We're taking RS 13 Day tour beginning 7/30 and arriving in Glasgow, departing Edinburgh.
As it is a busy time in Scotland, is it recommended to make dinner reservations NOW or just wing it when we arrive. We are four persons. If reservations I'd like any recommendations or must-see restaurants.
Finally, is the Hunterian Museum worth the visit. My son, who is a person with autism, loves dinosaurs. Or would Fossil Grove be better?
thank all.
If your son loves dinosaurs, then definitely go to Kelvingrove museum. It is fantastic and he would undoubtedly love it. I went to the Hunterian Art Gallery, but that was it. Are you talking about the zoology museum? If so, I think that is definitely something he would love.
I would suggest visiting the museum websites and looking to see what kind of exhibits they have. I can also tell you that Kelvingrove and the Hunterian museums are fairly close to each other, and Fossil Grove is a bit farther out. So logistically you could probably see both Kelvingrove and the Zoology museum the same day.
https://www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian/visit/ourvenues/hunterianzoologymuseum/
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17385719.dippy-dinosaur-fascinating-tale-behind-diplodocus-kelvingrove/
It depends on where you will be. If you are on Skye or the other islands, definitely make reservations ahead of time - both for lunch and dinner. In Glasgow, you can wing it to a certain extent but if there are places you really want to eat at that are popular, I would make reservations ahead of time, especially in Edinburgh.
In terms of food, I used these sites for some information, and there are several threads on this forum with good places to eat as well - just do a search for Glasgow restaurants, etc.
https://www.timeout.com/glasgow/restaurants/best-restaurants-in-glasgow
https://www.timeout.com/edinburgh/restaurants/the-best-restaurants-in-edinburgh
I ate at Mother India in Glasgow and really liked it, and Dishoom and BABA in Edinburgh and found them both really good.
If you’re going to want a restaurant in Edinburgh during August, you will need to book as that whole month is multiple festivals and the city is packed.
Edinburgh: I can recommend Howies and Mussel Inn for dinner (reservations a must). In Glasgow, I enjoyed Sugo Pasta, a very busy and somewhat noisy place but the food was delicious.
We did that tour last August. If there is a particular pub or restaurant where you want to eat in Edinburgh then I would suggest booking it in advance of your trip. The pubs in the old town were booked solid during the Fringe Festival. We particularly liked Makar’s Mash Bar just below the Royal Mile. They don’t take reservations so it was first come first served. We got there when it opened at noon and found a table. We winged it the rest of the time in Edinburgh and had luck finding places to eat in New Town. The only other place we had trouble finding a table at a restaurant was Oban so I would suggest scoping that out in advance as well.
Just a heads up that the UCI World Cycling Championships will be held in Glasgow beginning August 3. They are expecting over 1 million spectators. I would guess that many people will be arriving in Glasgow prior to the event and restaurants, pubs, and sightseeing venues may be busy. Cycling is a big deal in Europe. I did the Best of Scotland tour last fall and we spent one day in Glasgow after the tour began. That means you will probably do your walking tour on July 31 and will leave on August 1, and will miss the biggest crowds, but most likely will still be impacted by the events. Last fall there were already banners up around Glasgow touting the coming of the Championships.
@mango.tree We loved the food at Makar’s Mash Bar and they do not take reservations when the Fringe Festival is going on. We heard about this restaurant from another RS traveler and decided to try it. The haggis was really good as well as the sausages and beef. We sat outside at a picnic table with a couple from Oxford and had a lovely time chatting. We did not see any tourists making duck faces or taking selfies.
