planning a trip to both countries late august and early sept for about 2 weeks. would like to see the highlighs of both countries. are we trying to do too much? my choice is scotland and husbands is irland so we hope to do both.
Posted by
wichita, kansas
484 posts
I would not try to do all of Ireland in a week or less. Maybe spend the majority of your time in Scotland and the remaining 4 or 5 days in Northern Ireland and Donegal. There is plenty there to see and do to keep you occupied for several days.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
If you plan well, you can do a fair amount of Ireland in a week, or stay around the Dublin area and do short day trips/tours. I'm sure you could do similar in Scotland, though I haven't been so I can't offer suggestions.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
For Scotland, I would recommend a day or two in Edinburgh and then head north to the Highlands. I like the Inverness area as a base, but you might also consider going to the West. Or if you want castles and Whisky You could look at Aberdeenshire, the Ballater area is nice and reasonably central. There are lots of options depending on your interests. Pam
Posted by
Grafenwoehr, APO AE, Germany
43 posts
I've only been to Ireland, but while you're there at least try to see the Cliffs of Moher and Dingle (Slea Head Drive), those are some of my best memories. Have a great time! Patty
Posted by
Spring, Texas
635 posts
I believe you'll run into a bank holiday in Scotland on Aug 27 this year so that would be a good day to be in Ireland. I know it can get hectic in southern England during a bank holiday. I'm not aware how it might impact room availability and crowds in Scotland. Trying to do both islands is pretty tough in two weeks. You can do a highlights trip but I would recommend you carefully plan what, when, how long, etc. We can all suggest things to see but on a first visit look at Rick's Ireland and Great Britain books for ideas. You can either take the ferry between them or catch a plane. You could easily do two weeks in Ireland and still not have enough time to drive all the way around. Scotland's tourist highlights could take a week and then it comes down to how much atmosphere you want to soak up. Of course, the definition of "highlights" vary considerably. You really have to pick for yourselves. Personally, I'd suggest you do one or the other. You can easily extend Scotland to include northern Wales and England.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1499 posts
The Borders and Galloway (Scotland-England) is often overlooked and really has most of the history with lots of real castles and ruined abbeys. Dumphries is a good base. There is a ferry between Belfast and this area.