travel advice: Scotland and Wales

FrankS

FrankS

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We're still planning this part of our British holiday this summer. We'll have a Brit Rail Pass to access these areas. Does anyone have any first hand experiences and suggestions about where to go and what to see here? My wife, 2 teenage children, and myself will be in Britain for about 4 weeks. We've got the English part pretty well sorted. Thanks!
 
Frank
first a link
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/index.html

Two rail journeys worth taking.
1.Glasgow to Malaig via Fort William. Called the West Highland line, the stretch from Fort William to Mallaig is often steam hauled, and the bit between Glasgow and Fort William passes Loch Lomond and crosses Rannoch Moor. Look out between Fort William and Mallaig for two sights
a. The Glenfinnan viaduct seen on the Harry Potter films via the Hogwarts Express.
b. The pure white sands at Morar, and Scotlands shortest river, the Morar runs between the loch and the sea, less than a mile. Loch Morar incidentally is Scotland deepest loch.

2.Perth to Kyle of Lochalsh via Inverness
Again amazing scenery via the steep haul over the Drumochter and Shlochd summits. The bit between Inverness and Kyle is very beautiful, and from Kyle there is a bus on to the Isle of Skye.

If you are in Glasgow, have a laugh and go on the tiny Underground, nickname the "Clockwork Orange" from the train colour and tiny size, now electrified, until 1930's it was operated like the San Francisco Cable Cars pulled by a cable between the 4 foot gauge rails. I can see over the carriages when I stand on the platform and I'm just 6 feet!

Hope this helps

P.S.
The Highlands start at Inverness not Edinburgh!!;)
P.P.S. You'll see more kilts and bagpipes in Canada than Scotland!!
 
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and once you get to Portmeirion you're close to the Festiniog narrow gage, which is a pleasant ride up into the slate country at Blaenau.
also worth scheduling for the scenery is the stretch from Settle to Carlisle. Carlisle is not too bad a base for a couple days and isn't overrun with tourists.
 
I'm off to Scotland myself for the first time this Thursday. Staying at Fort William, Loch Lomond and Drumnadrochit. Not much use to you FrankS, but if I have any useful info for you on my return and hopefully before you go I'll get in touch.
 
Frank
if you enjoy hiking or walking around in the mountains, you will certainly like the Snowdonia national park in Wales with the highest mountain in Wales - Snowdon or Breacon Beacon national park.. There are beautiful sceneries and views if you happen to get a weather which allows it :). There is also lot of castles in Wales. I have seen Convy castle and it was beautiful. Good place to start digging info is wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castles_in_Wales

Martin
 
pipal said:
Frank
if you enjoy hiking or walking around in the mountains, you will certainly like the Snowdonia national park in Wales with the highest mountain in Wales - Snowdon or Breacon Beacon national park.. There are beautiful sceneries and views if you happen to get a weather which allows it :). There is also lot of castles in Wales. I have seen Convy castle and it was beautiful. Good place to start digging info is wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castles_in_Wales

Martin
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Yes, I've driven through Snowdonia, it is incredibly beautiful!
 
The train journeys already suggested in Scotland are great. The West Highland line is an incredible journey. Edinburgh itself is obviously well worth a visit. The castle but also the surrounding area in the Old Town is a good afternoon of sight-seeing and photography.

Stirling is another impressive castle, with views across to the hills. The Trossachs [the area between the north of Stirling and Loch Lomond] is very pretty. Not quite as dramatic as the mountains further north, but nice nonetheless.
 
It's worth noting that Glasgow and Edinburgh are only an hour apart geographically, but about 50 years in cultural terms. Edinburgh is very "Shortbread and single malt", trading on it's (considerable) history, while Glasgow is more modern, and vibrant. Glasgow is quite a small city, and laid out on an American-style grid. Don't miss the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art (GOMA). If going to Glasgow, avoid the big hotels like the plague (Hilton, etc). Go instead for the Malmaison, One Devonshire Gardens or my personal favourite, the Carlton George. Hire a car and go to Loch Lomond. The village itself is tacky, but there are two good hotels, The Lodge on the Loch, or The Lodge on Loch Lomond. I second the suggestion for Stirling and it's castle, and Scotland in general.

There's nothing of note in Wales except the west end of the M4 motorway.

Regards,

Bill
 
BillP said:
There's nothing of note in Wales except the west end of the M4 motorway.

Regards,

Bill
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I have to leap to Wales defence here as there is plenty to see in Wales….The Gower, St David’s, Offa’s Dyke, loads of Castles, Brecon Beacons, Anglesey, Ludlow, Pembrokeshire Llandudno and so much other stuff thats slipped my mind


So look here.....
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/United_Kingdom/Wales/Things_To_Do-Wales-BR-1.html



Wales is bloomin marvellous.......just don't tell them I'm English.:D
 
mcgrattan said:
The Trossachs [the area between the north of Stirling and Loch Lomond] is very pretty. Not quite as dramatic as the mountains further north, but nice nonetheless.
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Yes the Trossachs are wonderful, but there are now no RAIL links in the area, not much help with a railpass sadly.
If you are in Edinburgh, a quick trip over the Forth and Tay Bridges is worth while. Victorian engineering at its best.
Fortunately Scotrails reliability record is far better than some of the other companies.
Another steam line branches off the Perth to Inverness line at Aviemore going to Boat of Garten ( to be extended to Granton on spey in the near future.) There is also the Cairngorm Mountain Railway in that area.
 
I think the most import thing of all is that you can't do all of the UK justice in one trip,
I know its a small country but distances are greater than you people at the other side of the pond think, especially in the north of Scotland. For instance Perth to Kyle is not a day trip, count on about 4 to 5 hours each way!!
Better to select a few and really see them.

BTW There is FFordes camera dealers shop and gallery, about 20mins walk from Beauly station on the line between Inverness and Kyle:angel:
 
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Although the architecture of Edinburgh is rightly celebrated, don't miss the jewels of Glasgow, namely the buildings by Art Nouveau pioneer Charles Rennie Mackintosh (a profound influence on Frank Lloyd Wright, don't miss his School of Art), and Alexander Greek Thomson, who crafted spooky, powerful buildings in the early Victorian period. And while Scotland was the engine of the British Enlightenment, it also led the field in British cultural barbarity, as testified by the fact that several of Thomson's buildings, real cultural gems, are semi-derelict.
 
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