• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Traveling to Scotland, need advice.

Semi-Tough Deac

Semi-Tough Deac

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 22, 2011
Messages
843
Reaction score
45
Location
Austin
Next week I'll be making my way from London to Edinburgh, where I'll have three or four days to explore the city/country before heading to Ireland to visit family. Any basic tips for things to do/see? Scotch distillery tours? Visit to St. Andrews? Any advice is much appreciated.
 
Tour the castle and visit as many of the pubs as time allows. Glen Coe is one of the prettiest places I've ever seen. Glenkinchie distillery is maybe 30 miles away. They make great scotch.
 
Last edited:
Edinburgh is one of my favorite places to go. I definitely second the idea to go to the castle. It is a really cool experience. Make sure you get the headset that gives you the guide. It was free for me when I went about 5 years ago. However, if they charge you 5 pounds it will be worth it.

Secondly, if you are up for this, or even if you aren't you should man up and do a ghost tour. I enjoyed the ghost tour so much and learned a lot of history about the city. I was only 13 when I went, so I was pretty scared.But in the long term, it was well worth it.

All in all, you will have a great time. Have fun
 
Last edited:
The food scene has exploded. Great restaurants. Google it and eat well.

Not kidding .
 
Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities in the world. Do as much exploring of the city as you can, and do as much on foot as you can tolerate. It's an incredibly beautiful place that's rich in history, but everything is best appreciated up close and personal.

If you get a chance, definitely try the scotch whisky tasting experience (about a block from the castle) and hit as many pubs and other landmarks as possible, mostly on Princes St. and Queen St. on the new side of the city, and High St. on the old side of the city. You can walk High St. from the castle to Holyrood Palace and see more interesting stuff than you could see in a week in most cities. If you're into museums, check out the National Gallery of Scotland and the National Museum of Scotland. My wife and I also caught a bus out into the countryside and did a tour around the grounds of Rosslyn Castle, then hiked along the river to Polton and back. There's a great little pub in the town of Roslin where you can grab some food and a couple pints while you wait for the bus back into town.

Have a blast. PM me if you have any specific questions.
 
Edinburgh ghost tour: not scary as a 24 year old. But still highly recommended.

Do make sure and spit on the Heart.

Do Holyrood and Rossyln and all the typical stuff, but like any other European city, the touresty stuff isn't necessarily the best.

I had never heard of this and my sister did all the organization, but we did a guided tour into the Highlands. It is called 'The Hairy Coo', and a Scottish dude in a kilt drives you into the Highlands in an orange mini-bus painted like a cow. You'll visit castles and lakes and it is definitely worth the eight hours or whatever it was. Best part is it is free. Runs on donations only. Our guide was great so we gave a nice tip. Highly recommend.

http://www.thehairycoo.com/
 
Shop the Royal Mile!

Take a buggy tour. See if you can understand the locals!

Enjoy some local music!
 
Play golf and stay away from the haggis. I'd love to play Turnberry sometime - my favorite Open venue.
 
I was just in Edinburgh in December.

Royal Mile stuff is awesome.

If you get a chance, go up to Pitlochry and visit Edradour Distillery. Its the smallest one in Scotland and they have a great tour guide who is hilarious. Plus their scotch is delicious.
 
Re castles, Edinbugh Castle is ok, but waaay touristy. *Much better to make a side trip (via rail) to Stirling Castle.

For traditional folk music, can always just show up at Sandy Bell's near the University of Edinburgh or The Tass in a touristy part of the Old Town, but better off making the bus or taxi trip to the Leith Folk Club. **One of my favorite pubs is by Leith - the Starbank. *There are cool pubs everywhere, but tell them to stay away from Rose Street in the New Town.

Assuming they're going to walk by the Grassmarket (picturesque, but again, touristy), tell them to walk south to Greyfriars Kirk near the university. *The church is cool (Ethan and I saw a concert here - and if there is something going on, it's worth seeing there), but the cemetery is much more interesting imho.

One of the neatest venues is The King's Theatre. *It is soooo classically Victorian, but wonderfully rundown so the whole place has a waaay past it's prime funky feel. *And they do have some interesting music and theater (and some schlock)

One of the best things to do is to walk to the top of Arthur's Seat. *Incredible views atop Edinburgh and across the Firth of Forth. *If they are doing the touristy Royal Mile thing, they can get to it from the park behind Holyroodhouse Palace. *It can be cold, windy and rainy up there - best to head up in the morning.

My favorite hotel is The Bonham at the west end of the New Town.
 
So, going back, The Wedgewood for upscale Scottish game & fish.

For pub food The Starbank in Leith or Bert's Bar in the West End for their lunch, i.e., meat pie specials (very good prices)

Near the Grassmarket on hilly Victoria Street is the wacky Oink!, which is Scotland's answer to pulled pork sandwiches - look for the eviscerated hog in the window - Ethan went nuts over this place

A few storefronts from Oink! is Mellis Cheese Shop- with a great selection of cheeses from Scotland and the rest of the UK. *Several times I have gotten a 1/2 kilo of Scottish cheddar with a loaf of bread

The best chippie is considered to be D'Alba doro *(ironic that the best Scottish fish & chips is run by Italians). *Dunno if it's the best, but it is very good.
 
Thanks for all the tips. I'm getting more pumped by the minute as these suggestions are right up my alley. I definitely want to taste some delicious scotch whiskeys and that highland tour sounds pretty interesting.

Any need to go visit Glasgow? Also, I'm planning on staying in a cheap B&B unless y'all would recommend something better.
 
Semi-Tough Deac said:
Thanks for all the tips. I'm getting more pumped by the minute as these suggestions are right up my alley. I definitely want to taste some delicious scotch whiskeys and that highland tour sounds pretty interesting.

Any need to go visit Glasgow? Also, I'm planning on staying in a cheap B&B unless y'all would recommend something better.
Click to expand...
i wouldnt do glasgow. industrial town and nothing too much to offer.

I second the hike up At. Arthurs seat.

Ditto on the golf @ St. Andrews. Pretty great place but not worth a trip unless you tee it up. I walked the course in the mid 80s but i dont think you could do that now.
 
Semi-Tough Deac said:
Thanks for all the tips. I'm getting more pumped by the minute as these suggestions are right up my alley. I definitely want to taste some delicious scotch whiskeys and that highland tour sounds pretty interesting.

Any need to go visit Glasgow? Also, I'm planning on staying in a cheap B&B unless y'all would recommend something better.
Click to expand...

Absolutely not
 
Hire a driver!!!

Then hit the smaller distilleries and outlying areas. There are some great little towns and lochs that are worth seeing. Eat lunch in one of the smaller towns. Pretty good food, much cheaper and you get a chance to hang with the locals.
 
Also, don't miss the town of York if possible. Right out of Dickens
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top