West of Scotland

Inforapennyinforapound

Following advice from this board i have decided to visit the West in Spring/Summer.

Travelling up from mid England first time for a week or so.

Hoping to travel around and use b&b's.
Is it wise to book in advance and if so has anyone got any good websites for accomodation please?

We hope to visit Skye,Fort William etc and return via Sterling perhaps.

General advice on the above and 'must see' places would be very appreciated for this 1st time visitor.

Always_Harassed

Did this trip 2 years ago. Would suggest that you don't book unless you are going on a holiday weekend or height of the season. We went in June. Just went to hotels in Fort William and got a lovely place. Prebooked Skye and would not have stayed there if had seen it first. Can get better buys by going on spec and can see hotel first to see if it suits. If I was going back to Skye would only stay in one place for a night. Is massive place and could easily stay in different towns. Portree isn't that great and VERY expensive. Locals treat the tourists with little regard.

jexygirl

https://www.visitscotland.com has all the info about everything There are LOADS of must sees! And the drives to each place in themselves can be breathtaking. I would suggest that you at least call some places in advance, just to check availability, as we have so many small "holidays" that england dont have, I know we are often booked up on the oddest weekends!
Hth
Jex

nesssie1702

Not every B&B etc is a member of VisitScotland due to the costs etc.

If you're venturing onto the islands at all, then you might be wise to pre-book. Tourist numbers were up last year and due to the recession, staycations, pound v Euro etc, then it's estimated that there are going to be even more tourists in Scotland this year.

Have a good time when you do go!

scotsbob

You don't say if by car or public transport.

The train journey from Fort William to Mallaig is worth doing.
Car journey through Glencoe has some awesome scenery.

If coming from England by car I would do Glasgow, then A82 through Inveraray on to Oban then Fort William up to Mallaig, ferry to Skye then over the bridge and over to Inverness and back down A9 and home.

I would avoid school holidays and I personally think May and September are the better months to see Scotland. Weather usuually good, outwith main tourist/holiday season and, most importantly for west highlands, the dreaded midges are subdued.

In the highlands anyone with a spare room offers B+B and I doubt you would need to book. Booking also ties you to a set schedule and you don't have the freedom to stay longer if you like somewhere.

The visitscotland website is very commercialised and, as another poster has said, many places are not listed because they refuse to pay the exorbitant advertising fees.

Inforapennyinforapound

scotsbob and others,thanks.

Yes,we are travelling by car.
Just out of interest scotsbob,are you saying that midges will be around or not? We are talking early June,Cheers

AprilLady

I think the midgies tend to start appearing in May, but some years are worse than others, and it depends on where you are too.

john0612

Inforapennyinforapound wrote: »

scotsbob and others,thanks.

Yes,we are travelling by car.
Just out of interest scotsbob,are you saying that midges will be around or not? We are talking early June,Cheers

you're in luck, that's when the haggis shooting season starts :cool:

west is the best , you'll love it.

Always_Harassed

I am sure there was an article on the news recently that said that there will be a big decline in midge numbers this year due to the very cold winter. Buy yourself some Avon skin so soft green bottle as it seems to act as a barrier and wear a hat. They are annoying but not that bad. Early June should give you a good chance of decent weather. The scenery is brilliant so don't try to do too much as you won't get a chance to stop and admire the views. Make frequent stops to take it all in.

scotsbob

Inforapennyinforapound wrote: »

scotsbob and others,thanks.

Yes,we are travelling by car.
Just out of interest scotsbob,are you saying that midges will be around or not? We are talking early June,Cheers

Early June you will get midges.

Every year the people involved with visitscotland and the tourist industry get their PR people to put out stories saying the midges aren't going to be around. Every year the problem is as bad as ever.

Midges are a major problem and copious amounts of DEET are needed. Just Google midges and Scotland to get an idea of what to expect.

I wouldn't let it put you off coming here but be aware it is a major problem in the Highlands.

Nosht

WORSE THAN THE MIDGE IS THE PREVALENCE OF MOSQUITOS FROM LATE MARCH ONWARDS.
They leave a nasty water blister but you do not feel the bite or the insect on your skin, just the itchy feeling after. They are small dark grey in colour with vary big wings for their size.

Regards,

N.

P.S. Also beware of ticks, they can crawl about your clothes & skin & appear hours after you have been out of doors. Washing does not kill them.