[Archived] Scotland

[Tim Southampton Rover]

At the start of September, my girlfriend and I are dog sitting in Airdrie for a few weeks whilst her sister is on holiday.

Obviously Airdrie will be limited with things to do so we're wondering if anyone has any recommendations/suggestions on places to visit or things to do especially around the Glasgow area. We're willing to travel quite far if the place is worth it but we're restricted to public transport whilst we're staying there as we're flying up to Scotland from the South Coast.

At the moment we have a couple of things planned:

Football wise we've got tickets for the Scotland v Czech Republic and Airdrie v Albion Rovers games. Sightseeing wise we're planning on doing a 1 day coach tour of the highlands and pop into Glasgow for some shopping.

Anyone have any other suggestions? Especially places to visit, must do attractions, great places to eat etc. Several people have mentioned Loch Lomand but is it easy to get to using public transport?

[Mike Graham]

Try the local speciality: deep fried pizza.

[Robbo]

Try the local speciality: deep fried pizza.

Now you're talking. Tended to have it more in the winter. It must have been something to do with a craving for the fat content. Great stuff to keep the chill away when your down the park with your mates, underage, drinking Tennants Super. Happy days......

Anyway, enough of that. My recommendation. Don't spend too much time in Aidrie. I've only been to away games there and that was enough. There's plenty to see within an hour of where you are. Not least of which is Auld Reekie (Edinburgh to most of you lot)

[Hughesy]

Edinburgh if you can make it.

[Paul]

Try to visit some of the Hebrides - inner or outer. September is one of the best months for weather, the ferries are dirt cheap for foot passengers, accommodation in bunk houses from £10 per night, reasonable bus services on most of the islands.

On Skye there us the Clan Donald visitor centre a mile from Armadale ferry port This is an excellent museum which gives good insight into the complex history of Scottish clans.

Edinburgh is well worth a visit. Don't miss the Borders region but public transport may prove tricky - no trains thanks to Beeching.

[Alan75]

Keep clear of Glasgow Central Railway Station.

I was based there for 2 weeks recently and although its a fabulous building architecturaly, its surrounded by drunks and beggars 24hours of the day.

[JC4LAB]

Try the deep fired mars bars too..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep-fried_Mars_bar

[only2garners]

I'm not sure how a 1 day tour of the Highlands is going to work. If you're leaving from Glasgow and getting back the same day you won't really get much beyond Loch Lomond. Not that there is anything wrong with Loch Lomond, but it is in no sense the Highlands. You can get to Loch Lomond by train from Airdrie via Glasgow to Balloch, from where you can get boat trips on the loch.

Paul's suggestion of the Hebrides is excellent but I'm not clear how long you can stay away from the dog, or whether it can come with you. If you can, get as far up the north west coast as you can but you will need a few days to make the most of it. You can get a train to either Oban or Mallaig, both of which will be fabulous journeys in themselves and will give you access to the islands. More choice from Oban but probably the better train journey to Mallaig. If you really want to see remote Scotland get the ferry from Mallaig to Inverie on Knoydart, where you enjoy some fantastic walks in very remote hills - Knoydart is not accessible by road even though it is on the mainland. There is camping, a bunkhouse and B&B in Inverie and also an excellent pub.

If you can't do that you could have an island experience on Arran which you can get to from Ardrossan (train from Glasgow). It would also be criminal not to go to Edinburgh. It's a pity you will be just too late for the Festival.

[philipl]

The trains are now pretty good and the Airdrie-Edinburgh service has just been reinstated.

Glasgow has plenty of interest including the Charles Rennie Macintosh architecture and Kelvinhall Gallery.

Masses of things to do in Edinburgh including the National Gallery of Scotland which is one of my favourite galleries.

Can probably get a train to Balloch on Loch Lomond.

[ABBEY]

Go to benidorm

[thenodrog]

At the start of September, my girlfriend and I are dog sitting in Airdrie for a few weeks whilst her sister is on holiday.

Obviously Airdrie will be limited with things to do so we're wondering if anyone has any recommendations/suggestions on places to visit or things to do especially around the Glasgow area. We're willing to travel quite far if the place is worth it but we're restricted to public transport whilst we're staying there as we're flying up to Scotland from the South Coast.

At the moment we have a couple of things planned:

Football wise we've got tickets for the Scotland v Czech Republic and Airdrie v Albion Rovers games. Sightseeing wise we're planning on doing a 1 day coach tour of the highlands and pop into Glasgow for some shopping.

Anyone have any other suggestions? Especially places to visit, must do attractions, great places to eat etc. Several people have mentioned Loch Lomand but is it easy to get to using public transport?

Take a mac.

[cletus]

Get the train from Glasgow to Oban. Takes about 4hours, but you go through some of the best most spectacular scenery in the uk. Oban is lovely (if it`s not raining)

[jim mk2]

Glasgow and Edinburgh are both splendid cities with great architecture. Glasgow has improved immensely in recent years while Edinburgh in its natural setting is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. You must visit them both.

