I've been reading the responses to ther person asking about renting a car in London and wondering if the same applies for Scotland. We will be doing something similar, staying in Edinburgh for 4 days, using 2 to explore the city and the other 2 were thinking of taking tours to see Stirling, St. Andrews, Rosalyn Chapel, Dunfreline (Sp?), the tours seem less than ideal as they start later in the day than we would like and you dont actually get much time in each place since you are with a bunch of other people going on a bus. We were looking into renting a car for the 2 days to see all the outskirt areas at our own pace. Is this a good idea, or is there a better way to do it?
Posted by
Tempe, AZ, USA
1265 posts
Michelle - Driving in Edinburgh is a nightmare(or at least for me it was). That being said, if you are staying far enough from the royal mile it might be ok. The drive to St Andrews is quite nice and the town is enjoyable. There is more there than golf. The unversity and the town cemetery are nice little stops. There is no direct train to St Andrews. The train drops you off at Leucars and if I remember correctly there is a bus that runs into St. Andrews. The train fare will run you about 7gbp. That's for a same day return. My only experience with Stirling was driving thru and stopping at the castle. Checking the rail website same day return to Stirling is between 7-11 gbp.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
No real need to deal with the hassels of parking and the VERY high cost of gasoline (pertrol). Scotland has excellent rail and bus service. We have traveled there for more than 20 years and never driven. There are also small group tours that use vans and even private tours where you set the pace.
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
If you are just looking at going to these locations and staying in Edinburgh, then I would not recommend a car. First, you can take the train to Stirling, St.Andrews and I believe Dumfermline. I think that there's even and easy public bus to Roslyn Chapel. Now, if you want to spend the night at another town and see the countryside via the wee roads, then you need a car. But if you're just based in Edinburgh, don't waste your money. And this is from someone who loves driving in Scotland. ; ) Pam