In my first article, 8 Days in Scotland, I shared practical tips on flights, accommodation, car hire and more, as well as our complete, if somewhat rough, itinerary. Today I'll try to expand it "a bit" with specific places we stopped and what we (dis)liked, all accompanied by lots of photos of course, so be prepared for a slightly longer read :)
DAY1: Stirling, Loch Lomond
The advantage of the early flight from Prague, besides Nina's falling asleep on the plane, is the fact that we have the whole day at our disposal after arrival. We pick up the car before nine o'clock in the morning and enter our first destination - Stirling, where we want to recharge our batteries during our city sightseeing. The biggest attraction here is Stirling Castle, towering on a cliff above the city. Admission comes to £17.50 when bought online (£19.50 on site) + if you want to park right next to the castle, another £4 for parking (max 4 hours). More info on opening times and prices here.
In general, it is quite difficult to find a parking space in Stirling, as there are parking bans or residents-only zones everywhere. If you do find a spot, the parking meter only takes change or option 2: install an app and pay through it. We only check out the castle from afar - the view from Queens / Kings Knot parks is awesome. We end up leaving the car at Dagleish Court Car Park (£2.20 for about 2 hours) and during our errand we manage to grab a much-needed coffee and admire the classic English houses, in addition to the large playground in Darnley Park.
The second place that few travelers miss is nearby The National Wallace Monument. There's free parking, refreshments and a walking route from the car park up Abbey Craig hill to the monument => 67 metre high tower commemorating Scottish hero William Wallace. There are 3 options to choose from, the shortest one will take you to the top in about 20 minutes and you will come across several carved statues along the way. There is an entrance fee of £11.30 and the visit includes a climb up the tower and a tour of the galleries... and of course the views... More info then here.
After Stirling we move to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, where I had two suggestions for a hike (Conic Hill or Ben A´an), but because of Pep's sprained ankle we choose a more moderate programme on the first day in the form of the town of Luss. There are a huge number of lakes (loch = lake) in this area, so it's up to you which one you choose. The largest of these is Lomond, which is also the largest lake in the whole of the UK (in terms of surface area), and Luss lies right on its shores. It's not so much a town as a village. Don't really expect anything big, but it certainly has its charms. People don't look upon it as one of Scotland's prettiest villages.
Practical info Luss: there is no point in looking for free parking, because only locals are allowed everywhere. However, as soon as you get off the main road (A82), you'll come across a large catchment car park (I think £1/hour). You can either walk around Luss intuitively on your own or take inspiration from a recommended walk (Main Village, Pilgrim or Quarry trail). The weather turned out fine and we walked them all :) In the village itself, be sure to run to the pier, where the street will lead you like a shot, and then to the church, where you can stop at the Coach House tea room on the way.
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For the kids: a nice playground can be found on Pier rd., you won't miss it. A second fun activity could be a visit to the mini zoo, where you can see Highland cows, sheep, goats, donkeys and llamas + there's an area with bouncers, diggers and various obstacles (entrance fee £4, entrance is opposite the South Car Park car park). The Quarry Trail will take you part way around the paddocks, which continues on through more of a nature trail, but there are still some elements for the kids. In fact, the trail is interspersed with some children's storybook trails, which you won't mind if you need to keep the kids entertained.
We then continue along the western shore of Loch Lomond, stopping briefly at the pyramidal viewpoint of An Ceann Mòr. From the car park it is about a 2 minute walk to the pyramid, where you will have a view of the small island and the harbour of Inveruglas.
Our last stop today is dedicated to the Falls of Falloch. Their advantage is very easy accessibility, where you don't have to go anywhere frantic, the car park is located just off the main road and even from there it is only a few minutes walk. There is no entrance or parking fee.
From here we only go to our accommodation for today - Luib Hotel, photo below. It was quite a challenge to find something in this area at the last minute, so a night in a stylish Scottish guesthouse with private bathroom for €96 with breakfast was actually quite good. The open restaurant was also a plus, and they have outdoor seating with a playground for the summer. Other tips in this lake area:
DAY2: Glencoe Valley, Steall Falls, Glenfinnan
In the morning, we fortify ourselves with a real Scottish breakfast and without much ado we set off. Those who still want to stay in these parts for a while, there is a detour to the Falls of Dochart (we skipped). The problem is that it doesn't quite look like sunbathing today, which wouldn't matter that much, but the visibility itself isn't exactly great either. That's a bit of a shame, as we're passing through the magnificent, 16 km long Glencoe Valley, which will certainly look even better when lit up... It's also become a favourite location for filmmakers, so you can catch glimpses of it in Braveheart, Skyfall, Harry Potter and the historical series Outlander.
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On the way we stop wherever we like, however, there will always be clouds of cars at the most profane viewpoints, so you just don't have a chance to miss it. It will depend only on your time. The Glencoe Visitor centre is also a nice stop. There is no admission charge as such, but there are parking meters (£4/day). Inside you'll find an exhibition about mountaineering, where you can also watch a short documentary + cafe, toilets. It's also possible to take a tour of the so-called Turf House (at certain times). If you're short on time, you can at least take a look around this strange dwelling from the outside - it's right next to the visitor centre building.
