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Inverness Bound

Canada
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13 posts
6 reviews
6 helpful votes
Inverness Bound
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Here is the deal. We are planning a trip to the UK from Aug 9-18th and were originally planning to use Edinburgh as our base and site see from there but we have since changed our minds. We are now going to leave London (after a brief stint in Ireland) and fly into Inverness around the 14th and stay for 4-5 nights and see what northern scotland has to offer. We will leave Inverness around the 19-20th and travel by bus or train to Edinburgh for 2 nights before heading back toward Norfolk. The boat trip to see the loch ness monster and the hop on hop off bus tour are a must but is there anything else that we should not miss while there? We are willing to take bus/boat tours to go beyond Inverness for the day. Also, it would be great if anyone could suggest places to stay. There are 3 adults on our party (alot of places only have accommodations for 2/room) and none of us are brave enough to tackle driving since you guys drive on the other side of the road so we will be relying on buses mostly and taxis if needed. Any help would be appreciated!!!

Russell, Kansas
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591 posts
74 reviews
21 helpful votes
1. Re: Inverness Bound
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In all honesty, you really should rethink the driving option. I shared your nervousness for years, then finally just said the heck with it and rented me a car. I guarantee you will get the hang of it in no time, especially if you are based in Inverness, it's nothing like Edinburgh to get around in. And I double guarantee you that your trip will be much more enjoyable as the real good stuff is not on the bus routes. Get yourself a good road map before you leave, decide where you want to go, familiarise yourself with the road numbers and you will be good to go, especially as one of you can keep the map open and navigate. If I can do it, anyone can.

I did enjoy the Jacobite cruise on Loch Ness very much, as it is a much different body of water than anything in my area. I'm not much into the Nessie thing however, so apart from a quick looksy into the Clan Harbour Hotel gift shop while using the toilets, I didn't think of that element. Castle Urquart is worth a stop. My son and I enjoyed it, and were able to walk back from our nearby B&B to take pictures without the tourists after closing time. We also enjoyed a short stop in Invermorrison, on our way back from Skye. Skye is awesome, as is the drive to it. The west part of the highlands, Fort William and area is beeeautiful!!!

All in all, son and I decided that our next trip we will fly directly to Inverness from London as that was his favourite area and he wants to do more hillwalking. We'll still rent a car though and I will attempt to get back down south, as I have yet to explore any of my ancestral lands in Lanark and Ayrshire. So many things to do, so little time!

Oregon
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310 posts
11 reviews
9 helpful votes
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Well in the interests of saving time, why not fly into either Edinburgh or Glasgow. We fly Continental Newark/Edingburgh, the best part, you do not have to traverse Heathrow, changing terminals etc. Just a thought..

Austin
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933 posts
12 reviews
34 helpful votes
3. Re: Inverness Bound
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So so ditto to Kansasbeck!

I have visited Scotland several times and done all types of permeations of trips (i.e. Inverness as a base, Edinburgh as a base, even getting myself up to Orkney and then using a bike to get around!) Inverness as a base (with no car) was the worst idea. The most memorable trip was flying into Inverness, picking up the rental car, then touring the Highlands.

Driving was easier than we expected. But more importantly, the only way to tour the Highlands is by car. Also, Inverness is NOT the Highlands. The highlands are incredibly rural and scenic.

(Okay, Orkney was also memorable on a bike with the wind smacking me around on the roads. That was during my poor student days.)

Last trip my hubby wanted to see Loch Ness over my objections (too touristy, over-hyped, more scenic places elsewhere.) Loch Ness was among the last stops of our trip and was the "low-light" for exactly the reasons I had stated.

BTW, we travelled with our daughter and didn't have trouble finding a room for three.

Austin
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933 posts
12 reviews
34 helpful votes
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Rethinking my advice: Hey, if you don't feel comfortable driving on the left side of the road, then don't.

So, if you don't want to drive, use Edinburgh as your base. Better and more varied daytrips (i.e. Stirling, Callander) from Edinburgh using tours and public transportation. In contrast, the rail system in the Highlands isn't much and the bus system, while picking up some of the slack, isn't enough for a tourist like you. Plus -- big plus -- Edinburgh is a fabulous city. (Inverness, unfortunately, cannot compete.) There's so much to see without leaving Edinburgh.

But honestly driving on the left isn't a big deal. Designate your passenger as the "Keep Left" shouter. A post-it note saying "Keep Left" stuck to the dashboard is another big help.

Edinburgh, United...
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49,213 posts
487 reviews
5,743 helpful votes
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If you decide not to hire a car have a look at http://www.InvernessTours.com they do more personalised tours.

Canada
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13 posts
6 reviews
6 helpful votes
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I thought I thanked everyone for their great words of wisdom but I can't seem to see it here anywhere...oh well...guess I goofed so here goes again!!

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I will certainly take it under advisement when planning the trip. I was in Scotland a few years back and spent some time in Glasgow, Stirling and Edinbourgh and discovered then the value of these forums. I will certainly visit all websites suggested.

Who knows, I may even reconcider this car thing but I will not fully make up my mind until I see the roads and how many roundabouts I can avoid!!

Thanks again and keep the suggestions coming since one can never be too prepared!!!!

7. Re: Inverness Bound

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