Scotland Highlands or North Devon

[Kerry987]

We are finding difficult to decide where to go on holidays this year. I am dreaming of a nice beach but it looks like the Mediterranean is not an option this year.

Thinking of Devon. DH also suggested Scotland Highlands. Any advice on those places would be helpful. We will drive from London.

The highlands is a long drive from London. It there are some beautiful beaches on Skye, at Plockton and Applecross etc. The Moray coast is also amazing - Cullen, Lossiemouth.

North Devon is closer and will be warmer than the highlands, its more of a bucket and spade location and set up for tourism. But it will be busier and the highland beaches are spectacular, especially right in the far north.

Tough choice but I'd go for Scotland

Thanks. DH wants Scotland. Wondering if it would be easier to get the Sleeper and then rent a car. Can anyone please recommend places to stay?

What would you prefer, coast and beaches or hills and rivers, near a town or middle of nowhere?

Devon will have better weather! Scotland is also v busy at moment. Driving up from London is long but doable.

Scotland is also v busy at moment

Yes, and Devon won't be?!

I'd go for Scotland myself if you're willing to take on the extra travel time / expense. It might be busier than usual but it won't be as busy as Devon!

I think near a town. We would like to see coastline and beaches but will be nice to see hills too and do some family walks.

Have read some stories about midges. How can we avoid them.?

Thinking of going mid August. We can drive and stop over half way for a night to break the drive and rest.

Wondering if we will need one or two weeks or 10 days.

Thank you very much

West coast has most midges. The drive isn’t too bad if you stop overnight. As pp said have a look at Cullen or Findhorn areas as fab beaches and generally quiet. Also close enough to Cairngorms for the hills.

Scotland, I love it there. Stunning, peaceful and totally worth the long drive ( just make sure you stop overnight on the way up and back).

Great. Thank you very much. Will look at the places suggested

If any of you are midge magnets I would avoid the West coast of Scotland in August. DH went to Skye one August and couldn't get out of the car because of the midges. They are numerous and ferocious.

I live in Devon and grew up in the highlands. We are holidaying in the Highlands near Glencoe in August. I'm fully expecting midges.

Devon is rammed at the moment.

Thank you. Will try to avoid midges. Kids are not great when they are flying insects near by and we do get bites from other type of insects when go to other countries,

I would give Scotland a miss then. May is the best time to go to have a hope of some midge free decent weather.

What about North Yorkshire instead, or Northumberland if you want access to the coast?
Or, my favourite - Shropshire. It isn't near the sea, but we found so much to see and do when we went.

Sleeper plus car hire is probably a good combo. It will be midgy though, and English school hols can often be rainy (May is the best time of year for decent weather for future ref). That said, your odds are probably about 1/3 each on get lucky/mixed bag/complete washout.

We had glorious weather in Scotland the last two Octobers we visited.

I’d go for Northumberland - depends when you are going but case count creeping up in Scotland and I’d worry not that you’ll catch anything but that the locals might not want English visitors. We only had the 5 mile travel ban relaxed in Scotland recently.

More than happy to have visitors where I’ve been, keeps the economy moving.

We are heading to Bamburgh in Northumberland. Beaches, walking, lots to see. Never been. Fancied Scotland too but was put off by summer midge stories.

Devon is actually quite quiet at the moment (FIL lives in Topsham). There are people there but it’s really not very busy, and definitely not rammed - although schools are only just breaking up.

The sleeper is fab and car hire at Inverness is easy I think the east coast is less midgy but we went in may which was great ... the Black Isle is nice and dolphin watching in the firth a highlight... there's a mountain bike centre there as well...

We did Skye an Oct half term and it was a glorious drive from Inverness as the trees were changing colour along the loch so beautiful although when we do it again have promised dc the Harry Potter train so will take the other fork ! So would suggest Devon for summer and Scotland all the rest

Go east coast, no midges to speak of there

North Berwick is lovely Altho not actually Scotland!

You could come to somewhere like Inverness and visit Nairn beach, do Loch Ness etc. Then drive further north and visit Dornoch, even go right up the top to dunnet head.

Plenty to see and do on the east coast and no midgies.

Ooh yes dolphin watching at chanonry point, aim to go an hour after high tide.

Scottish schoolchildren go back to school (hopefully) at the beginning of August so it might be quieter. I don't think the Fringe festival is taking place this year so Edinburgh might be quieter too.
We regularly go to the Highlands (mainly Mull) and the beaches are just that- beaches. No amusement parks, arcades, no deckchair hire, no chip shops... just stretches of sand.
Midges?? Avon Skin so soft spray oil (the original one) does the trick.

Forgot to mention that the train to Oban takes you right next to the ferry terminal.

I come from Devon and it is heaving in summer both North and South beaches. I would go to Highlands as less crowded. Both nice destinations.