Traveling to Scotland

[32green]

Originally Posted by Redlichtie

Just scanning this thread you've had some good recommendations already but drop me a pm and I can e-mail you a load of other options.

I'm from about an hours drive North of Edinburgh but live 'doon Sooth'....still get home a couple of times a year though so still in touch with where to go and what to see.

4 days simply won't be enough,try to squeeze a week or 10 days out of it and you can afford to take a trip into the Highlands and if possible as far as Skye and Applecross.I cannot recommend highly enough a trip through Perthshire & The Trossachs.I lived in the Rannoch area for a while and can recommend any number of places to stay and visit.Ideally hire a car and drive the A82,you will discover the correct usage of the word awesome as it carves through Glencoe(you may have gotten a glimpse of this if you watched Skyfall)I'd also recommend Pitlochry and Aberfeldy. Beautiful area and some very good distillery tours(Edradour,Blair Atholl and best of the lot IMO Dewar's World of Whisky at Aberfeldy...you can also raft down the rapids on the river Tay which will be a blast in March!!)

3 or 4 days in the Highlands still leaves you a long weekend in the city.

First off Edinburgh is in my biased view one of the most beautiful cities on earth.it's small enough to wander around but big enough to be a capital city and has that big town vibrancy(Ok if you're from NY everything else seems small but trust me )you won't be short of things to do.The Castle is an absolute must see.It's hard to describe that moment when you are driving through central Edinburgh when the castle first comes into view..properly awesome...you'll know exactly what I mean when you experience it.If you are there in March you might be able to see a 6 Nations Rugby Interntional.It's worth trying to coincide with a game as the atmosphere in town on rugby weekends is like nothing else.Tickets can be hard to come by as the tournament is so popular but I have some rugby contacts so let me know.

Everyone talks about he deep-fried mars bars and haggis and yes that's worth trying for novelty value but Edinburgh also has some great restaurants and you can eat at Michelin star standard in a number of places,definitely worth treating the old girl to dinner at Tom Kitchin's place or Martin Wishart.Take a stroll down Leith way.It used to be 'mingin' but is now upmarket and full of trendy bars,cafes and restaurants(remember the word 'mingin' you'll hear it a lot especially in and around the pub!!).

If you really want to treat the lady then a night at The Witchery is worth spending a bit extra on.It's an atmospheric and very highly regarded hotel yards from the castle esplanade with a top,top restaurant.Great if you want your romantic credentials to go sky high although the credit card may feel the pain for a few months!!

There's basically too much to do,you'll love it especially if you don't care too much about he weather.As I said pm me and I can I've you as much help as you need.Here's a great book I recommend to anyone visiting Scotland...you should find it on Amazon no problem.The guy knows his stuff and is spot on with his recommendations....enjoy

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Title...-9780007442447

Damn, I want to do this trip.




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[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by Redlichtie

Just scanning this thread you've had some good recommendations already but drop me a pm and I can e-mail you a load of other options.

I'm from about an hours drive North of Edinburgh but live 'doon Sooth'....still get home a couple of times a year though so still in touch with where to go and what to see.

4 days simply won't be enough,try to squeeze a week or 10 days out of it and you can afford to take a trip into the Highlands and if possible as far as Skye and Applecross.I cannot recommend highly enough a trip through Perthshire & The Trossachs.I lived in the Rannoch area for a while and can recommend any number of places to stay and visit.Ideally hire a car and drive the A82,you will discover the correct usage of the word awesome as it carves through Glencoe(you may have gotten a glimpse of this if you watched Skyfall)I'd also recommend Pitlochry and Aberfeldy. Beautiful area and some very good distillery tours(Edradour,Blair Atholl and best of the lot IMO Dewar's World of Whisky at Aberfeldy...you can also raft down the rapids on the river Tay which will be a blast in March!!)

3 or 4 days in the Highlands still leaves you a long weekend in the city.

