Myself, my wife and wee little one(she will be 13 months during our trip). Will be flying into Dublin for 2 days, and then taking the ferry from Belfast to Scotland for 7-8 days. We plan on staying on the west coast traveling through Loch Lomond to glencoe, and Eilean Donan castle. We enjoy a dram or 2, and would like to visit Islay., as we love Islay whiskey! That being said we would like to visit the isle of Skye as well.
Should we consider a base camp? Has anyone traveled with a 1 year old? Would we be limited with our daughter in seeing some sights in Skye? Is it worth going to Skye? Any advice, and recommendations where to stay near glencoe!! Thanks so very much!
Posted by
Banchory, Scotland
268 posts
Skye is extremely popular and I am concerned your plan to visit the island will hit a brick wall with accommodation. You clearly have not booked anywhere to stay and at this stage you are likely to struggle. Maybe you should re-think you plans.
Skye has fabulous scenery but I don't know how interesting this will be for a thirteen month old child. I don't know what else is available on the island which might interest a child so small.
Maybe you should consider Aviemore as a base. It is geared to families with resort hotels and lots of low level walks around and about. The Highland Wildlife Park is not far away
Posted by
3122 posts
You mention the west coast and especially Islay, which is reached by ferry from near Tarbert in Argyll, at the northern end of the Kintyre peninsula. Tarbert has only a few overnight accommodations, one of them being the Stonefield Castle Hotel. (I posted a review of it under Reviews on this site.)
If you stop in Inveraray, I can recommend Brambles for accommodation and lunch, and the George Hotel for dinner. Inveraray Castle is beautiful inside and out.
If you can't find a place to stay on the Isle of Skye, I can recommend the Dornie Hotel, a stone's throw from Eilean Donan Castle. It's clean and affordable, nothing fancy, with helpful staff and a very good pub/restaurant.
With regard to your 1-yr-old daughter, her main concerns are going to be comfort, sleep, food -- the same things she cares about at home. I would not worry about finding activities to interest her because at that age she won't be remembering the trip or anything. To my knowledge, you won't have any problems in Scotland with "no children" policies at hotels, restaurants, public transport, or attractions. But since you're interested in whisky, do read up on the rules for pubs (see http://www.insiders-scotland-guide.com/ScottishPubs.html ). And in general it's always good to mention up front that your party comprises 2 adults & 1 infant.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks kindly!
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Not so necessarily worried about keeping my child entertained, we do hike with her here. If it's manageable to get to things like the fairy pools etc since we will not our child hiking backpack. Any other thoughts? Is skye manageable for a day trip?
Posted by
3122 posts
Hiking with your little daughter sounds lovely. Be aware of the midges -- in June they may well be bothersome.
When you ask if the Isle of Skye is manageable as a day trip, where would you be starting from? You can't see the entire Isle in one day, but you can see a fair amount of it even if you stop to hike for a couple of hours. But if you're driving there from a B&B in, say, Fort William, it's going to take you a couple of hours driving each way. It may not be obvious from a map how narrow, mountainous, and winding the roads are. You do not want to be racing, and personally I'd not choose to drive them in the dark -- but your being there in June will give you long hours of daylight.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
@epltd
Thanks for the reply, my in laws are going to be watching my daughter now, so no child, will be tough. That being said we are going to stay in Dornie for a day and a half. Check out the Eilean Donan castle, maybe gleneig. Then drive and due a full day in Skye. No real hiking! See the fairy pools, portree, and leisurely drive. Is there good shopping? I love local craftsmanship wares! Is it worth seeing Quiraing/ the needle. What's worth while on Skye? Thanks!
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
Robert, you need to play around with google maps or with Via Michelin. Skye is a really big island. So, yes if you want to spend a little time hiking you should plan on staying on the island. You do need to book soon. Go to visit Scotland and test out their accommodation search.
Also, have you explored WalkHighlands? They can tell you about the different walks (hikes) that are available in different parts of Scotland. Here are the ones that they list for Islay. If you can't get on to Skye or it looks too far, think about Mull. There are castles and lots of walks and other interesting sites. I stayed in Tobermory. There is even a distillery to tour. The tour that includes Staffa and Iona is quite good and a change of pace from hiking.
Pam