Holidaying in Scotland

[chrisbainbridge]

Back in the summer of 1976 my father and I did a virtually identical tour in late august after my first summer in university at a summer holiday job.
We stayed at kinlochbervie for a night. Strange place. They had a plate to put your trout on with a tag so they cooked it for you at dinner.
Everywhere we stayed had a large range of whiskey. Most over 100! 

[Mrs Pingu]

26th June: go over the bridge to Skye and come back to the mainland on the Kylerhea ferry. It would add nearly 20km to your day.

Otherwise known as the seal ferry (to us)

[Moleman76]

26th June: go over the bridge to Skye and come back to the mainland on the Kylerhea ferry. It would add nearly 20km to your day.

Yes! This! even if it means doubling back after stopping at Eilean Donan Castle.
We rode that ferry ~ 15 years ago as part of a grand circumnavigation of much of Scotland. (Aberdeenshire & relatives, Inverness, Harris & Lewis, Glasgow, Edinburgh)
In Glenelg, at the "mainland" end of the ferry, look for the Great War memorial there. [Such are everywhere in Scotland; this is one of the best we saw and a striking setting.]
And if you have a bit of extra time, there is a pair of stone brochs just down the road ...

[Auntie Helen]

Ok, we will add in the Skye bit. And maybe overnight on Mull, although the airport hotel where my Dad’s bench is is already fully booked.

Klaus likes whisky but I am teetotal. However, he will have to limit his input as he much prefers to do the driving (it is HIS mid-life-crisis-car after all). And the Z3 boot is small and gets very warm so we can’t buy loads of bottles to take home either.

[Auntie Helen]

No accommodation available for 1 night on Mull at a price that isn't extortionate, even though we are booking 7 months in advance. Impressive!

We have found somewhere in Oban which looks OK, but I am not sure of how much extra the two ferry journeys add on that day - as it's winter they don't have the new ferry timetable available and I don't know how often they run.

[Mr Larrington]

Had something similar when booking accommodation up the Alaska Highway back in 2018 only I won.  “Howdya get it at THAT price?” asked one appalled innkeeper

[FifeingEejit]

No accommodation available for 1 night on Mull at a price that isn't extortionate, even though we are booking 7 months in advance. Impressive!

We have found somewhere in Oban which looks OK, but I am not sure of how much extra the two ferry journeys add on that day - as it's winter they don't have the new ferry timetable available and I don't know how often they run.

Hourly (Oban to Craignure), assuming the tonnage is available to maintain the 2 ferry service (Isle of Mull and Loch Frisa) that the summer service requirements and timetable promises.
And they take 50-60 minutes each way.

Tobermory-Kilchoan is 3 or 4 times a day, and Fishnish-Lochaline is IIRC every half hour, though both would involve more single track roadage.

[Auntie Helen]

Our holiday starts in mid-June and we had booked the outward ferry (from Amsterdam to Newcastle) for 230 pounds or so. We hadn't booked the return ferry because we didn't know quite how many days we would need.

I just had a look to see about the return ferries and I almost fell off my chair. 750 GBP for the return for us!!!!!

So we are looking at some other options, the main one seems to be we have to drive all the way down to Harwich (another 600km or so) as that ferry is still a sensible price to cross (200 GBP for a day crossing). This would mean one or two overnight stops as we don't want to drive all that way in the Z3 (or at least I don't, too uncomfy) and has the extra benefit of being able to visit my Mum too.

Option 2 is slightly cheaper from Hull (550 GBP) but that's with P&O and we didn't want to use them after they so shafted all their workers last year.

Hotel prices in the UK seem to have shot up (thank goodness we prebooked everywhere, I have seen the prices at some of the places we are staying have doubled since I booked) so maybe 2 nights on the road back to Harwich won't be that much cheaper anyway. But maybe we could stop overnight in the Lake District or Peak District or something nicer. Who knows.

England seems to have got VERY expensive over the last 3-4 months. I hope that changes for you all soon.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Our holiday starts in mid-June and we had booked the outward ferry (from Rotterdam to Newcastle) for 230 pounds or so. We hadn't booked the return ferry because we didn't know quite how many days we would need.

I just had a look to see about the return ferries and I almost fell off my chair. 750 GBP for the return for us!!!!!

So we are looking at some other options, the main one seems to be we have to drive all the way down to Harwich (another 600km or so) as that ferry is still a sensible price to cross (200 GBP for a day crossing). This would mean one or two overnight stops as we don't want to drive all that way in the Z3 (or at least I don't, too uncomfy) and has the extra benefit of being able to visit my Mum too.

Option 2 is slightly cheaper from Hull (550 GBP) but that's with P&O and we didn't want to use them after they so shafted all their workers last year.

Hotel prices in the UK seem to have shot up (thank goodness we prebooked everywhere, I have seen the prices at some of the places we are staying have doubled since I booked) so maybe 2 nights on the road back to Harwich won't be that much cheaper anyway. But maybe we could stop overnight in the Lake District or Peak District or something nicer. Who knows.

England seems to have got VERY expensive over the last 3-4 months. I hope that changes for you all soon.

Food has shot up in price, along with most things. To give you an idea, something I regularly bought 2 years ago for £39 is now over £80.

