Where can I go on holiday in Scotland?

[TroubleUsedToBeMyBusiness]

OK I need a few days away in the summer school holidays. Many places booked up. Normally go to northumberland but decided I want to stay in Scotland this year.

I don't want to go anywhere were there is the remotest chance of midges. Also don't want to be in the car for more than a couple of hours from the central belt.

Been to Nairn / Aberdeenshire / Orkney / Borders / Fife beaches / St Andrews etc / fort william and surrounding areas previously and don't want to revisit any of these places. Last time I went to Dumfries and Galloway it poured with rain.

Any ideas?

^^assuming you fly that is!

I love Eyemouth and Coldingham.

Love D and G. Holidays there havd been lovely and sunny. We also like
East Neuk
Bamburgh
Lewis and Harris
Orkneys

If you holiday in Scotland there will always be the possibility of midgies. But I presume you are saying you don’t want the West Coast . Your comment about Dumfries and Galloway is a bit unfair - we go there a lot - to a lovely little village called Kippford and generally find the weather better there than it is in Glasgow. It could pour all week wherever you go in Scotland.
North Berwick is lovely. Loch Ken in Perthshire is nice - with Aberfeldy a nice town to stay in. Plenty to do round that area

I love D&G and have always been lucky with the weather there.

Personally I'd go a bit further north - Ullapool, Durness, Tain. Or take advantage of the fact that there won't be that many visitors in Edinburgh for once and do a city break. There are some cute wee places around the Tay coast of Fife too.

"Or take advantage of the fact that there won't be that many visitors in Edinburgh for once and do a city break."

Do you think this will be the case? We've booked to go a couple of times when we'd usually be abroad.

@runnerdown - yes, maybe we should give D&G another go - but seriously the last time we were there (easter) it rained solidly for 4 days. It was a bit miserable. Where's the nicest place to stay? We want self-catering as DS has food allergies and it's too complicated food-wise in hotels.

Rockcliffe, Kipford, Gatehouse of Fleet and Kirkcudbright are ok lots of nice walks.

@Canoenewbie yes I do think Edinburgh won't be that busy - most UK holiday makers are looking for coastal walks and scenery and when I checked a couple of months ago there was loads of accommodation- but may have booked up since.

We have stayed in a lodge at coastal Kippford . It’s easy to walk into the village . Think there are cottages to rent round and about too
www.coastalkippford.com/
www.discoverscotland.net/property/elm-cottage

Why are so many people saying Bamburgh? It’s in England.

@rookiemere there's plenty costal walks and scenery in Edinburgh tbf. I live within shirt walking distance of the city centre and short walking distance of the beach where you can walk along the coast for miles and miles in either direction. I do think it will be busy in August if restriction lifting continues as expected as the fringe festival is due to go ahead albeit on a smaller scale.

@Canoenewbie

"Or take advantage of the fact that there won't be that many visitors in Edinburgh for once and do a city break."

Do you think this will be the case? We've booked to go a couple of times when we'd usually be abroad.

Reduced festivals, restriction on foreign travel - I'm anticipating this will mean a quiet August - or rather, a 'quiet for Edinburgh in August'.

Had my first trip to Dock Park in Dumfries with the family in September last year when lockdown had eased, and was honestly really impressed and want to see more of the place. Absolutely stunning region of Scotland. Tempted to book self catering around this area in future.

Is Findhorn too close to Nairn?! We love it there. Warm sea, beautiful river and forest walks, great food..

Or Aviemore/surroundings? There's so much to do there and it's so beautiful.

Dunkeld or Crieff? Both lovely, with great surrounding scenery. Parts of Stirling (as in the county) will still have midges.

