Calling All Scots

[HighSeasHoMastr]

First, if this is in the wrong section, I apologize and please move it to wherever is appropriate.

Allow me to preface this by saying that it may be largely incoherent and not well organized. Anyways:

I love to travel, and Scotland has always been fairly high on my list of places to visit, so I finally decided to book some flights and get myself over there this September. I'll be flying through Glasgow and I'll be in the country for 10 days, so I'm looking for a little local help with planning some stuff to do.

I'm still in the very early stages of planning this, so I don't really have anything nailed down as far as an itinerary. My flight lands the morning of September 8th and I fly back the morning of the 16th, but other than that I have no solid details, which is where I'm looking for a little help.

I am an absolutely huge malt whisky fan, so I'll definitely be doing some tours of distilleries, but I know there's a lot more in Scotland than that and I'd like some ideas for other things to do. I'm not really sure what part of the country I'll be in either, which means that pretty much anywhere is open. I'll almost definitely be spending a couple days down around Islay, but beyond that I don't have much of an idea. I'm considering heading up towards Aberdeen and/or Elgin and/or Inverness, basically into the Speyside (more whisky) but that's not set in stone.

I've also heard that Orkney and the Shetlands are spectacular, but I don't know how feasible it would be to get up there with the time frame I have to work with and also trying to do anything other than that.

Also I haven't really decided on how my transportation situation is going to look, so some advice there would be appreciated as well: is it probably best to rent a car, or should I look to be more relying on trains and buses and such? I'm leaning towards renting a car since that gives me the most ability to set my own schedule, but I'm open to suggestions.

So yeah, I'd like to hear from some people who actually live there about what's worth seeing and doing. For what it's worth, I'll be traveling with 2 other people, so if that's relevant there it is.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Crash]

So yeah, I'd like to hear from some people who actually live there about what's worth seeing and doing. For what it's worth, I'll be traveling with 2 other people, so if that's relevant there it is.

Anyway, I don't live there, but I've visited a few years back...

I am an absolutely huge malt whisky fan, so I'll definitely be doing some tours of distilleries, but I know there's a lot more in Scotland than that and I'd like some ideas for other things to do.

Falkirk Wheel

I'm not really sure what part of the country I'll be in either, which means that pretty much anywhere is open. I'll almost definitely be spending a couple days down around Islay, but beyond that I don't have much of an idea. I'm considering heading up towards Aberdeen and/or Elgin and/or Inverness, basically into the Speyside (more whisky) but that's not set in stone.

Scotch tasting sounds fun; wish I got the chance to do that.

Also I haven't really decided on how my transportation situation is going to look, so some advice there would be appreciated as well: is it probably best to rent a car, or should I look to be more relying on trains and buses and such? I'm leaning towards renting a car since that gives me the most ability to set my own schedule, but I'm open to suggestions.

You'll want to rent a car if you want to go visit Scotch distilleries in different regions. I found that the bus/train was adequate between and within large cities, but once you go out of them, you will rather rely on a car. From Edinburgh, when I visited, I found that trying to get to distilleries by rail was less than convenient. Plus if there are any lines that operate on limited frequency, then it'll be hard to get around outside of the cities without a car. You'll have to do a bit of research on ScotRail website, but I would expect a lot of the distilleries to not lay near the rail lines at the stops.

 

[Glenalz81]

If

First, if this is in the wrong section, I apologize and please move it to wherever is appropriate.

Allow me to preface this by saying that it may be largely incoherent and not well organized. Anyways:

I love to travel, and Scotland has always been fairly high on my list of places to visit, so I finally decided to book some flights and get myself over there this September. I'll be flying through Glasgow and I'll be in the country for 10 days, so I'm looking for a little local help with planning some stuff to do.

I'm still in the very early stages of planning this, so I don't really have anything nailed down as far as an itinerary. My flight lands the morning of September 8th and I fly back the morning of the 16th, but other than that I have no solid details, which is where I'm looking for a little help.

I am an absolutely huge malt whisky fan, so I'll definitely be doing some tours of distilleries, but I know there's a lot more in Scotland than that and I'd like some ideas for other things to do. I'm not really sure what part of the country I'll be in either, which means that pretty much anywhere is open. I'll almost definitely be spending a couple days down around Islay, but beyond that I don't have much of an idea. I'm considering heading up towards Aberdeen and/or Elgin and/or Inverness, basically into the Speyside (more whisky) but that's not set in stone.

I've also heard that Orkney and the Shetlands are spectacular, but I don't know how feasible it would be to get up there with the time frame I have to work with and also trying to do anything other than that.

Also I haven't really decided on how my transportation situation is going to look, so some advice there would be appreciated as well: is it probably best to rent a car, or should I look to be more relying on trains and buses and such? I'm leaning towards renting a car since that gives me the most ability to set my own schedule, but I'm open to suggestions.

So yeah, I'd like to hear from some people who actually live there about what's worth seeing and doing. For what it's worth, I'll be traveling with 2 other people, so if that's relevant there it is.

Thanks for the help!

If you're a Whiskey lover then a visit to my home town is a must.

Campbeltown.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbeltown_single_malts

Also Islay is only a stones throw away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islay_whisky


I could also rent you a car, I run a workshop with my father and brother with car sales and hire as a side line

http://www.exploreargyll.co.uk/explore/kintyre-gigha/thingstodo/

 

[Glenalz81]

Andy Stewart classic.

Campbeltown loch yesterday Davaar Island also worth a visit to see the cave painting.

 

[AudiMan2011]

If you're planning to come up to my territory (I'm in the Speyside sort of area) then I would recommend visiting places like Loch Ness near Inverness and the Cairngorm Mountains near Aviemore.

For distilleries, here's a list of just some in Speyside if you're planning to hit the Whisky Trail. http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/planning_your_visit/speyside_distilleries

Nearer to Glasgow, I suggest seeing the Kelpies near Falkirk, the Wallace Monument in Stirling, Bannockburn battlefield and the Discovery ship in Dundee.