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Love Scotland and want to share your stories – why not have a look at all the recent discussions and make a contribution or start a new discussion? Visiting Scotland and looking for some advice – why not ask a question or start a discussion or simply explore all the great content?
Join the conversation today and share your #scotspirit.
Best Of
Re: Planning a trip of 8 days into Scotland and wanted to know if what we've planned is realistic or not
Hi @JoanM,
First of all let me say Wow!, somebody likes their castles.
The trip is certainly do-able but that is a lot of driving.
When are you planning to make this trip? This year?
Is there any chance of extending your holiday to Scotland to possibly 14 nights?
You have missed out several excellent castles like Glamis Castle, Blair Castle, Scone Palace & Doune to name just a few. These are excellent to visit and everyone totally different to the next.
If you are planning on making this trip in 2019 then you are probably too late to book accommodation on Skye or Glen Coe! For accommodation on Skye it is recommended that you book as early as possible. Many people book, 8 months to a year, in advance.
Make sure that you book your accommodation in advance and DO NOT try to be spontaneous! You may not find any available accommodation.
Hope that helps a little.
fishypro
fishypro
5
Re: B&B needed in November
Hi @pdm Just for further information the town of Pitlochry is a lovely place to base yourself for walking and there is also the Enchanted Forest event on until the 3rd November. Check out Walkhighlands website for details of all the walks in Scotland.
fishypro
1
Re: B&B needed in November
Hi @pdm , Perthshire is a great choice of destination for you first trip to Scotland, especially at that time of year.
While a few b&bs might take a break in the winter months there should still be plenty to chose from and you will find a great selection here: Perthshire B&Bs.
Perth itself or one of the smaller towns such as Crieff, Dunkeld, Blairgowrie or Pitlochry would make a great base. Each of these towns has a great paths network which you can find details of here.
For an even greater selection and some more challenging walks have a look at the following website https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/
Hope this helps.
While a few b&bs might take a break in the winter months there should still be plenty to chose from and you will find a great selection here: Perthshire B&Bs.
Perth itself or one of the smaller towns such as Crieff, Dunkeld, Blairgowrie or Pitlochry would make a great base. Each of these towns has a great paths network which you can find details of here.
For an even greater selection and some more challenging walks have a look at the following website https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/
Hope this helps.
Re: Sunday Openings in Durness.
@SeaShells most places nowadays open on a Sunday and it's very much become the norm (unless you're over on Lewis and Harris) although you may find they have slightly reduced opening hours. Places like Cocoa Mountain and Mathers General Store are open on Sunday. In terms of tourist attractions, the beach never closes 
and I think the Smoo Cave tours operate 7 days a week.
and I think the Smoo Cave tours operate 7 days a week. 
Re: B&B needed in November
Hi @pdm, that's a fairly big question. Did you have a specific area in mind so we can narrow it down for you? There's plenty to choose from in places like Fort William, Aviemore, Ballachulish or down towards Pitlochry and Perthshire.
Re: Bike hire in Durness
Hi @SeaShells There is a bike hire place called "The Hub". I do not know the opening times but here is the address:
A838, Durness, Lairg IV27 4PS
Hope that helps!
fishypro
5
Re: Celiac Disease
Hi @Marnie51
If you're coming next month then you really, really should book before you arrive. It tends to get booked up really quickly nowadays and I think you'd struggle to find anywhere if you didn't book in advance. Airbnb may still have some vacancies on the day, it's not a risk I would take though.
Mull is easy enough from Oban, the ferry from the town takes you to Craignure on Mull. It's easier if you have your own transport to get around the island but I think public transport is ok. Skye is nearly a three hour drive from Oban so you'd be in for a long day whichever way you do it.
If you're coming up past Drumnadrochit on your way to Inverness then Cafe82 has a fantastic choice of gluten free food.
If you're coming next month then you really, really should book before you arrive. It tends to get booked up really quickly nowadays and I think you'd struggle to find anywhere if you didn't book in advance. Airbnb may still have some vacancies on the day, it's not a risk I would take though.
Mull is easy enough from Oban, the ferry from the town takes you to Craignure on Mull. It's easier if you have your own transport to get around the island but I think public transport is ok. Skye is nearly a three hour drive from Oban so you'd be in for a long day whichever way you do it.
If you're coming up past Drumnadrochit on your way to Inverness then Cafe82 has a fantastic choice of gluten free food.
Re: Celiac Disease
Hi @Marnie51,
As others have said, you shouldn't have difficulty finding GF meals in our eateries. For your Perth stop you might like to consider Kisa, Everest Inn or The Venue. Cafe Kisa is a Scottish bistro with a dedicated gluten free menu, The Everest Inn is an excellent Nepalese/Indian restaurant which has particularly detailed dietary information on its menu and The Venue is a quirky pub with lots of GF menu options.
Our iCentres still offer an accommodation booking service and the staff will be very please to help. Things have change a bit since 1996 however and I would caution against leaving booking until the last minute, particularly as you have a fairly fixed itinerary and plan to use public transport. Booking a few more nights in advance (especially in Inverness and Oban) should ensure you have a greater choice and do not end up paying more than you need to.
Hope you have a great trip.
As others have said, you shouldn't have difficulty finding GF meals in our eateries. For your Perth stop you might like to consider Kisa, Everest Inn or The Venue. Cafe Kisa is a Scottish bistro with a dedicated gluten free menu, The Everest Inn is an excellent Nepalese/Indian restaurant which has particularly detailed dietary information on its menu and The Venue is a quirky pub with lots of GF menu options.
Our iCentres still offer an accommodation booking service and the staff will be very please to help. Things have change a bit since 1996 however and I would caution against leaving booking until the last minute, particularly as you have a fairly fixed itinerary and plan to use public transport. Booking a few more nights in advance (especially in Inverness and Oban) should ensure you have a greater choice and do not end up paying more than you need to.
Hope you have a great trip.
Re: Celiac Disease
Sounds like a fantastic trip Marnie!
I would encourage you to book your Skye accommodation as soon as you're able as it's a very popular location over the summer months and you don't want to run into issues.
I would encourage you to book your Skye accommodation as soon as you're able as it's a very popular location over the summer months and you don't want to run into issues.
Re: Celiac Disease
Hello @Marnie51 - you'll have no trouble at all in Scotland! Not only are our "free from" sections in supermarkets incredible - with wide ranges of gluten free items (all your basics like pasta, bread, pizza bases etc as well as fun stuff like pies, cakes, pastries and so on) but also our restaurants and pubs are fantastic at making sure dietary requirements are catered to. Let us know what places you're planning to visit and we can help suggest some specific restaurants for you as well!