We joke that Dumfries and Galloway is shortened to D&G as it means Dull& Grey!
We live in Dumfries and Galloway (just over the boarder) personally I wouldn’t describe it as dull or grey! We live on the Solway Coast some call it the “Scottish Riviera” because its “warmed” by the Gulf Stream.
The light here is pretty special and it’s very beautiful with stunning scenery mountains and barren uplands contrasting with rolling pastures. There’s not a huge amount to do here just lovely walks mountains forestry lochs fields etc, totally unspoilt beaches and water based sports. It’s main attraction for us total peace and quiet as a friend said “the silence is deafening”.
Glasgow is just doable in a day as would Edinburgh.
I love Loch Lommond as does 1/2 of Glasgow its heaving when the weather is good but I have never been bitten by a midge there (I’m particularly popular with midges) unlike the west coast (Argyll and Bute) where I was eaten alive in 10 mins although the scenery is breathtaking especially as you through the Rest and Be Thankful roadworks permitting. I’ve also not had any trouble on the Ayrshire coast Troon etc (nice long Sandy beaches) but I personally find the landscape of rest of Ayrshire very “dull and grey”.

*@NotSoLongGoodbye” we live approx 25 miles west of Dumfries on the coast. I agree around Kipford Kirkcudbright Castle Douglas Loch Ken all stunning but not heaving in activities so might not suit some children, nice beaches many with sand rickpools tide goes out miles but a definite shortage of cafes etc LOTS of walks just depends what you’re looking for. I’ve had significantly worse weather on the west coast began to think it never stops raining and in Glasgow which I regularly visit where I can count nice weather days on one hand.

@IseeScottishhills

We joke that Dumfries and Galloway is shortened to D&G as it means Dull& Grey! We live in Dumfries and Galloway (just over the boarder) personally I wouldn’t describe it as dull or grey! We live on the Solway Coast some call it the “Scottish Riviera” because its “warmed” by the Gulf Stream. The light here is pretty special and it’s very beautiful with stunning scenery mountains and barren uplands contrasting with rolling pastures. There’s not a huge amount to do here just lovely walks mountains forestry lochs fields etc, totally unspoilt beaches and water based sports. It’s main attraction for us total peace and quiet as a friend said “the silence is deafening”. Glasgow is just doable in a day as would Edinburgh. I love Loch Lommond as does 1/2 of Glasgow its heaving when the weather is good but I have never been bitten by a midge there (I’m particularly popular with midges) unlike the west coast (Argyll and Bute) where I was eaten alive in 10 mins although the scenery is breathtaking especially as you through the Rest and Be Thankful roadworks permitting. I’ve also not had any trouble on the Ayrshire coast Troon etc (nice long Sandy beaches) but I personally find the landscape of rest of Ayrshire very “dull and grey”.

This sounds exactly what I am looking for in a holiday, thanks for selling it even more about D&G (not dull and grey!!).

Had my eye on something in Kircudbright but it's gone ... what do people think about Gatehouses of Fleet? DS is used to having 'boring' holidays of walking, beaches, climbing trees etc - not looking for bright lights etc.

Had my eye on something in Kircudbright but it's gone ... what do people think about Gatehouses of Fleet?
Really lovely area definitely loads of lovely walks beaches etc, very popular with local artists no bright lights in fact drivable to here no lights at all .

We stayed here a few years back and it was fab and midge free. You can see the lights of Belfast at night. Some small but lovely beaches in easy distance. Wigtown is independent bookshop territory.
www.visitscotland.com/info/accommodation/mull-of-galloway-lighthouse-holiday-cottages-p840681

I like Wigtown we looked at buying a near house there once, last year we ate in this amazing cafe/bookshop we had a delicious lunch. It's very quiet there. Dumfries and Galloway is definitely quieter than the west coast and just as nice.

Gatehouse is a lovely village. Great bookshop in the old mill.

Or go down the Mull of Galloway peninsula, taking in Portpatrick, Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Drummore, & the lighthouse. It gets quite narrow, so you can visit coast & beaches on both sides very easily.

The Whithorn peninsula is dead quiet, with nice villages in Port William, Garlieston, Isle of Whithorn as well as Wigtown.