First time travelers to Scotland and Ireland

You need to give us a bit more information about exactly when you will be in which place, and what your interests are. Have you looked at guidebooks to determine what you might be interested in? Once you give us a better idea of your exact timing and what you might like to see we will be better able to give you good suggestions.

Using the rail system and some local buses in Scotland is easy and will allow you to see a great deal of the country. Ireland does not have the extensive rail network that Scotland/England/Wales have. The one time we went to Ireland, we used a tour. Personally, I'd try to include the following when you are in Scotland: Edingburgh- at least 2-3 nights (some good day trips possible, lots to do and see locally) Aviemore- at least 2 nights (some day trips and lots to do locally) Inverness- at least 3-5 nights (lots of excellent day trip possiblities here and lots to do locally) I'd encourage you to explore these areas as day trips or short stays: Orkney, Isle of Skye, Oban, Sterling, Glasgow There's so much to see in Scotland! Alot depends on your interests. Do you prefer cities, very rural areas, enjoy art, history, gardens, wildlife, hiking, museums, people watching, etc? 12 days is not much to explore 2 lovely countries. If you want a small taste of each, however, you can definitely plan a wonderful trip. Get back with a few more specifics like: time of year you can/want to travel budget type of accomodations you prefer (hostles, B&Bs, self-catering cottages/apartments, castles, small hotels, all the way up to 5 * hotels, all are available)
personal interests type of travel (do you want to move quickly and just skim the surface, take a moderate pace and see some things in a bit more depth, take it slow and absorb the essence of a very few places) Then we can give you reccomendations that are more tailored to you.

Toni, we'll be in Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands next year for a day, so I'm researching tour companies to get the most out of the few hours we'll have. Does that seem reasonable to you? I think we can see a lot more than we could by picking one of the cruise ship's excursions that would take us to only one or two places. What do you think are the must-sees there?

The main attractions on Mainland in the Orkneys are Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar, and Maes Howe. If rental cars are available in Kirkwall, that is the most efficient way to see all three sites on your own timetable. If no rental car, you might consider hiring a taxi for the day-probably no more expensive than paying for guided tours. You can get to the Orkneys as a very long day trip from Inverness (15 hours), but I believe that trip only runs in the summer months. I believe the company was John O'Groats ferry-not sure of the name, it was five years ago.

@ Delinda- We did Orkney as a LONG day trip from Inverness. The tour company was very good and gave us plenty of time at Skara Brae, and the Ring of Brodegar as well as at the Italian Chaple (a metal hut converted into a chaple by Italian prisioners of war in WWII). Sorry I can't remember the name of the company. I suspect any would be good. You might try for a private driver.

Thanks for the help so far. We will be arriving in Edinburgh late Aug. and staying through early Sept. To save money we are using public transportation. We would love to see the Highlands, churches, castles and beautiful scenery. Rural countryside BB's, and enjoying locals and any festivals we come across would be lovely. Would Inverness be a good base? The loch ness isn't a draw. We have plenty of lakes in Washington. We're more interested in the people, music, and such. The same with Ireland, though I wonder if I would really be doing justice to both countries in such a short amount of time. All total 14 days. I was thinking of flying Ryan air to Dublin and taking a couple of tours to the countryside (maybe 4 or 5 days total). Staying in Dublin the entire time. Than traveling back to Edinburgh home. Because this is my first trip to Europe I want to feel like I've seen as much as possible without leaving exhausted. Oh by the way my husband and I are in our mid 50s and in decent shape. We don't do marathons, but a bit of walking is ok. Thanks again for taking your time to respond. We really appreciate it! Merryl

