Scotland Travel Answers

Edinburgh is one of my favorites. The castle is quite picturesque as are the gardens. June/July should offer good weather. I used to stay at the Apex in the Grassmarket district. The Witchery restaurant just outside of the Castle is expensive, but I've always had a great meal there.

Scottish schools close for the summer anywhere from the middle of June to the end of June. I think either May or September is a good time to go to Scotland. Apart from the obvious, Edinburgh, try investigating the Border Country or else the Mull o Galloway. Also Perth, Blair Atholl, Creiff. Glasgow and Stirling. Imho, Stirling has a far better castle than that in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh makes the ideal base. Lots of sightseeing stuff and good places to eat. If you have the time & inclination you can take day trip to other places - by train if you don't want to drive. Maybe Stirling, St Andrews (train to Leuchars) or Pitlochry (a glimpse of the Highlands). Maybe avoid Festival time - end August/beginning Sept. as the city bursts at the seams. Scottish school holidays will start 1st week July and end mid August (approx). They will vary by a week or so depending on the region; private schools (lots in Edinburgh) will also be different.

Edinburgh is certainly worth going to and spend at least one night there. The open top tourist bus was great - get on and off wherever you like on the route. Also worth considering is a day up the Dee Valley to Balmoral and Braemar in the Cairngorms.

I think Edinburgh is an excellent choice, plenty of interesting attractions such as the Castle, and the Royal Mile which is the road that leads from the Castle to Hollyrood Palace, and is lined by many old buildings and restaurants. There is National museum of Scotland, botanical gardens,Holyrood Park,Royal Yacht Britannia,National Portrait Gallery,National Gallery, St Giles Cathedral, Museum on the Mound(banking and crime), Princes St and the gardens. Gilmerton Cove (heritage site) is a best kept secret. The city centre is just full of old buildings with wonderful architecture. If there is not enough to do at the weekend, take a trip over to Fife and visit such places as St.Andrews, Falkland Palace, the beautiful villages along the wife coast such as Pitweeven, Anstruther,Pitlochry, etc. You didn't mention if you are travelling by car or not. There are other places in Scotland to visit but may take you longer to get there, such as Fort William, Aviemore, but probably not enough to keep you busy, and time consuming to get there. For restaurants try The Castle Terrace, Cafe Cassis,or Dubh Prais for Scottish Cuisine. I Used to visit my father every 2 years as i have spent most of my life abroad, he would always request that i take him to Edinburgh so i feel that this is a good choice with lots to do. Hope this is of assistance.

I totally agree - I simply loved Edinburgh when I first visited this February, so much that I am going again in summer! It is one of the best places I have been so far, such an interesting, beautiful and fascinating place. I can't wait to go again! One thing I really want to recommend is Holyrood Palace. I enjoyed it much more than the castle - the castle is interesting as well, but I just thought Holyrood Palace more unique, especially as Buckingham Palace can usually not be visited. If your parents are interested in British royalty, Holyrood is certainly worth a visit, and it is not nearly as much walking as the castle. Although ideally I think you should visit both! I also think that it is the perfect introduction to Scotland if you have not been to the country so far. I agree with the suggestion that you should do a day trip to another place if time allows. Either by train, or, if you are into guided tours, I can very much recommend this company: www.rabbies.com I did four day trips with them (because I just couldn't decide), and I loved them all. The itineraries and the guides were very good, and it allowed me to see more within one day than I could have done by train. My favourite was the Lochs & Castles tour. I also went to Glasgow and Stirling by train and liked both very much, but I am not sure if Glasgow would suit your parents. Stirling is great and full of history, but I am not sure if you would like to fit in yet another castle ;-)

The west coast south of Glasgow is stunning and so accessible. You could take a train out to Gourock and then the ferry over to Dunoon which is a really nice town. Or a ferry over to Arran from further down the coast. How are you travelling - car or train?