GN Help required arranging a Scotland trip 2018

DH and I are planning to do the North Coast 500 next year. It's worth Googling at least as a starting point. There are various hotels, B&Bs. campsites etc suggested and also places of interest along the way.

Kintyre is WELL worth a visit, and the campsite at Muasdale is delightful.

My DH and I had a wonderful holiday in and around Plockton on Loch Carron. There are loads of lovely walks, and it's excellent for visiting Lochalsh and Strome castle. The countryside around Plockton is beautiful.
here's a link to the site.

I am an Outlander fan - books before the TV series and for my 50th me and DH went to the Inverness area to visit Clava Cairns, Culloden and just enjoy the highlands. We travelled down through Glen Affric to Fort William and Glencoe.

It was a fantastic holiday and took me to special places from the books. We've also stayed at Kyle of Localsh and agree Plockton and the castles in the area are beautiful. Enjoy yourself!! Think I'll go back next year for my 60th!

My son and his friends did the North Coast 500 this year with a hired motor home and had a great time. They picked it up in Inverness.

Well you have all inspired me to stop just thinking about a trip and get something organised.

callgill Kintyre is a place I would definitely like to visit.

hilda j this is an area that I hadn't considered. I will need to do some reading up. Thank you for the recommendation.

Grannyalli Glencoe and Culloden are a must for any Scot!
I think I will also have to look into Outlander books and series.
It is to my shame that I haven't as done so as yet.
My newly discovered American cousin is over at the moment and will be travelling the Outlander trail.

Elainl and Kitty I have googled the NC 500 and I am really tempted.
I have read the 11 Things to know before taking the trip .
It was very useful.
Especially as there is an actual daily midges forecast available!

Kitty, can I ask if you have already booked your accommodation and if you are travelling by car?

The NC500 is fab! We use to live in Thurso so did the route before it was a thing.

That area is so very different from elsewhere in Scotland, so if you want a special experience, that's a good bet.

Cherrytree59, here`s the link for Muasdale campsite
www.muasdaleholidays.com

And this is one of the views from the site.

Sorry I posted too soon!

We haven't booked yet and intend travelling by car and stating in hotels. I think dh plans to book any time soon.

Mull of Kintyre is fab. We have stayed near Cambeltown and visited some fantastic beaches, walks, islands like Gigha, done boat trips round the inner Hebrides. also done island hopping from Oban up to Barra, North Uist, Harris and Lewis . Loved it.

Suzie our Hebridean holiday a few years ago was one of the best we've ever had, we did all the islands North to South.

I'm very interested in the NC500! Will check it out. We l-o-v-e Scotland.

callgirl thanks for link and the lovely photo.
We are still at the discussion stage as to the area will be visiting next year .
At the moment I think I am leaning toward Mull and doing some island hoping as recommended by suzied and Grannyknot.

Kitty hope your plans go well.
Looking forward to lovely trip should make the winter months more enjoyable.

We've been going to the Isle of Mull (as opposed to the Mull of Kintyre) at least once a year for 30 years and still love it. The scenery is stunning and the wildlife is fantastic, with a good variety of places to stay. Just please don't go in a camper van - the roads are nearly all single track and there are bits with steep gradients. Last time we went we got stuck twice behind camper vans which couldn't make it uphill after having to stop for a vehicle coming the other way.

the east coast is lovely too ,the fishing villages and towns like St Andrews are always worth a visit ,I'm more a city girl than scenery so Edinburgh and Inverness would be on my list and the border country with the ruined Abbeys ,lovely small towns such as Melrose ,Maybe just go with the flow and see where you end up .

Look out for rain if you go toMull we had a whole week of it .I had to go to A & E and loved the fact that arriving at the only hospital the nurse went off and summoned the doctor from his house nearby .

Dont hire a car from easirent at glasgow airport!

Following with interest as my sister and I hope to have a trip to Scotland before long... thanks to all for the suggestions!

We take our car to Scotland, driving from London , which is long haul, but we stop overnight en route. You really need a car as public transport not great. We do use the Calmac ferries a lot. I think you can get some island hopping tickets. We stay in rented cottages, air bnbs or hotels. Last time we stayed a week in Kintyre in a lovely cottage for two which had its own little beach and views over Arran. Then did a week travelling from Oban through the islands up to Stornaway and then the ferry back to the mainland from there , staying a night or two on each island. We had good weather in Late May/ early June when the weather is driest and before the midges. We loved the Barra Beach hotel where we stayed 3 nights. June is a good time to go as the days are so long, light at 11pm , gorgeous sunsets about midnight and getting light again 3 hours later! I'm looking forward to going again next year.

Iona is well worth a visit if you go to Mull

SuzieD we also loved the Barra Hotel. We saw the plane from the mainland landing on the beach at Barra Airport . We got talking to the sea kayakers from the YH down the road from the hotel and spent our last night there (had to leave the hotel) as fully booked. I still have my "Barradise" t-shirt. We had the most beautiful weather in July.

We had a hop-on hop-off ferry ticket on Calmag.

Don’t miss out Scotland’s best kept secret,Galloway. The bit that pokes out to the Irish Sea!
Burns Country, the Dark Skies National Park of the Southern Uplands way, the Early Christian settlements on the Isle of Whithorn and the tropical gardens courtesy of the Gulf Stream.

I agree J52, we're just back from there but shhhh. Don't tell anyone. Keep it secret!

My husband's family are from Wigtown. He took me there a few years ago on a bit of a pilgrimage - it felt like the end if the earth!