Last August we thoroughly enjoyed our 3 nights stay on the Isle of Mull at Glengorm Castle. Friends have expressed interest in the experience, but they have less time to get there from Edinburgh than we had. We drove from Edinburgh to Stirling for a two nights stay to enjoy the Highland Games and a tour of the castle honoring William Wallace, a delightful experience. From there we drove to Invararay where we decided to cut our stay a day short and move on to Oban. The next morning we ferried to Tobomory, a charming seaside village where we enjoyed lunch seated by a fine new friend who is an author. Our 4 kilometer drive to the castle was an easy adventure and someday we hope to return to this nature sanctuary for more peace, calm, strolls amongst the sheep and views from our perches along the rugged coastline. Oh, and did I mention the lunch cafe and the Scotch tasting room within the walls of this moderately sized, comfy, family owned and managed castle.
So, my question is, what other such experiences are available closer and more accessible from there base in Edinburgh? Can our friends find such a place without needing to rent a car, but rather train and perhaps secure a driver? At Glengorm, dinner required a drive back into the town of Tobomory. Instead we chose to picnic in our spacious room by the tall wide windows and cosy up in the castle. We simply didn't want to leave, so we made due with what we could scrounge as lunch leftovers from the cafe.
Thank you for your thoughts and recommendations, which might be, take the time and figure out a way to go to Mull.
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New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
I enjoyed my stay in a castle in Argyle, but it won't suit their purposes. Here's a list that they might peruse. Traquair House is a long bus ride. It's south of Edinburgh. I visited it Traquair House a number of years ago and enjoyed my visit. I did not spend the night! You have to watch as they rather disingenuously list the Edinburgh Radisson Blu hotel as a castle, and it's quite modern albeit designed to fit in. Another idea is to do a search on VisitScotland and then research what comes up.
If you want to check the proximity/feasibility of reaching the caste from Edinburgh via public transit, google maps do a good job. Just pick the transit option when you ask for directions.