Scotland in june

[Hotel California]

Yes ! I booked a ferry from Ijmuiden-Newcastle to spent almost four weeks in the UK .
We want to see Scotland starting the 3th june rolling off the ferry in Newcastle and will be heading back to Dover by the end of the month , not made a returnbooking yet .
Been reading threads regarding Scotland so far and asking all of you to give away some more tips&must see things.

Advise for traveling clockwise or anti-clockwise arround the coast?
Islands are not top priority as there are so many but guess a few will be doable ?
I would like to go all the way up , is that adviseble ?
Edinburgh ? Other city's ?
Is Loch Ness a must do or is it much to touristique?
I'm not in to whiskey (more gin) but a visit to a local distillery is possible .
Our main idea is seeing some great views and nature walking (Ben Nevis?) , small campsites and free overnight camperspots if possible.
I like driving , willing to do some distance in one day and have driven in the UK on sevral occasions including a two weeks trip in Wales driving on the opposite side to what i'm used to here in Belgium.
Usually we don't book any sites up front when we travel , as said i did not even book our return ferry so we just see what crosses our path...
Maybe adding that we are two adults , no kids or dog .
Thankx in advance for all your input!

 

[AlisonF]

Wow, 4 weeks. Well done you two! You should have time to see quite a lot. You’ll be prior to the main school holiday season so many places should be pretty quiet.
It’s quite a drive down to Dover so that could give you some choices on whether to spend more time in Scotland and a long drive, or slightly less time and stop a couple of times on the way down to scout around for ideas for you next big trip!
If you head to North East Scotland then please call by or arrange to meet up...

 

[pjm-84]

Ben Nevis can be quite busy. I turned around in the end. I wasn't too happy with the dog and the wife so called "endex". Fort William around the corner is worth a visit and quieter. No dogs in the Café at the top. Plenty of walking. Great MTBing

Wild camping or campsites around Morar are great. That whole region is lovely spot. Watch out for Mr Midge.

Isle of Sky is worth a visit. Edinburgh is a beautiful city. Similarly if your coming in via Newcastle don't forget about the Hadrian's wall, Kielder, Hexam etc.

Apart from Dunbar, never really ventured to East Scotland.

 

[Bill R]

St Andrews is worth a visit - not just the “Home of golf” but a beautiful small coastal town

 

[clarinetbcn]

Yes ! I booked a ferry from Ijmuiden-Newcastle to spent almost four weeks in the UK .
We want to see Scotland starting the 3th june rolling off the ferry in Newcastle and will be heading back to Dover by the end of the month , not made a returnbooking yet .
Been reading threads regarding Scotland so far and asking all of you to give away some more tips&must see things.

Advise for traveling clockwise or anti-clockwise arround the coast?
Islands are not top priority as there are so many but guess a few will be doable ?
I would like to go all the way up , is that adviseble ?
Edinburgh ? Other city's ?
Is Loch Ness a must do or is it much to touristique?
I'm not in to whiskey (more gin) but a visit to a local distillery is possible .
Our main idea is seeing some great views and nature walking (Ben Nevis?) , small campsites and free overnight camperspots if possible.
I like driving , willing to do some distance in one day and have driven in the UK on sevral occasions including a two weeks trip in Wales driving on the opposite side to what i'm used to here in Belgium.
Usually we don't book any sites up front when we travel , as said i did not even book our return ferry so we just see what crosses our path...
Maybe adding that we are two adults , no kids or dog .
Thankx in advance for all your input!

Counter clockwise. Go from pretty to jaw dropping life altering awesome.

Ben Nevis is beautiful, but I got physically elbowed off the path twice by a couple of jerks amid the crowd going up and down. Apparently on the average there are 5 days a year when the summit is not fogged in, and we got one of them. Amazing, but the summit was covered in organic trash.

 

[BeagleMum]

Yes ! I booked a ferry from Ijmuiden-Newcastle to spent almost four weeks in the UK .
We want to see Scotland starting the 3th june rolling off the ferry in Newcastle and will be heading back to Dover by the end of the month , not made a returnbooking yet .
Been reading threads regarding Scotland so far and asking all of you to give away some more tips&must see things.

Advise for traveling clockwise or anti-clockwise arround the coast?
Islands are not top priority as there are so many but guess a few will be doable ?
I would like to go all the way up , is that adviseble ?
Edinburgh ? Other city's ?
Is Loch Ness a must do or is it much to touristique?
I'm not in to whiskey (more gin) but a visit to a local distillery is possible .
Our main idea is seeing some great views and nature walking (Ben Nevis?) , small campsites and free overnight camperspots if possible.
I like driving , willing to do some distance in one day and have driven in the UK on sevral occasions including a two weeks trip in Wales driving on the opposite side to what i'm used to here in Belgium.
Usually we don't book any sites up front when we travel , as said i did not even book our return ferry so we just see what crosses our path...
Maybe adding that we are two adults , no kids or dog .
Thankx in advance for all your input!

