Going to Scotland

[Andres]

Oh you'll take the high road, and I'll take the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland before you,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomon'



We'll set sail for Rosyth (near Edinburgh) on the 4th of June for a holiday in Scotland.

Here's our scheme:

Day 1 : departure in Zeebrugge (taking the ferry)

Day 2: arrival at Rosyth, we'll spend the first night at Tillicoultry (near Stirling):

Planning to visit at least two of :
- Dunfermline ruins, Royale palace and 12th century abbey
- Stirling Castle
- William Wallace Monument
- Royal (we may visit this on day 2, before driving to Fort William)

Day 3 : driving to Fort William, where we'll spend two nights

Planning to do some of these on day 2 and day 3:

- Ben Nevis or Glan Coe
- visit to the West Highland Museum
- Oban village
- Inveraray Castle
- Loch Lomond National Park

Day 4: driving to Inverness, planning to visit on the road:

- Urquhart Castle (near Loch Ness)

* arrival at Inverness (where we'll spend two nights)

Planning to visit on day 5 and day 6
- City of Inverness
- Cawdor Castle
- Whisky distilleries
- Culloden battlefield
- dolphin cruise

Day 6: driving to Ballater - on the road: Nairn beaches

Planning to visit

- Balmoral Castle
- Blair Castle

Day 7: driving to Dunkeld

Planning to visit one of:

- St. Andrews
- Dunkeld Cathedral
- Perth
- Dundee

Day 8 : driving to Edinburgh, spending two nights in Linlithgow (near Edinburgh)
Planning to visit:

- Falkirk
- Rosslyn Chapel
- City of Edinburgh (Edingburgh castle)

Day 10 : boarding in Rosyth.
Day 11 : back in Belgium on day 11 with as many bottles of whisky as allowed

Any suggestions, any "must sees" or is there something of the above we should skip because it's not worthwhile?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Sigurd]

Have you ever seen Highlander? or Entrapment?

[Sjakihata]

Or braveheart?

[The Spartan (Returns)]

anyways enjoy!

[Duke Malcolm]

Planning to visit one of:

- St. Andrews
- Dunkeld Cathedral
- Perth
- Dundee

Dundee!!!!!!!
You can probably visit Dundee and St Andrews on the same day, though. There are more tourist things in St Andrews probably.
Considering you're coming down from the Highlands you could probably visit them all since they're on the way there and I can't think of much in Perth and Dundee to keep you there all day.

Rough journey times:
Perth>Dundee 30 mins
Dundee>St Andrews 20 mins

If you come to Dundee, a visit to Broughty Ferry if it is a nice day, they have an excellent ice cream parlour (Visocchi's) and Broughty Castle is a nice (free) little place. St Andrews has a wonderful ice cream parlour too, though I can't remember its name...

The City's main local museum is currently closed for refurbishment, but Discovery Point (about RRS Discovery and Robert Falcon Scott and his Antarctic expedition) is quite good. There is the Frigate Unicorn. And the Dundee Law is an nice viewpoint across the city and surrounding area.

Scone Palace is a little bit outside Perth. I never been but my mother said it's quite nice. The Black Watch Regimental HQ and Museum is near there, too: Balhousie Castle, I think it is.



I recommend Stirling Castle too, especially the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental HQ and Museum (entrance is free once you've paid into the Castle).


And on another note, many museums in Edinburgh are free, except the Castle and some things like the Edinburgh Dungeons.

[Lorenzo_H]

Where are you from, Andres?

[Andres]

Thanks for the tips and good advice Duke Malcolm

I wonder, how is traffic in Scotland? I guess we should try to avoid the highways in the morning (+/- 7.00-8.30 am) and the late afternoon (+/- 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm)? I hope it won't take too long getting used to driving left.

@Sigurd and Sjakihata: I saw Highlander, Braveheart and Rob Roy. Didn't see Entrapment.

Where are you from, Andres?

The Kingdom of Belgium, where we worship our beer and chocolate

[Lorenzo_H]

Ok. Well then there is no reason why you shouldn't enjoy Scotland. Go have fun! (warning: don't let anyone think you are French)

[Marshal Murat]

Going to Scotland

DON'T!

