8 days wandering around Scotland
We were supposed to spend the first half of May on a roadtrip in Colombia, but it didn't happen... Three weeks before our departure Pepa came back from soccer with a sprained ankle - ok, it's pretty bad, I've adjusted the itinerary a bit, but we'll go anyway. But two days before the flight was to leave, an email arrived about a cancelled flight, which shook our determination a bit more. The offered replacements don't suit us, so instead of packing our bags we decide to cancel the whole Colombian trip. It should be noted that I really with a very heavy heart... well, in short, I normally screamed it. Anyone who has spent XXX hours arranging a major trip might understand this...
But after the biggest shock was over, I refused to sit at home on my ass, especially since we both had a vacation arranged. So I went on another round of searching for flights, to basically anywhere. But it's no fun this last-minute, and the choice was pretty bleak. Until I discovered our little miracle - flights to our dream destination - SCOTLAND! As part of this brutal improvisation and for a pretty ok price, with a departure a few days later than originally planned. Pretty decent to switch destinations in one afternoon, even on a different continent, come up with a completely new itinerary, book accommodation and reserve parking and a car. Ugh, a real chore, but I can already tell it was all worth it.
Rent a car
Other car-related fees - we didn't drive through any toll roads, but definitely be prepared in advance - for paying parking fees. You really have to pay everywhere. In the bigger cities you'd expect it (though even that was a pain to find something free at times), but there's no shortage of parking meters at various viewpoints and starting points for treks. I'll list petrol as the last item, depending on our itinerary of course (see the end of the article), but to give you a bit of an idea of approximately how much you can spend on fuel for such 8 days of backpacking through Scotland. Summing up:
- car - €480 (+ €120 car seat)
- parking - approx. €16 (+ another €16 we saved when someone gave us a ticket, or the ticket machine didn't work, or Nina was taking a nap and we had to change on the spot)
- petrol - €140
Accommodation
Tips for you:
- adapter - British sockets are three-point sockets compared to ours, so be careful with this and don't forget to pack the appropriate extension + sometimes the socket itself has its own switch
- taps - a bit retro here, but in the UK the vast majority have separate taps for hot and cold water. A special category is then the shower, which in many cases works on a instantaneous heater - this often has to be turned on by a special button, switch, cord... just look for it :)
- drinking water - if you're used to drinking clean water, you'll be pleased to know that tap water is drinkable in Scotland... and good. In some places you'll even come across official drinking fountains where you can afford a bottle. On the subject of water, I'll also mention that you can get it for free in restaurants - just ask for tap water, and don't worry, they won't look at you strangely or offended.
- good quality outdoor clothing - Scottish weather is literally unpredictable and can change at lightning speed. I'd recommend bringing along a decent waterproof jacket and boots. A raincoat in your backpack (and on your rucksack) should also be a staple for this destination. And because of the wind, I really appreciated a headband even in May.
- Explorer pass - if you're a big history buff and plan to visit all the castles along the way, consider buying this gadget. For 7 days you pay £44 and can visit any number of historical sites from the list, more info on the official website. Do the maths to see if it's worth it.
- Cash - you can pay by card more or less everywhere, but parking meters like this often only take coins, if you want to pay by card you have to install their local parking app. Generally, always withdraw at least some cash from an ATM (no problem to find an ATM with free withdrawal). We've had several occasions where the payment terminal in a hotel or restaurant just wasn't working.
- Supermarkets / petrol stations - expect to only find supermarkets with the withdrawal you are used to in the bigger cities (Edinburgh, Stirling, Fort William, Inverness etc). On the Isle of Skye, the largest COOP store is in Portree, otherwise there are very small shops with a limited range scattered around the villages. The situation is similar with petrol stations, so definitely don't leave refuelling to the last minute or you'll be left hanging.
- Driving left - a chapter unto itself, and although it's a cliché , it really is "all about habit". For the first few days, you work in a kind of spasm, which then gradually loosens as the miles go by. Ideal to have some extra eyes in the passenger seat :)
- potholes in the road - although it might seem that potholes are a purely Czech thing, Scotland might just lead you astray. No kidding, really pay attention, because there are potholes everywhere.
- Calling / data - on the mobile phone front, here's a bit of positive news - even after Brexit, the UK tariff you're used to from the EU still applies. So in that respect, a Scottish holiday certainly won't break the bank.
Itinerary
I'd say the May weather was quite kind to us, or rather I only had to cancel two major walks on the Isle of Skye, where there was a huge fog in the hills that day and you couldn't see a step. Otherwise, it rained mainly at night (sometimes in the morning) or here and there a shower when crossing by car, but it didn't ruin our day. Actually, I expected much worse... much more rain, which thankfully didn't happen :)
DAY1
DAY2
DAY3
DAY4
DAY5
DAY6
DAY7
DAY8
You can go straight on to the second article on Scotland, where I literally broke down our complete itinerary day by day. Alternatively, go to article number three, which focuses solely on the Isle of Skye: practical info + TOP tours.
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