With only one day to see parts of Scotland outside of Edinburgh, I'm comparing bus tours to renting my own car and setting my own itinerary. But I'm travelling in mid- October, so I expect darkness to set in by 6:30pm. I'm trying to balance historic sites with natural beauty in one (long!) day. I'm looking at sites between Urquhart Castle and Stirling Castle. Will it be a difficult drive if I head back from Loch Ness toward Edinburgh around the dinner hour?
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
The trains and buses in Scotland are excellent and there are many great tour companies. I enjoy letting someone else (someone familiar with driving on the small roads and on the other side) do the driving so I can fully enjoy the scenery. Trains are wonderful for that too. You could take the train from Edinburgh to Aviemore, stop for a little while to enjoy the Caringorm Mts., eat lunch at the Caringorm Hotel (one of my absolute fav resturants- and a real price bargain)then take the train to Inverness for the afternoon and return as late as the last train.
Posted by
OP
Washington, DC, USA
571 posts
I should add that I'm excluding Glasgow,which I'm seeing separately, so on my day outside Edinburgh I'm trying to see points north of those cities. Thanks for any advice. Matt
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
Matt, It will be a longish drive, but if you'd be up for driving between DC and NYC in the dark, then you'll likely be fine. The A9 which is the road you'll drive until you hit the M Road is not an interstate. It has sections that are dual carriage way, but long stretches are simply good two lane road. So, if you feel good with that then you'll be fine.
An alternative, if you don't need the car after Edinburgh, would be to ditch the car in Inverness. You can take the train straight to Edinburgh and there are lots of options. But, of course, if you're stopping off on the way south it won't work. Feel free to PM me if you have some specific questions. I've driven this many times.
Pam
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
If you're driving in unfamiliar territory after dark, a talking GPS would really be helpful. The talking means you don't have to take your eyes off the road to glance at it so often, since it speaks the directions and when to make a turn.
Get one that comes pre-loaded with European maps if you can. Otherwise you'll need to buy the Euro maps separately.