Just kidding, have fun, and make sure your maps are up-to-date so you don't take a trail off a cliff.

[Lorenzo_H]

There is that old law (or joke) that Scotsmen on an English beach, if wearing a kilt, are legally allowed to be shot with a longbow because they are obviously William Wallace's highlanders come to invade.

[Marius Dynamite]

Make sure you see William Wallace Claymore when you go to the monument. I think they let you hold it, its bigger than most men.

[scotchedpommes]

Day 7: driving to Dunkeld

Planning to visit one of:

- St. Andrews
- Dunkeld Cathedral
- Perth
- Dundee

I'd just stay in Ballater, I'd have to say. Lots of plans, though. Just hope the
weather clears up for you.

(warning: don't let anyone think you are French)

No probs avec les frogs. As for traffic, I'd imagine you'd be fine avoiding 4-5 in
any urban surrounds, of course excepting the hordes of the damned attempting
to escape Dundee. Doubtless that'd be constant.

[Csargo]

FLORIDA

[English assassin]

I really mean no offence to Duke Malcolm, but, how shall I put this, Dundee isn't usually on the Scotland tourist trail.

Ben Nevis by the tourist trail isn't very much worth doing IMHO. Its basically a straight slog up the side of what happens to be the highest mountain in the UK, but which doesn't otherwise have much to recommend it. If I was only going to do one walk in Scotland it probably wouldn't be that one. if you must, and if you are a reasonably experienced walker, I'd recommend taking a taxi to the car park at the head of Glen Nevis, going up the Ben from the south, and then coming down the tourist trail (which will leave you more or less back in Fort William). But please make sure you have reasonable equipment. Even in the summer and even on a popular mountain like Ben Nevis the highlands deserve respect. It can get claggy, cold, and wet very quickly.

By strange coincidence I will be in Fort William at the same time as you, although only briefly as I am heading out the same morning for a few days up in the mountains. Fort William's a nice little town, you'll like it.

Oh yeah: bring insect repellent. The strongest you can find.

[Sigurd]

@Sigurd and Sjakihata: I saw Highlander, Braveheart and Rob Roy. Didn't see Entrapment.

I would suggest you taking a little detour and see Eilean Donan castle.
The one used in Highlander and Entrapment.

[drone]

When driving on the back roads, look out for sheep. They get out, and usually hug the fences along the road, but not always. Scared the crap out of me a few times.

Oh yeah, stop along the road and get pictures of your gang with the furry cows. Just don't get too close...

[scotchedpommes]

I really mean no offence to Duke Malcolm, but, how shall I put this, Dundee isn't usually on the Scotland tourist trail.

Give the man a medal. [Far too kind.]

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

The Kingdom of Belgium, where we worship our beer and chocolate

I worship your beer and chocolate as well.

[IrishArmenian]

You forgot the day and a half of alternating between drinking and vommitting with the Duke (Malcolm) which will leave you with a headache that lasts longer than your photographs.

[Duke Malcolm]

I really mean no offence to Duke Malcolm, but, how shall I put this, Dundee isn't usually on the Scotland tourist trail.

Bah! Dundee is a beautiful, sunkissed place! We have long clean beaches, a beautiful waterfront, historic tall ships, lovely old buildings. And a City Centre bustling during the day, as busy at midnight (albeit "the polis", to use the patois, and drunks and jakeys) as it is during the day.
The youth are kind and polite and helpful (whilst they hold a knife to you and you try to take out your change).
And the are plenty of women (although I wouldn't recommend it since they're all pregnant or drunk or on dubious subtances, often all three; and it's mostly 14 or 15 year olds that go to nightclubs whilst their mother watches their baby at home)

Hmm... yes, better avoid Dundee. Unless you have a specific maritime interest.

And I do not vomit. I am deeply offended by that comment. Most people in Dundee can handle their drinks.

[scotchedpommes]

Ned central, indeed. Divert the man to the vastly superior city of Aberdeen and
I might push the boat out and buy him a drink. Not his missus, though - we're
too tight for that.

[Duke Malcolm]

Scaberdeen is quite good for cheap drinks. And a lack of underager people in pubs and clubs...

[scotchedpommes]

Scaberdeen? Seems we've not become any more imaginative in Scumdee then,
eh? Ah well.

