I discovered today that my husband and I do not have a place to stay for 1 night in Scotland. We fly into Edinburgh from Ireland on May 14; stay for 2 nights in Edinburgh and do not check into our hotel in Inverness until May 17. I am looking for suggestions on where to stay between Edinburgh and Inverness. Is it feasible to drive from Edinburgh to Isle of Skye or towns close to Isle of Skye in one day? We have read that the sunsets are unbelievable on Skye, and the sun does not set till about 9:30 pm during this time of year. Is there another area that we should explore? We are open to suggestions but need to act fast since we leave on our trip in 14 days.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Skye isn’t feasible in your timescale. It’s a 6+hour drive. You probably won’t find any accommodation at this late stage plus Skye really deserves longer, as it takes time to navigate the narrow roads. When I was there in early June, you couldn’t see the Cuillin mountains as they covered in low cloud for the duration and we didn’t see the sun, therefore there were no spectacular sunsets.
Add another night in Edinburgh before heading to Inverness, as 2 nights/1 full day won’t scratch the surface.
Posted by
103 posts
St Andrews, Dundee (for the V&A), Pitlochry/Dunkeld, Aberfeldy.....
Posted by
Banchory, Scotland
267 posts
Ballater or Braemar in the Royal Deeside area of Aberdeenshire would be a good place to stop for the night between Edinburgh and Inverness. In my opinion the area is worth more than a one night stay, but as you are time poor on this trip you'll just have to come back for a second visit another year :-)
https://www.visitabdn.com/blog/10-things-you-should-know-about-royal-deeside/
Posted by
3122 posts
If you're a fan of castles, Glamis Castle is on your way and I highly recommend a visit. Allow time for both the interior guided tour and a wander around the superb gardens; there's also an excellent cafe. You could stay overnight in Pitlochry, or choose a smaller town/village to the east of the A9, nearer to the castle. Coupar Angus, for example, is popular.
https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/couparangus/couparangus/index.html
The Cairngorms National Park southern boundary is just a few miles to the north of that region.
If you examine a map you'll see that Blair Castle is right near the A9, at Blair Atholl, but be aware it has more of a theme park atmosphere than serious history. Several miles further north along the A9 is the Dalwhinnie distillery . . . could be fun!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
"Add another night in Edinburgh before heading to Inverness, as 2 nights/1 full day won’t scratch the surface. "
That's my thought too. I was surprised how many sights there were of interest to me in Edinburgh. It's also a physically beautiful city. And if it doesn't appeal and you're "done" with it in 2 nights, you can always take a day trip to Glasgow, which can also fill several days by itself, and couldn't be more different from Edinburgh.
Posted by
Omaha, NE, United States
49 posts
Agree, stay in Edinburgh one more night. The drive from there to Inverness is not bad and there is lots to see in Edinburgh.