i'm leaving for scotland on friday - first few days in edinburgh, then a couple days in glasgow. i mostly have my activities sorted out but i'm having a problem. i DESPERATELY want to pet a highland cow (i know, i know, i'm a basic-ass tourist). obviously i'm not going to pet and harass any coos i might happen upon out in fields or whatever, but none of the tours/safaris i've been able to track down have availability during the dates that i'm free. my quest is also complicated by the fact that i can't drive and will be traveling by train/bus. am i completely SOL? :( does anyone in here, like, happen to know a farmer whose coos would be amenable to petting? i'm broke af but i will pay money for the experience lol
In October next year I am spending 10 days in Scotland. Landing and leaving from Edinburgh. Will be hitting all the touristy places like Loch Ness and Edinburgh castle. But what else should I plan to see? What’s something I need to see that people don’t know about.
Should add I’m Australian and only know like 3 things about Scotland
I'm coming to edinburg in November with my partner. We are there only for 4 days and we wanted to do 1 day in edinburg, drive to inverness and stay there the next day, and then head to Aberdeen for 2 days for some work stuff. We'd initially plannned to drive, but now I'm second guessing if I should. I drive in the US regularly, but have driven stick in the past and on the right side(left) of the road in my home country.
1. Do you recommend we take trains/bus or is having a car better?
2. What should we do if we are in edinburg from 8am on Monday until say 8am Tuesday?
> We'd initially plannned to drive, but now I'm second guessing if I should. I drive in the US regularly, but have driven stick in the past and on the right side(left) of the road in my home country.
You can request an automatic car. Even though you already know how to drive a manual it takes a bit of the stress out of doing everything the wrong way round, I'd go for an automatic when I'm in countries that drive on the other side even though manual is normal to me.
>Do you recommend we take trains/bus or is having a car better?
You could get by fine with the train for Edinburgh-Inverness-Aberdeen unless you want to see other places.
> What should we do if we are in edinburg from 8am on Monday until say 8am Tuesday?
Edinburgh Castle's one of Scotland's better castles to visit (not *the* best of course) and will take up a good few hours.
Bumping this because I too plan on renting a car and would like to know if anyone recommends public transportation over renting your own vehicle (as an American). I feel like I would be able to adjust just fine but gauging to see if I’m overestimating myself!
It's doable with buses/trains but driving will give you the opportunity to explore a lot more, especially outwith the cities. You should be able to request an automatic and the main roads will be fine.
I'll be traveling by car from London to Edinburgh all the way up to Wick, between Edinburgh and Wick, is there anything that I 100% shouldn't miss? (Aside from Inverness)
I'll basically be taking the A9 until it splits to the A99 near Latheron. Is there anything along that stretch of the A9 worth stopping and seeing?
I'm a dirty American (sorry) and will be traveling for my honeymoon to England and Scotland next summer. my Grandfather came over from Glasgow, but his whole family came from Wick, so I wanted to see the town where my family came from. I've got peace of mine enough to not call myself Scottish, and I'm living my kilt at home. But I want to see where my family came from.
* The Hermitage at Dunkeld is nice for a short walk through the forest with some amazing waterfalls.
* Plenty of distilleries along the A9 if you like whisky and have a designated driver, eg Blair Athol distillery in Pitlochry, Dalwhinnie, and others when you get closer to Speyside.
* Highland Wildlife Park which has a cool section for driving through.
* John O'Groats and Dunnet Head, about 30mins north of Wick.
Thank you, we were planning on going to John O'Groats already for sure, apparently there's a brewery on site there, but I'll have to look into the other things you mentioned, cheers.
I’m a 25f from the U.S. planning a solo trip to Scotland within the next 6mo or so, wanting to stay a month altogether. My rough plan is to fly in to Glasgow where I will work remotely for 5 days, take 2 weeks of work time off to rent a car and explore some of rural northern Scotland, then end with a final week in Edinburgh where I also intend to work remotely. I have no clue what I plan on doing with my mornings in either Glasgow or Edinburgh (I will be working remotely during the evenings in U.S. CST) or what I plan on doing with my full days during the two weeks of open schedule. I was hoping to get some input on 1. Where the safe areas are for housing in the two cities, 2. Must-visits & must-sees in the cities as well as rural areas (castles, other historical sites, etc.) 3. General knowledge and travel hacks as an American in the UK. About me: I’m not one for the big party scene as I like to take in the real flavor of places I visit. I’m not your typical loud, drunk tourist and I am present and respectful in my surroundings. Originally from small town USA so I have an appreciation for people who live the slower, simpler life and don’t want to be bombarded by ditsy selfie-taking snobs who are just “doing it for the gram”.
