Scotland trip

ethanz

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Hello,

Hopefully this is the right forum. I'll be on a layover in Scotland for 24 hours in May. I'll have a rental car from Glasgow. I plan to spend most of my time in Edinburgh. Any recommendations for great scenery/landscapes anywhere in the area or anything else I should do? With such limited time, I can't spend all day at a national park, so just some specific locations please.

Thanks
 
Hey,

+1 to the Castle in Edinburgh and Carlton Hill. The latter has a nice tower from which you can overlook the city. To the east there is a big cliff that gives you also a nice view of the city ( I think it's Holyrood Park). The Roal Yacht Britannia is at anchor in the harbor but IMHO that's not really worth a visit unless you are especially interested in the Royals or boats ;)
You could go and visit a distillery, but there are not many around Glasgow/Edinburgh, and AFAIK no interesting ones. Glengoyne is not too far away (from Glasgow).
When you walk around the city walk High Street/Canongate up and down: at the upper end sits the castle and at the lower end is the Scottish Parliament, which is at least architecturally an interesting building.
Near Edinburgh is the Roslyn Chapel, pretty famous now from a Dan Brown novel/movie. But it is indeed very pretty and interesting, but sadly too much tourists nowadays.

-Sebastian
 
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zim

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Oct 18, 2011
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With only 24hrs, go west my friend go west!
Loch Lomond towards Inveraray (and castle) with great seafood, pub grub and micro breweries on your way. Surprisingly quick to get to from the city centre.

and don't forget Glasgow itself.... you'll have time for some really great restaurants and famous pubs when you get back.

Edinburgh overrated IMHO once you've seen the castle then meh. If you must and are driving watch out getting caught in traffic. If you're not going to venture beyond Edinburgh I'd recommend the train.

Whatever you decide, hope the weather is kind and you have a great time
Regards
 
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ethanz said:
Hello,

Hopefully this is the right forum. I'll be on a layover in Scotland for 24 hours in May. I'll have a rental car from Glasgow. I plan to spend most of my time in Edinburgh. Any recommendations for great scenery/landscapes anywhere in the area or anything else I should do? With such limited time, I can't spend all day at a national park, so just some specific locations please.

Thanks

Don't forget that there are some interesting things to see & do in Glasgow as well.

The Glasgow Necropolis, the Glenlee (aka the "Tall Ship"), and Glasgow Green are three nice spots to see in Glasgow.

As for Edinburgh, on your way back to Glasgow, stop in for a quick visit to the Kelpies. You could also make your way to Stirling if you're interested in Stirling Castle, the William Wallace Monument, and/or the Battle of Bannockburn.

Cheers.
 
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zim

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Oct 18, 2011
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ethanz said:
Is there a specific place in Loch Lomond that you would recommend? Inveraray is a bit away from Edinburgh. What about along the coast, is there a great place to see or just anywhere? Maybe by Edinburgh.

Also, how do you pronounce Edinburgh? In my mind it is Ed-in-berg.

Ah wait, I've picked you up wrong. I thought you were staying in Glasgow. If your base is Edinburgh ( Edin-bu-rrah) and you only have 24hrs the west coast isn't a good idea stick to the east! Stewart K's advice is perfect.

Regards
 
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AlanF

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ethanz said:
Is there a specific place in Loch Lomond that you would recommend? Inveraray is a bit away from Edinburgh. What about along the coast, is there a great place to see or just anywhere? Maybe by Edinburgh.

Also, how do you pronounce Edinburgh? In my mind it is Ed-in-berg.

Edin-burrer or Edin-bruh, or rather something in between.
 
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Getting to Edinburgh by car (and parking) I wouldn't recommend, although you can hop on a train - it takes maybe an hour and a half, and you can do the city centre sights in a couple of hours fast walking. But maybe not worth the hassle if you've only a day to spare.

If you are driving, I agree with the others here that Loch Lomond, being very close to Glasgow, should offer some great scenery without taking all your time. Some nice old and new architecture in the city itself.

ethanz said:
Also, how do you pronounce Edinburgh? In my mind it is Ed-in-berg.

Never pronounce the G! Ed-in-bruh or Edin-burruh (English), or Id-in-brr(uh) (Scots).
 
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ethanz said:
Where in Loch Lomond though? It is a big park.

Thanks, I don't want to sound like a noob when saying their name.

Ha, I'm sure Scottish people are used to it - Americans often say Edin-boro. Anyhow, the south end of Loch Lomond is surely the most realistic prospect, Balloch is closest to the city on its southernmost shores (half an hour in ideal conditions). Or else strike due north from Glasgow and into the (Loch Lomond and the Trossachs) national park, plenty of great scenery there. Note that even the northernmost tip of the lake is only just over an hour from central Glasgow according to Bing maps, although traffic will be the major factor for the first part of the trip.
 
