My boyfriend and I will be traveling to London, then on to Scotland for two weeks in September.. We already have plans to stay in Edinburgh for three days and then rent a car and head into the highlands. We will have about 8 days and want to make the most of it without staying in a car the whole time. We are both Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) and Harry Potter fans, like to hike and enjoy the outdoors, castles and ancient stone sites. Any ideas on good B&Bs as base and tour routes would greatly be appreciated.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
Pamela is the real expert on driving the "wee roads" of Scotland. I'm sure she will give you some excellent suggesstions. I also love Diana Gabaldon's work. Personally I'd only spend 2 days in Edinburgh- but 3 would be ok. I'd head to Aviemore - easy by train.. that's how we travle in Scotland. There's lots to see and do there and it makes a good base for touring some great distilleries. Then on to Inverness- it makes a great base for much of the Highlands. Isle of Skye is lovely (day trip or spend a night or so). Lovely drives from either Inverness or Aviemore around the Great Glen, Ft. William, Ft. Agustus, Glencoe, etc. When in Aviemore we like to stay at the Caringorm hotel. It looks like a small castle outside and a scottish hunting lodge inside. The restaurant is awesome, too.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
As Outlander fans, you need to visit Fraser Castle. http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Castle-Fraser-Garden-Estate/ It's in Aberdeenshire in the heart of the castle trail. I stayed in Ballater to tour this area. There are quite a few standing stones and stone circles in Aberdeenshire. There is a great book on the Archeology of Scotland. It part of the Oxford Archeological Guides series. The authors are Anna and Graham Ritchie. Of course you should also visit Inverness. It figures in the books. And you will want to visit Culloden Battlefield, and the Clava Cairns that are very near the battlefield. I think you might also find Fort George interesting. For hiking there are so many wonderful options. If you base yourself near Inverness or in Inverness you can let the weather guide where where you hike. Glen Afric is wonderful. There are great walks near Loch Maree. Further west near Ullapool there are some nice walks in the hills above the town or you can head to Inverpolly. It takes a bit over an hour to get to the west from the Strathpeffer area. Have you checked the Outlander Tours? They will give you some more sites to check out. Pam
Posted by
Kirn, Germany
331 posts
If you should find yourselves in Ullapool take the single track shore road north for an amazing drive. It is truly out of this world - rather like a moonscape. A word of warning, be careful hiking too far off the beaten track without telling someone where you are headed. The weather can change in an instant in Scotland, even in the summer.