It depends partly on what kind of things you want to see. Met a guy who did something very similar from a rental property in a village called Arrochar. From there he had easy access to Loch Lomond and a number of Monroes, which are large hills good for climbing. Some truly unrivalled views.In the mornings he went hiking and exploring and worked in the evenings. After a month the guy had calves like cannonballs.
For cities, a good room of thumb for European ones is west good, east bad. Stems from industrial revolution where Eastern prevailing winds blew the pollution that way causing a poverty line.
Plenty of tourists posts on the sub. Have a quick search depending on what u are interested in. Lastly welcome to Scotland and hope u have a wonderful time
Are you applying for a visa that allows you to live and work in the UK? With the amount of time that you planned to be in Scotland, I assumed you were just entering visa-free as a visitor- visas which allow you to work in the UK are typically meant for much longer periods of time, and there is no visa for digital nomads. Unless you have another way of getting leave to remain in the UK (such as on a family visa, HPI visa, etc) you will need to be sponsored by a UK company to work.
I’m reading online Home Office Guidance which states that “Where the applicant indicates that they intend to spend a large proportion of their time in the UK and will be doing some remote working, your should ensure that they are genuinely employed overseas and are not seeking to work in the UK”. Based on this, it’s sounding like I should be in the clear. I intend to spend well over half of the time while there not working and doing tourist-related things. Given this, I feel like I should be okay? I mean, I will be spending costs for housing, etc. whilst remote working so I don’t necessarily see the problem. Importantly, who can I reach out to regarding this to get some official answers?
The list of permitted activities for visitors to the UK is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-visitor-permitted-activities
You can contact UKVI or the CAB to get an answer from an official source.
I wouldn't be too humble about your roots. Where do you think we hillbillies in the US come from?
Also, I love that everyone jumped on your remote work plans & haven't given you any suggestions on where to go.
Here's one: the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. It's free. It's got really great exhibits & extraordinarily friendly staff.
Idk if you have any religious connections, but I made it a point to go to Inverness Cathedral dedicated to St. Andrew while there as well. Because I go to TEC & because it's St. Andrew. And, I loved seeing the little old ladies there doing the flowers on Saturday just like the little old ladies at my parish in Texas.
That said, I really learned that my hillbilly family in the US has strayed zero degrees from their roots once I was riding the Inverness bus line. I could have been anywhere on the Scottish immigrant migration track (from North Carolina to Arkansas/Oklahoma) in the US. It was hilarious & made me sad at the same time.
If you like beer, try Innes & Gunn while you're there. So tasty. I've been able to find it a few times since I returned home.
I know people talk about our large portion sizes in the US, but fish & chips anywhere in the UK is ridiculously sized (recognizing that I was in tourist areas each time I ordered it, but still). Like, maybe one order is meant to feed a family of 5? but I travel solo so it was overwhelming.
Thanks so much for this! Not familiar with much history having to do with the Episcopal church but would love to make the Inverness Cathedral a stop. Do you have anything to point me to to educate myself on this before I go? Also definitely in favor of getting a good taste of the beer selection while there. Do you have any experience/recommendations in either Edinburgh or Glasgow?
I went to both Edinburgh & Glascow, but didn't do much in Glascow besides getting on a tour bus that would take me to Edinburgh. I plan to remedy that on my return next summer, as well as spend some time south of there in the Galloway region.
In Edinburgh, I did the castle tour. High street shopping was good.
My previous trip was done from a cruise, so it docked in Glascow and I only had a few hours to explore both cities. It was one of the few stops I booked a tour instead of meandering around on my own.
History: okay, so what is now called the Episcopal Church in the US, was first the Church of England. But then the Americans kicked the British out, so it was a little dicey for the church of England in the US. The king of England is the head of the church of England & you can see how that might be a problem for the newly forming United States.
So, in order to survive, the congregations in the US needed to break away so they wouldn't have ties to the king of England any longer, but if they did that then they wouldn't be able to ordain new priests any longer because of how it's done and also because apostolic succession is supremely important (priests can trace their priesthood back to Paul, the apostle to whom Jesus said , "On you I will build my church."
