Interested in traveling to Scotland?

Question

My husband and I, my mother, and my three year old son are considering visiting Scotland. We would like to stay in a small town and experience what it is really like to live in Scotland. We would prefer to stay in a town large enough for a grocery store but too small for a mall. A town with good pubs and eateries, outdoor activities, parks for children and golf anyone out there who would like to nominate a town - let me know. Also - we will be renting a car so transportation to major areas of interest will not be a problem. Let me know if there are any areas of interest that are off the beaten path. Thanking you in advance.

Answer 1

There could be any number of places that are suitable for what you're looking, the exception being golf courses.

If quality golf courses are important than towns like Troon and St Andrews would be suitable as they have world class golfing facilities. There are many golf courses throughout Scotland but many are small (9 holes) and some have the added interest of being on hillsides (including the greens) which means the game has to be approached more for fun than a serious sport.

Personally I'd recommend staying in Highland or Grampian Region - basically anywhere north of the 'Central Belt' or 'M8 Corridor' - the narrow part of Scotland that has Edinburgh to the east and Glasgow to the west.

Highland Region is very popular with tourists and in all but the smallest of villages you'll find local stores and pubs and in many places there will be a selection of eateries.

I can't recommend the Highland scenery and hospitality enough although I find that the two main population centres of Inverness and Fort William are a bit depressing. Aviemore is the other main centre but is very commercialised as it's the centre for skiing in Scotland. All three towns have their advantages and no shortage of facilities but wouldn't be my first choice of places to stay.

Fort William does have the advantage of being fairly central and whichever direction you head off in there is plenty to see. The towns / villages of Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge, Glencoe, Ballachulish (pronounced balla hoo lish), Invergarry and Fort Augustus are also close by and would make a good central base. One village in the area that is in a very nice setting and worth a visit but not recommended for staying at is Kinlochleven, it was purpose built by British Alcan to house the workers for the Aluminium smelter but this closed several years ago and is a bit run down. Corpach and Caol just outside Fort William are similarly depressing unless you have a particular interest in paper mills.

As has been mentioned, the Island of Skye is a must-see place and in the mid 90's a bridge was built connecting it to the Scottish mainland making access a lot easier but, I feel, somewhat encroaching on the romanticism and mysticism of the Isle. The main town on Skye is Portree, a wonderful mix of old and new, the 'second' town is Broadford and whilst it provides for basic needs such as shops, pubs, restaurants it has little else to recommend it.

There are so many places to recommend that it would be impractical to list them and unfair to those I omitted. But not to worry, no matter where you are in Scotland you're never far from plenty of things to see and do and the links at the bottom should provide ideas and inspiration.

A couple of words of warning - the weather is changeable, it can rain at any time of year, even on a day that dawns clear and bright. The weather on the hills is even more changeable and conditions can rapidly deteriorate. Take waterproofs and warm clothing.

You need to be aware of Culicoides Impunctatus, not the Latin name of the Loch Ness Monster but the equally fearsome Scottish Biting Midge. A tiny 'winged beastie' that can make life miserable due to it's voracious appetite for human blood. It's completely harmless but when it bites it injects an anti-coagulant which causes a small red swelling and an intense itching. There are very effective repellents available and you should use these especially at the times of highest exposure - evenings, warm damp places, still air. There are primarily two sorts - synthetic and natural. Synthetic ones are DEET (di-ethyl toluamide) based and are effective, natural ones are citronella (lemon) based and smell nice but aren't effective. You can buy 100% DEET (neet deet) which is very effective but can cause problems with sensitive skin, there are various preparations typically 40 to 50% which shouldn't cause problems but check the labels for suitability for your young son.

http://www.visitscotland.com/
http://www.scotland.com/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Scotland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/
http://www.midgeforecast.co.uk/home/forecast.asp

Answer 2

My family traveled to Scotland a few years ago...I loved it, and I know you'll love it, too. I would recommend staying in Invergarry. I'm having trouble remembering just how big it was because we the place we stayed was outside of town--The Glengarry Castle Hotel (quite an experience and GREAT food, I recommend it). Invergarry is right near Loch Ness (perhaps a stopping point on your Scottish tour?). At the other end of Loch Ness is Inverness, which is a larger city.

My memory of Scotland is that most places outside of the big cities (Edinburgh and Glascow, especially) feel relatively small and town-ish. Like you, we rented a car and did a lot of driving, and we found that some days we would drive for hours without seeing a place ever to stop and eat (but who needs food when the scenery is that beautiful?), even when we were based in a larger, more populated area.

If Invergarry looks too big for you, you might also try the Isle of Sky (in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places on earth), which is off the Western coast. Nowhere you might stay on Skye is going to feel like a big city.

I hope this info helps!

Answer 3

St. Andrews (home of golf) would fit the bill. It's a beautiful little place but because of all the posh university students, it has nice bars and restaurants. Beautiful beaches, nice people, lots of history, the famous golf course, close to Dundee for city shopping. . . I could go on and on. Property is expensive there, though.
Inverness and Perth are both lovely places, too. They are both beside rivers and quite picturesque, with nice scenery. They are big enough to have malls but have a real small-town feel about them.
Moffat in the Scottish Borders is pretty but maybe too small for you. I also like Callander and Stirling.

Answer 4

Stirling has a most suitable citadel and ok figuring out to purchase. Dundee is termed the anus (butt) of Scotland, so once you've a constrained time you should lead away from Dundee. Glasgow is likewise no longer very eye-catching until eventually you're into the music scene. Edinburgh is a superb city. inspite of the actuality that that's a respectable sized city, you'll walk to each thing -- once you've the time. The botanic gardens are fantastic for an afternoon picnic. figuring out to purchase and probably eating are also best in Edinburgh. i'd also recommend St Andrews in case you want to decelerate and revel in walking on the beaches, play a round of golf, or save. at the same time as in the St Andrews section, ensure you bypass for fish and chips in Anstruther. you may also take a deliver from Aberdeen to the northern islands of Shetland and Orkney. bypass to Scone Palace in Perth for a visit and robust scones.

Answer 5

i used to live in rothesay, and although it was boring to live there, it would make a lovely holiday for you and your family. there are some shops but not many, a park, a small fair, plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants and there are plenty of nice beaches and other tourist attractions. another place would be largs, which is similar to rothesay, except that you can get a bus to go to more places. both towns are great for a small holiday and can show you what it's like living in a small town.

Answer 6

troon on the ayrshire coast is a gr8 place,you have,golf,play areas for children,good pubs and everything else you are looking for,I actually live in glasgow,but troon is a really good and friendly place,good luck and enjoy your visit to scotland.