First off Edinburgh is in my biased view one of the most beautiful cities on earth.it's small enough to wander around but big enough to be a capital city and has that big town vibrancy(Ok if you're from NY everything else seems small but trust me )you won't be short of things to do.The Castle is an absolute must see.It's hard to describe that moment when you are driving through central Edinburgh when the castle first comes into view..properly awesome...you'll know exactly what I mean when you experience it.If you are there in March you might be able to see a 6 Nations Rugby Interntional.It's worth trying to coincide with a game as the atmosphere in town on rugby weekends is like nothing else.Tickets can be hard to come by as the tournament is so popular but I have some rugby contacts so let me know.

Everyone talks about he deep-fried mars bars and haggis and yes that's worth trying for novelty value but Edinburgh also has some great restaurants and you can eat at Michelin star standard in a number of places,definitely worth treating the old girl to dinner at Tom Kitchin's place or Martin Wishart.Take a stroll down Leith way.It used to be 'mingin' but is now upmarket and full of trendy bars,cafes and restaurants(remember the word 'mingin' you'll hear it a lot especially in and around the pub!!).

If you really want to treat the lady then a night at The Witchery is worth spending a bit extra on.It's an atmospheric and very highly regarded hotel yards from the castle esplanade with a top,top restaurant.Great if you want your romantic credentials to go sky high although the credit card may feel the pain for a few months!!

There's basically too much to do,you'll love it especially if you don't care too much about he weather.As I said pm me and I can I've you as much help as you need.Here's a great book I recommend to anyone visiting Scotland...you should find it on Amazon no problem.The guy knows his stuff and is spot on with his recommendations....enjoy

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Title...-9780007442447

Awesome, thanks! As the planning progresses I will certainly send you a PM.

[WestCoastOffensive]

I got this email chain as Bonhomme's thread went up. I guess I can post it now.

Ron Ba****
12/25/12 (12 days ago)

to undisclosed recipients
I should have written earlier.... I am in (Scotland, England), for a short vacation and Can I bring you anything?

Also, any shopping you'd recommend for me?
Ron

Ron *****‏ rab%%%%d@live.com4658493global.net
Jan 1 (5 days ago)

to undisclosed recipients


I'm writing this with tears in my eyes,my family and I came down here to (Scotland, England), for a short vacation. unfortunately,we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed,all cash and credit card were stolen off us but luckily for us we still have our passports with us.

We've been to the Embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all and our flight leaves in few hours from now but we're having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills. Well all we need now is $1,900 You could wire whatever you can spare to my name through western union I'll have to show my passport as ID to pick it up here and I promise to pay you back as soon as i get back home. Here's my info below.

Receivers Name:Ron ********
Location: 6 bon accord str aberdeen Scotland ab11 6sb

I still have my passport so I can use it as identification, e-mail me the W.U Confirmation Number once you are done. Let me know if you are heading to the W.U outlet now.

I owe you a lot
Ronald

If you received a message from me about vacationing in Scotland, it wasn't from me.

Ron

I'll show myself out.

[AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite]

Originally Posted by WestCoastOffensive

I got this email chain as Bonhomme's thread went up. I guess I can post it now.







I'll show myself out.

I wonder if this fellow accepts Nigerian currency...

[WestCoastOffensive]

Originally Posted by AlwaysGreenAlwaysWhite

I wonder if this fellow accepts Nigerian currency...

Ahhh, the Last King of Scotland.

[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by Warfish

Watch a Football Game. Both Hearts and Hibernian play in Edinbugh, and experiencing a match there is something to behold as well. Kinda like a rabid NFL game, kinda didfferent. Hibernian even wears green and white and hasn't won a title since 1952. Sound familiar?

.

I've been reading up on this Edinburgh rivalry and Scottish soccer in general. As Warfish said, the parallels are uncanny -- Hearts are the more recently successful team, and the green and white Hibs have a rich history but haven't won a championship in a long time. They are actually having a decent season right now, but their fans are on the ledge, waiting for the other shoe to drop:

GIVEN the results Hibs garnered last season and the way they had turned things around this term, a four-game run without a win shouldn’t perhaps have been viewed as a mini crisis but there was a squall of rising panic in the stands and on fans’ forums simply because of past form... ‘It’s the same old Hibs. They’ve done OK but now a few defeats and that’s them.’

