2 Aussies looking for Advice on 'off the beaten track' areas throughout Scotland using public transport in June. Thanks
Well first of all you could try just about any of the islands served by ferries. Most of these could be considered "OTBT".
You could consider traveling up the A82 or use the West Highland railway line to explore the west highlands and on to Skye. You could also go north of Inverness to places like Dornoch, Brora, Wick and Thurso.
What are your interests?
Hi Jenaf
Actually as soon as you get out of the main cities, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth etc. you have miles and miles of "off the beaten track" to explore at your leisure.
The islands Mull, Arran, Orkney, Islay are certainly worth visiting as is the west coast, there's a train journey from Glasgow to Mallaig (I think)! which I'm sure some of the more knowledgable folk on here will tell you more about.
This is a fab. site btw - you will get loads of info just by exploring it and even more up to date help by just posting! :-)
enjoy your trip
Hi,
I recommend you visit this website-:visitscotland.com/walking.In there brochure "Walk in Scotland" there is travel information about ferries to islands around Highlands of Scotland,rail information and the Scotish mail delivery Postbus which carries fare paying passengers in rural areas where there is no other form of transport.
Enjoy your visit.
There are so many OTBT places in the Scottish Highland and Islands - where to start!
As someone else has suggested, the small fishing port of Mallaig, accessible by train, would be a good place to start. From here you can take trips to nearby small islands (Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna) and also the wonderfully remote village of Inverie in Knoydart.
Then from Mallaig you can go by ferry to Skye, and then from Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Harris. Explore Harris and Lewis (there are good bus services). Then make your way south through North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, to the beautiful island of Barra. Barra is also an excellent centre for visiting nearby uninhabited islands, such as Mingulay.
You can catch a ferry from Barra to Oban, and then head back to Glasgow or Edinburgh by train. Or there are flights from Barra to Glasgow.
Re-reading that, I think it's a bit too much for two weeks - you need to cut something out.
June is an excellent time to explore the Hebrides, as the days are so long. Bon voyage!
This site will be useful for working out what is achievable using public transport:
http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/mapsdefault.aspx?id=_web2_maps_networkmaps
You can plan door to door trips easily on the site and it has route maps for the transport providers.
As other posters have said there are lots of places you can go to in Scotland to get away from it.
What would you like to see and do during your "off the beaten track" trip?
Years ago, I took the ferry to Orkney then rented a bike for two or three days. Fab and inexpensive way to see the main sights without having to rely on bus timetables or a guided tour. I think we stayed in Stenness and did an easy circle that included the major sights -- Maes Howe, Skara Brae, etc.
I looked up this map to refresh my seemingly no longer young brain:
http://www.visitorkney.com/cycling.asp
Orkney is so "off the beaten track." I took my hubby and daughter three years ago in June and was surprised at how nothing had changed except for more excavation and a tourist center at Skara Brae. At the Ring of Brodgar we were the only ones there. The only time there is a crowd is when an infrequent tour bus dumps its load. There were so few tourists that we kept running into two families and got to know them.
There are lots of 'off the beaten track' places in Scotland. Not many are well-served by public transport, otherwise they wouldn't be ....OTBT.
However, public transport can take you to the edge of wilderness or remote areas, and then you can make your own progress.
Try http://undiscoveredscortland.co.uk for ideas.
And JUNE - what a marvellous month, starts getting dark about 10.30 p.m....then its twilight (gloaming) then...it starts getting light again about 3 a.m. See it over the Western Isles or in the North in Orkney as someone suggested. It's the nearest thing to heaven!
Woody x
Here's a VisitScotland itinerary - Scotland Without A Car. Might give you some ideas.
http://international.visitscotland.com/aboutscotland/explorebymap/highlands/seescotlandwithoutacar
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