I think your third option is fly to Edinburgh and rent a car. Or foot passenger on ferry and rent.

[Auntie Helen]

Our holiday starts in mid-June and we had booked the outward ferry (from Rotterdam to Newcastle) for 230 pounds or so. We hadn't booked the return ferry because we didn't know quite how many days we would need.

I just had a look to see about the return ferries and I almost fell off my chair. 750 GBP for the return for us!!!!!

So we are looking at some other options, the main one seems to be we have to drive all the way down to Harwich (another 600km or so) as that ferry is still a sensible price to cross (200 GBP for a day crossing). This would mean one or two overnight stops as we don't want to drive all that way in the Z3 (or at least I don't, too uncomfy) and has the extra benefit of being able to visit my Mum too.

Option 2 is slightly cheaper from Hull (550 GBP) but that's with P&O and we didn't want to use them after they so shafted all their workers last year.

Hotel prices in the UK seem to have shot up (thank goodness we prebooked everywhere, I have seen the prices at some of the places we are staying have doubled since I booked) so maybe 2 nights on the road back to Harwich won't be that much cheaper anyway. But maybe we could stop overnight in the Lake District or Peak District or something nicer. Who knows.

England seems to have got VERY expensive over the last 3-4 months. I hope that changes for you all soon.

Food has shot up in price, along with most things. To give you an idea, something I regularly bought 2 years ago for £39 is now over £80.

I think your third option is fly to Edinburgh and rent a car. Or foot passenger on ferry and rent.

This is a road trip in our BMW Z3 so no flying.

[Regulator]

We're doing Scotland in a campervan in July for Mr R's 50th (we had thought about Ireland but taking Jack with us would have been a logistical nightmare).  We may do some of your route (but in reverse, as we're going to the Isle of Mull and Iona first).

[Syd]

Sorry but Scotland is going to be closed to visitors this year. The locals all want to see all our wonderful sights without the crowds for once.

[Auntie Helen]

Thought you had that for the last 3 summers...

[Mrs Pingu]

How about Newcastle to Ijmuiden?

[orraloon]

Check out Premier Inn website for overnight stay options on way dahn saff.  They're good basic rooms for a stopover, and you sometimes can get good deals if booking far enough in advance.

[Auntie Helen]

How about Newcastle to Ijmuiden?

That’s the 780€ option, unfortunately

[mrcharly-YHT]

Thought you had that for the last 3 summers...

Actually much of scotland has been packed with visitors during covid, despite the restrictions. When people couldn't fly abroad, they came here.

[Jaded]

Thought you had that for the last 3 summers...

Actually much of scotland has been packed with visitors during covid, despite the restrictions. When people couldn't fly abroad, they came here.

Yes, and many behaved quite badly. Two summers ago was grim.

[Pingu]

How about Newcastle to Ijmuiden?

That’s the 780€ option, unfortunately

Ah, that's Amsterdam not Rotterdam - don't get confused and miss your ferry to the UK 

[CarlF]

Apologies for asking the obvious, did you check the price for the Newcastle ferry on different dates? We’ve travelled that way a few times and a day or two’s difference can sometimes find a price that’s a lot cheaper

[Auntie Helen]

Well, we've booked to travel back from Harwich so will have to drive down from Scotland. First night after leaving Oban will be in Keswick (I used to visit a lot in my youth) and then we have another 2 nights either on the road or at Mum's before our overnight ferry back on the Saturday night.

There are loads of lovely places to visit in the UK and at least the accommodation prices in Keswick seemed very fair!

We might end up Travelodging one night between Keswick and Ipswich, but might just drive through. Who knows. Not long now!!

[Syd]

Thought you had that for the last 3 summers...

I wish!

[FifeingEejit]

Sorry but Scotland is going to be closed to visitors this year. The locals all want to see all our wonderful sights without the crowds for once.

Mid-lockdown was great, could go to StAndrews and not hate it
No Students
No tourists
Just locals and local-ish

it was great

It's back to being a shit show again

[sojournermike]

No accommodation available for 1 night on Mull at a price that isn't extortionate, even though we are booking 7 months in advance. Impressive!

We have found somewhere in Oban which looks OK, but I am not sure of how much extra the two ferry journeys add on that day - as it's winter they don't have the new ferry timetable available and I don't know how often they run.

Hourly (Oban to Craignure), assuming the tonnage is available to maintain the 2 ferry service (Isle of Mull and Loch Frisa) that the summer service requirements and timetable promises.
And they take 50-60 minutes each way.

Tobermory-Kilchoan is 3 or 4 times a day, and Fishnish-Lochaline is IIRC every half hour, though both would involve more single track roadage.

Just to note that Kilchoan Tobermory is a lovely crossing and, when we stay in Kilchoan, we often pop over in foot to visit the Mishnish Hotel for an afternoon pint. Kilchoan is a solid 2 hour drive from Fort William - one of those Scottish road that needs a ‘feels like’ distance.

[Pingu]

So ladies and gentlemen...

27 June, 110km, Fort William to Oban via Mull

NB: the Corran ferry is b0rked at the moment.
https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/1526/public_and_community_transport/812/corran_ferry_timetable