Amazing Scotland (Sep 2008)

Scotland has been on my list of places to visit ever since my first trip to England a couple of years ago. So July this year we decided to plan a holiday there and needless to say we weren’t disappointed and even pleasantly surprised at how much it has to offer!

Scotland is a rich kaleidoscope of adventure highlands, lochs, heritage castles, monuments and an active night life. Besides breathtaking sceneries there is trekking and hiking for the adventure lovers, wildlife watching, whiskey distilleries, fishing, golf and much more. Depending on your interest there is really something for everyone!

Our itinerary was about 1000Km over around 10 days.

WHEN TO VISIT

Summer months of July and August are the best time to visit, with the days being warm and long. The Edinburgh festival is also held in August and is a major tourist attraction. However, having read repeatedly about the unpredictable weather we were extremely fortunate to have bright sunny days throughout our trip. The last day when it did rain, it was to see the city of Edinburgh blanketed in mist which was a real pleasure.  

TRAVELLING

For those who enjoy driving, it is the ideal and most economical way to see Scotland. It is a right hand drive, roads are great and signage is good. The long days in summer also help as you can do all the driving in daylight. Best of all you can stop along the way and discover many small towns and places which are very picturesque. It is best to book a car online in advance as you can scout around for the best deal. It was only because we were mobile that we managed, quite ambitiously, to cover the highlands, southern Scotland and also the central and northeast region. All in all we drove over 800 miles in 8 days!

ACCOMODATION

There are many accommodation options available depending on your budget and requirements, although I would definitely recommend the experience of staying at a Bed and Breakfast (B&B). Then there are budget hotels, hostels and of course the top end hotels. The best way to explore the cities and towns is definitely on foot so as a thumb rule always try and stay within walking distance of the city centre or old towns

EDINBURGH

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is a vibrant historic town with the Edinburgh Castle providing a perfect backdrop to the city. The old town has the High Street Royal Mile which is the area that runs from the castle at one end to the new Scottish Parliament building at the other.

The new parliament house in Edinburgh is a very modern building but somehow seems a misfit among the charming Victorian style architecture you see in the rest of the city. Apparently it was the subject of much controversy when it was opened in 2004 by Queen Elizabeth II, as people were not pleased with the final look.

Royal Mile

The high street is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes and this is where the tourists hang out and entertainers put up acts in the evenings. Most of the haunted tours, which are very popular, also start from here. Princess and George Streets are popular for shopping, bars and pubs.

The Ocean Terminal in the Waterfront area, ahead of Leith is also worth a visit. It is popular because of the Royal Yacht Britannia which is anchored there. You can take a tour of the yacht which was home to the Queen and the royal family till 1997, when it sailed its last voyage.

Edinburgh fort

Standing order- A bank converted into a bar
Wetherspoon, The Standing Order on George Street, Edinburgh is a bank converted into a bar and restaurant, with the original vault still inside! Great food, ambience and value for money.

SPEYSIDE REGION

A trip to Scotland would be incomplete without exploring its wealth of the world’s top quality whisky brands. So we drove through the Spey side region, which is the heart of Scotland’s whisky industry. We chose to do a whisky trail at the Glenfiddich Distillery, which is one of the best selling single malts around the world. It is near Duff town which is dubbed as the Malt whisky capital. The visit starts with a short film on the journey of Glenfiddich over the last 150 years and the process of whisky making. It is followed by a free tour around the distillery where you can see the actual casks in which whisky is stored, for a minimum of 12 years! At the end of the tour you get to sample the whisky and buy as well.

Contrary to popular belief however Scots prefer their ales to whisky. All the pubs have a good collection of different kinds of ales which are worth trying. You can even ask for samplers before deciding on one.

