Staying in the cities is like a foreigner visiting New York City and thinking that's what America is, or visiting Sydney and thinking that is Australia. Travel Remember it will take twice as long as you think to get anywhere on Scottish roads, especially in the rural areas. This will help you find what there is to find, and give you some idea how steep that hill is. Winter Remember that it stays light very late in summer and gets dark very early in the winter. This is most noticeably true of National Trust for Scotland properties, as it is too expensive to heat the furnished castles in the Scottish winters.
Some places stay open but have altered schedules.
They have a website which will help you plan what you want to do. Though I haven't visited myself, there are also supposed to be some old houses that are now preserved as museums. It is a privately owned but very substantial ruin in a spectacular setting. However, because it was getting too much traffic, they have taken it off the lists and maps, so you'll have to call and ask for directions and times. I saw it before it was restored and they've really done an excellent job.