You’ll have a wonderful trip We love Scotland go a couple of times a year. So many fabulous areas, particularly islands, just a few thoughts of some of our favourites.
Depending on how far up you’ll be going, we recommend Glencoe, Banavie & Neptune’s Staircase just north of Fort William off the A830. You can park overnight in the car park next to the Moorings hotel & the canal with a view across to Ben Nevis. From here continue to Glenfinnan beautiful loch, monument & viaduct.
Kyle of Lochalsh, Plockton, onto Applecross, Torridon, Gairloch, is stunning.
If you go to Edinburgh, Fife is well worth a visit particularly around St Monans / Anstruther/ Crail.
Perthshire, from Dunkeld through the Cairngorms & Aviemore up to Boat of Garten is lovely.
The possibilities are endless, you just need to be realistic & not try to do it all in one visit

 

[Meoncoast]

Posted before but may help. https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/index.html
and another http://lighthousemuseum.org.uk/galleries/named-a-b/

 

[WelshGas]

Yes ! I booked a ferry from Ijmuiden-Newcastle to spent almost four weeks in the UK .
We want to see Scotland starting the 3th june rolling off the ferry in Newcastle and will be heading back to Dover by the end of the month , not made a returnbooking yet .
Been reading threads regarding Scotland so far and asking all of you to give away some more tips&must see things.

Advise for traveling clockwise or anti-clockwise arround the coast?
Islands are not top priority as there are so many but guess a few will be doable ?
I would like to go all the way up , is that adviseble ?
Edinburgh ? Other city's ?
Is Loch Ness a must do or is it much to touristique?
I'm not in to whiskey (more gin) but a visit to a local distillery is possible .
Our main idea is seeing some great views and nature walking (Ben Nevis?) , small campsites and free overnight camperspots if possible.
I like driving , willing to do some distance in one day and have driven in the UK on sevral occasions including a two weeks trip in Wales driving on the opposite side to what i'm used to here in Belgium.
Usually we don't book any sites up front when we travel , as said i did not even book our return ferry so we just see what crosses our path...
Maybe adding that we are two adults , no kids or dog .
Thankx in advance for all your input!

Consider Harwich to Hook of Holland unless you really need to go to the UK South Coast.

 

[Alan Andrews]

Buy or borrow a couple of books to understand route options.

I recommend "Take the Slow Road - SCOTLAND" by Martin Dorey. ISBN 9781844865383
and "The North Coast 500 Guide Book" by Charles Tait". ISBN 9781909036604

Also look to buy National Trust membership. Buy the UK version and it is valid in National Trust Scotland sites too. We also have English Heritage membership that provides 50% reduction to Scotland Heritage sites.

The benefit of these is that you can enjoy the many locations within the UK as you venture to Scotland.

 

[BeagleMum]

Buy or borrow a couple of books to understand route options.

I recommend "Take the Slow Road - SCOTLAND" by Martin Dorey. ISBN 9781844865383
and "The North Coast 500 Guide Book" by Charles Tait". ISBN 9781909036604

Also look to buy National Trust membership. Buy the UK version and it is valid in National Trust Scotland sites too. We also have English Heritage membership that provides 50% reduction to Scotland Heritage sites.

The benefit of these is that you can enjoy the many locations within the UK as you venture to Scotland.

Are you sure about being able to use N T membership in Scotland? When we’ve asked been told no they aren’t transferable.

 

[MattBW]

National Trust car parking FAQs

Discover the answers to the most common questions about National Trust parking, from how and why to scan your card to what to expect if you’re about to join.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Can use them both in the other I believe.

 

[B J G]

Best not to book and check out the weather forecast especially now that it is totally unpredictable regardless of where you are going.
East or West first to suit the weather. From Newcastle take the A696-A68 route through the borders. Stop off if weather good as lots to see.
options are clockwise up Scotland or anti-clockwise plus a figure of 8 coming back to Cumbria/lake district before heading back home.
Personally I like to have no set plan and just go with the weather and go off the main routes to really see places.

Oh! Whiskey is Irish, Whisky is Scottish.

 

[MattBW]

The East side is not quite so interesting for me, but has its own unique charm. The west side is very beautiful and where I feel most happy visiting.

I tend to agree with above if you can go anti clockwise and come back via the Lake District you will have a lovely time. I personally avoided the official NC500.

Some highlights for me:

Glen Coe (Red Squirrel is a nice wild campsite)
Glen Etive
Sligachan
Arisaig
Applecross (and the pass)
Glenelg Inn (if you fancy a room and some nice food before getting the ferry to or from Skye)

Some places we didnt see but wish we had

Isle of Harris

There are a few maps going around, I did one based upon the forum posts and other users have since used it as a base to build upon, should be pretty amazing resource by now.
My old map

West Coast of Scotland - – Google My Maps

Recommended locations to visit in West Scotland.

drive.google.com

A combination of several maps and has routes (not sure whose this is but it seems to combine multiple maps very nicely).

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uoIu1BC6EDqo47XYAsLizx--0CETVAhH&usp=sharing

Scotland the Best is quite a good book, if a little anti camper. There is an app version.

 

[Alan Andrews]

Are you sure about being able to use N T membership in Scotland? When we’ve asked been told no they aren’t transferable.