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I was there a few years ago and spent two nights. Due to my itinerary I did not make it up into the castle, but I did photograph it from below. This is taken from Princes Street, which is on the north side and just up the block from the train station. The castle is lit up at night and as these two stitched panoramas show, the night view is much preferable to the day view (dawn in this case).
 

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Hello
I hope I can help; I lived in Glasgow for over 40 years and I`ve explored most parts of Scotland (and written about them), including Edinburgh.

I would suggest you have two main choices as you only have 1 day: either Edinburgh or Glasgow.
If you want to see Glasgow then the main places are: Glasgow University (lots of things there), Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow Cathedral, Provand`s Lordship, Riverside Museum. For good information I can recommend David Williams: "The Glasgow Guide".
If you want to go to Edinburgh then DO NOT hire a car but get a bus or train. From the bus/train station head up to Calton Hill to get a great view of the city. Then head to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. From there see the Scottish Parliament and walk right up the Royal Mile to the castle. Great views from the castle. The royal mile is full of "skyscrapers" that are a few centuries old; totally full of history and fine buildings. After that, walk downhill to the National Gallery of Scotland and see Princes Gardens, Princes Street and George Street. For good information: Robin Gauldie "Walking Edinburgh".
My recommendation would be Edinburgh. However, keep an eye on the weather.
Have fun.
 
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What time are you due to land and when do you have to be back at Glasgow to check-in? These will have a big impact on travel time. Glasgow Airport is to the west of Glasgow so you will need to go through Glasgow to get to Edinburgh. The Glasgow-Edinburgh corridor is very busy at peak times and there are major road improvements ongoing on the motorway linking the two cities, which are adding to the travel time (a one-way journey has taken me more than three hours sometimes - that is a big chunk out of your 24 hours). The works may be finished by May, but the information I have seen just says they "are due to finish in 2017".

Also, where are you staying overnight? This can make a difference to what it is sensible to attempt in 24 hours.
 
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But at least you can cross the country in a day.

I've only visited Scotland once. We stayed in a townhouse in Drymen for a week and went on various day trips. The place I enjoyed visiting most was Glencoe. We had a fun cruise on Loch Lomond. Did some walking around Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. Visited Sterling Castle and Loch Ness. And drank lots of Irn Bru. Glasgow was ok for shopping, but not overtly touristy - I don't know if I'd go there if I had limited time. I also hear conflicting things about Edinburgh, but most older tourists enjoy going there. We gave it a miss and focused on more outdoors related activities.
 
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Good suggestions so far. If you're up for a hillwalk you could also go up "Arthur's Seat" for an alternative view over Edinburgh:

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lothian/arthurs-seat.shtml

Regarding the car, bear in mind that Edinburgh isn't car-friendly; progress can be slow and it can be very tough to find somewhere to park (at least somewhere you won't get clamped, towed and/or ticketed). It was bad when I lived there, and it's much worse now.

Best of luck for the weather - May can work out quite well.
 
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ethanz

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Continued thanks for all the good ideas and information!

I've already booked a car. I'll get into Glasgow before lunch. I plan to see a few things in Glasgow then make a leisurely drive to Edinburgh. I have a hotel in Edinburgh, kind of between downtown and the airport in Edinburgh (I fly out there the next day, so I don't have to go back to Glasgow). The hotel has free parking.
If I go up near Loch Lomond, maybe go to Stirling Castle, then go through the countryside to Edinburgh, I should be out of the way of the heavy traffic? Of course it will still take a while since I'd be going the long way, but at least I'd be seeing the sights. Someone mentioned Balloch on Loch Lomond, maybe I'll head there. In Edin-bruh I'll probably walk the 'Royal Mile.'
Since I'm an American and you guys drive on the wron... opposite side of the road as us, I got the most rental car protection I could.
Holyrood Park/Arthur's Seat hill is in my plans, around sunset. Hopefully I can drive my car near there.

P.S. Great landscape pictures Paul
 
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Ethanz, you didn't mention if this is your first trip to the UK. Since your talking about cars I will give you my 2 cents, ask for one with an automatic transmission. Regardless of whether you drive a stick or not, it removes this distraction. Get a GPS from the rental company, with the UK's postal codes it is very easy to get around with one. Take the coverage that pays 100%, it is very easy to cut short when turning left and destroy a rim. My first lesson in the UK was a car I rented in downtown London and drove out of town during rush hour. It was a fun way to learn to drive on the other side, but I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart.
 
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