Holiday in Scotland - Where to go?

I would like to ask for some holiday advice from the well-travelled or Scottish members of PIO.

OH, kids and I are flying back to the UK in September/October for a holiday. We are hoping that OH can get a month off work so that we can not only visit our family but also have a bit of a holiday whilst we are there. We will be using up OH's entire holiday allowance and as we weren't able to take a holiday last year there is quite a bit of pressure on me to organise things to run as smoothly as possible so that we can enjoy our time in the UK to the best effect.

We would like to spend about a week in Scotland as our holiday. OH's family live in Kent and mine are in Birmingham so we thought we could visit OH's family first for a week or so, drive up to Birmingham to see my family for a few days and then hot-foot it up to Scotland in one go, taking turns at the driving. The question is, what to do and where to go when we get there. I realise that it is quite a big place, but I wondered if anyone had any suggestions on 'must do' things or places that I might not have thought of. We are flexible on whether we stay in one place and take day trips from there, or stay at two to three different places but just explore closer to where we are staying. We like walking, history, peace and quiet.

Any suggestions would be very welcome!

Edinburgh is a lovely city to explore - the castle, museum, etc. However if you are after the more tranquil setting, then I would head further North. Aviemore is a lovely little town, and loads to do around about it - water sports, walks, wildlife parks. Also get some good deals on lodges around that area

Definitely spend a day or 2 in Edinburgh, it's lovely. You can do the castle and there's historic places. Ghost walks, Mary's close etc. it's just got a really nice feel as a city.

Loch Lomond is nice - I prefer it to Loch Ness and it's not far from Glasgow. Loads of nice places around there. If you can then try get further up towards the highlands

I'd defo have a night in Edinburgh. The castle is worth a visit, more so with kids in tow. Its a bit of a climb in places round the city. The old part of the city is lovely for a wander.

There is the Scott Tower to climb to the top of. Not good if you've not got a head for heights or windy staircases though.

Plus the usual museums and galleries. Also Arthurs seat is good for a hike out from the city.

Other than that with kids, check the local whats on listings for things like theatre productions and stuff.

Outside of that, take your pick of scenic parts of the Scottish highlands. Depends how much time you have and how far you mind driving. Perhaps book some B&B's and plan a route so you can have a trip between places each day.

Midges will be a bit horrible that time of year I'd think. Be prepared to be bitten a lot if out in the wilds.

What age are your kids and what do they like doing?

Loch Lomond and Glen Coe if you like scenery and walking. Lots of Scottish History there

Edinburgh -> Loch Lomond -> West Highland Way up towards Oban.

I'm getting homesick reading this haha

What age are your kids and what do they like doing?

They are 8 and 9 (will be 10). They enjoy walking, both love nature/outdoors, eldest is a bit of a history nut, they like to geocache (although we can do that most places), they like seeing and doing new things. They like science/technology and love to go on things like steam trains.

ETA: Youngest is a bit of a dare-devil who isn't afraid of heights and loves doing new or difficult things, eldest not so much. She is more of a bookworm/cautious type.

Edinburgh and Glasgow are both fantastic cities to visit, Glasgow is often overlooked as a tourist destination but has so much to offer - Kelvingrove, all the Rennie MacKintosh heritage, Glasgow Green/People's palace and shopping to die for.

You could base yourself centrally and visit both from one location - where I live is 25 mins on the train from Edinburgh and 35 from Glasgow. We used to always do a self catering place when we visited so I can recommend places if you are interested.

I do think with children Loch Ness is worth a visit, it's tacky but my son loves it even at 12.

Agree with Aviemore and again can recommend self-catering and hotels there - Coylumbridge Hilton is wonderful with children but we've stayed in a great (affordable) self-catering place and cheaper hotels.

Lots further North too - we had a fabulous stay in Nairn before we emigrated and would love to go back.

If you can do at least one island trip on CalMac it's worth it - I love the west coast islands, we stayed at Weymss Bay and had a fabulous time island hopping each day. My favourite is probably Arran.

September/October can be quite a nice time of year but bear in mind the East is usually drier than the west & the North coast can be warmer than the South (due to the gulf steam I think!)

I forgot about Arran. That's pretty easy to get to and it's really nice. You could just stay a night there or even just a day trip if you go early

They are 8 and 9 (will be 10). They enjoy walking, both love nature/outdoors, eldest is a bit of a history nut, they like to geocache (although we can do that most places), they like seeing and doing new things. They like science/technology and love to go on things like steam trains.

 

ETA: Youngest is a bit of a dare-devil who isn't afraid of heights and loves doing new or difficult things, eldest not so much. She is more of a bookworm/cautious type.

Aviemore definitely sounds perfect - steam trains and lots of adventure, Go Ape, Dog Sleding, Cairngorms Funicular etc. etc. have a look here http://www.rothiemurchus.net/Activities.aspx

Glasgow science centre is a great example of that kind of thing - no different than the one's in Australia though really.