SOHF.

Apparently, Sooth even has a cousin who plays for the Hibs:



Now this is a team I can get behind.

[dickkotite]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

I'm thinking of going to Scotland during the last week of March -- specifically Edinburgh, but I'm open to other suggestions and would like to see some of the Lochs/Highlands. Also maybe some whisky tasting/distillery tours. This would be my first trip anywhere abroad. I chose Scotland because weather is irrelevant (at that time of year it's too risky to go anywhere else like France or Italy, but the unpredictable clime of Scotland never really changes), it's an English speaking country, and if anything goes wrong at least I'm in the UK.

Has anyone been to Scotland before? Warfish, please chime in, and any others as well. FWIW it would be like visiting some kind of homeland -- I'm a quarter Scottish.

well have a good time but for the life of me i dont understand your logic on why you picked scotland of all places. just because they speak english? because its still in the "UK"? I dunno what that all means it almost suggests that italy and france are unstable lol. well enjoy the crap weather, horrid food and depressing scenery

[32green]

Originally Posted by WestCoastOffensive

I got this email chain as Bonhomme's thread went up. I guess I can post it now.







I'll show myself out.

Interestingly, I had a SF cousin get her email hacked and the same scenario used to try to get eejits to send money to save her "on vacation".

-

[dickkotite]

and before anyone starts the craptalk, im NOT bashing scotland. im sure its a good time.if richard had scottish blood, then i would understand it more as a visit to the homeland but ive been all over europe and as much as i like london and dublin, it just simply doesnt compare to the rest of europe. but have fun im sure it will be fun

[crasherino]

Originally Posted by dickkotite

well have a good time but for the life of me i dont understand your logic on why you picked scotland of all places. just because they speak english? because its still in the "UK"? I dunno what that all means it almost suggests that italy and france are unstable lol. well enjoy the crap weather, horrid food and depressing scenery

actually Italy and France were specifically ruled out on account of weather issues - the risky part related to the weather, not the stability of the countries.

Originally Posted by dickkotite

and before anyone starts the craptalk, im NOT bashing scotland. im sure its a good time.if richard had scottish blood, then i would understand it more as a visit to the homeland but ive been all over europe and as much as i like london and dublin, it just simply doesnt compare to the rest of europe. but have fun im sure it will be fun

and edit to add: He's a quarter Scottish. Its all in the first post.

[dickkotite]

what weather issues? if its cold in italy and france it will be colder in scotland.

He mentioned if something "happened" he'd be in the UK....sounds like stability issues to me because english is spoken everywhere


missed the 1/4 scot part. have fun richard im sure it will be a blast

[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by dickkotite

what weather issues? if its cold in italy and france it will be colder in scotland.

He mentioned if something "happened" he'd be in the UK....sounds like stability issues to me because english is spoken everywhere


missed the 1/4 scot part. have fun richard im sure it will be a blast

My point is that weather is irrelevant in Scotland -- its always crappy -- so it really doesn't matter what season I travel there in. Conversely, going to Italy or France in March isn't preferable.

By something "happening", I meant me doing something stupid -- losing a credit card or getting injured/sick or something. I feel like that kind of contingency would be easier to navigate in the UK than a country that doesn't speak English natively.

[JetinHuntersville]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

I'm thinking of going to Scotland during the last week of March -- specifically Edinburgh, but I'm open to other suggestions and would like to see some of the Lochs/Highlands. Also maybe some whisky tasting/distillery tours. This would be my first trip anywhere abroad. I chose Scotland because weather is irrelevant (at that time of year it's too risky to go anywhere else like France or Italy, but the unpredictable clime of Scotland never really changes), it's an English speaking country, and if anything goes wrong at least I'm in the UK.

Has anyone been to Scotland before? Warfish, please chime in, and any others as well. FWIW it would be like visiting some kind of homeland -- I'm a quarter Scottish.

Can you pick up a QB on the way back???

