From: dam@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (David Morning)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: Re: Scotland ideas (LONG)
Keywords: Scotland
Date: 28 Jul 92 14:07:29 GMT
Organization: Glasgow University Computing Science Dept.

gfl@hera.uucp (22402-lenahan) writes:

>> I'm planning to go to Scotland this year, all the way up to the 
>> Highlands. 
>> Are there any places of special interest (regarding nature or
>> scenic areas).
>> How about finding a bed over there (Bed & Breakfast or Hotel).

>Hello, I'm planning a trip there as well, so a few ideas.

>1.) See the "great glen" whihc divides the hgihlands, 
>running, essentially up Loch Ness.

This is boring and full of tourists on a Loch Ness monster hunt.

>2.) The western islands, Mull, Skye, Islay, etc are beautiful,
>but a bit out of the way.

Mull and Skye are easy to get to. Islay is a bit out of the way.

For Mull, head for Oban and take the Craignure ferry. Regular bus service will
take you to Tobermory to the north(ish) or Iona to the south(ish). Head for
Tobermory for accomodation and take one of the regular bus trips to Iona.
(You can get a boat trip to Staffa and Fingal's Cave from Oban.)
Oban from Glasgow either via regular train or bus service (Queen St. station
for the train)
Train to Oban takes about 2 hours and goes through some nice scenery up Loch
Long rather than Loch Lomond, up from Crianlarich to Tyndrum and then off to
Oban via the Pass of Brander and Loch Awe.
Ferry to Craignure takes about half an hour but watch out if it's a Saturday,
last ferry leaves around 3pm and there isn't another until Monday am. Check
with CalMac when you arrive.
Bus to Tobermory is ~1 hour.

There is another route but you need a car to do this and it takes you through
some of the wilder parts of Scotland, Ardnamurchan penninsula. The ferry is
Fishnish to Lochaline.
Head for Fort William and, after Glen Coe, cross the Ballahuilish Bridge.
Head on for Fort William but keep a look out for the Strontian ferry. This is
the one which will take you into Ardnamurchan. Then head for Lochaline. You'll
need a reasonable road map. Strontian is the place Strontium 90 is named after
some was mined here long ago.

For Skye you have 2 options (you actually have 3 but one is really obscure
with no public transport to it)

1) Take a train to Fort William and then take a train to Mallaig. This last
train journey is absolutely wonderful but try and avoid the "tourist special"
with it's observation coach. It cost far more than the regular service and
you can see just as well.
Ferry from Mallaig to Armadale and bus to Portree. Do try and see some
other parts of Skye as well as Dunvegan Castle. Uig is a nice fishing port
and Glen Brittle for the Cuillins. My choice would be to stay in Uig rather
than Portree.
Glasgow -> Fort William...2 hours
Fort William -> Mallaig...1 hour
Ferry -> ARmadale.........30 mins.
Armadale -> Portree.......45 mins

2) Kyle of Lochalsh ferry.
By rail, this is only viable if you leave from Edinburgh. You have to travel
to Inverness first then get the train from Inverness to Kyle. The latter
journey is pretty good though but it takes much longer getting to Skye this
way and it may take longer than a day because of schedules.

By car, head for Fort William, then head out towards Invermorrison/Inverness
At around Invermorrison, you'll find sign posts for Kyle. Just follow them.
Takes about 2 hours to drive to Fort William if you don't stop (~100miles
Glasgow and about the same to Kyle through some nice scenery at Kintail.
Ferry takes about 2 minutes to do the crossing..it's that short!!

3) The obscure route:- Note This ferry only runs in the summer and the last I
heard, the guy who ran it had retired and was looking for someone to take it
over. Check with the Ratagan Youth Hostel for info on it. Get a copy of the
SYHA handbook (SCottish Youth Hostel Association) for the telephone no.
Head for Kyle again. When you reach the head of Loch Duich at Kintail turn
left onto a small track. The ferry is signposted. It will take you past
Ratagan Youth Hostel so you can ask there about the ferry availability.


In general, if you want a recommended tourist route to take in thewest coast,
I'd suggest Glasgow to Fort William, then Mallaig, across to Skye via Armadale
Do your bit on Skye. Return via Kyle of Lochalsh, *then* head up for Ullapool
*via Torridon* (most tours miss this out because the road via Torridon is
single track and difficult for large buses). It's a "must see".
Gairloch, about 50 miles before Ullapool, is worth staying in for a night.
Cute little West Highland museum.
If you've time, head for RedPoint and take in the views of Loch Torridon from
the other side.
Ullapool is a good centre for taking in the likes of Gruinard Island 
(beautiful but deadly. Anthrax was tested here during WW2. Observe from the
mainland.Claims to be clean but...?), Inverewe Gardens (freak local climate
allows sub tropical plants to grow here, palms etc outdoors) and the wilder
parts of Wester Ross such as Stac Polly (bizarre shaped mountain).

Then head from Ullapool across to Inverness and back south to Edinburgh by
whatever route takes your fancy.The east coast route via Frazerburgh and
Aberdeen is well sign posted for tourist attractions such as the Whiskey Trail
on the Spey valley although you'll have to do a detour for this. Lots of
fishing villages on the coast.

I've missed out a large chunk of the North East, the reason being that their
isn't much to see other than Orkney from the North coast, boulder strewn
landscape with old extinct volcanoes on the north west and sea stacks in the
north east. John o'Groats is a dead loss, give it a miss, there's nothing
worth seeing other than some tacky tourist shops and a hotel.
But if you fancy doing the entire coastline, well feel free.

>3.) Fife.  The ancient "cradle" of scotland, around the firth
>of forth, just north of edinburg.  Many neat old towns, etc., including
>St. Andrews.

Fife is worth a visit, partucularly the coastal towns like Annstruther. St
Andrews can get very busy but it is nice.

>re: BnBs

>Call the Scottihs tourist agency and ask for (or buy) their
>guide to BnBs in Scotland.  Also, once there, you can book ahead
>through the tourist authority booths which appear to be everywhere.
>There are toop many in my group to count on this, but you might
>consider the frredom.

This is good advice but the tourist board charge for the book ahead facility
though not much (a pound or so last time I used it). Most places such as
Ullapool, Fort William Portree etc have a Tourist board office which can get
you accomodation. It guarantees a minimum standard of accomodation but if
you're prepared to chance it, you can get local accomodation a bit cheaper
although standards vary. I've never had any problem with the latter though.
Prices for B&B vary from about 8-15 pounds. Breakfast is usually enormous.

Incidently, a couple of years back, I took an American photographer round most
of the coastline in 4 days (!). Glasgow ->Ullapool -> Cape Wrath/Durness ->
John o'Groats -> Inverness -> Aberfeldy -> Glasgow. Didn't do the island hop
though (take too long) or the east coast (I've friends there and visit often)
other than the north east all in an old beat-up Datsun, so if you hire a car
for a week or so, you can do some serious touring.


Dave

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