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UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Scotland road trip - must see/ do tips

32 replies

floridapalmtree · 02/05/2022 23:08

We are going on a Scottish road trip in May having never been before for roughly about a week but flexible.

We mainly want to see beautiful vistas, lochs, mountains, white sand beaches, forests etc with a few historic buildings. Husband is thinking of the North Coast 500 which is a 500 mile route around the northern highlands. Any suggestions for lovely places to go, so far our thoughts are;

Loch Lomond & Trossachs
Isle of Skye
Glencoe
Loch Ness
Ardnamurchan peninsula
Ben Nevis
Edinburgh
Glasgow

I realise that we would need more than a week to do all of the above so need to decide which would be best.

We will need to stay overnight along the route so also any nice places to stay or eat would be good. We could camp but need to buy new tent.

OP posts:
RunnerDown · 03/05/2022 13:01

Lots of fantastic places to visit in Scotland but the most dramatic scenery is definitely up the West Coast. The drive to Glencoe from Glasgow is lovely - very atmospheric when you get near Glencoe. After that you can head to Skye ( North part of the Island is best) - although it is always full of tourists. Or there are other places like Gairloch, Poolewe, Plockton, Lochinver where you can base yourself and do lots of day trips. Very manageable in a week.
Applecross is amazing - with views over to Skye. But the drive there is scary ( bealach na ba) and it takes ages to get anywhere else. The Applecross Inn does the best fish and chips ever.!
you can get to all these places in a day from Glasgow. The drive will be long and slow at times - but the scenery is so good it doesn’t matter ! And if you go to Skye it might take you an hour or two to reach your destination after you’ve crossed the bridge

ApolloandDaphne · 03/05/2022 13:06

That is too much to see in one week. We are Scottish and live in St Andrews. We have done separate one weeks holidays in Ardnamurchan, Skye, Loch Lomond area, Inverness/Black Isle/Loch Ness etc. Glasgow/Edinburgh are great for long weekends. Choose one place and see it properly. Then come back and do the others another time!

theremustonlybeone · 03/05/2022 13:15

My family are in callander and that is a great base for exploring. My favourite area is the west coast, glencoe, fort william, glenfinnan monument is a must see and all close to each other and can be done in a day. You can then drive up to mallaig and take the ferry over to skye and do the fairy pools walks and drive back via the bridge to kyle of lochalsh and you will see my favourite castle Eilean Donan....

Abblebee · 03/05/2022 13:22

Tourists often by-pass the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

Where would you suggest visiting please?

darlingdodo · 03/05/2022 14:29

Abblebee, the borders has some lovely coastline, St Abb's Head for the birds, Coldingham for the beach, Eyemouth for the harbour, fish and chips and Giacopazzi's ice cream, also feeding the seals in the harbour.

There is plenty of fine walking in The Cheviots.

We're up to our necks in stately homes and romantic ruins. My favourites are Mellerstain house - glorious Adam ceilings, usually quiet, nice walks on the estate and Floors Castle - proper stately home stuffed to the gunnels with beautiful art. The walled garden at Floors is truly beautiful - long herbaceous borders.

The Border abbeys, especially, imo, Dryburgh, are fantastic - ruined, atmospheric. Earl Haig is buried at Dryburgh - his family home is nearby, also Walter Scott, his home, Abbotsford near Galashiels is well worth a visit.

If you like cycling there's MTB at Glentress and Innerleithen.

At this time of year the countryside is glorious - Dawyck Botanical Gardens for rhododendrons and amazing trees, banks of the River Tweed for bluebells and ramsons.

It's so quiet -you can walk for miles and not see a soul, so many country lanes and beautiful views.

D&G coastline is stunning. Rhins of Galloway and the lighthouse where, on a clear day you can see Ireland, Isle of Man and the Lake District fells. The wildflowers on the road to the lighthouse are lovely from mid May to mid June.

Portpatrick looks like Cornwall on a sunny day and there's a lovely beach at Port Logan (and a botanical garden).

Wigtown for the bookshops, Kirkcudbright for the artists. Galloway forest for more MTB and wildlife.

Caerlaverock Castle and gardens.
Garliedton Bay for the walk around the bay and the beautiful flat stones on the beach.

DeskInUse · 03/05/2022 14:38

It will take you three times as long to do the west coast, but I much preferred the west coast

Skye is worth a visit

As is smoo caves

There's so many lovely beaches on the north coast

Abblebee · 03/05/2022 16:38

@darlingdodo

Thank you!

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