[dickkotite]

Originally Posted by Bonhomme Richard

My point is that weather is irrelevant in Scotland -- its always crappy -- so it really doesn't matter what season I travel there in. Conversely, going to Italy or France in March isn't preferable.

By something "happening", I meant me doing something stupid -- losing a credit card or getting injured/sick or something. I feel like that kind of contingency would be easier to navigate in the UK than a country that doesn't speak English natively.

ok. I think if you get sick or lose a credit card anywhere in europe you will be fine no matter what. actually, youll be better off. youll get quality health care at little or no fee and every credit card has a toll free international # to stop them so you have no issues. make sure you have all the cc #'s and phone #'s written down somewhere so if this does happen you can act fast. never give your passport to anyone to hold (like an internet cafe). dont use a travel agency...make all arrangements yourself and get killer deals with kayak.com, hotwire.com etc.

You should look into a car rental. this way, you are free to roam. its not expensive and driving on the left side is easy. unless of course, you enjoy tour groups, which i despise.

[dickkotite]

wow seems like its a $1000+ ticket right now on kayak.com

richard you might want to consider doing a side trip on the cheap. easyjet.com and ryanair.com are the two lowest cost airlines serving europe with CRAZY prices at times. For example, you can leave edinborough and be in amsterdam on easyjet in less than an hour for as little as $150 r/t. once in amsterdam, its a simple $10 round trip from the airport to the city center by train. once in AMS you can walk around and get a very nice little room for 50-70 bucks a night. so for just the airfare of maybe 150-200 bucks, you can visit amsterdam for a night or two. Its worth it. WORTH IT! also, you can take ryanair from edinborough to paris for $60 euros r/t. Thats crazy. If you spend hours at those sites you can find all sorts of crazy deals going to all sorts of european cities.

I once took a side trip from london to amsterdam. the r/t was 2, yes 2 euros on sale at ryanair. I just paid taxes i think it was 35 bucks american total so why not

[Bonhomme Richard]

Originally Posted by dickkotite

wow seems like its a $1000+ ticket right now on kayak.com

richard you might want to consider doing a side trip on the cheap. easyjet.com and ryanair.com are the two lowest cost airlines serving europe with CRAZY prices at times. For example, you can leave edinborough and be in amsterdam on easyjet in less than an hour for as little as $150 r/t. once in amsterdam, its a simple $10 round trip from the airport to the city center by train. once in AMS you can walk around and get a very nice little room for 50-70 bucks a night. so for just the airfare of maybe 150-200 bucks, you can visit amsterdam for a night or two. Its worth it. WORTH IT! also, you can take ryanair from edinborough to paris for $60 euros r/t. Thats crazy. If you spend hours at those sites you can find all sorts of crazy deals going to all sorts of european cities.

I once took a side trip from london to amsterdam. the r/t was 2, yes 2 euros on sale at ryanair. I just paid taxes i think it was 35 bucks american total so why not

Since all of my ideas clearly suck, why don't you just take the trip yourself and do all the things you want to do?

[dickkotite]

holy crap trying to be helpful. nevermind

[32green]

Originally Posted by dickkotite

dont use a travel agency...make all arrangements yourself

This is great until something goes wrong. My brother was just trapped in the Bahamas during the hurricane. The ones that had travel agents advocating for them got out much sooner. They know the system. They ended up insisting he get travelers insurance for a minimal cost... which ended up saving him a ton of dough when he had an extra week at a nice hotel tacked on to his bill.

I dont think Bonhomme was looking for the cheapest deal.

[southside]

I'm laughing at the trolling. It's been quite entertaining thus far.

[Warfish]

Originally Posted by southside

I'm laughing at the trolling. It's been quite entertaining thus far.

I'm not.

I love our Mods, each and every one, but I'm beginning to think J.I. seriously needs a Troll Crusher Mod again. The strip is all but unreadable nowadays cause of the mass-trollage.

(With that said, I don't think Dick was trolling, he's just has a...unique....was of putting his view out there sometimes, he's an ok dude who means no harm IMO).