Scotland in13 days

Hello Ann, I can address a few of these points. Fort William is the place to stay for hiking in and around Ben Nevis. It is the largest local town (although not that big) and is very outdoor sports oriented so you won't have any trouble finding advice. BUT don't underestimate Ben Nevis - it is much more dangerous than it seems in good weather. Stayed at RS reccomended Gowan Brae house that was really nice. There is also the Ben Nevis distillery just outside town if you want another distillery to visit. Cadenhead - on the Royal Mile - is the store for hardcore whisky lovers in Edinburgh. They don't offer tastings there unless you're a serious buyer but they do arrange biweekly themed tastings in town. Hope that helps,
=Tod

Ann, It's a very long drive from Edinburgh to Skye. I don't think that you would have time to stop off and see Stirling Castle and get arrive in Skye at a sane hour. One thing to consider would be a day trip to Stirling. You have three days in Edinburgh, and you can take the train from Edinburgh to Stirling very easily. Stirling is well worth the visit. It's going to be a minimum of an hour's stay in the castle itself, not counting driving into town, parking etc.
Have you looked at the website? There is a lot to see. It's very historic and beautiful. So, even without the stop at Stirling, you have a long day to Skye. If you are taking the ferry from Mallaig, you have a hard deadline. So you might find it better to spend the night on the mainland and catch an early ferry over to Skye. I think it's recommend that you reserve a spot. Particularly, the Uig Ferry to Tarbert would want a reservation. You should return from Lewis from STornoway to Ullapool. It's a great trip. And you can get either spend some time in Ullapool or go straight on to Inverness. It's not a far drive. I've stayed right in Inverness and I've stayed out on the Black Isle in Fortrose at The Anderson. You'll enjoy either location. Check via Michelin for routing and times. Pam

* "Will we have enough time to see Stirling Castle on the way to Fort William?" - Yes. It's about a 4 hour drive from Edinburgh to Ft Wm via Stirling. You'll want at least 2 hours at Stirling Castle (they've just opened up a new exhibition about the Stirling Heads, and the Royal Palace is now open). Nearby attractions are the Wallace Memorial and Bannockburn battlefield. The scenery north of Stirling is lovely, so you'll want time to admire it, and stop for photos (esp at Glencoe). So if you plan to leave at 9am and arrive at 7pm, that's 4 hours moving in the car and 6 hours visiting stuff on the way. * "If we want to hike in that area, is Fort William a good place to stay?" - Yes. * "Should we go Skye if we are going to Isle of Lewes? Skye looks really cool, but is it too similar to Isle of Lewes?" - I don't think so. Of course it's much more like Lewis than is Edinburgh, but Lewis has nothing like the Cuillins.
* "If we go to Skye, should we stay overnight?" - it depends on what in Skye you want to see, and how you are getting to Lewis from Skye. If you are planning to get the ferry from Uig (on Skye) to Harris (which is on the same island as Lewis) then it might be sensible to do a long day on Skye and then stay overnight near Uig. Map here: http://www.calmac.co.uk/getimage.aspx.ID-196417.width-635.gif

* "Where around Inverness do you think is a good place to stay?" - Pass. * "Are 2 days in Inverness enough?" - They were for me. The two "must see" sights are Culloden where the Jacobites were finally defeated by Government forces, and Loch Ness (esp. Urquhart Castle).
* "Finally, Is this too much for the time we have? We don't want to re-create the Bataan death march on this vacation" - believe me, it won't be that hot in Scotland<g>. No, it all sounds fine. However, you should know that Ben Nevis is one of the least dramatic mountains you'll ever see. It's just not peaky. Much more drama with the Cuillins in Skye, and in Glencoe.

Thanks everyone for your ideas! We leave in 3 weeks!

Ann - I would recommend staying at St Ann's Guest House in Inverness.