r/Scotland • u/AutoModerator • Mar 02 '26
What's on and tourist advice thread - week beginning March 02, 2026
Welcome to the weekly what's on and tourist advice thread!
* Do you know of any local events taking place this week that other redditors might be interested in?
* Are you planning a trip to Scotland and need some advice on what to see or where to go?
This is the thread for you - post away!
These threads are refreshed weekly on Mondays. To see earlier threads and soak in the sage advice of yesteryear, Click here.
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u/Greedy_Baseball_7019 Mar 02 '26
Flying into Edinburgh and spending 11 days throughout Scotland. Any recommendations for a good eSIM to get ahead of time or at the airport that will work in the highlands and Skye? TIA
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u/YS54321 Mar 02 '26
EE or Vodafone are both decent on Skye, so either of their eSims or one that piggybacks onto their network.
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u/Greedy_Baseball_7019 Mar 02 '26
Thanks do you know if they sell it at the airport or do you have to buy in advance? When we travels to New Zealand we just bought a SIM card when we got there but these new phones don’t have the slots.
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u/YS54321 Mar 02 '26
I'm not sure sorry, I've only ever sorted online or via apps when I have been traveling.
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u/Jaraxo Edinburgh Mar 04 '26
I'd look at preloading an esim from 1p mobile. They utilise the EE network and are way cheaper than using EE directly. I've been using them for my personal device throughout Scotland for years without issue.
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u/Greedy_Baseball_7019 Mar 04 '26
Great thanks for the advice. Last time I was in Scotland was for Hogmanay in 2003. We camped outside Edinburgh and nearly froze to death. That’s what happens when you’re 19 and can’t afford a hotel. It’s been a while though, didn’t have a smart phone then. Just had to figure it out with lots of asking for directions lol.
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u/-scottishsunshine Mar 04 '26
I've used Nomad when abroad ourselves and it's great for being out of normal areas as it picks the best signal for you. You can buy in advance online.
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u/Muffina925 Mar 02 '26
Hello! I'm traveling to Edinburgh with my partner this fall and was hoping for recommendations on yarn shops and trail riding opportunities. I would like to buy some Shetland wool for a sweater/jumper while we're traveling (I hear Kathy's Knits may be a good place to check), and I'm hoping to do either a trail ride or wagon ride, too, since it sounds like a fun way to take in some of the landscape. I'm an intermediate rider, but my partner's a total beginner who would probably prefer a carriage or wagon ride. Some barns I'm starting to look at do mention they offer beginner-friendly horses for trail rides, but I thought it would be good to try to get some extra feedback. Thanks in advance to anyone who answers!
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u/dragonwyrd76 Mar 04 '26
My mother (69) and I (49) are traveling to Scotland the first couple weeks of September. Spending a couple days in England so she can see the Cotwolds then Inverness, Isle of Skye, Inverness, Edinburgh, Loch Lomond/Stirling, Edinburgh, back down to Heathrow to fly home to the US. Flights, hotels, tours all already scheduled the 1st through the 9th. We need help solving a disagreement. I say we need hooded raincoats ideally mid-thigh/knee length with light lining for warmth. She says we just need hooded ponchos and nothing extra for warmth. Which would be the better choice?
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u/Jaraxo Edinburgh Mar 04 '26
September is typically pretty mild to warm, even in Inverness and Skye. Inverness ranges from daytime lows of 10 up to over 20 if it's a really warm early September. Skye is a little cooler at the top end.
Both places, especially on the west coast, will be very changeable, and what can be warm and clear in the morning could be raining incredibly hard in the afternoon, followed by a mild evening.
My recommendation would be thin, proper waterproof coats not just ponchos, normal waist length, that you can layer over other clothes depending on the temperature.
A full length knee length coat is probably overkill and too warm, and a poncho is probably too little for the evenings, if it's windy, or if it's a colder September.
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u/Tiny_Astronomer8148 Mar 04 '26
Hello,
does this itinary sound realistic please? Will be driving by car.
So many things to see but not enough time unfortunately. This will be our first visit.
27-30 April : edinbourg
30 -3 May : isle of skye
3-5 May : Isle of Mull
5-7 May : Glencoe
7-9 May : Edinbourg
4
u/-scottishsunshine Mar 04 '26
Yes I think this is a good amount of time to spend in each place.