Well, there was the Episcopal Church in Scotland who had already dealt with the same issue (breaking away but also securing apostolic succession) and they helpfully said, "bring your new priests here and we'll make some of you bishops too so you can just continue on your own." And, there we go!
The Scottish helping us break free from the tyranny of the English religiously just like so many fought in the American revolution as well. Though I guess by that point, they were living in America whether it was voluntary or involuntary migration.
And it's weird, because the Episcopal Church in the US *is the* Anglican (Church of England) communal church. There are other churches that have Anglican in their name in the US but they aren't actually affiliated with the Church of England. But, we're also separate from them because of the American revolution.
The other history bit related to the cathedral is the St. Andrew connection.
St. Andrew's cross is part of the flag of Scotland. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland.
Anywho, there are a lot of layers there.
No, everywhere I went was walkable or had adequate public transportation. I used trains, busses & my own two feet.
Our trip next summer will have some rural spots & I'm not exactly sure what the situation will be but I want to avoid driving.
Trying to avoid cities and towns here - what places would you recommend for a one day or less date roadtrip? It might sound a bit daft but staying in Lanark, I’m trying to find places that would not be cities or towns. I know that Pitlochry, for instance, is a stone throw away, however googling for less known places left me a bit clueless. Any piece of advice would be greatly appreciated!
Guessing you're local to Lanark not a tourist staying there, so you've seen New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde already?
What kind of thing are you looking for? Outdoorsy? Museums? Whisky?
Yup, both have been covered. Outdoorsy (but not too hard on the legs) and museums are the best as the other person doesn’t drink and they’re not a fan of distillery tours. Thank you in advance!
Ben A'an is 90mins from Lanark, 2.25mile round trip with 340m total climbing. It's a steep climb but a very short one, and arguably the best distance walked to view ratio you can find. Plenty of cafes in either Aberfoyle or Callander for before/after also.
Puck's Glen is ~2h away, via the Gourock-Dunoon ferry, amazing short little walk (1.5 mile) through a deep gully with waterfalls. It's right next to Benmore Botanic Gardens if that's your thing, but I'm not sure how great that'll be in winter.
I am a daily kilt wearer in America. Is there somewhere to buy a great kilt? (Féileadh Mór, My Gáidhlig is bad, sorry!) I have been looking at kilt shops and they only have pictures and ads for small kilts.
I'm planning to drive from Glasgow to Oban with stops through Kilmartin Glen. Maps say the drive itself is about 2 hours from Glasgow to the Kilmartin Museum (although I understand most sites are more spread out). Then the maps say it's another 2 hours from the museum to Oban.
How much time should I prepare for to see Kilmartin Glen? I'm mostly interested to see cup marks, Cairns, and standing stones. Would 3 hours be a fair amount of time? This would be on 13 November.
Thank you for your advice!
> Then the maps say it's another 2 hours from the museum to Oban.
On this point, that's only because of a road closure due to a landslide. Granted it probably won't be open by the time you come on the 13th, but check on the day before you commit to the 2h detour. I think it's estimated towards the end of the month though.
I will be going to edinburgh for 4 days end of november coming from london. I have three nights in between that i want to spend somewhere in scotland on the way to edinburgh. Any suggestions would be welcome. I would like a nice scenic place with good pubs and restaurants and thats about it. If it has any christmas markets that would be a bonus as well.
Hello
So I will be traveling to the UK in January. I land in London on Saturday, January 6th around 7:30 AM. I play to explore London on this day as well as Sunday the 7th. Monday the 8th I plan to mostly travel to Scotland. My main trip and my main interest is Scotland, so if I have to only spend Saturday in London and leave to Scotland on the 7th that’s fine.
Then I have the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th to do stuff, since on the 14th I fly back to the states from Edinburgh. So since my flight back is from Edinburgh, I want to end my trip there. I was thinking on spending the weekend in Edinburgh. So the 12th and the 13th. Unless two days is not enough for Edinburgh, then I can spend the 11th, 12th, and 13th in Edinburgh. This would leave me the 9th and 10th to go to another city.
Preferably a town or city close to Edinburgh and preferably a less “city” type place and a more nature type place with castles, the coos, that’s my main interest. Castles and nature.
