Scotland in summer 2017

[illegitimateMortificadospawn]

We are thinking of spending up to 2 weeks in Scotland next summer. We are in the south west, so would break our journey overnight on the way up & back. We want to split our stay between locations in the east & west and prefer self-catering, but would consider a hotel for one leg so long as it's not too corporate and soulless. We've never holidayed in Scotland before, but don't remind a bit of far flung beauty as long as we hit civilisation from time to time.

Where is good to stay?
Where is good to visit?

A trip to Edinburgh is a given.
I heard there are coastal areas with reliable dolphin sightings, so I'm interested to know where.

Don't do it!

Only joking!

Well kind of.
On July 1 we returned from a 12 day trip of Scotland from east to west. Lindisfarne was great , nice weather. Not really Scotland I know but pretty close. Sterling ok. Weather was starting to go downhill.
Oban was very pretty but by then the weather was atrocious and not a lot to do.
Ayr was warmer but still very grey. A bit more to do.
Then down to the lakes . Weather iffy and finally home.
Bliss
We spent about £1500....could have gone abroad.
Two old fogeys, no kids

We had a lovely week here last year, did all the Loch Ness, battlefields etc -
Best holiday we've ever had, but we were lucky with the weather! www.ukcaravans4hire.com/coulmore-bay.html

We then followed that with a week going to Edinburgh (the tattoo was amazing) glasgow and Stirling.

The Fringe is on in August and everywhere in Edinburgh and for miles around gets booked up.
That said there's lots to do. We travel up from the Bristol area on a regular basis.

Dundee has dolphin spotting boat tours.

The new V&A should be open by next summer too, along with HMS Discovery, Science Museum, and you're close to St Andrews (which is beautiful, if pricey), Glamis Castle is close by too.

www.northcoast500.com for dolphins, whales and more. Moray Firth ( www.moraydolphins.co.uk ) also good.

This place is amazing and I believe they have built a pool and sauna since I stayed there with my family:

www.highlandclubdirect.com/m2/m-index.php

Lovely place, scenic and lots to do. Near Loch Ness

Thanks all - some great links. I should have put 2018 in the header, so plenty of time for research & planning.

We were thinking of visiting Scotland this summer, but aren't midges a problem!?

Peebles has lots of character and only 1 hour from Edinburgh.

Midges can be a problem, but they're not like disease-carrying mozzies! The bites itch but go in a few days. West coast worse for them than the east.

Are you travelling with DC? How old are they?

Glasgow to Isle of Arran to mainland to Isle of Mull up to Tobermory back to mainland , Fort William up to Sky back to mainland up to Inverness back down to Glasgow via Cairngorms and Trossachs. Easter this year. Utterly utterly breathtakingly beautiful. Exceptional weather over all 12 days. We hired a motor home as you can stop anywhere (sensible) except around Loch Lomond where you have to get a permit.

Have travelled to all continents except S America. Lived in Asia for years. Still haven't seen anything as stunning as West Coast of Scotland. Do it. !

They will be 13 and 10, Doctor.

Aw, kittens - we have travelled elsewhere & keep saying that we should really explore our own country better, so I am really pleased to hear about your lovely trip. Where did you hire your motorhome from?

Thinking of spending a fortnight in England next year. Anywhere good??

Seriously. You don't get midgies on the east coast.
Most of Scotland is quite civilised.
Pick a centre - one of the cities - and base yourself there. Scotland may be a small country but there is more to see than you can do in a fortnight. If you've never driven up north then you will have no appreciation of how long it can take to get somewhere.
We have more natural beauty, history, art and culture packed in than anywhere else in the world. (Although I may be biased!)
And the weather isn't as bad as some southerners seem to think.

What kind of holiday are you after, snuff?

We used to have family in the Borders & occasionally nipped over the border into Scotland, but haven't ventured beyond Glasgow or Edinburgh.

You do so get midges on the east coast! I got some of the worst bites I've ever had in Fife. That taught me not to play British Bulldog at dusk, near trees... But as I said earlier, while the bites itch like buggery for a few days, they don't carry diseases and are a fairly minor distraction.

We got ours from unbeatable hire. Everything we needed. Fixed double. Loo/shower. Cooker /fridge/sink which meant we didn't have to eat out all the time and could easily whip up lunch. (Saved loads doing that) also gave us the freedom to spend the night in some of the most beautiful places on earth. With no one to disturb the view ! As we were only two the motor home was not cumbersome, was very easy to drive on and off CalMac ferries (which were so cheap - heavily subsidised apparently !) but a 4 birth is not much bigger .

Thanks Kitten.

@Dowser Neither the Lakes or Lindisfarne are in Scotland.
And it's Stirling, not Sterling. FFS.

@Dowser Neither the Lakes or Lindisfarne are in Scotland.
And it's Stirling, not Sterling. FFS.

I was a bit confused by that too!

Definitely try plan a trip to Skye.

Head to the NW Highlands, from Plockton to Ullapool is out of this world stunning, Applecross, Torridon, Gairloch...amazing sealife.

For dolphins you want moray firth - findhorn/Spey bay /Cromarty

Am busy cutting & pasting all the lovely ideas here. Thank you all.