We decide to do a bigger walk at the foot of the highest mountain in Scotland and Great Britain - Ben Nevis. Although the name mountain is a bit of an exaggeration in this case, it's more of a hill with an altitude even lower than Sněžka, namely 1345 m above sea level. The other thing is that for most of the year you won't even be able to see the summit, as it's often hidden under the clouds. Even the original Gaelic name, Beinn Nibheis, is often translated as Mischievous Mountain or Mountain with its head in the clouds.
But we have no desire to climb the peak, we want to walk to the Steall Falls lying below. The starting point for us is the unpaid parking lot of Ben Nevis car park waterfall (google maps, but the road won't let you go any further anyway). From here expect about 40 minutes on a rocky path, so definitely leave the carriage at home, you won't get through here with it. You will come to a rope bridge, which you can walk across to the other side of the waterfall. Or you can make do with a view from afar, see photos. Steall Falls is the second highest waterfall in Scotland (and the UK), the water only falls in one stage and from a height of 150 metres. Harry Potter fans may have spotted it in a couple of scenes from the fourth instalment of Goblet of Fire. In general, many Potter films have been shot in Scotland.
And we'll stay with Harry for a while, because the notorious place where the "Hogwarts Express" passes through is only about 45 minutes away by car. We're talking, of course, about the Glenfinnan Viaduct - a 416 metre long and 31 metre high bridge that has appeared in several episodes. Most notably, of course, in the Chamber of Secrets footage, when Harry and Ron were trying to catch a train to Hogwarts in a stolen flying car.
In practical terms, you drive up to the Visitor Centre, park for £3 and within 5 minutes you are running up to the nearest
Glenfinnan Viewpoint. The bridge is still quite a distance from here, but you'll get a great view of Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument (you can walk from the car park and directly to it). At the visitor centre, you can find out what time the steam train crosses the bridge, which is what Instagram enthusiasts here are waiting for with gusto. But if you're interested, here's how :) Sunday to Friday: 10:45, 13:30, 15:20, 18:00, Saturdays: 10:45, 15:10, 15:20, 19:45. Of course, you can also ride this train running on the Fort William-Mallaig route, but count on the fact that the tickets are not the cheapest. All info can be found on the
official website here.
Viaduct Overlook - there are more overlooks and routes (they are also broken down at the visitor center), we found it most reasonable to walk from the parking lot to the arches and then a short climb up from there (about a half hour ride total). We were very pleased with the view, even if the legendary steam powered specimen wasn't running at the time.
Just like the previous day, I had to deal with occupied accommodation far and wide, so we drive to Loch Ness, where we spend the night at the
Drumnadrochit Hotel. For the price of €92 we have a nice room with bath and parking close to the hotel. Dinner and breakfast could be bought locally at the usual local prices. Other tips for accommodation in this area:
DAY3: Loch Ness, Eilean Donan Castle, Isle of Skye
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In the morning we set off to explore Loch Ness, how else but by water. There are several cruise companies operating here, I choose
Jacobite tour, mainly because of the dock a few minutes from our hotel and then also because of Koblize, which as a child under 5 we didn't have to pay anything for. So we enter Clansman Harbour into the sat nav and leave the car in the free car park at the Loch Ness Clansman Hotel. Because of the morning cruise we didn't buy tickets in advance, in the afternoon and especially in high season I would prefer to book online in advance. A basic
50 minute Inspiration tour comes in at £19 for an adult + some small purchase fee. You can find all the
info here.
The boat is comfortable with seating inside and out, with toilets and a bar. You can learn some interesting info along the way, like the fact that Loch Ness is not the largest or deepest, as some have mistakenly stated, but contains the most water (even compared to the largest Loch Lomond). The ruins of Urquhart Castle are the main focus of this itinerary as the main must see on the loch. There is another mooring below the castle and most people from organised tours also disembark here, giving you a super opportunity to see and photograph it in peace. Then the boat will turn around and take you back to the Clansman Hotel.
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At the Urquhart Castle we finally stop the car, but we only see it from the road, we don't have time for more. If you're interested in this castle, check out the website here for more info on opening times and prices. But today we aim to drive to the Isle of Skye, for which I've reserved a special article - Isle of Skye: practical info + TOP tours.
DAY4 + 5: Isle of Skye
DAY6: Isle of Skye, Beauly Priory
We still spend most of the day on the Isle of Skye, and then spend the afternoon crossing back to the "mainland" to the town of Beauly, where I was intrigued by the remains of
Beauly Priory. Here I also finally found accommodation without any problems. Fortunately, there is plenty of it in this area. The choice fell on
Hillview Park, which we can safely recommend. Big room, parking right under the windows and excellent breakfast from the hostess => for the price of
€96/night ideal for us. Other accommodation tips:
DAY7: Inverness, Culloden, Fort George
In the morning we head to one of the larger Scottish cities - Inverness, which functions as the capital of Highland. We leave the car in the car park at the local St. Andrew's Cathedral - Cathedral parking (£3 for 0-4 hrs) and just wander along the river Ness for a while. They've got it very nicely laid out and you can refresh yourself at one of several food trucks. Inverness Castle is unfortunately surrounded by scaffolding and not open to the public, so we rather just wander aimlessly and relax with coffee and food.