Merryl, As I said earlier, Ireland doesn't have great public transport. You might be able to do some day trips with a tour company from Dublin, but you will need to do a web seach on that. Persoanlly, I'd want to spend the whole trip in Scotland. Don't discount Loch Ness and the other lovely lochs. They are nothing like the lakes you have in Washington. Also, there are many great things to see and do on, or near the lochs. For example, Urquart Castle is on the shores of Loch Ness. And Drumnadrochit is a small village at the top of the Loch, with some great pubs and artists shops as well as the typical tourist shops. Inverness is a good base for lots of trips (on your own by train or with some good tour companies). I'm not sure whether you would fly into London then up to Edinburgh or Glasgow or Inverness or if you would go straight to Scotland. Here's one possible itnerary: day 1- fly to Edinburgh, spend 2 nights day 4- train to Aviemore- spend 1-4 nights- possible trips to whisky distilleries, up Mt. Caringorm via funicular, on restored steam train, and there are lots of 'outdoor' activities in the area day 5 (or6,7 or 8) train to Inverness spend 4+ nights do day trips to any of following: Orkney Islands (long but worth it), Isle of Skye and Elliean Donan castle, and lots of others. depending on how long in Aviemore and Inverness, could take train to Glasgow for 1 or more nights. Then fly home from there (or from Edinburgh).
Feel free to private message me. We've been to Scotland ALOT!!!

Inverness is a lovely base. Loch Ness is not a lake, it's a loch. ; ) It has a wonderful castle ruin on its shores - Urquhart Castle. Also, from Inverness you can take a most beautiful train ride to Kyle of Lochalsh. In Inverness there are some great venues for for music. Another smaller city on the railroad is Dunkeld and Birnam, which has a great pub with live music. Also, there are some great walks. I also like Pitlochry which has the festival theatre. Check and see what is playing there during your visit. Also, another stop is Blair Atholl where there is a great castle. Pam

My favorite place in all the world is Southwest Ireland. To me, Killarney and Dingle aren't to be missed. The forests of Killarney National Forest with the Muchross House and Ross castle are beautiful. Dingle has a lot to see but I enjoyed the music (secular) at the Episcopal Church best.

In Edinburgh, see Mary King's Close, you can find information on it on internet. It was great and very near the castle. Also Royal Yacht Britannia in the harbor, just a short bus ride from town. Well worth it. I agree with previous post about southwest Ireland. Fly into Shannon and rent a car. See Dingle rather than Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, Adare, can even go over to Cobh or Kinsale. Driving is only way to see the country. Enjoy.

Hi Merryl, I was in Scotland this fall and while the countryside is beautiful, the rural B&B's you desire may be difficult to reach with public transport. It's not impossible but it may take time away from sightseeing to get to those places. Just make sure you check the train/bus schedules before you get there to see what your options are. Have a great time!

Thanks for the suggestions Canada! What and where for day trips based out of Inverness? Any ideas regarding flying to one location and flying home from another? We are still working on flying to Dublin or Shannon to spend 5 days in Ireland. Thanks again....Merryl

Merryl, The Tourist Information office can steer you to a wide variety of day trips out of Inverness. http://guide.visitscotland.com/vs/guide/5,en,SCH1/objectId,INF51286Svs,curr,GBP,season,at1,selectedEntry,home/home.html . Pam

There are several companies that run good day trips out of Inverness. We have used Puffin tours in the past- I understand that they have changed their name to Nor'west tours. You might find these websites helpful. http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/inverness-trips.htm http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/inverness-transport.htm http://www.jacobite.co.uk/tours.asp

One public transportation option that worked well for us in Ireland was a Bus Eirenn day tour out of Dublin to Newgrange, Hill of Tara, Boyne Valley. The tour was well paced and economical. We bought our tickets at the bus station the day prior to the trip, then showed up in the morning for the tour. They also have a similar daytrip to Glendalough Monastic Settlement out of Dublin. Doing those will give you alot without leaving Dublin. I would add Rock of Cashiel and at least a couple nights in smaller towns to take advantage of the small town pub that is really the heart of Ireland. Look for a traditional session (local music by local musicians in a pub). I also liked Blarney Castle and Galway a lot but didn't think much of the Ring of Kerry. I'm not sure what your best transportation options are, you may want to look for a coach (bus).