Please, tell me your point of view.

Best Answers

• fishypro Member ✭✭✭

  March 2019 Accepted Answer

  Hi @Soren_2006 your English is excellent and it could be a good plan.

  How long are you looking at staying in Scotland for?

  Edinburgh & Glasgow are fantastic cities to visit! Aberdeen is a little more Industrial and Inverness is a small city but the train journey there is lovely.

  
  

  Let me know what you are interested in doing and maybe I can help with some suggestions.

  
  

  All the best
  

  Graeme
  

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• scothighlands Member ✭✭

  March 2019 Accepted Answer

  There are direct trains to Aberdeen and Inverness from Edinburgh. Aberdeen is about 2.5 hours each way and Inverness is about 3.5 hours each way.
  
  In theory it’s possible, but certainly with Inverness the attractions which people talk favourably of tend to be around rather than in Inverness city centre itself. People often recommend or want to see Clava Cairns, Fort George and Culloden for example. With that in mind, it can be useful to have a car to go around Inverness (although Culloden is on a bus route 30 mins journey from the rail station).
  
  I wonder whether day coach tours from Edinburgh may be an option (for example Rabbies comes up as one provider among many although I’ve not tried them) or staying a night in Inverness may help you explore the best of what is around that part.

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• scothighlands Member ✭✭

  March 2019 Accepted Answer

  I’ve not tried to book Inverness accommodation in July and August but I’ve certainly found I can get some very good deals in advance which tend to disappear once you’re a few weeks ahead of travel. So you may find you pay considerably more for accommodation which is not perhaps the same quality, if you don’t book ahead of time.

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• scothighlands Member ✭✭

  March 2019 Accepted Answer

  I’ve only travelled by train a few times between Edinburgh and Inverness so not sure about crowds. I often book in advance because I know the precise time I intend to travel and the saving is quite big, but this will depend on your own schedule and how much is subject to change.
  
  If you go on the Scotrail website and compare the difference in price between an advanced ticket and a standard ticket, you can take a view as to whether you could afford to lose an advanced ticket if you didn’t end up taking that train, or whether the saving is such that you might as well go with an off-peak or standard ticket, so that you can travel on any train (off-peak tickets have some timing restrictions so just check these as you compare).

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• VisitScotlandJulie Member, Moderator, VisitScotland Staff ✩

  March 2019 edited March 2019 Accepted Answer

  Hi @Soren_2006
  
  You should book the trains in advance if you want to pay the best price. You will be able to get on a train without booking ahead but you will pay the full price ticket which can be expensive. If you are booking from outside of the UK, you can find great information on UK trains here .
  
  You do not have to book a hotel in Inverness in advance but you will have a greater choice of rooms and rates if you do.
  
  Also, do consider one day tours from Edinburgh to Loch Ness - they are great value for money and hassle-free. Here are some suggestions to start you off:
  
  

  https://www.rabbies.com/en

  https://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk

  https://www.highlandexplorertours.com/

  http://www.highlandexperience.com/

  http://graylinetours.com/

  http://www.scotlinetours.co.uk/

  https://www.heartofscotlandtours.co.uk/

  https://www.haggisadventures.com/

  https://www.macbackpackers.com/

  https://www.nessbus.com/

  
  I hope this answers some of your questions for now. Happy planning!
  
  
  
  

  1
• fishypro Member ✭✭✭

  March 2019 Accepted Answer

  Hi @Soren_2006 I wouldn't think about taking the train to Inverness from Edinburgh and back again on the same day! The journey time alone is 3.5 hours each way. That means 7 hours travel time!

  If you really have to go to Inverness then stay at least on or two nights. Visit Culloden battlefield or Cawdor Castle or even Fort George!

  You could just do a trip to Pitlochry for a couple of days which is a 1.5 hour journey on the train and is a beautiful little town. Lots of Outlander filming locations in the area!
  

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• LochNessPhotography Member ✭✭✭

  March 2019 Accepted Answer

  Hi Soren, 
  
  Book everything in advance where you can. I live near Inverness and accommodation up here is frequently fully booked months in advance. If you haven't booked anything yet then I'd strongly recommend doing so very soon. July/August is peak season and there's a good chance most places are fully booked already.
  
  You can get trains direct to Inverness from Edinburgh and they're reasonably regular during the day. They can be busy but you can normally get a seat without too much hassle if you're travelling outside of peak hours. 
  
  A word on the day tours from Edinburgh and around the highlands: They're full on 12 hour days and you don't get much time to stop and take it all in. If you've got the time then you should definitely make your way up North and spend a few days (or more!) exploring.

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• fishypro Member ✭✭✭

  March 2019 Accepted Answer

  @Soren_2006 I believe that there are better places to visit in Scotland than Aberdeen. I would suggest that you visit Stonehaven, by Aberdeen, and check out "Dunnotter Castle" on the cliffs. Finish off with the best Fish & Chips in Scotland from "The Bay". Montrose is also quite nice.
  

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