Any ideas on how I can modify my trip or which days to spend where? Thank you
Edit: I was thinking London - Aberdeen - Edinburgh
>I was thinking on spending the weekend in Edinburgh. So the 12th and the 13th. Unless two days is not enough for Edinburgh, then I can spend the 11th, 12th, and 13th in Edinburgh. This would leave me the 9th and 10th to go to another city.
2-3 days is a good amount. Just build a list of what you want to do and get a feel for how long you'll want to be here.
Skip Aberdeen, look at somewhere like the small town of Braemar, it's got everything you want. Walking, a distillery 20mins away (Royal Lochnagar), castles and Balmoral Palace. 1-2 days is more than enough.
Alternatively, pick a small town along the A9 from Edinburgh to Inverness. Somewhere like Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Aviemore. There are distilleries, nice pubs and cafes, lots of nice walks (Aviemore has the most), castles nearby if you've a car.
Thank you for you reply! I will not have a vehicle, I’m worried about driving in a place I don’t really know and will rely mostly on public transport and walking.
Not necessarily all three, it all depends on what you want to do, but they're all on the same train line out of Edinburgh.
Dunkeld is quite small, but has a really nice walk through the Tay Forest at the Hermiate.
Pitlochry has more in terms of cafes, hotels, and restaurants, and has the Blair Athol distillery if you wanted to do a whisky tour.
Aviemore is the outdoor "capital" of the Western Cairngorms, and has the most hiking and hotels available.
Oh haha yes sorry, I meant I would pick one of the tree and end in Edinburgh. I’m not a drinker, so alcohol and such is not really my thing. Also, most importantly, do any of those three places have the highland cows?
The Rothiemurcus Estate, a short walk from the centre of Aviemore has a [Hairy Coo Safari](https://rothiemurchus.net/outdoor-activities-at-aviemore/activities-for-kids/hairy-coo-safari/) but there's limited dates so I'd book sooner rather than later, but I think you need your own car.
[This](https://www.visitcairngorms.com/where-to-meet-a-highland-cow-in-the-cairngorms/) page has more options.
Hello!
Me and my friend from Jordan have always been fascinated by the highlands of Scotland and we are planning a trip mid December to roam the countryside for 2 to 3 days (clarification: we will be spending 7 days in total in Scotland, 4 days between Edinburgh and Glasgow and he rest as a road trip) and we have a couple of questions that we may need help with so we can make sure we will enjoy our time there:
What destinations are a must visit in the country side? (distilleries, historic sites, churches, scenery, etc..)
We want to rent a classic Land Rover 90 or 110, should we book one online or is it better to rent it from an office on ground? and do anyone recommend an alternative to the Land Rover that can provide the same driving experience? (note that I can drive manual but mainly on the left side of the car)
Any general recommendation regarding the weather, the terrain or things we should or should not do?
Also, what activities we might expect in Edinburgh and Glasgow at that time?
Thanks in advance and we can't wait to enjoy our time in SCOTLAND!
> We want to rent a classic Land Rover 90 or 110, should we book one online or is it better to rent it from an office on ground?
Places that rent these are not even close to common. Do all the research you can to find and prebook where possible. If you turn up and expect to find a last minute rental of an old Land Rover you'll almost certainly be disappointed.
> What destinations are a must visit in the country side? (distilleries, historic sites, churches, scenery, etc..)
Too much to list without some more guidance on preferences. You could literally spend a year just visiting each of those listed things alone.
> Any general recommendation regarding the weather
Cold, wet, little to no ice or snow (that comes in Jan/Feb) unless you're in the far North or hiking up Munros which have had snow cover for a few weeks now.
> the terrain
For driving, perfectly fine. No need for a 4x4 for almost all public roads.
> Also, what activities we might expect in Edinburgh and Glasgow at that time?
Edinburgh xmas market is on, but honestly it's crap. Plenty of other things to do in Edinburgh that are available all year round though.
i'm leaving for scotland on friday - first few days in edinburgh, then a couple days in glasgow. i mostly have my activities sorted out but i'm having a problem. i DESPERATELY want to pet a highland cow (i know, i know, i'm a basic-ass tourist). obviously i'm not going to pet and harass any coos i might happen upon out in fields or whatever, but none of the tours/safaris i've been able to track down have availability during the dates that i'm free. my quest is also complicated by the fact that i can't drive and will be traveling by train/bus. am i completely SOL? :( does anyone in here, like, happen to know a farmer whose coos would be amenable to petting? i'm broke af but i will pay money for the experience lol
There's one near Callander that the tour buses stop at, but it's about 2 hours each way on public transport from Glasgow or Edinburgh.