Would recommend going round Scotland by train. The journeys to Inverness, Oban, Fort William, Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh are all wonderful rides with spectacular scenery. Fort William to Mallaig has been voted one of the best train journeys in the world. From Kyle of Lochalsh you can cross by boat to the Isle of Skye.

Would also recommend a visit to the capital of the Highlands, Inverness, and hiring a car to explore the Black Isle and the area around Loch Ness. Don't drive round Loch ness in the twilight or the early morning though - it's an eerie place. The far north around Wick and Thurso is much more barren and I would give it a miss.

If you're a golfer the east coast up from St Andrews northwards has some wonderful courses.

Great country but the weather can be variable - it was 88F when I visited Skye but at some stage you'll definitely need your brolly.

[Paul]

From Kyle of Lochalsh you can cross by boat to the Isle of Skye.

Not sure there is a boat since the bridge was opened?

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Thanks everyone for your tips and recommendations.

For those wondering about the 1 day tour:

This is what i've had my eye on:

Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands Minicoach Day Tour from Rabbies (Glasgow)

Details of the Tour - Full Itinerary

Depart Glasgow at 08.15 and travel north towards the Highlands along the “bonnie, bonnie” banks of Loch Lomond. This is Scotland's largest loch and it takes its name from the mountain Ben Lomond on the eastern shore.

Travelling north through Breadalbane (meaning the 'High Country of Scotland'), you climb towards the wild desolation of Rannoch Moor. At an altitude of over 1000ft, covered by heather and peat-bogs and dotted with dozens of lochs, it's a unique landscape. This contrasts with the spectacular mountain scenery as you pass the majestic peak of Buachaille Etive Mor (meaning 'the great shepherd of Etive') and down into Scotland's most famous valley, Glencoe.

Stunningly beautiful, with its dramatic cliff faces and steep slopes, Glencoe is infamous as the site of the Glencoe massacre in 1692. Following orders from King William, Scottish soldiers, under the leadership of Captain Robert Campbell, slaughtered 38 men, women and children of the Macdonald clan. This was especially shocking as the soldiers had been living with the people of Glencoe for 2 weeks and killed them in their own homes. Noone was ever punished for this crime, as the King himself had signed the order, but because it was murder under trust, the Highlands would never be the same again.

Beyond Glencoe you will enter the Great Glen, a deep glacial valley which follows a geological fault line. Passing through the town of Fort William you drive under Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis before arriving at Fort Augustus on the southern shore of Loch Ness.

At 23 miles long and over 700ft deep it's the largest loch by volume in Scotland and contains more water than every lake in England and Wales combined! The loch is best known for the legendary sightings of the Loch Ness Monster ("Nessie") and you can take the opportunity of a boat cruise on the loch to go in search of the monster, or simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Fort Augustus is a pretty little town in its own right, the Caledonian Canal which links the lochs of the Great Glen dominates the town and makes a great place to relax and watch the boats sail by. You will stop here for nearly 2 hours to give you time for lunch and take in the scenery around Scotland's most famous loch.

From Loch Ness you return south again, making a short stop in Spean Bridge, before heading through the mountains of the Cairngorms National Park. The route takes us alongside Loch Laggan (the setting for the BBC series 'Monarch of the Glen'), over the Drumochter Pass (1500ft above sea level) and past 13th century Blair Castle, ancestral home of the Duke of Atholl. Your next stop is the Highland resort town of Pitlochry, built on Victorian tourism and nestled amongst the mountains of Highland Perthshire.

There are some more here

[Baz]

The itinery of the tour is good, but you aren't going to get very long at all in any of the destinations if you are doing it all in a day.

I'd follow the other recommendations of Edinburgh and the West coast is great - if you can get out to the hebrides (Inner or Outer) they are great too. Skye is meant to be excellent.

[only2garners]

That tour will be around 350 miles in a minibus, so you will need to like being on a bus to enjoy it. Personally the distances would be too far for me to enjoy the day, but if you can't do an overnight trip and want to see some of the north it's a decent option.

There is no ferry from Kyle to Skye any more but you can get to Skye by public transport by taking the train to Mallaig, then 30 minutes ferry to Armadale on the Sleat peninsula and bus from there. Or presumably there will be a bus from Kyle but the route via Mallaig is much much better.

[thenodrog]

Scottish Independence. Not relevent to the rest of the thread but I thought I'd put this here...

Now not withstanding the fact that Alex Salmond and his cronies appear to hold the very selfish viewpoint 'whats yours is mine and whats mine is my own' and that there are more holes in theire plans for Scottish Independence than potholes in Blackburn re: the pound... the euro.... the eu ..... nato.... oil ...... national debt, NHS etc etc etc however I can't help but wonder how the hell they think that they can vote for their own Independence. If that was the way centuries ago then surely they would never have become a part of the Union in the first place? Lest we forget (cos it seems thay have done) we conquered them time and again in battle, they were troublesome neighbours for centuries and thousands of our forefathers died in procuring that particular part of Northern Britain for King and country.