Note: If you've seen the TV series Outlander, you won't be unfamiliar with the name Inverness, however scenes from here weren't actually filmed here, the filmmakers used the Scottish town of Falkland for that.
A very interesting and historically significant place is certainly the
Culloden Battlefield located near Inverness. It was here that in April 1746 the last battle between the British and the Jacobites took place, during which the Jacobite troops were very heavily defeated and the whole rebellion was ended by this clash. If you're a history buff, you'll be thrilled, as there's an entire museum dedicated to the Jacobite rebellion and, most importantly, the culmination in the form of the Battle of Culloden.
Practical: you'll pay £2/day to park here, and if you're happy with just a walk around the exterior to see the battle lines and the many different memorials to, for example, the various Highland clans, you don't have to pay anything more. If you would like to broaden your horizons in the museum, prepare £14,
more info here.
If you still have time, you can also drive to a site 5 minutes away called Clava Cairns, where sacred burial mounds dating back some 4,000 years can be seen. There's no entrance fee or parking fee + as a bonus, you can catch a glimpse of the huge Culloden Viaduct (Clava, Nairn Viaduct) on the way.
Other places we managed to visit in this northern part of Scotland:
- Fort George - a military fort that is still garrisoned + you have the opportunity to look inside via a guided tour for £10 (photo 1 + 2)
- Cawdor Castle - a castle with landscaped gardens, however to see any of it at all you have to pay an entrance fee of £14.50 castle / £8 gardens
- Duffus Castle - a freely accessible castle ruin (photo 3 + 4)
- Burghead Well - former fortress, now a mysterious rock chamber remains + you can watch whales and dolphins from here
- Elgin Cathedral - ruins of a huge 13th century cathedral, admission £10 (photo 5 + 6)
I chose to stay at
The Mill House Hotel, which we would easily stay at again. Friendly staff, rooms, parking, very good food and all at a very good price. We paid about
€72 per night including breakfast, which I consider a great discovery in Britain with such a level of service. Other tips possibly as follows:
- cheaper: The Red Lion Tavern or Victoria Hotel - roughly comparable in price and guest rating to Mill House
- more expensive: The Royal Oak Hotel or Isla Bank House - both pampered accommodation at not-so-exorbitant prices
DAY8: Dunnottar Castle, Restenneth
Priory, Dundee
Our last full day we aim to move as close to Edinburgh as possible for an early morning departure. So I've planned the journey with three stops. Of course, not least because of the large number of distilleries in the area, there would be many more on offer, but time is already relentless. The first stop I chose was Dunnottar Castle, situated on a high cliff above the sea - I must confirm that the view is truly magnificent, it's also where the opening photo of this article comes from. Handy fact: there's no charge for parking here and even the best views from the surrounding cliffs can be enjoyed for free. If you'd like a tour of the castle itself, be prepared for £10.50. It's also possible to walk along the beaten track to the Stonehaven War Memorial. Or take a drive into the town of Stonehaven, where they have a nice seaside promenade, and perhaps a coffee or fish and chips in the harbour.
The second stop is more just to stretch our legs after the car ride, it is the ruins of Restenneth Priory, which we really like. Mainly because the sun finally came out, oh and we're all alone here... perfect.
The last event today is dedicated to Nina, so that she can also enjoy some "children's fun". I decided to skip the city of Dundee as such, but in the navigation we enter Camperdown Wildlife Centre = a small zoo focused more on European species (bears, otters, eagles, owls...). Admission costs £6 for an adult, £1.50 for a child under 3 (more info here), but it's such a nice change to the day. Then the playground set located right next to the car park (Camperdown Play Complex) is a bonus. There's a seriously huge amount of them, with different play features and really for kids of all ages.
From here we move on to our last Scottish accommodation -
Longforgan Coaching Inn, which at
€48/night was the cheapest of all. Quite ordinary, with parking and the option to buy dinner and breakfast, which we didn't take advantage of as we were in a hurry to return the car to the airport in the morning. Other accommodation tips around Dundee:
DAY9: Forth Bridge + departure
The only thing we can do on the way to the airport is a short detour to the viewpoint on the Forth Bridge connecting North Queensferry and South Queensferry. This is a railway bridge over 2.5km long and weighing approximately 50,000 tonnes, spanning the Firth of Forth. In 2015 it was even added to the UNESCO list of heritage sites for its uniqueness.
And that´s it from Scotland, dear Donuts. If this information has helped you to save a little time or money or both, you can perhaps "invite me for a coffee" and contribute to the running of Travel with donuts :) account number / QR code: 1257951017/3030
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