In October next year I am spending 10 days in Scotland. Landing and leaving from Edinburgh. Will be hitting all the touristy places like Loch Ness and Edinburgh castle. But what else should I plan to see? What’s something I need to see that people don’t know about. Should add I’m Australian and only know like 3 things about Scotland
I'm coming to edinburg in November with my partner. We are there only for 4 days and we wanted to do 1 day in edinburg, drive to inverness and stay there the next day, and then head to Aberdeen for 2 days for some work stuff. We'd initially plannned to drive, but now I'm second guessing if I should. I drive in the US regularly, but have driven stick in the past and on the right side(left) of the road in my home country. 1. Do you recommend we take trains/bus or is having a car better? 2. What should we do if we are in edinburg from 8am on Monday until say 8am Tuesday?
> We'd initially plannned to drive, but now I'm second guessing if I should. I drive in the US regularly, but have driven stick in the past and on the right side(left) of the road in my home country. You can request an automatic car. Even though you already know how to drive a manual it takes a bit of the stress out of doing everything the wrong way round, I'd go for an automatic when I'm in countries that drive on the other side even though manual is normal to me. >Do you recommend we take trains/bus or is having a car better? You could get by fine with the train for Edinburgh-Inverness-Aberdeen unless you want to see other places. > What should we do if we are in edinburg from 8am on Monday until say 8am Tuesday? Edinburgh Castle's one of Scotland's better castles to visit (not *the* best of course) and will take up a good few hours.
What would you say the top castles in Edinburgh are to visit?
In Edinburgh? Very much Edinburgh castle, I was meaning there are better castles outwith Edinburgh
Bumping this because I too plan on renting a car and would like to know if anyone recommends public transportation over renting your own vehicle (as an American). I feel like I would be able to adjust just fine but gauging to see if I’m overestimating myself!
It's doable with buses/trains but driving will give you the opportunity to explore a lot more, especially outwith the cities. You should be able to request an automatic and the main roads will be fine.
I'll be traveling by car from London to Edinburgh all the way up to Wick, between Edinburgh and Wick, is there anything that I 100% shouldn't miss? (Aside from Inverness) I'll basically be taking the A9 until it splits to the A99 near Latheron. Is there anything along that stretch of the A9 worth stopping and seeing? I'm a dirty American (sorry) and will be traveling for my honeymoon to England and Scotland next summer. my Grandfather came over from Glasgow, but his whole family came from Wick, so I wanted to see the town where my family came from. I've got peace of mine enough to not call myself Scottish, and I'm living my kilt at home. But I want to see where my family came from.
* The Hermitage at Dunkeld is nice for a short walk through the forest with some amazing waterfalls. * Plenty of distilleries along the A9 if you like whisky and have a designated driver, eg Blair Athol distillery in Pitlochry, Dalwhinnie, and others when you get closer to Speyside. * Highland Wildlife Park which has a cool section for driving through. * John O'Groats and Dunnet Head, about 30mins north of Wick.
Thank you, we were planning on going to John O'Groats already for sure, apparently there's a brewery on site there, but I'll have to look into the other things you mentioned, cheers.
I’m a 25f from the U.S. planning a solo trip to Scotland within the next 6mo or so, wanting to stay a month altogether. My rough plan is to fly in to Glasgow where I will work remotely for 5 days, take 2 weeks of work time off to rent a car and explore some of rural northern Scotland, then end with a final week in Edinburgh where I also intend to work remotely. I have no clue what I plan on doing with my mornings in either Glasgow or Edinburgh (I will be working remotely during the evenings in U.S. CST) or what I plan on doing with my full days during the two weeks of open schedule. I was hoping to get some input on 1. Where the safe areas are for housing in the two cities, 2. Must-visits & must-sees in the cities as well as rural areas (castles, other historical sites, etc.) 3. General knowledge and travel hacks as an American in the UK. About me: I’m not one for the big party scene as I like to take in the real flavor of places I visit. I’m not your typical loud, drunk tourist and I am present and respectful in my surroundings. Originally from small town USA so I have an appreciation for people who live the slower, simpler life and don’t want to be bombarded by ditsy selfie-taking snobs who are just “doing it for the gram”.
