Summer in Scotland

Summer in Europe these days = record high temperatures. Some people appear to enjoy these insane temperature spikes, even in climates which are not equipped for them such as The Netherlands and the UK – I am not one of them. The crowded popular destinations a a lot of the world flock all at once is another reason I avoid travelling in July and August. Luckily my partner and I can make this work. Last year I wanted to join my family on their Summer holiday, and due to my dad’s work – have to travel in peak season.

So where do you go with a bunch of people who prefer not to sweat too much, want to take their own cars, and love nature and dramatic landscapes? Scotland!

Consider this your inspiration for a (relaxed) two week road trip itinerary. We were with six people and two cars, and prioritised having three bases to travel from throughout, instead of leaving every two nights to keep driving.

Getting there – from NL

Day 1 & 2 – Edinburgh

After disembarking in Newcastle we started on the 2,5 hour drive to Edinburgh; our first base on this Scottish adventure. Highly recommend stopping at the Chantry Tea Rooms in Morpeth for a cream tea on the way!

Stay: At Stuart’s cosy yet spacious flat near Leith walk. A little further out but free parking nearby and two bathrooms. We just walked into the city and there’s plenty of restaurants nearby.

Highlights:

• Dean Village for a lovely meander around the river and 19th century, colourful buildings.
• Greyfriars kirkyard to learn more about the very loyal dog who is honoured there. Rub his nose for good luck.
• Victoria Street for some great photo ops and a bit more atmosphere than the Royal Mile
• Twelve Triangles bakery on Brunswick Street for a bite and a coffee to go.
• La Casa tapas on Leith walk for an excellent shared dining experience with friendly staff.

Day 3 – driving to and exploring Sterling

Sterling was to be our base for the next five nights as from here we would be able to easily acess Glasgow, Loch Lomond, and do a coastal town route.

Stay: Forth View apartment, This was too small for six adults. only recommend for four max. There wasn’t even six dining chairs…

Sterling is only an hour drive from Edinburgh, so you can easily stop at the famous Kelpies in Falkirk on the way. Cool to see, but busy and you have to pay for parking to get in.

Highlights in Sterling:

• Wandering around the Old Town cemetery. Sounds morbid, but it’s beautiful and has great views of the surrounding area. We were fortunate and were there at the same time as a guide who told us much more about the history of the surrounding area.
• Tinsel & Tartan Christmas Shop. Lyndsey commissions her own unique decorations, so we walked away with tartan Scottish highlanders, and Nessie with Xmas hat!
• Molly Malones pub for a hearty dinner

Day 4 – Loch Lomond @ Balmaha

Loch Lomond and the surrounding Trossachs national park is enormous, so as a day trip we had to decide where and how we wanted to see it.

• We chose to drive the 40 mins to Balmaha, so we could climb Conic Hill to get a good view of the Loch. Be aware that there are multiple routes, one being incredibly steep and a bit treacherous. We found out afterwards there was another way, which made more sense considering the chill Google reviews regarding this very doable hike.
• We ate some very good sausage rolls at the small St Mocha Coffee shop, where they sell their own coffee – roasted on the banks of Loch Lomond. Makes a cute souvenir for a coffee lover too.

Day 5 & 6 – Firth of Forth coastline

The coastline winding from Stirling to Crail is a nice excursion for a day or two. You could also combine this with St. Andrews; a larger sea side town known for its golf courses.

Colourful Culross is worth a stop just for the winding uphill streets and lovely wee houses. Stop for scones and soup at Bessie’s cafe.

Lady’s Tower in Elie is worth visiting just for the walk, the sights, and a background for photos of Scottish thistles

Crail is well known for its pottery, which my mum and I love. Crail Pottery is a sight to see, which is a studio and shop. The Crail harbour gallery and tearoom is a fantastic place to have lunch. If you can get a spot outside you’re treated to an intimate view of the Forth becoming the North Sea. If you’re up for some fresh seafood you can’t miss the tiny shack on the shore that is Reilly shellfish. They only accept cash and sell out quite quickly, so be early and prepared if this is your main stop in Crail.