Agree about Edinburgh and Glasgow - both great cities to visit and I recommend south west Scotland (where I was brought up) as a very nice place to spend some time. The area won a tourism award recently.

https://www.dgwgo.com/out-and-about-in-dg/dumfries-and-galloway-wins-countryfile-tourism-award/

Thank you all so much! I think we could spend months visiting! OH and I are going to have to sit down with a map and do some planning! I'm thinking either two stays of three nights (North Trossocks area somewhere so we can easily visit Loch Lomond etc, and then North Cairngorms around Aviemore so we can go to Loch Ness, Inverness etc) or three stays of two nights (Trossocks, Fort William, Aviemore area) with an overnight stay after either option in Edinburgh.

We are used to getting up early so as to get out and about to get travelling done early in the morning, so we should have plenty of time to visit places.

OH and I have stayed in Glasgow before when I had to sit an exam at the Uni there. My boss paid for both of us to fly up and stay, although the hotel he chose was in an area where there were ladies standing on street corners, if you get what I mean! It was a lovely city, what I saw of it, but I would love to go to Edinburgh castle.

So much to see and do not enough time... Have a look at Falkirk and Stirling if you have time... Falkirk kelpies , helix and the Falkirk wheel and Stirling castle. We enjoyed battle of bannock burn but slightly gruesome history... But not first on my list.

I'd go to Edinburgh then decide whether to head west via trossachs (east side Loch Lomond) or thru Glasgow to west side Loch Lomond. Eilan donan is v picturesque but lots of castles around.

Look at glenfinnan viaduct steam train. Strathspeys steam train. And that may decide if you head north or go west. Weather should hopefully be ok at that time.

I'm from Falkirk originally and impressed with what they have done but lived over 20yrs in Glasgow and love Ayrshire Arran and Dumfries. In fact I just love Scotland lol.

Have a look on national trust Scotland and historic Scotland as sometimes they have events on at weekends. May not due to late season.

Also look on doors open website. Scotland has doors open days during September and lots of buildings not normally open to the public are open for a day or two..

Clockwork orange (Glasgow subway/underground) bit different to the rest of the world...

national museum of Scotland in Edinburgh was on my to do list meant to be afab day out. I went to our dynamic earth in Edinburgh which I enjoyed and it is near Scottish Parliament and holy rood if you are so inclined. Balmoral Highland games are usually held in September if keen to see royalty and dates coincide??

ok I'll stop going on and on.

Keep us posted re ur plans

good luck and don't try to do too much xx remember Scottish roads not as good as Oz...

You should be able to get a pass to cover for so many days to see some of historic Scotland (Edinburgh castle) /national trust but not sure how much and how many days x

Yep, not enough time! I'd looked at Stirling Castle earlier, will put that on my list. I think it is on a slight hill, something volcanic I vaguely remember. One of the viaduct steam trains was used in the Harry Potter films, I think. I am sure that the kids would love that! OH and I will share the driving. We prefer to get up early and get on the road before any other traffic, so we should be okay.

You should be able to get a pass to cover for so many days to see some of historic Scotland (Edinburgh castle) /national trust but not sure how much and how many days x

I think mother in law is a National Trust member, so I'll get her to look at that for me.

Glenfinnan was Harry Potter I did it a few yrs ago takes a while to drive but it's beautiful scenery. But if in London we you get to Watford for Harry Potter world? It's meant to be amazing x I've not introduced my gang yet but figure I should now( my oldest 2 are 8 and 9(soon to be 10)

England and Scotland have separate national trusts think there is some recognition but I can't remember

I'd not really thought about the Kent side of the holidays. I've never seen Buckingham Palace or any of the museums, so we could go there, but 'Harry Potter World' sounds good too!

So much to see and do not enough time... Have a look at Falkirk and Stirling if you have time... Falkirk kelpies , helix and the Falkirk wheel and Stirling castle. We enjoyed battle of bannock burn but slightly gruesome history... But not first on my list.

I'd go to Edinburgh then decide whether to head west via trossachs (east side Loch Lomond) or thru Glasgow to west side Loch Lomond. Eilan donan is v picturesque but lots of castles around.

Look at glenfinnan viaduct steam train. Strathspeys steam train. And that may decide if you head north or go west. Weather should hopefully be ok at that time.

I'm from Falkirk originally and impressed with what they have done but lived over 20yrs in Glasgow and love Ayrshire Arran and Dumfries. In fact I just love Scotland lol.

Have a look on national trust Scotland and historic Scotland as sometimes they have events on at weekends. May not due to late season.

Also look on doors open website. Scotland has doors open days during September and lots of buildings not normally open to the public are open for a day or two..