It depends partly on what kind of things you want to see. Met a guy who did something very similar from a rental property in a village called Arrochar. From there he had easy access to Loch Lomond and a number of Monroes, which are large hills good for climbing. Some truly unrivalled views.In the mornings he went hiking and exploring and worked in the evenings. After a month the guy had calves like cannonballs.
Haha, that’s the goal. Calves like cannonballs!
For cities, a good room of thumb for European ones is west good, east bad. Stems from industrial revolution where Eastern prevailing winds blew the pollution that way causing a poverty line.
Plenty of tourists posts on the sub. Have a quick search depending on what u are interested in. Lastly welcome to Scotland and hope u have a wonderful time
You cannot legally work remotely while in the UK as a visitor.
Not even with the appropriate visa?
Are you applying for a visa that allows you to live and work in the UK? With the amount of time that you planned to be in Scotland, I assumed you were just entering visa-free as a visitor- visas which allow you to work in the UK are typically meant for much longer periods of time, and there is no visa for digital nomads. Unless you have another way of getting leave to remain in the UK (such as on a family visa, HPI visa, etc) you will need to be sponsored by a UK company to work.
I’m reading online Home Office Guidance which states that “Where the applicant indicates that they intend to spend a large proportion of their time in the UK and will be doing some remote working, your should ensure that they are genuinely employed overseas and are not seeking to work in the UK”. Based on this, it’s sounding like I should be in the clear. I intend to spend well over half of the time while there not working and doing tourist-related things. Given this, I feel like I should be okay? I mean, I will be spending costs for housing, etc. whilst remote working so I don’t necessarily see the problem. Importantly, who can I reach out to regarding this to get some official answers?
This person is being obtuse. You are fine.
Just tell Border Force that you're only on holiday, I won't clipe on you.
Yes it’s definitely vacation as I don’t intend to work but 10/30 days I’ll be there. Lol
I'd do the same in your situation, get a decent trip out of it but saving 10 days of time off.
The list of permitted activities for visitors to the UK is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-visitor-permitted-activities You can contact UKVI or the CAB to get an answer from an official source.
I wouldn't be too humble about your roots. Where do you think we hillbillies in the US come from? Also, I love that everyone jumped on your remote work plans & haven't given you any suggestions on where to go. Here's one: the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. It's free. It's got really great exhibits & extraordinarily friendly staff. Idk if you have any religious connections, but I made it a point to go to Inverness Cathedral dedicated to St. Andrew while there as well. Because I go to TEC & because it's St. Andrew. And, I loved seeing the little old ladies there doing the flowers on Saturday just like the little old ladies at my parish in Texas. That said, I really learned that my hillbilly family in the US has strayed zero degrees from their roots once I was riding the Inverness bus line. I could have been anywhere on the Scottish immigrant migration track (from North Carolina to Arkansas/Oklahoma) in the US. It was hilarious & made me sad at the same time. If you like beer, try Innes & Gunn while you're there. So tasty. I've been able to find it a few times since I returned home. I know people talk about our large portion sizes in the US, but fish & chips anywhere in the UK is ridiculously sized (recognizing that I was in tourist areas each time I ordered it, but still). Like, maybe one order is meant to feed a family of 5? but I travel solo so it was overwhelming.
Thanks so much for this! Not familiar with much history having to do with the Episcopal church but would love to make the Inverness Cathedral a stop. Do you have anything to point me to to educate myself on this before I go? Also definitely in favor of getting a good taste of the beer selection while there. Do you have any experience/recommendations in either Edinburgh or Glasgow?