Yes absolutely.
We visited Culloden in October. No issues using the pass. Also make sure that you have your car park badge on the front screen for free parking too.

 

[MattBW]

oh and take good waterproofs, it does often rain out of nowhere and can be gone just as quickly, but the clouds and resulting views can be stunning.

 

[MartG]

NC500 has ruined the roads, IMO, but very nice going up round the NW corner. Most folks do it clockwise, which with several single track stretches, could be frustrating if going the other way, however, in June (the best month for weather and quietness) you should be fine.
I'd not recommend Ben Nevis - too busy, a huge uninteresting lump with some dangerous navigation if it's in cloud (most of the time) and a bit of a cart track unless you venture onto the more sporting approaches.
The Trossachs is a very pretty area, wild camping is possible there, with some great walking.
Everyones right with deciding to go West or East depending on the weather, which you can do easily in a day's notice.
Inverness is a nice large town, Edinburgh is not a place to drive into with the Cali, but lots of historical interest, Glasgow has a lot too with really friendly people.
Loch Ness is pretty much a very long expanse of water, there are more attractive lochs elsewhere, but the driving around it is quite scenic (and busy on the North side).
Please PM me if you want to meet up or need more info, I have some nice distilleries close by which are not busy but make great rainy half day visits (plenty of gin distilleries too)...

 

[BeagleMum]

Yes absolutely.
We visited Culloden in October. No issues using the pass. Also make sure that you have your car park badge on the front screen for free parking too.

That’s very interesting, as regular visitors to Scotland we’ve never been able to. Let’s hope we are more successful this year

 

[BeagleMum]

Yes ! I booked a ferry from Ijmuiden-Newcastle to spent almost four weeks in the UK .
We want to see Scotland starting the 3th june rolling off the ferry in Newcastle and will be heading back to Dover by the end of the month , not made a returnbooking yet .
Been reading threads regarding Scotland so far and asking all of you to give away some more tips&must see things.

Advise for traveling clockwise or anti-clockwise arround the coast?
Islands are not top priority as there are so many but guess a few will be doable ?
I would like to go all the way up , is that adviseble ?
Edinburgh ? Other city's ?
Is Loch Ness a must do or is it much to touristique?
I'm not in to whiskey (more gin) but a visit to a local distillery is possible .
Our main idea is seeing some great views and nature walking (Ben Nevis?) , small campsites and free overnight camperspots if possible.
I like driving , willing to do some distance in one day and have driven in the UK on sevral occasions including a two weeks trip in Wales driving on the opposite side to what i'm used to here in Belgium.
Usually we don't book any sites up front when we travel , as said i did not even book our return ferry so we just see what crosses our path...
Maybe adding that we are two adults , no kids or dog .
Thankx in advance for all your input!

Firm favourites for us are the West Coast Islands. Particularly Outer Hebrides, Mull, Arran, Islay, Jura and Orkney off the North East coast. If you decide to include any island hopping lets know.

 

[Bill R]

If visiting Inverness via the Loch Ness route, go along the South shore which is a nice quiet road. North Shore is a very busy main route and far less enjoyable as a result . Both roads end up in Inverness.

 

[Meoncoast]

National trust England and NT Scotland have a reciptical agreement so both cover all of UK. English Heritage gives free access to Heritage in year 2 and 50% year 1 So I would get a Scotish Herritage card if you re new it will cover all of UK year 2

 

[MattC]

National Trust (England and Wales) and National Trust Scotland definitely have reciprocal arrangements for admission to properties, but as far as we can make out it doesn't apply to their car parking charges.

Most NT(E&W) car parks now require you to scan your membership card at the ticket machine to claim free parking. NTS membership cards don't have the scanning barcode.
NTS car parks still rely on display of a windscreen sticker. NT(E&W) no longer issue windscreen stickers automatically (although I believe you can still request one), but I'm not aware that it's valid for Scotland - nothing I've found on either organisation's website says that it is.

NTS membership is cheaper than NT(E&W), so for a trip concentrating on Scotland that's what I'd get. But we get around the parking ambiguity by me taking a single membership for NT(E&W) and my partner taking one for NTS. The cost works out the same as a dual membership for NT(E&W) and it means we've got things covered wherever we head in our van

 

[Jabberwocky]

Four weeks in Scotland! Wow! Fantastic - you will have a great time exploring/discovering. NW coast is a favorite of ours. Don't forget the Midges - The Scottish pest that gets everywhere. You may find this web site useful. https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/ - The forecast starts about May through to end of September from memory.

 

[kenm]

Have a look at wildaboutscotland.com for some inspiration on where to go.

 

[Hotel California]

Thankx all for the input so far , will be checking out things and make bookmarks .
As said we don't plan things up front but usual i do some research before leaving about things might be our intrest and go with the flow.
Do post intresting links if you got some : campsites, things to see , important info ,....

 

[MartG]

Do you have any specific interest, such as wildlife, hillwalking, low level walking, beaches, golf, good food, architecture or history?

edit - possibly all of the above?!

Something which should interest you - https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/gin-tours-tastings/map/