Day 7 – Glasgow

Glasgow was honestly not a big highlight for us, so I’ll be brief. If you do want to visit the largest city in Scotland, I do have a few tips.

Highlights:

• The 200+ year old Glasgow botanical gardens are free to enter and worth a visit, especially for the conservatory.
• Bibimpab on West Nile Street in the very centre of Glasgow was incredibly delicious for lunch.
• The city centre Mural trail. If you have the time I would recommend following the trail map on their site and seeing Glasgow in this way.

Day 8, 9 & 10 – driving to and exploring Dingwall & surroundings

This leg of the journey is about 3 hours. Enjoy as the Scottish lowlands visibly become the highlands as you drive through Cairngorms national park.

Stay: At Clare’s Balavil farmhouse. This was absolutely one of our favourite parts of the entire trip, and we were so pleased we were here for six nights. With multiple living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms and a very large living/dining and kitchen area – this place is perfect for larger groups who also want plenty of privacy and some alone time every now and then.

Clare was a very thoughtful host who was more than happy to share tips with us regarding dining, sights to see and walks to take.

Highlights:

• Robertsons The larder Farm Shop, for their Coos, Jamie and Katie – but also for their wares.
• The Singleton Distillery in Muir of Ord. The tour and tasting entertained my dad and brother in law for a good few hours. It was a must do for them in Scotland.
• Black Isle Dairy, for fresh milk, yoghurt and ice cream!
• Rogie Falls, where we saw salmon trying to jump upriver
• Claire’s best tip had to be Chanonry point, you can see dolphins hunting fish really close to shore. Because they’re hunting they’re quite active and flipping around. Check the tides before you go to make sure they’re not too far out when you go. We didn’t need lunch at the time, but Claire also recommended nearby Crofters.

Day 11 – Ullapool & Rhue Lighthouse

About an hour’s scenic drive West lies Ullapool; quaint, somewhat touristy fishing town. This was our only rainy day, and it suited it. The main thing to do is just to have a wander and enjoy the town.

Food wise there’s only one place you’ll want to go; The Seafood Shack. This place opens at noon daily with its fresh catch; the staff are literally writing the days menu on the board as they open. We were not the only ones waiting, and were lucky to nab a place to sit.

Rhue lighthouse is a 10 minute drive away, and quite a tranquil area to go for a walk down to the water.

Day 12 – Dunrobin Castle & Dornoch beach

It’s not a European family vacation without at least one castle visit for us, Dunrobin was the chosen one this time. We chose it for the falconry display and gardens, and were not disappointed. Especially as it was hydrangea season when we were there – and they were aplenty.

We also hit up Dornoch beach, what can I say – it’s a nice beach where people walked their dogs and played in rock pools. On the way back we visited Dalmore Farm Shop & Restaurant, which was a bit more commercial than the aforementioned ones – but had lots to offer. The country kitsch fabrics sold per meter were a unique touch.

Day 13 – Loch Ness, Eilean Donan & Plockton

On our final day we drove the almost two hours to the very famous Eilean Donan castle, taking the route past Loch Ness on the way there and the A890 to loop back to Dingwall. We made a short pitstop at Drumnadrochit on the way, which is perfect if you want a really kitschy, Route 66- esque experience for everything Loch Ness monster. Nessieland and The Loch Ness Centre have got you covered!

Eilean Donan has got to be one of Scotland’s most overrated attractions, considering the current construction of the castle dates back to the early 20th century. It’s Scotland’s most photographed castle, and I’ll admit it looks very picturesque. I would skip it all-together unless you’d really like to see it/ take a photo. The food from the kiosk is also not very good there and you have to pay for parking just like at the Kelpies.

On the drive back we took a slight detour to the tiny fishing village of Plockton for some lunch, as I realised I hadn’t had fish & chips yet. If you’re stopping here for longer than a meal and a wander you could consider looking for seals or Sea kayaking too. We ate at The Plockton Shores which was absolutely excellent – both the fish and the chips! I would say that this village of less than 500 people was the highlight of the day for sure.

Day 14 – Drive back to Newcastle

On the final day we did the entire drive back to Newcastle which was a good 5,5 hours. You could break this part of the leg up of course, but as the ferry left in the evening we didn’t mind.

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