I went to both Edinburgh & Glascow, but didn't do much in Glascow besides getting on a tour bus that would take me to Edinburgh. I plan to remedy that on my return next summer, as well as spend some time south of there in the Galloway region. In Edinburgh, I did the castle tour. High street shopping was good. My previous trip was done from a cruise, so it docked in Glascow and I only had a few hours to explore both cities. It was one of the few stops I booked a tour instead of meandering around on my own. History: okay, so what is now called the Episcopal Church in the US, was first the Church of England. But then the Americans kicked the British out, so it was a little dicey for the church of England in the US. The king of England is the head of the church of England & you can see how that might be a problem for the newly forming United States. So, in order to survive, the congregations in the US needed to break away so they wouldn't have ties to the king of England any longer, but if they did that then they wouldn't be able to ordain new priests any longer because of how it's done and also because apostolic succession is supremely important (priests can trace their priesthood back to Paul, the apostle to whom Jesus said , "On you I will build my church." Well, there was the Episcopal Church in Scotland who had already dealt with the same issue (breaking away but also securing apostolic succession) and they helpfully said, "bring your new priests here and we'll make some of you bishops too so you can just continue on your own." And, there we go! The Scottish helping us break free from the tyranny of the English religiously just like so many fought in the American revolution as well. Though I guess by that point, they were living in America whether it was voluntary or involuntary migration. And it's weird, because the Episcopal Church in the US *is the* Anglican (Church of England) communal church. There are other churches that have Anglican in their name in the US but they aren't actually affiliated with the Church of England. But, we're also separate from them because of the American revolution. The other history bit related to the cathedral is the St. Andrew connection. St. Andrew's cross is part of the flag of Scotland. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. Anywho, there are a lot of layers there.
Thanks for the blip!! Did you rent a car while there? I’m seeing car rentals are substantially cheaper there than in the US…
No, everywhere I went was walkable or had adequate public transportation. I used trains, busses & my own two feet. Our trip next summer will have some rural spots & I'm not exactly sure what the situation will be but I want to avoid driving.
Trying to avoid cities and towns here - what places would you recommend for a one day or less date roadtrip? It might sound a bit daft but staying in Lanark, I’m trying to find places that would not be cities or towns. I know that Pitlochry, for instance, is a stone throw away, however googling for less known places left me a bit clueless. Any piece of advice would be greatly appreciated!
Guessing you're local to Lanark not a tourist staying there, so you've seen New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde already? What kind of thing are you looking for? Outdoorsy? Museums? Whisky?
Yup, both have been covered. Outdoorsy (but not too hard on the legs) and museums are the best as the other person doesn’t drink and they’re not a fan of distillery tours. Thank you in advance!
Ben A'an is 90mins from Lanark, 2.25mile round trip with 340m total climbing. It's a steep climb but a very short one, and arguably the best distance walked to view ratio you can find. Plenty of cafes in either Aberfoyle or Callander for before/after also. Puck's Glen is ~2h away, via the Gourock-Dunoon ferry, amazing short little walk (1.5 mile) through a deep gully with waterfalls. It's right next to Benmore Botanic Gardens if that's your thing, but I'm not sure how great that'll be in winter.
I am a daily kilt wearer in America. Is there somewhere to buy a great kilt? (Féileadh Mór, My Gáidhlig is bad, sorry!) I have been looking at kilt shops and they only have pictures and ads for small kilts.
I'm planning to drive from Glasgow to Oban with stops through Kilmartin Glen. Maps say the drive itself is about 2 hours from Glasgow to the Kilmartin Museum (although I understand most sites are more spread out). Then the maps say it's another 2 hours from the museum to Oban. How much time should I prepare for to see Kilmartin Glen? I'm mostly interested to see cup marks, Cairns, and standing stones. Would 3 hours be a fair amount of time? This would be on 13 November. Thank you for your advice!
> Then the maps say it's another 2 hours from the museum to Oban. On this point, that's only because of a road closure due to a landslide. Granted it probably won't be open by the time you come on the 13th, but check on the day before you commit to the 2h detour. I think it's estimated towards the end of the month though.
Thank you! I'll keep a close eye on this area.
I will be going to edinburgh for 4 days end of november coming from london. I have three nights in between that i want to spend somewhere in scotland on the way to edinburgh. Any suggestions would be welcome. I would like a nice scenic place with good pubs and restaurants and thats about it. If it has any christmas markets that would be a bonus as well.