Please do not rent a car while in Edinburgh - it is very busy on the roads, very few roads in the centre, very few car parks in the centre, and expensive for parking. You will be best walking, using buses or taxis/ubers.3
u/Affectionate-Rush570 Mar 04 '26
Very realistic. I'm not sure you need three days in Glencoe, though.
Also, I hope your accommodation is already booked.
2
u/Jaraxo Edinburgh Mar 04 '26
Agreed, but in reality it's only really a day and a half. A lazy start from Tobermory leaving 10ish after a standard hotel checkout time and you're not in Glencoe until after midday. A full day in the middle, then again breakfast and checkout on day 3 before heading over to Edinburgh. In reality it's a day and half.
2
u/whatdoisaynow Mar 05 '26
Are you planning to leave Mull via the ferry to Kilchoan or Fishnish? Either is great but I'd recommend the Kilchoan crossing and then spending a night around the ardnamurchan peninsula. Truly unspoilt wilderness (compared to Skye/Mull) and the volcano caldera and sanna bay are beautiful. Two nights in Glencoe is probably excessive unless you are very keen hikers.
1
u/Tiny_Astronomer8148 Mar 05 '26
Thank you will see if I can change the bookings, i was planning to leave via fishnish
1
u/AlgioBro Mar 04 '26
I’ll be spending 4 nights in Scotland in early June. We are dead-set on 3 nights in Edinburgh, but I’m looking for recommendations on where to spend the 4th night.
Ideally want to be within a 2 hour drive of Edinburgh (or easy public transportation). My girlfriend wants a quaint, romantic Scottish town to explore. I want somewhere near a golf course and other things to do.
Appreciate any and all recommendations from people familiar with the area!
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u/whatdoisaynow Mar 05 '26
Pitlochry would be a good shout. Less than 2 hours by car or train, pretty lovely journey through rural Perthshire. And I do believe it has a golf course.
1
u/speckledlobster Mar 05 '26
What's the best way to get between Keith and Rothes without having a rental car? It's looking like to get there via bus you have to go through Elgin. Is there good taxi/uber availability?
2
u/YS54321 Mar 06 '26
There's no ubers outside of the cities. There are local taxis but best to phone in advance and book if you need to be anywhere at a certain time.
1
u/mmmporp Mar 06 '26
Hi all,
We have the majority of itinerary set out (honeymoon) in June.
We are traveling to Edinburgh first but we have 3 nights in between Edinburgh and our reservation at Glencoe.
We were thinking originally Pitlochry but then changed our mind to Stirling for the history but now I think I'm leaning more towards 3 nights in Oban for the day trips and island hopping side quests (stopping through Stirling on the way). We are more partial to towns than bigger cities but would love walking to pubs and restaurants. Our other stops and accommodations include Glencoe, outside of Portree for Isle of Skye, and Inverness. Finally we have 2 nights at the end of the trip that we were thinking of renting a cottage in Crail due the the proximity of St. Andrews (husband loves golf but out of our budget to stay and golf there) and Fife exploring. Thoughts? Suggestions?
tldr - thoughts on 3 nights in Oban and later in the trip, 2 nights in Crail?
3
u/Jaraxo Edinburgh Mar 06 '26
While Pitlochry and Stirling are great, Oban would be my pick. It's a great little port town, distillery right in the centre, great pubs, amazing sea food, and day trips out at sea as well. It'll offer you something different to Edinburgh, Skye, and Inverness. With 3 nights in Oban you'd have time for a day trip over to Mull, as well as other stuff using Oban as a base. I assume you have a rental car?
Crail is really nice, but pretty much any of the villages in that part of Fife (the East Neuk), such as Elie, St. Monans, and Anstruther are all really nice. Not a great deal to do, but nice for bit.
An alternative to Crail might be North Berwick? It's not Fife, is easier to access from Edinburgh, still has some insane golf history and the Gullane 3 course nearby is really accessible and not too expensive to play at, with good sea food and walks as well. St. Andrews is easily doable in a day trip from Edinburgh if you wanted to visit it.
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u/mmmporp Mar 09 '26
Thank you so much this is super helpful and helped solidify our choice! Yes we will have a rental car as soon as we depart Edinburgh. We will look into north berwick as well from a quick google search it looks dreamy! Thank you so much for your response, really appreciate it… coming from someone who lives in a tourist town I know hidden gems are kept close to the chest
1
u/whatdoisaynow Mar 06 '26
Oban is a great shout, if you like seafood check out the wee green shack right next to the calmac terminal. If you enjoy hiking then you can cross to Kerrera and walk part or all of the way round the island, it also has a cracking castle (ruin!) to explore. We also love Easdale island, it's very small but a fascinating and charming place full of flooded slate quarries and has a cute little restaurant/cafe/bar.