[Andres]

Scaberdeen? Seems we've not become any more imaginative in Scumdee then,
eh? Ah well.

But they have Dundee United.

[Duke Malcolm]

Scaberdeen? Seems we've not become any more imaginative in Scumdee then,
eh? Ah well.

Or Edinb*gger or Sh*tegow...

[InsaneApache]

Scottish nationalism at it's finest.

If you get the chance go to the west coast. So much better than the east coast.

That should upset both the dees and the dons.

[scotchedpommes]

But they have Dundee United.

Oh, indeed. Once feelings of awe subside, I would ask, does not every Scottish
or even Belgian town and village worthy of note have a semi-pro or pub team of
equal repute? As the mighty United travel that great distance to face Dundee FC
[both shining beacons of footballing mediocrity to us all] in the magnificent
spectacle that is the City of Discovery Cup, Aberdeen shall be heading into
Europe to play such heavyweights as Standard Liège and Brugge. [Club,
not Cercle.]


I'm at least glad Malks shares that typically sophisticated view of our countrymen
to the south. [As it is, it looks like I'm going to be dragged to the tourist trap that
is our capital by my resident foreigner at the weekend.]


And of course, don't listen to IA for one second.

[Andres]

such heavyweights as Standard Liège and Brugge. [Club,
not Cercle.]

There's only one heavyweight soccer team in Belgium : RSC Anderlecht

[scotchedpommes]

Aaah, this one's a glory-hunter.
[See you when you drop out of the Champions League.]

[Omanes Alexandrapolites]

Ah yes, Scotland, very nice place - especially the golf courses and St. Andrews!

Sadly, I'm an exclusive Eastern Central Scotland visitor, so I'm sorry to say that I cannot advise on many places, apologies. Although on Day 7:
St. Andrews - The small castle at St. Andrews has a small, yet intriguing museum along side of it. It's exhibits, mostly text rather than wax models or other visual aids, focuses on the 1500s and the Scottish Reformation mostly, although small particles of Medieval History are visible among the main features of the exhibit. If history isn't your thing though, once you have browsed through the museum, and you have access to the ruin that is the castle, you can get excellent views over the sea and, after that, you gain access to your typical museum gift shop - although, for a gift shop, it contains a large number of very interesting items. However, I'm not sure if the view alone is worth the entry fee.
The towering Cathedral of St. Andrews, is more a view of architecture, mostly gravestones, especially if you desire entrance to the gift shop area, than history - the history of the cathedral is featured in the museum of the castle. However, it is still worth a look and, I think, although cannot be sure, that it may be free entry.

Perth and Dundee - Perth is, in my most humble opinion, a nicer city than Dundee - Dundee is a little less visually appealing/well kept when viewed compared to Perth. Dundee, however, I think, has more tourist attractions than Perth, although, most unfortunately, I am yet to visit any of their wonders, so, sadly, I am not able to comment. My sincere apologies.
May I suggest the addition of Scotland's Secret Bunker onto your agenda for this day. It's a nuclear-missile-proof Cold War British Defence bunker and is one of the few still existing to this day. It was designed to be a hideaway, and an emergency administrative area, for the Scottish Executive if an atomic strike by the USSR was to arrive on British shores. Once you go down the steps from the disguising farmhouse, onto the concrete ramp, through the steel door and into the bunker itself, one, after a snoop around, can see the technology used during this difficult time and understand the lives of those living in it - both civilians and military-men living in the bunker itself. Sadly, although it may be interesting, enjoying it to it's full, takes about two-three hours, so, sadly, it may conclude in dominating your day.

Day 8:
May I suggest the addition of Holyrood House onto your agenda. It's a beautiful English house in Edinburgh which is one of the English Queen's regal places. Consisting of ornate and beautiful corridors and rooms, this historic stately home, covered in history, combined with the informative audio guide, results in an interesting experience. It takes a couple of hours to walk round it's beautiful halls and corridors in their entirety and listen to the tour at the same time, yet the length taken, and the, very high, price, is certainly worth the positive benefits of the walk around the place.

Hope this helps, sorry I can't advise on some things, hope you enjoy your trip, cheers!