Recommendations needed for 1 week Scotland tour

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Oren_Hershco

Oren_Hershco

Senior Member
Location
Israel
Thanks PaulSB for the detailed information!
Me and my partner will consider this option, which, I see, is also recommended by others here.
 

suzeworld

Veteran
Location
helsby
Doing the outer hebs is lovely, just lovely but I planned my touring trip there very carefully, because there are next to no options on accommodation in some areas, for literally miles, and the ferries timings need factoring in. The wind can add 40% to your estimated travel time out there too!

plus it seriously takes ages to get there.

All of which makes it worth it, and a great adventure, but I am not the sort to stay in those unstaffed hovels hostels :laugh: so I needed to know I had a good BnB / SYHA place lined up each night.
 

saoirse50

Veteran
I 'watched' this this morning to remind me to come on and recommend the bike bus - it's on my to-do list.

I'd like to do something like this:

Day 1 - Edinburgh - Inverness (train) Explore Edinburgh/Inverness.
Day 2 - cycle Inverness to Dornoch (c. 50 miles) via Black Isle - mainly coastal
Day 3 - Dornoch - Scourie (c. 70 miles) via Lairg / Loch Shin
Day 4 - Boat trip to Handa Island (wildlife sanctuary) to see puffins and then explore on foot / cycle to Smoo Cave or Durness/Sango Sands (50 miles round trip) depending on weather. Stay second night at Scourie
Day 5 - Scourie - Ullapool via coast (c. 75 miles or 45 if you don't follow the coast) Arrive to catch 18:15 ferry to Isle of Lewis (bikes are free)
Day 6 - Explore Lews/Harris. Catch 14:30 ferry back to Ullapool
Day 7 - Get bike bus back to Inverness
Sitting in Glasgow Central now waiting for my (delayed, apparently) train to Euston. Have just completed a tour of the Outer Hebrides plus Coll and a little North west coast riding up as far as Durness, visiting Handa on the way. I did much of the trip quoted above plus the rest of the Islands in the opposite direction. Terrific trip. It is one of many, many Scottish trips I have done, including one round the whole coast of the mainland from Aberdeen to Glasgow, another in Dumfriess and Galloway, another right across the middle of the Highlands from Aberdeen to Islay. I can't advise on the area around Edinburgh, though sadly. But if you have just a week starting there, I think I might leave the west till you have a bit more time....and explore the coast north of Edinburgh maybe.
I always camp, with occasional hostel stops , so can't advise on places to stay either! Not much help am I. But no midges in the east, which is a bonus. And it has less rainfall, overall. May, June and September less wet, generally, than July and August. Would second the recommendation for the bike bus. Excellent little service, which will pick up drop off anywhere on its route.
 

hoopdriver

Guru
Location
East Sussex
I absolutely love Orkney. I have cycled there many times and exploring those islands on a bicycle never grows old. I would go back up there again in a heartbeat.
 
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