Scotland

[Alan]

Oh geeze, no wonder I had so many problems. Next you are going to tell me the, um, ..Scots, are not just Englishmen with a funny accent.

I think you'd find that an even worse insult than calling them Scotch

 

[MBAustin]

This thread is bringing back lots of memories - DH and I honeymooned in Scotland and made a 2nd trip for our 10th anniversary. Since we've been married 26+ years, my info is a little dated. We did the drive/B&B method both times, and managed the stick shift on the wrong side OK (although we are both very experienced on manual transmissions). The only town mentioned that we did not care for was Inverness - just not very interesting, and highly touristy. We loved everything west of Fort William, especially Mull, Iona, and of course, Skye. On the 2nd trip we drove along the very isolated northwest section and enjoyed it, but I wouldn't recommend taking that much time on your first trip. Edinburgh is also wonderful.

All of the weather mentions are accurate - we were there in July/August both times and needed warm clothing on both trips (although there were also some very pleasant sunny days).

Enjoy!

 

[Lsbcal]

A great weather site: Average Weather For Edinburgh, United Kingdom - WeatherSpark

 

[cardude]

My dad and I took a Scotland trip 7 years ago. We flew into Edinburg, rented a car, and drove around for two weeks. We stayed mostly in rooms over pubs IIRC, because they were cheap and convenient. We really enjoyed our trip. No reservations for any lodging.

 

[rodi]

I did a low budget 2 weeks in Scotland just over a decade ago. My mom had finally retired (dad retired a few years earlier) and they were doing a 3-4 month round the world trip. I joined them for the scotland portion.

We rented a vacation cottage outside Edinburgh for the first week and explored not just that city - but many of the castles, etc in the surrounding countryside.

The next week we rented a small apartment in Oban - and spent several days exploring the western part, including taking ferries to explore Mull and Iona.

We flew in and out of Glasgow because it was so much cheaper at the time.

I regret not seeing the Highlands, but I still enjoyed the trip immensely.

 

[Alan]

The offal truth about haggis

Real haggis is illegal in the USA so you'll be able to try the real thing while you are there.


[FONT=.HelveticaNeueUI]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21128089[/FONT]

 

[tightasadrum]

Real haggis is illegal in the USA so you'll be able to try the real thing while you are there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21128089

Uhh, Or not...

 

[CoolChange]

.... I love the west coast and the islands in particular. The Isle of Skye is beautiful and has some great hiking in the Cuillin mountains too. Mull is another very attractive island too. Some of the outer Hebridean islands like Lewis and Harris, are interesting, but somewhat desolate!
...

+1
I found Oban a nice home base for exploring the west coast and some of the islands as well as being a cute little holiday town in its own right.

...As for cities, I think Edinburgh is my favorite city anywhere in the world, so I would definitely try and get there...

+1 again. I am not generally a fan of cities when I vacation; but, for some reason that I cannot quantify, Edinburgh does keep drawing me back. I just find something almost magical about this city.

...The botanical gardens were absolutely amazing as well and free to boot!...

These gardens are also a great place to escape some of the craziness in the city if you attend during one of the many festivals. For some reason, it never seems crowded/crazy.

The tattoo has already been mentioned; the other festival that is also amazing in my opinion (although, seems to be getting more watered down than in years past) is the fringe.

Public transportation is reasonable in Edinburgh; so, during festivals, I have found much cheaper (and quieter) lodging outside the city center and bussed into the center each day. I have stayed in hotels, dorms, B&B's and youth hostels around Scotland; all were interesting and provided good value for the money I spent.

I have only visited Scotland during the summer months since I enjoy the longer days and better chances of having good weather. If you do the same, I recommend having reservations for at least your first night in a new town since lodging can become tight during summer generally and during festivals specifically. On my next solo trip, I may just bring camping gear; this seemed to be a very popular option during my last visit.

 

[ERD50]

Real haggis is illegal in the USA so you'll be able to try the real thing while you are there.


[FONT=.HelveticaNeueUI]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21128089[/FONT]

Uhh, Or not...

Aww, give it a try - it's not bad at all.

I avoid organ meats, but I was in Edinburgh on business, went to dinner with one of my co-workers before meeting up with some others for a few more pints. He had been there before, and recc the haggis (as an appetizer/side, not a full dinner). I figured I should, as I may never get another chance. I liked it, it was mainly peppery as I recall, I guess you need something to dress up the offal.

Kind of funny though, this guy was from Korea - I wonder how many Americans have been introduced to Haggis by a Korean?

IIRC, we did some bar hopping around the 'Grass Market' area? Asked people we met for a place with some 'trad' music, and ended up at a place with a great band that did kind of rocked up versions of traditional Scottish folk tunes, very good. The band was The Prodigals, bought their CD and still enjoy it very much.

-ERD50

 

[tightasadrum]

Actually, I did try haggis. It was in a very old pub, which is really saying something in Scotland, somewhere on the Golden Mile in Edinburgh. If I recall correctly, it was advertised as THE oldest pub in Edinburgh. Anyway, they served haggis along with more common foods. DW, DD and I decided this was probably a national requirement for every visitor to Scotland, so we ordered one haggis and shared it.

I would claim it to be eatable, but that's about it. Somehow getting past the details of what it's made from overpowered my palate. DW seemed to like it though. Thankfully she's never tried to reproduce it here at home.

 

[CoolChange]

My diet definitely suffers when visiting Scotland. My two favorite [relatively] budget friendly and really tasty options for me are various stews in the pubs at night and the ubiquitous fish & chips on the street during the day.

 

[ChainsBeGone]

I ate haggis twice, and it wasn't awful. It seems like a right of passage and would be a darn shame to go all the way to Scotland and not try the haggis (kind of like going to Dublin and not drinking a Guiness).

The taste reminded me of a tangy Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage.

 

[Badger]

I've heard that haggis is quite a tasty and delightful meal when served with the proper gravy - single malt.

Cheers!

 

[Alan]

When we lived in Scotland (Dumfries), our local fish and chip shop used to sell deep fried, batter covered, haggis. Our canteen at work also had fried haggis available every day for breakfast and I developed quite a liking for it.