So my question is ..... what right have the scots to vote for their independence? We conquered them, we have ruled them, we have supported them for centuries so surely the citizens of England are the only peoples with the right to vote on the future of the scots?

[adopted scouser]

Scottish Independence. Not relevent to the rest of the thread but I thought I'd put this here...

Now not withstanding the fact that Alex Salmond and his cronies appear to hold the very selfish viewpoint 'whats yours is mine and whats mine is my own' and that there are more holes in theire plans for Scottish Independence than potholes in Blackburn re: the pound... the euro.... the eu ..... nato.... oil ...... national debt, NHS etc etc etc however I can't help but wonder how the hell they think that they can vote for their own Independence. If that was the way centuries ago then surely they would never have become a part of the Union in the first place? Lest we forget (cos it seems thay have done) we conquered them time and again in battle, they were troublesome neighbours for centuries and thousands of our forefathers died in procuring that particular part of Northern Britain for King and country.

So my question is ..... what right have the scots to vote for their independence? We conquered them, we have ruled them, we have supported them for centuries so surely the citizens of England are the only peoples with the right to vote on the future of the scots?

I was listening to the news on the radio and most of their caveats seem to make little or no difference to the current set up.

As an aside, in the RANT thread I made a post that was clearly racist, and as it made no reference to Islam met with little response ??

Apart from our ever popular train spotter.

[BiggusLaddus]

...If that was the way centuries ago then surely they would never have become a part of the Union in the first place?

... We conquered them, we have ruled them, we have supported them for centuries so surely the citizens of England are the only peoples with the right to vote on the future of the scots?

Well no not really. The two kingdoms were merged with each other in 1707 because they had shared the same monarch for 100yrs before that. They had shared the same monarch ever since the king of Scotland inherited the kingdom of England.

So in other words England was subsumed into the demense and properties of the Scottish King, not the other way around.

[Mike E]

That tour will be around 350 miles in a minibus, so you will need to like being on a bus to enjoy it. Personally the distances would be too far for me to enjoy the day, but if you can't do an overnight trip and want to see some of the north it's a decent option.

There is no ferry from Kyle to Skye any more but you can get to Skye by public transport by taking the train to Mallaig, then 30 minutes ferry to Armadale on the Sleat peninsula and bus from there. Or presumably there will be a bus from Kyle but the route via Mallaig is much much better.

Visited Skye this summer and had a bloody wonderful time camping up and down the island. Oy managed about a quarter of thr walks/scrambles on offer so will make it a semi-regular trip

I shall conquer Sgurr Alistair!!!

[jim mk2]

Scottish Independence. Not relevent to the rest of the thread but I thought I'd put this here...

Now not withstanding the fact that Alex Salmond and his cronies appear to hold the very selfish viewpoint 'whats yours is mine and whats mine is my own' and that there are more holes in theire plans for Scottish Independence than potholes in Blackburn re: the pound... the euro.... the eu ..... nato.... oil ...... national debt, NHS etc etc etc however I can't help but wonder how the hell they think that they can vote for their own Independence. If that was the way centuries ago then surely they would never have become a part of the Union in the first place? Lest we forget (cos it seems thay have done) we conquered them time and again in battle, they were troublesome neighbours for centuries and thousands of our forefathers died in procuring that particular part of Northern Britain for King and country.

So my question is ..... what right have the scots to vote for their independence? We conquered them, we have ruled them, we have supported them for centuries so surely the citizens of England are the only peoples with the right to vote on the future of the scots?

The level of ignorance is staggering.

[Paul]

Scottish Independence. Not relevent to the rest of the thread but I thought I'd put this here...

Now not withstanding the fact that Alex Salmond and his cronies appear to hold the very selfish viewpoint 'whats yours is mine and whats mine is my own' and that there are more holes in theire plans for Scottish Independence than potholes in Blackburn re: the pound... the euro.... the eu ..... nato.... oil ...... national debt, NHS etc etc etc however I can't help but wonder how the hell they think that they can vote for their own Independence. If that was the way centuries ago then surely they would never have become a part of the Union in the first place? Lest we forget (cos it seems thay have done) we conquered them time and again in battle, they were troublesome neighbours for centuries and thousands of our forefathers died in procuring that particular part of Northern Britain for King and country.

So my question is ..... what right have the scots to vote for their independence? We conquered them, we have ruled them, we have supported them for centuries so surely the citizens of England are the only peoples with the right to vote on the future of the scots?

Even by your standards that is an astonishing view. Have you really thought about the final paragraph, despite it being largely factually incorrect?

I'm unsure what the implications of Scottish Independence are for the rest of the UK but do struggle to see how Scotland will survive financially. I've plenty of Scottish friends who are certain it will work.

Salmond's decision to keep the £sterling is interesting. If Scotland is to be independent I feel either the Bank of England decides who can use our currency or Scotland has it's own or the Euro.

[rock steady]

Is there any way to hide the quotation of a user that you have on ignore?

[broadsword]

The only motivation for Scottish independence is that they all have massive chips on their shoulders