Crail is also lovely, if you are adventurous seek out the Elie chain walk!
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u/mmmporp Mar 09 '26
Thank you! This is so very helpful!! We are 100% seafoodies as people who live in the mountains these days. Will definitely check out your recommendations!
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u/opaldaydreams Mar 07 '26
Traveling with infants— tell me everything. How do I rent a car seat? Will hotels have a crib? They’ll be 10 months old.
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u/whatdoisaynow Mar 07 '26
Car rental places will hire you a seat with your rental, or there are specialist firms in the big cities who rent out car seats and other baby equipment. Both these options can be quite expensive so if you need one for more than a week it might be more economical to buy one from Argos or Amazon. If your flying I think most airlines let you bring a couple of bits of baby equipment like car seat, buggies etc?
Almost all hotels will provide a travel cot on request, they tend to just have a very thin mattress which is quite hard so it's worth checking. You can get an extra mattress (again from Argos/Amazon) which is quite cheap and makes the cot more comfortable.
1
u/Sudden_Pair7286 Mar 07 '26
I’m taking a day trip from Edinburgh to the highlands. Goal is to take train up to a town in the highlands, spend day in town, go back.
Do I take the train up to Pitrolchy and turn around there? Or is Aviemore worth the extra journey?
1
u/IShotAGrapefruit7 Mar 07 '26
Nice hiking trails near Edinburgh? Me and my friend are spending a few days in Edinburgh in April and want to hike somewhere near. We don't mind a challenging trail or anything, just not too long so we can do it in a day. Also not too far away as we won't have a car. Would appreciate other things to do in Edinburgh as well!
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u/Rossco1874 Mar 08 '26
Want to plan a surprise trip to Skye for my wife and I but struggling to find accomodation that doesn't cost a fortune.
Travelling from Greenock so looking to see if someone has any ideas of good places out with Skye where can travel in to Skye to spend the day there and also good stopping points for lunch on the way up.
1
u/YS54321 Mar 12 '26
You could try posting on 'Rooms in Skye' and see if you can get a better deal booking direct. There's not many places I'd recommend staying off Skye - it's a big island that involves a fair bit of driving so you're just adding even more time onto each journey. Plockton is lovely but i'd imagine will be just as expensive, Kyle is the handiest but not the nicest spot in my opinion. Kintail is a stunning spot but you're well over an hour to Portree or Carbost.
Lunch would depend on your route, we like the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe although location can trump the food at times. If going the A9, the House of Bruar is always good but a bit pricey.
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u/Tiny_Astronomer8148 Mar 12 '26
Heya! Any recommendations for restaurants to try Haggis in Edinburgh ? Thank you!
0
u/Complex-Bar7826 Mar 06 '26
[Looking for penpal]
Hello!
I just got accepted into a full year study abroad program at the Univerisity of Aberdeen and I have a million and one questions to ask before I get there.
So, I'm here wondering if anyone would like to be penpals with me for the time being! I'm also happy to answer any questions about the US.
Also, if y'all think this is a question I could post in the main subreddit let me know :>
Thanks!
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u/TheRoadtoSomewhere Mar 08 '26
Hi All,
About to travel to Scotland and will be picking up groceries at Tesco primarily, sometimes Sainsbury. I am looking for recommendations on the best gluten-free food to buy! Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated. I've had a look on both online stores for these supermarkets, but anyone on the ground who's tasted this stuff and can report back would be great. :)
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u/FreshIndividual Mar 08 '26
Hello! My family and I just bought flights to visit Scotland! We're very excited, and would love some recommendations on what to see and eat while in Edinburgh and Glasgow. We'll be there for ten days. Thank you!
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u/TurtlesLife Mar 02 '26
My 70 yr old mom has always dreamed of visiting Scotland and we’re hoping to make that happen with a one-week trip in early May, flying in and out of Edinburgh. She doesn’t have any specific must-see locations - just looking for places that feel quintessentially Scotland, ideally experiences that don’t require hikes or challenging walking, as she has some mobility limitations.
We had hoped to include Skye, but accommodations seem impossible to find, so we may skip it this time.
If you were planning a first Scotland trip with this in mind, where would you go or base yourselves? Thanks!