Highlands route plan help...

maggiesoop

Taking 2 visiting European teenage girls for a couple of days sightseeing in Scotland in a couple of weeks. Basic route - Edinburgh A9 Blairgowrie overnight stay in Travelodge in Inverness then west coast back to Edinburgh. I think they want to shortbread tin type views.

VisitScotland sent brochures but too much choice and lots of places sound fab. What do you think is the ABSOLUTELY MUST SEE places to stop. Not much money so big castles etc out (unless free or cheap) fab views, beautiful scenery & atmospheric places would be welcome. Thanks.

Nosht

Go to Bonar Bridge & take a left to Culrain just before the bridge & proceed to Carbisdale Castle, a beautiful 19th. century building full of interesting works.
Its a Youth Hostel so no charge to view.
Nearby is Dornoch, Dunrobin Castle & many small fishing villages similar to the Fife Coast.
If you have the time travel north to John o'Groats but its a fair journey.

N.

scotsbob

I would agree with Nosht.
Carbisdale Castle Youth hostel is a real experience for overseas visitors. Stay in a castle for less than £20 a night.
http://www.syha.org.uk/hostels/highlands/carbisdale_castle.aspx

Then take the A82 back down and through Glencoe.

maggiesoop

Thanks to both, afraid Inverness is the further I can go (not enough time) so anywhere interesting between Edinburgh A9 to Inverness then coming back via A82 greatly appreciated. Thanks.

StudentEdinburgh

You should have a look at companies like Haggis Tours that is based in Edinburgh - they do short tours - then just follow where they would go. You'll prob get some 'off the beaten track' ideas too.

I stayed with a group of friends at a hostel in Loch Lomond that was right at the bottom of Ben Lomond and we spent the day climbing to the top of the monro - quite a trek but the views were pretty amazing at the top! There's another hostel in Loch Lomond that is a castle.

maggiesoop

Yes, I did pick up a few leaflets, they mostly follow the same route and I will probably do that too, just wondered if anyone knew of any little "finds" a little off the beaten .....

competitionscafe

East -

Loch Morlich (a few miles outside Aviemore) has a great view of the Cairngorms from the 'beach'.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathersmemories/4158957542/

Nearby you can stop at Rothiemurchus which has a good cafe and also walks in the pine forest and around a small loch which has a ruined castle on an island in the middle. Lots of red squirrels too!
http://www.rothiemurchus.net/index.html
http://www.rothiemurchus.net/Pages/Welcome/History/LAE.html

West - Glencoe and the view of Buchaille Etive Mor from the Kingshouse is a classic: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Buchaille%20Etive%20Mor&w=all&s=int

Glen Nevis is scenic and only a very short detour from Fort William.
The viewpoint at the Commando memorial is worth stopping at between Inverness and Fort William and also a short (1 mile) detour along the ski centre (Nevis Range) road for views of Ben Nevis.
Further South; the Trossachs is nice too. Real Food Cafe (Tyndrum) or Mhor Fish in Callendar are good food stops.

Try and get a copy of the book 'Scotland the Best' from the library which has some great tips and top ten lists of drives, walks, views etc.

Best scenery of all is in the far north west though (Skye, Plockton, Applecross, Torridon and all points north of Torridon along the West Coast:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marksouthgate/galleries/72157622521352375/

These sites have some useful info too:

http://scotland4thesenses.blogspot.com/

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/uscategories/index.html

torbrex

Queens View near Pitlochry



The Crannoch on Loch Tay near Kenmore

ailuro2

The view of Loch Lomond at Urquhart Castle is free, and of course iconic, they will always shout we've been there when they see it on the TV.

The drive into Stirling when you see the castle up on the top of the cliff.....

The view from the Wallace Monument, distract them from the Mel Gibson statue at the bottom though.....

Black cliffs and the wonderful colour of the light up at Durness are beautiful but I agree they are too far to go in a couple of days.

Lunan bay up the east coast a bit from Montrose is a lovely coastal place.

Cawdor Castle is nice, lovely grounds you can look round for free, iirc. It's MacBeth country, not sure if European teens will be au fait with Willie shakespeare.;)

Make sure you take them over the Forth Road Bridge and stop off at the other side so they can see the two bridges at leisure.

Captain Scott's ship Discovery is in Dundee, right on the water (not surprisingly) it has a good visitor centre and great views of the two bridges, remember the Tay Rail disaster, the longest bridge in Europe before it came down.

Have you thought about stopping off at McArthur Glen or Tillicoutry for a wee bit of retail therapy, or do they just want to see scenery?:)

Have fun, it's a beautiful country, forgot to mention Rumblin Brig, nice stop for a picnic up there, then there's the Birks o' Aberfeldy, the world's tallest hedge at Meikleour (looks like a row of trees it's so big)....

sorry I could go on and on....

nesssie1702

If you're staying in Inverness and going back down the road in the A82, then stop off at Urqhuart Castle. It doesn't cost to stop in the car park and take a few photos - but if you want to go in, there is an admission charge

The Historic Scotland website details where all the properties are and which are free of charge to get into

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/places/propertysearch.htm

Mattjimf

ailuro2 wrote: »

The view of Loch Lomond at Urquhart Castle is free, and of course iconic, they will always shout we've been there when they see it on the TV.

When did they move Urquhart Castle south??