Planning an East Scotland road trip June

[Charles Morgan]

I'm starting to plan a road trip to Scotland in mid June this year. The pretext being my friend Tom Cannavan's Glasgow Festival of Wine the weekend of the 11th June, but I'd like to combine it with a chance to drive my W114 coupe (or if still not ready something else) around the east coast of Scotland, an area that I have yet in any great way to explore, Balmoral and Culloden (and Arbroath) being the exceptions. Any recommendations from the collective of experts here for places of interest, cultchur, beauty and itinerary?

I had a gorgeous trip around the Highlands some 5 years ago so while a huge amount remains to explore I wouldn't necessarily want to repeat that so soon.

TIA!

 

[brucemillar]

Charles

I will happily provide you with free language lessons.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[Ted]

East coast isn't my favourite, but if you are in Balmoral and up for a good walk, you could do a lot worse than a stroll around Lochnagar.

 

[HB]

Charles

I will happily provide you with free language lessons.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

I'd give any lessons he gives you a miss Charles , he's from a place called Kilmarnock where everything is not what it seems , especially the folk ...

 

[Giantvanman]

The popular sightseeing spots (and worth seeing) are Wallace's Monument, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle, The Trossachs & Loch Lomond (more West but a lovely drive around the Loch), Falkirk wheel (and maybe Callendar House and it's grounds- haven't been in the house since its opening but it is a majestic place and Rosebank Distillery may be open by then), the Ochill Hills, Crail is a lovely little fishing village….

It's been a while since I was up there and wouldn't want to recommend any good sight-seeing routes just in case things have changed dramatically.

 

[camerafodder]

Slains Castle is a very atmospheric location, Pennan is a an interesting little place stuck up against the cliffs. Obviously a plethora of worthy distilleries. Whilst Glenfiddich in Dufftown may not be considered one of the more up-market malts the distillery tour is probably the best and most informative there is.

The Tomintoul to Cockbridge pass is nice drive too. As is the A93 through Glenshee.

 

[SL300-24]

Watch out for anyone in a kilt driving a 107 with a diesel engine!!!!

 

[BEJ]

+ 1 for Tomintoul to Cockbridge on the Old Military Road and the Lecht, or t'other way round which is the way I last did it.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Charles

I will happily provide you with free language lessons.

Sorry...

 

[Charles Morgan]

Watch out for anyone in a kilt driving a 107 with a diesel engine!!!!

The cloud of black soot and the rumble of thunder would hopefully give me a chance to get off the road before McToad of McToad McHall comes storming by!

 

[Druk]

Judith McToad would just like to say that he is deep in thought regarding nice places to point Sir Charles in the direction of.

 

[grober]

I would caution against Culloden simply because there is nothing much to see but a flat expanse of moor with a few memorial cairns. There is a new visitor centre which may offer a better experience and some historical background but in terms of anything " concrete" to see there just an open expanse of ground. Disappointing! The Robert Burns Monument Centre and Scottish genealogy centre The Burns Monument Centre
is worth a visit if you are in the vicinity.
Alternatively the actual Burns Birthplace museum in Alloway.
Discover Robert Burns - The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

 

[C240Sport97]

isn't June midge season?

 

[trapperjohn]

isn't June midge season?

Ah yes, tis true - them wee tamerian beasties which bite the life out of and poison Sassenachs, they just love the tourist season, it's a rich target environment for them.

Or is it haggis that are tamerians.

Anyhoo watch out for flying biting things up there Charles.

 

[Ted]

isn't June midge season?

No, no no.
No midges in Scotland in June. Not at all.

Nothing to see here, move along.

 

[reflexboy]

No, no no.
No midges in Scotland in June. Not at all.

Nothing to see here, move along.

Yup-None at all....I only counted 24 midge bites on my left arm and 44 on my right arm when I was there....Oh, and that Avon So Soft Moisturiser skin stuff does nothing!! Wear a net curtain. That said-Scottyland is absolutely wonderful

 

[zipdip]

Just take a umbrella,try to take in the Black Isle ,have a look for a Ceilidh (Kaylee) held in some pubs on a Saturday have a meal and a drink and there is music and dancing ,you can find one advertised in local papers,last one I went to was in Cupar Angus,great time was had.

 

[Bellow]

Right, being Aberdeen born, there is nothing I can recommend on that particular part of the east coast - so I sought advice from my friend who lives in Edinburgh and was brought up in the Mearns. His reply will be pasted in entirety in a moment but before, I should mention that what was meant by the 'Highlands' was vague. Here is his advice:

''Completely agree with your comments. “Around the Highlands” usually means the usual tourist run to Inverness, west to Ullapool and down the west side; all very nice but more of a bus tour than getting into the magic bits.

Now then: If starting in Glasgow – get the hell out of it! It’s a dump! Interesting to a student of victorian architecture and Billy Connelly but why the tourist board pushes it to visitors I don’t know. It’s a post, (very), industrial city in ruinous decline and one of the last places in Europe I’d go to for a holiday. The exception is for events, e.g. the aforementioned wine fest.
So head North to Stirling – rather lovely drive – and follow the dual all the way to Perth. (A9). From Perth take the A94 , (don’t go to Dundee) and follow it until it connects with the A90 at Forfar. I doubt if there are definite boundaries the The Mearns but I’ve always taken them to mean the area Lewis Grassick Gibbon wrote about in his Sunset Song trilogy. What do you mean you haven’t read it. Tut,tut.

But. and it’s a big but. I Wouldn’t do any of that. I would head straight up to Inverness then take the A9 across the Kessock bridge and head north to Evanton. Pass it and take the B9176 across the hills, a wonderful drive, and drop down to the Dornoch Firth, stopping at the viewpoint, then on to Bonar Bridge at the head of the loch. From there it’s North again to Lairg and past there take the 838 North-West. That takes you to the far N.W. corner of Scotland. Take any coast road; miles of them, but stick to the absolute West Coast. Stunning scenery.

Try to get a booking at the Kylesku hotel. Two London lassies, one with a previous Michelin star no less now run it and it’s probably the only really top class pad in the entire area.
I know that area like the back of my hand so if you want to give him my number, do so.''

(Me again)If I was in Glasgow I'd want to see some of Charles Renee Mackintosh's work - but that's just me. If you want my friend's phone number Charles, no problem, he offered it without prompt. He's a good lad - with similar interests to yourself.

 

[grober]

Yup-None at all....I only counted 24 midge bites on my left arm and 44 on my right arm when I was there....Oh, and that Avon So Soft Moisturiser skin stuff does nothing!! Wear a net curtain. That said-Scottyland is absolutely wonderful

Rumour has it the first Field "clinical trials" for AVON Skin So SOFT was in fact the guys building the Skye road bridge who were plagued by the biting midge [ by the way its the female of the species that bites- the blood meal going to egg production] Avon were so interested that they sent an investigative team to Scotland to check it out. There is huge military money in the discovery of any effective insect repellents!!! In the end no magic ingredient emerged from Avon Skin So Soft but rumour has it that its composition was changed shortly after for "regulatory purposes!"

 

[Bellow]

Smoke is the only worthwhile midge repellent. Whether it's from tobacco, burning anything at all, or from a chainsaw - they hate it.
So, take a chainsaw, cut down a tree, light a ciggy, pipe, or anything of your choosing, and settle around your camp fire. (Not in the W114 obviously - the ashtray wont be large enough)