Recommendations for my Scotland trip.

[TrueBlueBabyILoveYou]

I’ve just finished booking my 2-week trip to Scotland in July. Anyone familiar with any of these areas care to give me some tips, hidden gems or recommendations of things to do as a family (teen DC). We are really looking forward to getting away.

Our trip stops over in Edinburgh, Oban, Isle of Lewis and Pitlochry.

I've booked to go to Scotland this year but made sure it was a place with free cancellation as I'm currently pretty sure we won't get there (remote cottage in the middle of nowhere and we will take food with us - we will hike and walk and similar, no plans to visit anywhere well populated).

I went to Edinburgh last year and had the most amazing burrito I have ever eaten in my life. It was a tiny place at the bottom of the grassmarket.

Don't use Skin So Soft for the midges, it doesn't work. The best thing to use is Smidge, can easily be bought up here.
But I'm sorry to echo the other voices of doom on this thread, if you do get to make your trip please be very conscious that small Highland communities are very torn about tourism right now. They need the money, but they do not have the infrastructure for the virus to hit them the way its hit the rest of the country.
I also think the central belt (Edinburgh to Glasgow) will be pretty locked down, at best tier 3.

This is a link to my fantasy Scottish holiday thread from January where people gave me loads of great suggestions.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/uk/4141883-Help-me-plan-a-fantasy-holiday-to-Edinburgh

I'm also in the highlands and yes, lots of locals were incredibly resentful of people visiting from further afield last year when lockdown eased. People are still scared but to add to that the influx of visitors was on a whole other level last year, not only were small towns and villages seriously crowded, people were defacating on roadsides and in people's gardens, leaving rubbish and litter and used toilet paper all over the place and dismantling stones from historical buildings to put on top of jobbies they'd done behind them. I know that most people visiting were probably respectful but there were so many people, and the mess and impact was on a whole other level, that locals came to resent everyone they knew not to be from here.
That was aside from the fear of someone bringing in the virus where hospital services are incredibly limited. Just something to be aware of, some locals would be polite but voice it away from visitors, others would be downright hostile to them at times. I'm further up north but have family in Pitlochry and people there have recently called the police on campervans that have appeared in town.

If trips to St Kilda are on that's worth doing from Lewis (or Harris). I'd also recommend driving to Harris and going to the distillery. Uig Sands is a lovely restaurant up there too with very special views

Go to Staffa to see the puffins

LEWIS IS much more relaxed now on Sundays, the swimming pool museums and some cafes will be closed but the days of closing playparks are long gone there is a company out of Uig called seatreks I think that used to do amazing tours of places you can only get to by boat because they use ribs you can see a lot in 2-3 hours, best beaches Uig skigesta by Ness lighthouse, Bernera via the bridge over the atlantic has some stone age houses by beach which is behind the graveyard ifyou goto harris luskentyre and hotgabost beaches are the best, but to get off the beaten trail try the rocky east coast of Harris a sea otter hotpot, personally I think the Callanish stones are a 30 minute visit but the cafe is nice,

National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh I'd recommend. If your DC have any interest in architecture then the Scottish Parliament building.

I love Scotland ❤️
We've booked a week in a cottage in August. Fingers crossed.
We just lost our April in Yorkshire 🙄

Just be aware of your driving times, e.g. Oban to Ullapool or Uig is 4+ hours and then you need to factor in the ferry booking in time (45 mins).

July is often wet, Scottish school holidays start at the end of June and it usually rains for the first 2 weeks! And yes Smidge for midges.

Most touristy places will welcome considerate visitors who are mindful of restrictions and requirements. Rural places tend to be much, much more cautious than cities.

And please, please, ensure you know how to drive on single track roads - keep left, always, and let traffic from behind past.

please, please, ensure you know how to drive on single track roads - keep left, always, and let traffic from behind past

This, a million times over.

We have booked a weekend in scotland but just made sure cancellation is possible.
I also have scottish friends who have planned trips to come to england
If and it is a big if that england is out of this in june , I think a lot of scottish people will be wanting the same
Also we should really be opening up uk before allowing foreign holidays in my opinion and I am not sure how well borders could be checked for people leaving for england anyway if loads do it

We also struggled to get a place on the ferry so book well in advance

If you are going out to the islands check out Caledonian Macbraynes (Calmac) ferries website for Hopscotch tickets.

Highlands. Maybe Forress and Morray

Get the book ‘Scotland the Best’, it’s great for this sort of holiday planning.

@Funf

We also struggled to get a place on the ferry so book well in advance

Calmac ferries will still be running a reduced service this summer so much fewer spaces/sailings available on bookable routes. This applies to locals too which need to book at short notice for e.g. hospital appointments and are not given any priority to book.

Thank you for the tips and the reality check. My hotels are all fully refundable and if and when we go to Scotland we will be making sure we are respectfully keeping within any rules and covid-considerate of the people we come into contact with.

I am looking forward to it but will survive if we have to stay home again this summer. I live in hope though.

I've ordered the book. Thanks for all the recommendations.

Loch Tay is worth a visit from Pitlochry. Water sports available if of interest. As mentioned by others the Queen’s View also stunning and close by.