Oooh, they'll have a wonderful time! Edinburgh is amazing. It's such a beaufitul city and the people are extremely friendly and fun. Basically, Edinburgh is divided between the Old Town and New Town by a gorgeous garden that used to be a bog. When the old part of town became overcrowded and disgusting, the gentry filled in the swamp and built the New Town, all in the Georgian style. Of course they'll have to visit the castle (the very epitomy of a castle), which sits on an ancient volcanic plug at the top of the city. Below the castle runs a road called the Royal Mile, which ends at Holyrood palace, still a functioning residence of Betty II. A walk down this street is memorable (and filled with tourists and tourist shops). But make sure they know to get off the beaten track and just explore the medieval streets aimlessly. They'll run into all sorts of tucked away alleys and twisting narrow streets, filled with jaw-dropping architecture. Below the castle on the east side there is a serene old Greyfriar's cemetary. I know it sounds morbid, but I always try to visit cemetaries in cities I visit. You can learn a lot about the people and see some fantastic sculpture. Anyway, I stumbled on a little bronze statue of a dog. Below it was a plaque telling the story. I still get a lump in my throat when I remember it. I've attached a link.

Okay, on to the New Town. Cross east over through the Princess Street Garden and they are in a seemingly different city. Grand and stately, it is an architectural gem. Plus, it has great night life. Lots of pubs and clubs.

To get a breathtaking view of the city, they must visit Arthurs Seat. Also, Calton Hill has beautiful views and some really odd but cool monuments.

It's a good thing they've rented a car. I've only been through the Highlands once, but it still touches me. It's a haunting place and very hard to describe. It's barren and lush at once. You know, I think I'll turn this portion of the travelogue over to our dear friend Eduarda. She's going to have much better advice than I. Eduarda...you out there love?

Steven

Here is a link that might be useful: Greyfriar's Bobby

Keesha,
Thanks for asking Steven this question. My daughter is going to Scotland also...1 Nov. She and three girlfriends will be there for a week then she and one of the girls will be going on to Ireland for another week. Where in Germany will your daughter be? I've been there twice and love the country.

Steven,
I'm sending this on to DD. Edinburgh is on their must see list and I know she and the girls will be sure to go to "New Town." No doubt your comment "...it has great night life. Lots of pubs and clubs." will catch their attention. She has seen Eduarda's pictures and comments from their last visit to Scotland.

Vikki

Do I hear my name being called, and with the magic word Scotland of all words? LOL! Thanks for pulling me onto this thread, Steven. Ask, and you shall be served!

Keesha, I would second Steven's advice on Edinburgh, but, IMO, to go to Scotland and staying in the cities only is like going to Rome and not seeing the Pope (as we say in Portuguese)... I don't know how much they are into Nature, or whether they are strict urbanites, but the landscape in Scotland is awesome and the real reason why anyone should travel there. My opinion, of course, after visiting the country for *8* times over the last decade or so...

Back to your question on where to go: definitely the West coast. Depending on the amount of time they have they can travel more or less, but they should at least drive the A82 from Glasgow to Glencoe and then from Glencoe on the Road to the Isles up to Kyle of Lochalsh on the coast. From there they can cross the Skye Bridge onto the Isle of Skye (another must see) or retrace their steps a little and head north via the Wester Ross Coastal Trail (signposted on the A87 slightly before Kyle) onto the Stromeferry Viewpoint and from there to Lochcarron and the Wester Ross area - Torridon, Shieldaig and the road to Applecross via the Pass of the Cattle are a somewhat hair rising experience that should not be missed. This part of the route is mostly documented in the photos of my last visit, whose URL I'm pasting below.

If they still have some time and energy to spare, proceeding along the west coast up to Loch Maree, Gairloch, Poolewe and the amazing Inverewe Gardens, up to Ullapool and Lochinver, is another fantastic drive.

