Scotland - Help please?

[justgirl]

My DP has wanted to visit Scotland for as long as I've known him (10years!) it's his 30th this year and so I want to make it happen.....reason I've never looked into it before is because I don't really know where to start. Scotland is obviously a big place and I don't have anything more to specific to go which part should we go to?! What should we see/do! My brain is fried!

What does he like?

City trips with museums etc, country side walks or more adventurous sports?

Edinburgh is just beautiful, and you could easily spend a long weekend there and not run out of things to see and do!

I'd use that as your base and go and visit other places if you want to spend a bit longer than a weekend, and go and visit other places like Loch Lomond.

City - Edinburgh.

Mountains - Glencoe area.

Islands - any of them, they are all ace.

How much time will you be able to spend in scotland? Will you have access to a car or will you rely on public transport?

If tour coming for more than a day or 2, you can easily do a variety of stuff. If it's a short time, I'd say stick to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

We drove up.past Kochi Lomond, over Ranoch Moor, through Glencoe, and astern a few miles past Fort William, near Ben Nevis last Summer. Spectacular scenery, lovely friendly welcome, and lots to do.

Dumfries and Galloway if he likes outdoors type stuff, lochs, forests. Lovely beaches and coastline.

Not Kochi or astern.

Oops posted too soon.

Dumfries and Galloway is not too touristy at all, no fake tartan crap you get in Edinburgh, Loch Lomond and places in the highlands.

The isle of Arran is known as " Scotland in miniature" and is lovely and not too far north to travel.

And don't forget the Borders.

Give us a clue OP. Scotland is not much smaller than England, so we need a rough idea of what/where will suit him.

Sorry for going awal - I'm back!!! It sounds stupid but I don't really know what to even look for!! I think he'd like the walking and scenery aspects, but we aren't "seasoned walkers" so it wouldn't be solely about that. He's more intellectual than me, so I'm sure he's like learning about the culture, doing some "traditional" things if there are any. I, on the other hand would like to go on the hogwarts train the only thing I know he loves that Scottish is biffy clyro, I was hoping that maybe there would be something relevant to them he could see but haven't found anything online, all I know is they're from Ayrshire. I am so unhelpful, sorry!!! X

I would stick with one coast or the other- so west, a couple of days in Glasgow then head up to Loch Lomond, Oban, Fort William so you see a bit of the highlands and you could also see an island like Mull/Arran. You could even just do Glasgow and Arran, as you can try a train and boat there.
East Coast, you would start in Edinburgh, and could go to St. Andrews and maybe inland towards Perthshire.

There are a lot of cultural things on in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Though Edinburgh can be a bit more touristy tartan twee in high season.

Both could be done either by car or train.

Also, the hogwarts train can is the fort William to mallaig train I think.

If you are going in the summer, the Edinburgh festival is on in aug, and in glasgow the commonwealth games are on. So accommodation will be expensive/booked up. But they might be some things he wants to see.

id go up the west coast. Spectacular.

Dont forget the midge repellant

id go up the west coast. Spectacular.

Dont forget the midge repellant

does he like whisky? There's a Malt Whisky Trail
which can be fun, scenery around and a bout it lovely.

Biffy are headlining tonight at T in the park I think. Missed the boat there OP

The West coast of Scotland is lovely, if you start in Dumfries and Galloway or Ayrshire there's lots to do. If he likes culture there are lots of things about Robert Burns in Ayrshire- particularly Ayr which might be a good starting point, it's on the coast and is a nice busy town with plenty of places to eat etc and some good pubs. Biffy Clyro are from Irvine I think-15 minutes away from Ayr on the train but there isn't much to see there.

Moving up the way you'd be able to visit Glasgow, Loch Lomond etc.

Also good music scene in glasgow if he likes biffy etc

Maybe head to edinburgh for a few nights then sign up to one of the "Haggis Tours" bus tours for young/ish people

Id stay in Glasgow as its less of a tourist trap, if he's a music fan take him to the legendary King Tuts Wah Wah Hut. Maybe see if there's a good gig on at the Barrowlands?

I'd do one or two night in Edinburgh- it's so pretty but mobbed during the festival but its worth seeing.

Take a day trip out to the coast, or go to Millport or Arran (small islands great for holiday makers). If you want something swish and semi rural then Portavadie is beautiful.

Maybe see if there's an event on somewhere that you surprise him with and then focus the rest around it? Have a look at gigsinscotland to get a good rundown of what's on.

Also if he's a biffy fan he might appreciate this lot FatherSon

I think you could do worse than research famous film locations, I have just got back from camping at Arisaig for a week, very close to the Hogwarts train and also the lovely beach from Local Hero and some of the locations from Rob Roy. I took this in Arisaig last week.

Any of the train journeys into the highlands are well worth doing.

If it was my birthday I would want to stay at "The Ceilidh Place" in Ullapool for a weekend.

Arrgh my lovely photo didn't work, I think it was too high res.

Here it is: