77. However is is basically industrial units, a big Sainsbury's supermarket and suburbia.

Re Darnley, Mardee you will have actually passed by the place that Lord Darnley took the title from. It is just off the M77. However is is basically industrial units, a big Sainsbury's supermarket and suburbia.

Sheesh, MC, that is almost as mundane as John Knox being buried in a car park. 🤣

Many thanks for sharing your travels and the notes on your favorites and not-so-favorites.

We were in Scotland April 12-21 and I am slowly working on my notes. The only place we rented a car was on Skye. The single track roads, complete with assorted potholes, were a bit daunting. However, we did not have hoards of people and vehicles in April. We rented from Kyle Taxi and car hire and had a wonderful experience with them.

What fun that you made connections with some forum contributors.

Wow, Mardee, what a fantastic trip you had!

I enjoyed following you along on your travel blog.
I loved all the photos of the amazing scenery you witnessed, the delicious looking food you enjoyed, reading about all your driving, ferry, and travel experiences, thank you!

Penguin, thank you! I think when i do go back, I will probably pick more of an off month, although i will say the weather was very nice for most of it. Of course, I come from Duluth where anything over 40 degrees seems like a heat wave. :)

Priscilla, thanks so much! I really did have a wonderful time - I hope you can get around to planning a trip soon!

Mardee, lol.

There is so much history that happened to. That country house that was for next in the country? Torn down and is now an industrial estate. That significant battle that helped turn the Civil War? You drive over where the kings standard fell on the motorway at 70. That site where there was a politically motivated mass execution? We built housing on it.

MC, wow. It's sad but inevitable, I think. I just hope that the rest of history doesn't evaporate and get covered up by a rocket ship space station.

Yup. Not isolated to any country. To be fair there maybe a long time, decades, between the house being torn down and the retail park going up. Sometimes I think building on a historic site has been deliberate, a way to 'forget' about what happened if it is embarrassing.

The other thing is most European countries you are going to not get far without hitting history. For example that battlefield may have been pivotal, but so were many others and civil wars are not exactly rare in European history.

The U.S. has done reasonably well in preserving many Civil War battlefields, like Gettysburg, but it's a constant battle with big money developers. It most certainly is not inevitable that these historic locations will turn into parking lots and Wal Marts.

MC, it's true that there is so much history (and relevant historical sights) that you can only protect them to a certain extent. I wonder if there is a formula for how they are curated - what stays? What goes?

Mike, a lot of these are protected by federal statute, so as long as the statute is not overturned, there should not be any Walmart parking lots at Gettysburg. Even eminent domain can only go so far.

Everything historic in most countries is now protected. It will be dealt with in a case by case basis.

Mardee, so "no" to rain pants? Waterproof shoes? Go-Go boots? (They looked good on Nancy Sinatra.)

Thank you for a wonderful trip report and a link to your blog. We just booked our UK trip airline reservations for May 2024. We will be in Scotland 2 weeks and we will be looking back at your post as we make plans. I was happy to see that there were 2 Highland Games in May this year. Do you know if they are usually about the same dates each year? I can't tell from the rshga.org site.
My husband is really worried about renting a car. Your tips helped him a little. He did well driving in France , Italy and Germany. The "wrong' side of the car and road is really overwhelming! You sound like a very adventurous traveler.

Mardee, Wow! What an amazing trip you had, and what a fabulous trip report!
Thanks for taking the time to write it.
I've really enjoyed reading it.
Just amazing.

In your very first post, you wrote:
"I ate at Mother India’s Cafe. Very good, although I was surprised that many Indian restaurants in Scotland do not serve rice with a dish. You have to order it separately."

All the Indian restaurants are like that. Your main dish, vegetables, rice and bread are all ordered separately, whether in Scotland, London, or in the USA.

Laura, I believe that the Highland Games are generally around the same time each year, but of course you can never tell. Most of them take place in the summer; the Gordon games and one other were the only ones I found in May (as you did). :) I think your husband will be fine. Frankly, driving on the left side of the road is the easiest part of it - after a couple of minutes, it becomes second nature. The only places I had a little bit of a problem were the roundabouts (of which there are many).

The ones on the islands are usually just the single lanes and of course you enter on the left; not the right. If you're on the mainland and going through some high traffic areas, though, you will come across the multi-laned roundabouts, which I've heard even the Scots have problems with. But I just winged it and everything was fine! The best thing about the roundabout is if you get confused after entering it, just keep driving around the circle till you get it figured out! I had to do that several times! 😂

Rebecca, thanks so much! I did hear that about the indian restaurants in Scotland (and evidently India) after the fact. However, I have eaten at many Indian restaurants for many years throughout the US, and this was the first time I have not been served rice with the main dish. Bread and vegetables, yes, but rice has always been a given. So maybe it's a UK thing?

Mardee, you made the STV News today.

MC, I did? Or me as one of the 70,000 American tourists contributing to the tourism growth in Scotland??? 😂 Happy to help.