Trip to Scotland - Help needed

chewyuk

chewyuk

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Neil
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I have decided to book some flights to Scotland for a week, flying out from Cardiff on the 13th Feb and coming back on the 19th.

Trouble is I have been looking at places I want to go and so far they stretch to:
Loch Lomond, Loch Ness, Glen Coe, Nevis, Skye.

Have anybody got any personal recommendations of places to stay or visit that I would be foolish to miss. (websites or numbers would be great)

Gary (HuN) has already given some places to stay, but am after all those recommendations that others may have as well.
It's goign to be a mix of walking, photography and chilling, Oh ... and a few distilleries :)

Hope this is the right place to post this, possibly it should be out of focus, but wated to see if people have photographic locations that are a must.

Cheers for help everyone,

Neil
 
I'd highly recommend the Oak Tree Inn at Balmaha.

I've stayed there several times. Its right on the east shore (literally!) of Loch Lomond and is a favoured stop-off point for walkers on the highland way.

http://www.oak-tree-inn.co.uk/
 
Where in Scotland are you flying in-to
 
GfK said:
I'd highly recommend the Oak Tree Inn at Balmaha.

I've stayed there several times. Its right on the east shore (literally!) of Loch Lomond and is a favoured stop-off point for walkers on the highland way.

http://www.oak-tree-inn.co.uk/
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Almost tempted to book myself after having looked at the website! :thumbs:
 
Skye - let me do a bit of digging and I'll try to find the name and details of the lovely B&B we stayed in in Portree a few years back. If you do end up staying in Portree then the fish and chip shot down on the harbourside is fabulous - or was then anyway! Don't be tempted to travel to the North East of Skye and spend a night in Uig though - yes there is a brewery there, there's b****r all else though!

How about a train to Oban and a day trip to Mull? Even maybe an overnight there - ferries are plentiful - see Caledonian Macbrayne Ferries for sailing details. I think there is a bit of Skye / Mull info on www.visithebrides.com too, although I might be wrong about that.
 
Witch said:
Skye - let me do a bit of digging and I'll try to find the name and details of the lovely B&B we stayed in in Portree a few years back. If you do end up staying in Portree then the fish and chip shot down on the harbourside is fabulous - or was then anyway! Don't be tempted to travel to the North East of Skye and spend a night in Uig though - yes there is a brewery there, there's b****r all else though!

How about a train to Oban and a day trip to Mull? Even maybe an overnight there - ferries are plentiful - see Caledonian Macbrayne Ferries for sailing details. I think there is a bit of Skye / Mull info on www.visithebrides.com too, although I might be wrong about that.
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Thanks Witch, I'm very keen on Oban and maybe Mull, I have 6 days, so want to cram as much as possible into the time.
 
Mull is beautiful - one thing I will say though is that you're going a little early in the season to find things open in anywhere other than the main tourist spots. If you do head for Mull, then Tobermory is in itself a wealth of photo ops with the little row of brightly painted houses. There is a distillery there too! Before you head there though - one must see in my book. Get yourself off the ferry at Craignure and follow the footpath to the left - it's signed "Torosay House and Garden" and possibly also "Mull Rail" (The only railway anywhere in the Hebrides - it's narrow gauge and great fun although probably, sadly for you, closed for the winter!) It's a mile and a half or so walking if I recall correctly, before you reach a wonderful house/castle which is well worth a visit inside and out. The gardens are stunning - ever corner had a different style, statue or other surprise, and the interior of the place is interesting too - if you get there have a look for the scrapbooks - when we visited we ended up helping the owner of the place trawl through all of them to try to find details of the Queen Mum's visit as it was immediately after she'd died! **edit** House will be closed - but gardens are worth a visit anyway.

Oban - climb the hill to McCaig's folly for absolutely stunning views. The building itself is pretty special too!

I'll keep thinking and looking - you've probably already guessed Scotland is a passion of mine!
 
Alright then - you'll definately want to do Oban now then...

(Apologies - naff quality pics - poor scans from 35mm)

McCaigsTower.jpg

This is McCaig's folly I was talking about - a quite amazing building. Google it and it'll tell you a bit of history etc.

SunraysoverMull.jpg

View across Kerrera to Mull from McCaigs folly. This image now forms the top banner on my website!

ObanfromFerry.jpg

Looking back towards Oban from the ferry - I think this was the ferry across to South Uist, but they all take much the same route out so the view's the same!

Tobermory.jpg

Tobermory - from the ferry coming back into Oban. It's possible to get a good "classic postcard" shot of the coloured shops and houses in Tobermory by walking up the hill out of town until you reach the bench.