Piece of advice - do go prepared for the rain and do not let that spoil your enjoyment. Wear stout boots, I mean, serious hiking boots while traveling along the Highlands. The ground is slippery and peaty (hence the great heather mentioned in another post) and you need a firm grip in order to walk along the many trails or simply for visiting the beautiful gardens. I also recommend people to stay in the small rural hotels and/or B&Bs. It's a great way to meet the locals and get in touch with community life. The best places to get dinner in the Highlands are the local hotels, which usually cater for non-residents (they'll have signs saying Non-residents welcome). And there are *no* Macdonalds in the Highlands (maybe apart from Inverness). Try the haggis if she's adventurous and stock up on the fantastic "cooked breakfasts", as they are referred to by the Scots.

Do not *ever* confound a Scot with an English. They are Scots first, British afterwards. Never English. Most of the locals will be offended by that confusion. What you will see waving on the masts is the Scottish flag - the white St. Andrews cross over a blue field. The Union Jack is rarely seen (and I suspect that when we do see it, it's the home of an English resident :-))

I could go on for hours, so stop me now, LOL! Let me know if she needs any more specific information and I'll be happy to help out.

Eduarda

Here is a link that might be useful: My Scottish photos

Vikki, I forgot to mention that my advice to Keesha also applies to your daughter! I hope they all have a fantastic time there. Ireland is another magical place which I have also visited and loved to pieces. We toured the whole country along the coast from Dublin to Dublin, including Northern Ireland, and loved every bit of it as well.

Eduarda

Eduarda,
Thanks for all the great information. I'm passing it on to DD to share with her travel companions. I don't think they are going to the Highlands but she got boots last week just in case.

Vikki

Wow! What great info, I knew this was a good place to ask. Steven, Eudarda your suggestions really speak of a love for this country and its culture. Your experiences and suggestions are just what she needs. Your Rome and pope remark strikes things just right. When you think of Scotland and Ireland you think of the countryside more than its cities, to miss that experience would be sad. They are also going to spend much time in Inverness she told me today. If you can add anything about that area please don't hesitate! Thank you for all your help. I am going to share this with her. Vikki good luck to your daughters trip also. I am sure both girls will have a fantastic time.

Sorry I did not respond to your posts right away and thank you. We have been saddled by the flu here in the last few days. Again, huge thank yous!

Keesha, Inverness is a pleasant city. I particularly like the area known as Ness Bank, which is the area bordering the river Ness. It's not a particularly impressive town in terms of monuments, etc., but it's pleasant and lively, has a good shopping centre (Eastgate Centre), etc. Better than that, it's about 1 hour drive (about 64 miles) from Ullapool on the west coast, which makes for a comfortable day trip to the area, if they can't do better than that (i.e. actually staying in Ullapool or the surrounding area, which is what they should do...).

When in Inverness, it's a short drive to Loch Ness, Urquart Castle and all the Nessie related stuff. Loch Ness is a beautiful loch, but IMO it's more of the lore associated with the monster than anything else...

Also near Inverness, going east, the coastal village of Nairn is a very nice place and the beach there very pretty, though I would suspect unusable in November...

If they're into golf, short drives north of Inverness would get them to several of the most famous golf courses, such as Royal Dornoch and Brora. There are a couple of whisky distilleries in the area too (even though the most famous ones in the Mainland gather around the area called Speyside, which is slightly more South and East than Inverness - Dufftown,Keith and Grantown-on-Spey are good bases for the Malt Whisky Trail).

I cannot emphasize enough the need to get to the countryside and especially the countryside in the Highlands. As I said, cities are interesting, but I can think of quite a few other European cities which I would rank higher than Scottish ones (Prague and Budapest just to mention two) in terms of beauty, historical interest and culture. The real crowning glory of Scotland is the land, the countryside, its mountains and lochs, its ever changing weather and friendly people. Vikki, do try for your daughter to get at least a bit onto the Highlands. It's a sight she will not forget - at least if she's a Nature lover.

If you need any further details on any specific area, do ask and I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities.

Eduarda (who does not work for the Scottish Tourism Board but is very sorrowful about that...)

You two are good enough they SHOULD pay you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I sent this link to her and she seemed quite interested. Thank you very much. I always knew I loved this forum and the people the best. Good ole cottage charm both from the gardens and from the people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!