Summer Holiday in Highlands, Scotland - Need some ideas for good location

ailuro2

We went to Nairn a few years back, rented a house there, spent a fortune getting in everywhere but it was worth it.

This year we are staying along the road from Plockton - it's a microclimate in Plockton because of the geographical features they grow palm trees there. We're along the road in Duirinnish because we needed somewhere for three families that also allows dogs.:D Skye and the Talisker distillery is on the list of things to do for us.

ms_ora

@ Sneezy & ailuro2

Thanks so much for your great ideas. I am now really spoiled for having so many options for these fantastic places to choose from. :-)

Gloomendoom

As a piece of trivia, Plockton was the setting for the police series "Hamish Macbeth". You may not remember that far back!

vikingaero

We went to Scotland for our main holiday last year. We drove from Kent to just outside Fort William and did some major touring of the Highlands.

Some of the things we did:

(1) Visited Ben Nevis
(2) Urqhart Castle and the Loch Ness Exhibition (for the kids)
(3) Inverness and some castles towards Nairn and Elgin
(4) Ferry from Mallaig to Armadale on Skye, visited Dunvegan Castle and drove over the Skye Bridge where we stopped at the Kyle of Lochalsh for a glass bottom boat trip on the Seaprobe Atlantis.
(5) A monster road trip: Fort William to the Corran Ferry, drove to Lochaline for the Calmac Ferry to Fishnish on Mull, drove to Fionnphort for the Calmac Ferry to Iona, visited the Abbey, drove on the mountain road to Tobermory (Balamory), took the Calmac Ferry from Tobermory to Ardamurchan on the Morven Peninsula, Corran Ferry and back to Fort William!

ms_ora

vikingaero wrote: »

We went to Scotland for our main holiday last year. We drove from Kent to just outside Fort William and did some major touring of the Highlands.

Some of the things we did:

(1) Visited Ben Nevis
(2) Urqhart Castle and the Loch Ness Exhibition (for the kids)
(3) Inverness and some castles towards Nairn and Elgin
(4) Ferry from Mallaig to Armadale on Skye, visited Dunvegan Castle and drove over the Skye Bridge where we stopped at the Kyle of Lochalsh for a glass bottom boat trip on the Seaprobe Atlantis.
(5) A monster road trip: Fort William to the Corran Ferry, drove to Lochaline for the Calmac Ferry to Fishnish on Mull, drove to Fionnphort for the Calmac Ferry to Iona, visited the Abbey, drove on the mountain road to Tobermory (Balamory), took the Calmac Ferry from Tobermory to Ardamurchan on the Morven Peninsula, Corran Ferry and back to Fort William!

This is brilliant vikingaero !! :T This itinerary suits perfect to my plans. I have a couple of more queries

1) How many days did it take you to cover these places ?
2) Did you stay at one place and then were you travelling daily ?

Cheers

vikingaero

ms_ora wrote: »

This is brilliant vikingaero !! :T This itinerary suits perfect to my plans. I have a couple of more queries

1) How many days did it take you to cover these places ?
2) Did you stay at one place and then were you travelling daily ?

Cheers

Most of those numbered points were something that we did in a day, but not necessarily in that order. We stayed in a pine lodge in Fort William for a week and used it as a base. We did a few other things that I can't remember.

We spent a lot of money on fuel and ferries but figured that we've spent all that money travelling to Fort William that we might as well enjoy ourselves.

It was a lot of driving - 2 hours+ just to get to Inverness - but the Vikingettes are used to long distance travel and we have iPods, Nintendo DS's, DVD player in the car and we drug them with Calpol [joke].

Next time I want to viist the Bealach na Bà Pass to Applecross for the legendary dangerous road!

GlynD

If you're intending to do the Moray Firth coast along from Inverness to Elgin don't miss out Fort George. It's right on the water and is actually still a working army base whilst open to the public at the same time.

ms_ora

vikingaero wrote: »

Most of those numbered points were something that we did in a day, but not necessarily in that order. We stayed in a pine lodge in Fort William for a week and used it as a base. We did a few other things that I can't remember.

We spent a lot of money on fuel and ferries but figured that we've spent all that money travelling to Fort William that we might as well enjoy ourselves.

It was a lot of driving - 2 hours+ just to get to Inverness - but the Vikingettes are used to long distance travel and we have iPods, Nintendo DS's, DVD player in the car and we drug them with Calpol [joke].

Next time I want to viist the Bealach na Bà Pass to Applecross for the legendary dangerous road!

Sounds like you really had good fun. Many thanks vikingaero for sharing your happy holiday memories with us.

Cheers

Alye16

Excellent postings looking for something similar.Any recommendations for lodges?

Nile

Hello ms_ora

I like holidays in the Aviemore area because it's a great base for wildlife. Have a look at this thread (in the Scotland board) for details of where to see dolphins, osprey etc:

Planning a hol in Scotland and like wildlife?

On my holiday this year I saw bottlenose dolphins, red squirrel, red grouse, ospreys, pine martin, badgers and crossbills.:cool:

Have a lovely holiday.

Regards

Nile