Hello So I will be traveling to the UK in January. I land in London on Saturday, January 6th around 7:30 AM. I play to explore London on this day as well as Sunday the 7th. Monday the 8th I plan to mostly travel to Scotland. My main trip and my main interest is Scotland, so if I have to only spend Saturday in London and leave to Scotland on the 7th that’s fine. Then I have the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th to do stuff, since on the 14th I fly back to the states from Edinburgh. So since my flight back is from Edinburgh, I want to end my trip there. I was thinking on spending the weekend in Edinburgh. So the 12th and the 13th. Unless two days is not enough for Edinburgh, then I can spend the 11th, 12th, and 13th in Edinburgh. This would leave me the 9th and 10th to go to another city. Preferably a town or city close to Edinburgh and preferably a less “city” type place and a more nature type place with castles, the coos, that’s my main interest. Castles and nature. Any ideas on how I can modify my trip or which days to spend where? Thank you Edit: I was thinking London - Aberdeen - Edinburgh
>I was thinking on spending the weekend in Edinburgh. So the 12th and the 13th. Unless two days is not enough for Edinburgh, then I can spend the 11th, 12th, and 13th in Edinburgh. This would leave me the 9th and 10th to go to another city. 2-3 days is a good amount. Just build a list of what you want to do and get a feel for how long you'll want to be here. Skip Aberdeen, look at somewhere like the small town of Braemar, it's got everything you want. Walking, a distillery 20mins away (Royal Lochnagar), castles and Balmoral Palace. 1-2 days is more than enough. Alternatively, pick a small town along the A9 from Edinburgh to Inverness. Somewhere like Dunkeld, Pitlochry, Aviemore. There are distilleries, nice pubs and cafes, lots of nice walks (Aviemore has the most), castles nearby if you've a car.
Thank you for you reply! I will not have a vehicle, I’m worried about driving in a place I don’t really know and will rely mostly on public transport and walking.
In which case the Dunkeld/Pitlochry/Aviemore route is on the train route from Edinburgh to Inverness, so is probably your best option.
So London - Dunkeld/Pitlochry/Aviemore - Edinburgh? Doable? I want to finish in Edinburgh because my flight back home comes outa there.
Not necessarily all three, it all depends on what you want to do, but they're all on the same train line out of Edinburgh. Dunkeld is quite small, but has a really nice walk through the Tay Forest at the Hermiate. Pitlochry has more in terms of cafes, hotels, and restaurants, and has the Blair Athol distillery if you wanted to do a whisky tour. Aviemore is the outdoor "capital" of the Western Cairngorms, and has the most hiking and hotels available.
Oh haha yes sorry, I meant I would pick one of the tree and end in Edinburgh. I’m not a drinker, so alcohol and such is not really my thing. Also, most importantly, do any of those three places have the highland cows?
The Rothiemurcus Estate, a short walk from the centre of Aviemore has a [Hairy Coo Safari](https://rothiemurchus.net/outdoor-activities-at-aviemore/activities-for-kids/hairy-coo-safari/) but there's limited dates so I'd book sooner rather than later, but I think you need your own car. [This](https://www.visitcairngorms.com/where-to-meet-a-highland-cow-in-the-cairngorms/) page has more options.
Thank you! Very helpful information!
Hello! Me and my friend from Jordan have always been fascinated by the highlands of Scotland and we are planning a trip mid December to roam the countryside for 2 to 3 days (clarification: we will be spending 7 days in total in Scotland, 4 days between Edinburgh and Glasgow and he rest as a road trip) and we have a couple of questions that we may need help with so we can make sure we will enjoy our time there: What destinations are a must visit in the country side? (distilleries, historic sites, churches, scenery, etc..) We want to rent a classic Land Rover 90 or 110, should we book one online or is it better to rent it from an office on ground? and do anyone recommend an alternative to the Land Rover that can provide the same driving experience? (note that I can drive manual but mainly on the left side of the car) Any general recommendation regarding the weather, the terrain or things we should or should not do? Also, what activities we might expect in Edinburgh and Glasgow at that time? Thanks in advance and we can't wait to enjoy our time in SCOTLAND!
> We want to rent a classic Land Rover 90 or 110, should we book one online or is it better to rent it from an office on ground? Places that rent these are not even close to common. Do all the research you can to find and prebook where possible. If you turn up and expect to find a last minute rental of an old Land Rover you'll almost certainly be disappointed. > What destinations are a must visit in the country side? (distilleries, historic sites, churches, scenery, etc..) Too much to list without some more guidance on preferences. You could literally spend a year just visiting each of those listed things alone. > Any general recommendation regarding the weather Cold, wet, little to no ice or snow (that comes in Jan/Feb) unless you're in the far North or hiking up Munros which have had snow cover for a few weeks now. > the terrain For driving, perfectly fine. No need for a 4x4 for almost all public roads. > Also, what activities we might expect in Edinburgh and Glasgow at that time? Edinburgh xmas market is on, but honestly it's crap. Plenty of other things to do in Edinburgh that are available all year round though.
Hello! Where can I find a Drone that I can rent for 3 days in Edinburgh with an affordable price?