Scotland Road Trip! Fall 2008

Depending on your style (I like ruins castles and Abbeys), take a look at historic scotland (Sure you already know this site). I've started all my planning with this site!

Also, undiscovered Scotland is an other really nice web site! Il helped me to complete missing places.

Quick question, how do you manage to see so much things in one day? For example, day 17, I've been told that the Edinburgh castle it worth an whole day over there.

When I plan a trip, I try to include all the places/things that look interesting. Then I research in depth each place and try to whittle the list down to the absolute must see/do. I also like to have some backup choices in case for some reason my first choice isn't open or the weather is too awful.

I probably tend to try to do too much anyway! But there will be days when plans change for one reason or another. The things that I can't get to will have to wait until the next trip!!

Very good point! I will prob. do the same!

Try Glamis Castle, you can get into it and it is worth the visit just to see the long drive down to the castle, this is the family seat of the Queen Mother, another castle not to miss would be Fyvie castle, plenty of ghost stories related to this one and the gardens are worth a look too. on Skye go to Dunvegan Castle, gardens again are worth the look, will not take too long to go round,as with most castles and Gardens you can get into the gardens only if you don't want to pay to get in for a look round, also note that alot of the castles will be closed in the fall, so watch when you go and check the opening times. Museum of Island life is good too tells you all about Flora Macdonald, and Bonnie Prince Charlie . All I would say is that the distances are long, and although you may think that you could do Skye in a day for example, you may not be able to as with the magnificent scenery along the way it will take time stopping for photos, lunch etc, because believe me the scenery is worth the look if nothing else, but then again I'm biased as I am Scottish!, also alot of the castles on your list are ruins or partial ruins, eg, Eilean Donan Castle, (but you can get into the great hall, which they are restoring), for journey time when I go to Skye, from Glasgow, it takes me 5 and a half hours, stopping once for a break, if I am going from Glasgow to Aberdeen, it is about 3 hours, alot of the roads are not straight, and can have alot of twists, and are single track in places especially on Skye, so just be careful, if you need any more info please ask,

Gillian

Hi Gillian - Thanks for all the excellent info! Glamis is on my list for sure. I hope to decide over the next few months on which places I feel I absolutely must see and which I would like to see but could be skipped if time was short.

It's really hard as there are so many gorgeous regions and sites to see in Scotland!!

If you make it to Culloden battlefield, you should really stop at the neolithic burial site of Clava Cairns which is located only about a mile and a half from the battle field. It's a beautiful, quiet spot with fascinating stone-aged burial mounds and standing stones.

From Oban, you might enjoy exploring Kilmartin Glen, about an hour's drive south of Oban. Kilmartin is one of the greatest places on the mainland to view ancient stone-age burial mounds and stone circles...and Dunadd, which was the site of a great fortress and the crowning place of ancient kings long before Scotland even existed as a nation. Kenneth MacAlpin, first king of a united Scotland, was crowned here before moving the capital to Scone. Saint Columba is also said to have visited here.

Good Luck, you're going to Love it all.