Did I mention that Oban whisky is one of the nicest I've tasted?!
 
A bit colder perhaps! I got a text from my pal in Selkirk earlier on - they have snow there!

we usually go up at Easter - and indeed are doing so again this year. That gives a nice mix of weather not being TOO cold (Although we drove through fairly deep snow last year from Glasgow up towards Skye) and the midges not being out yet!

Tobermory, while I think of it, used to have a chocolate factory. I'm not aware that it doesn't still have one! :D
 
Cant help thinking of Balamory and the theme song
 
For Loch Lomond I would also recommend Balamaha.
Some nice walks along the loch side but the jewel is Conic Hill.
Fabulous views over the loch and north to Ben Lomond and the Arrochar Alps.

Conic hill is a small, easy hill to climb.
In fact superb views can be had from the bealach.
( Perhaps a 30 minute walk from the Oak Tree Inn to the bealach )

ConicHill.jpg
 
sue said:
Cant help thinking of Balamory and the theme song
Click to expand...

Yes, the people of Mull have done rather well out of that - during the summer the place is crawling with families with kids now who want to see "where balamory is!" apparently!
 
It's mad isn't it, just been looking at the map and followed my way through the pages of an Atlas, before I knew it, I had ticked 7 places gone down to Loch Rannoch to Rannoch Moor, backed up on myself, stopped off at a deer park, headed up the A9 through the Cairngorns, and ended up in Inverness. Then off I went heading back down the A82 alongside Loch Ness and thought, right, over to Skye next :)
Then I looked back and realised that it's quite a way from Glasgow.... :)
 
On the Islay front, any votes for Laphroig? That's the other half's favourite. I generally prefer either Tobermory or Oban though - both beautiful, and we currently have a bottle of each which are being eked out carefully cos they're too nice to rush!

Chewyuk - are you hiring a car once you're there?
 
Witch said:
On the Islay front, any votes for Laphroig? That's the other half's favourite. I generally prefer either Tobermory or Oban though - both beautiful, and we currently have a bottle of each which are being eked out carefully cos they're too nice to rush!

Chewyuk - are you hiring a car once you're there?
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I am Witch, picking it up in Glasgow.

As for Laphroig, I had a bottle of this given to me as I left London and came back to Cardiff, it's still not finished, whilst the Oban has been replaced and replaced and replaced :)

Neil
 
The seals (sea lions?) around Islay are fab, though not sure if there is a "right time" of the year to see them. I was there in September, many, many years ago. The mountains on Jura and the deer also make good viewing....if the weather is kind. have a great time!
 
Bruichladdich for me, followed maybe by caol isla, but the last one I had from there was chill-filtered (yeuch)

I've been up to scootland numerous times now and one thing I've found is this, it doesn't really matter where you go north of glasgow as it's all pretty damn spectacular. We normaly camp though. Favourites of mine are the view of skye from the coast around glenelg, where the crazy ferry is. Loch Corusk (sp) on skye, although you'll need to go via boat or a days walk to get there, the quirang, trotternish, it will rain though. unless you're very, vey lucky with the weather. I've yet to go when it's snowing though.
 
I love easdale just a few miles south of Oban. Climb Dun Mor Ellanabeich at sunset for amazing views.

Dun-Mor_-Ellenabeich.jpg


View-from-the-Top_Small.jpg


Mull-Sunset.jpg


Sunset_2.jpg


loch Long is on the way from loch lomond to Oban and up that west coast is stunning.
 
Hi,

Drive from Glasgow to Inverness via Loch Lomond and heading for Crianlarich then on to Fort William then Inverness. The scenery all the way up is stunning, passing numerous lochs mountains and Glencoe. You won't have any problems finding accomodation, especially at that time of the year.
If you have time head for Mallaig from Fort William, it is worth it just for the scenery both inland and coastal and there are also Golden Eagles, Red Deer and Wild Goats.
I drove up a few years ago and almost drove over one. It was eating roadkill.

Good Luck

:wave:
 
The A82 is indeed a lovely road but BE CAREFUL - it's also designated by the AA as one of the most dangerous roads in the country!

Wild goats. Ahh...you mean like these?

843-4376wildgoatsreduced.jpg


:D
 
Witch said:
The A82 is indeed a lovely road but BE CAREFUL - it's also designated by the AA as one of the most dangerous roads in the country!
Click to expand...
That's true, although I personally found the A93 to be infinitely worse, so if you find yourself up Balmoral way (and you might because there's a distillery there) or on your way over to Aberdeen, watch out.
 
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