Clockwork orange (Glasgow subway/underground) bit different to the rest of the world...

national museum of Scotland in Edinburgh was on my to do list meant to be afab day out. I went to our dynamic earth in Edinburgh which I enjoyed and it is near Scottish Parliament and holy rood if you are so inclined. Balmoral Highland games are usually held in September if keen to see royalty and dates coincide??

ok I'll stop going on and on.

Keep us posted re ur plans

good luck and don't try to do too much xx remember Scottish roads not as good as Oz...

This is one of the places we stayed which is good for the Edinburh/Glasgow/Falkirk/Stirling

http://www.antoninewallcottages.com/accommodation/antonine

I stay in Falkirk too - moved there in 2002, to Perth in 2008 and back to Falkirk in 2013

I hope you're not missing Scotland too much!

@lady raincorn small world. Perth is a beautiful city and I have spent a few trips to Crieff hydro. Do u like Falkirk? I think it's a fab location for everywhere.

Only been here 7weeks and homesickness not totally hit me been too busy. Only time being upset so far was sending kids to school on day 1, then the other day when my 8yr old says she doesn't like oz and wants to go back to Scotland to wear her winter woolies lol. Then the other day their school on Gold Coast had bomb hoax... Stupid me but I lived so long At home thru IRA threats and Cold War awareness etc..and trying to keep kids aware but not scared of terrorism etc... I always think aus more remote from world problems but still got numpties....

@lady raincorn small world. Perth is a beautiful city and I have spent a few trips to Crieff hydro. Do u like Falkirk? I think it's a fab location for everywhere.

Only been here 7weeks and homesickness not totally hit me been too busy. Only time being upset so far was sending kids to school on day 1, then the other day when my 8yr old says she doesn't like oz and wants to go back to Scotland to wear her winter woolies lol. Then the other day their school on Gold Coast had bomb hoax... Stupid me but I lived so long At home thru IRA threats and Cold War awareness etc..and trying to keep kids aware but not scared of terrorism etc... I always think aus more remote from world problems but still got numpties....

Haha! One of my school mum friends is from Liverpool (and I am from Birmingham) and we were talking about this the other day. There were quite a few bomb threats in Sydney, including local schools, and she and I kind of shrugged and were a bit nonchalant about it. Used to happen frequently when we were kids, nothing much happened after a bomb threat.

@lady raincorn small world. Perth is a beautiful city and I have spent a few trips to Crieff hydro. Do u like Falkirk? I think it's a fab location for everywhere.

Only been here 7weeks and homesickness not totally hit me been too busy. Only time being upset so far was sending kids to school on day 1, then the other day when my 8yr old says she doesn't like oz and wants to go back to Scotland to wear her winter woolies lol. Then the other day their school on Gold Coast had bomb hoax... Stupid me but I lived so long At home thru IRA threats and Cold War awareness etc..and trying to keep kids aware but not scared of terrorism etc... I always think aus more remote from world problems but still got numpties....

I meant Perth, Australia

Crieff hydro is fab though - I'm off to Stobbo next weekend for a friends 40th, have you been there?

Falkirk's location is definitely it's big selling point, and as you say it is only getting better. When we first moved to Scotland we stayed in Lochwinnoch which I loved, after working in London it was just incredible, I was working in Glasgow and my OH got a job in Edinburgh so when it came to buying somewhere Falkirk made sense and a lot of building was going on at the time - I've had a house in virtually every Braes village - Maddiston, Rumford, Polmont & Brightons (where we are now). It is just perfect for commuting. Falkirk itself is a bit bleugh - we actually didn't intend moving back there and had decided on Lithlithgow or elsewhere in the Lothians closer to Edinburgh but we had a buy to let in Brightons so it made sense to stay there at first and we fitted back in so easily, the house prices were very appealing and our son (then 10) really didn't want to leave Falkirk - we even went to see a house in Bo'ness and he broke down in tears! He'd never really settled in Australia - I remember about the same amount of time that you've been there it being SO hot and he started crying saying 'I want to go back to Scotland' (he was only 5!) I nearly bloody joined him in tears

Anyway long story short we ended up buying a house in brightons and staying - Falkirk has certainly got better over the years, the wheel, Helix and Kelpies are all great for the area. My husband has just opened a photography studio in the town centre so I guess we;re staying now! My son however is at school in edinburgh because we thought we'd be moving!!

I have to say it's things like realising terrorism is just as much a risk in Australia, as well as all the other things you worry about as a parent that contributed to us deciding to move back. If our son had settled though it possibly would have been different, we visited in 2012 and on our last night he completely broke down and was sobbing 'i don't want to go back to Australia' - you know your own children and it was complete heartbreak, not attention seeking. I couldn't calm him and had to get my husband to come and comfort him too. It's hard to fathom, we'd lived there 5 years and he had a great life, went to an unbelievably great school but he never gave Australia a chance - as far as he was concerned he was Scottish and that was that! Weird really since we're English!

I do hope you settle and your daughter isn't like my son, most people do and we had some great experiences and are citizens...I have a funny feeling my son will go back one day!