Oldest bottle of Glenfiddich
1937

Glenfiddich Distillery, Dufftown

The water source is the key element that differentiates the various brands of whiskeys. The secret behind the distinct taste of Glenfiddich is the water from the Robbie Dhu springs, which led to the Grant family buying out all the land surrounding the water source to keep it exclusively for themselves!

http://www.maltwhiskytrail.com/pages/view/the-trail

INVERNESS

River Ness

High on our visit on the whisky trail we drove on to Inverness. With the River Ness running through the town, it has a very relaxed ambience and is ideal for strolls and a coffee or drink in the evening. The Inverness Castle is a short climb on a hill from where you can get a view of the town. There are   lovely restaurants and bars along the river where you can sit and watch the setting sun.

Besides the town itself Inverness is famous as a base for visiting Loch Ness, which is a popular destination because of the Nessie monster. There have been reports of a number of alleged sightings by people of a huge aquatic water creature in the river. The upcoming movie ‘The Water Horse’ is inspired by Nessie and is bound to generate more interest in the legend. The loch itself stretches for 23 miles and there are stop areas along the way where you can take a break and enjoy the serene view.

Mustarad Seed Restaurant

Inverness has a number of B&Bs in charming stone houses just a five minute walk from the river. There is also a B&B association and it is best to opt for properties under it as they maintain a certain standard. The Mustard Seed is a popular restaurant along River Ness that has seating in the balcony, with a view of the river.  

ISLE OF SKYE

Enroute from Inverness to Glasgow we decided to drive around the Isle of Skye. This was the best decision of our trip as Skye offers the terrific sceneries I was still waiting to see. You cross over the Skye Bridge to Kyle of Lokash and drive over to the capital Portree, which is the liveliest and largest town in Skye. The Old Mann of Storr, a group of odd pinnacle shaped rocks, is another popular stop and you can hike up to the rock formations as well. The Kilt Rock Sea Cliffs in Trotternish are spectacular where one could not even see the distinguishing line between the sea and the sky as they met at the horizon.

Driving north of the Kilt Rock at a beach on the east coast of Skye facing Staffin slipway, dinosaur footprints were discovered in 2002. You can drive up to the beach and the prints remain embedded in the rock for all to see

Drive to Isle of Skye

GLASGOW

We reached Glasgow later into the night after seeing the spectacular views in the Isle of Skye. Glasgow has a totally modern, cutting edge city appeal and is a paradise for shopping and party lovers. The West End is a hot spot for bars and restaurants, hence a popular place to stay.  You will find people dressed stylishly and ready to have a good time.

Walking around the street into Ashton Lane in the West end you might confuse it for a private party. However it is a vibrant street corner buzzing with people drinking outside the different bars, with different genres of music floating out. And you can witness all the action while enjoying a scrumptious Indian meal at the popular Indian restaurant Wee Curry Shop, overlooking Ashton Lane.

Staying in West End one can easily use public transport to get to the city centre which has the Sauchiehall and Buchanan shopping streets. It is a shopper’s paradise with all the major chains having their branches here from the top end designers to major chain stores like H&M, Dorothy Perkins, Monsoon, Primark etc.

Oran Mor (Church converted into Bar, Interiors largely untouched)

I would rate Oran Mor in the West End, Glasgow as the best bar we visited during our trip. It is a church converted into bar... howzz that! The external facade is maintained like a church and it has a huge oval shaped wooden whisky bar, club and dining restaurant. The ambience and crowd is great.

STIRLING

The Wallace Monument

Stirling is a town that I would say rivals Edinburgh in terms of its historical significance and feel, with the Edinburgh and Stirling Castles forming a backdrop to the cities respectively. Many battles have been fought here but climbing up the quiet cobbled lanes to the castle it is difficult to imagine that it was the venue for so many conflicts. The Wallace Monument commemorates William Wallace, the famous patriot and hero. Visiting the monument, I could only picture the face of Mel Gibson as Wallace in Brave heart ... pledged to see it again!  

That brought about an end to our trip with a two day stopover in Edinburgh on the way back. There is so much more that can be done in Scotland, but we had to make do with the limited time we had. I believe one should return from a holiday with a desire to go back and see the little bit that was left out, I think it will always be the case with Scotland.