Welcome to Scotland!
This goes out to all my friends from across the sea. When you came to visit the UK how did you plan your trip? Did you kow here you wanted to go, did you wait until you got here? On the ‘places to see’ list did you research it on the Internt or was it through the recommendation of friends and family? Did you visit any muesums/visitor attractions while here? If so, why and how did you know about them?
This is all info I’m looking for based on a wee project we’re working on at GRP. I’d love your insights. Love them.
Thanks you beautiful people.
S
x
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When I went to England in 2000 I did do some research on the internet prior to my going there. I also went heavily on what my relatives who live in England told me to see. I went to a travel agent to book my flight. As for visitor attractions I saw nearly all of them, well the big ones anyway and I did manage to visit the Salvador Dali exhibit and I went to the Museum of Natural History while there. Hope this helps even if it is not related to Scotland.
Paula
I visited England and Scotland in the summer of 2003 with my family. I searched the internet almost everyday for the best flight deals and found a fantastic 1/2 off deal for round-trip tickets on British Airways (around 275 GBP per person). I also spent a lot of time researching places to stay on the internet as well as travel books, and found a wonderful bed and breakfast in Glasgow’s West End that once belonged to a shipping family.
I also relied quite heavily on “Scotland for Dummies” (love that name!).
I knew that I wanted to spend a week in London, and we did. We drove from London to Glasgow with a stop in the Lake District. Planned on a week’s stay in Glasgow. We drove up into the highlands, as well as saw some of the sights around Glasgow. I went to the Edinburgh library to look up my family records. Found those - which was cool. Some surprises there too, which was even cooler. That is something I had wanted to do for years and have forgotten how I first heard about the fact that you could do that.
Our trip to the highlands was beautiful. We happened to pass a castle that had once belonged to some ancestors and took a side trip to see it on the spur of the moment. Kilchurn Castle I think it is called. It is a ruin now. I wanted to try haggis but never quite got up the nerve. :-/ Next time…..
Our museum visits occurred mainly in London. We saw the War Museum which is built on the site of Bedlam, the Jewish Museum, The Tower of London (and we also witnessed - by special invitation - The Ceremony of the Keys), the wax museum Madame Tussaud’s, The British Museum. We took a day trip out to Stonehenge, and went on the London Eye. We visited with some people we know, and that pretty much wrapped up London.
Our time in Scotland was too rushed in retrospect, and I plan to go back and visit again. Since I planned it all myself, I wasn’t sure how everything would work out, but the only complaint I have is the too little time in Scotland. I think, when I go again, I will stay in Glasgow as before - I like Glasgow better than Edinburgh.
~Cindy M.
For my first trip to Scotland, I spent a lot of time on the internet for flight and care hire info. My second trip, I went to the airline the travel agents compete against, just for argument sake (but didn’t end up needing it). Better deals for the car hire when through a travel agent, btw.
My first trip was mostly based on a little of what I wanted to see based on what I already knew about the country and what my friend wanted to see. My last of 3 weeks there was completely by the seat of the pants. The second time was mainly set up as a basic route, but nothing really planned.
As for museums/historical sites. Other than my friend’s desire to see Edinburgh Castle and both wanting to visit Culloden, we hadn’t really done planned much but a route until we got to Scotland. To be honest, I’m glad we waited. We ended up buying one of those 3 venues in 7 days passes (can’t recall the name at the moment) got us into Edin Castle, Urquhart and was meant to get us somewhere else, but illness befell one of us. Turns out, planning a day at Holyrood is not a guarantee as last minute dignitary visits will bugger them up anyway. As I discovered the hard way.
Heard a great deal about Ben Nevis. Never walked it myself; however, my friend wanted to. I don’t think brochures outwith Scotland give enough info about the three season wardrobe one might need once there. Did climb to Glen Nevis the second time, but didn’t know about that until the hostel manager told us about it.
Basically, the places I visited the first time where locations I’d known about through years of reading about the history of the Highlands. Though, I never did get around to Plokton….
In fairness, I did spend one night in England as a layover to the continent. Initially, I’d planned on sleeping at Stanstead but ended up using the “accommodation/care hire” help kiosk for arrivals (I don’t recall its official name) and they set me up in a lovely guest house. Was very relaxing and comfy.
I could go on really. But basically, for me, it comes down to choosing a basic route and then filling it in with what the local folk feel is more reflective of their area than planning via some tourist board’s idea of what one should see, speckled with things I already knew about the off beat paths.
Oh, we had planned on Carbisdale Castle… what a waste of money, time and effort! Although, I think it would make a wonderful study in defying vertigo to overcome absolute boredom.
If you’d like more specific stuff, just let me know. I didn’t want to fill up your blog, plus I’m at work heh.
Me again, sorry. I did use websites to book accommodations though. Would try the establishment itself, barring that, then used things like Visit-Scotland. The latter was a bit dodgy sometimes. They had a wonderful way of “forgetting” to inform the folk we’d booked with of our impending arrival. Lost our deposits, ended up at more expensive, but definitely far more swish places. Not good for the budget though. But undoubtedly more adventurous and clearly endears one to the habitués at the local pubs.
[...] Today I was lucky to be involved in an internal pitch meeting for a client that we’re presenting to soon. I loved it, we looked over a whole load of really thoughtful, interesting and, of course, creative ideas. It was great being involved in that process. It’s a process that I’ve been involved since my theatre days, that collaborative discussion to find the best solution for a client’s needs. I adore it and I always find it very exciting. Your comments in the Welcome to Scotland post have been really helpful in the process too so I thank you for that. I love my work. [...]
The first and second time i went to Scotland i booked my flights and hotel reservations with a travel agency. As far as planning an agenda, i knew before i left home that i wanted to do some ghosthunting, so i found Mercat Tours on the internet, and participated in those events in Edinburgh. I also read up on maps and entertainment in books on Scotland. When i got to my hotel, i looked at the information provided in the room, and pretty much winged it day by day. I knew pretty much what i wanted to see, but didn’t want to go on a tour bus etc. I knew about Glasgow’s Science Center, the Castles, the churchyards. I walked everywhere or took a train to another city. I enjoyed the Salvador Dali exhibit in the museum of religion(?), i went to castles, museums, shopping, pubs, hiking, photography, restaurants, and had a boyfriend at that time who lives in East Kilbride, so i stayed with him for most of the first trip. I basically liked having an idea of what i wanted to do, but to go day by day on my own terms with not necessarily any one agenda planned. Since i’ve been a couple of times, the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh are more familiar to me, so it makes it that much easier now to wake up and decide what to do, or go for a run and decide. I like the just get up and start walking feeling, and basically i find myself heading somewhere wonderful. Looking forward to this Sept/Oct.-Kathleen x
I was Ms. drokka’s traveling companion during her second tour of Scotland. I relied on her for getting us to and from Scotland as well as all of the necessary accomodations (she did an exemplary job) seeing as I was the novice and she the world traveler. I did do some research on the internet to get some ideas of what to see. I also purchased the Eyewitness Travel Guides, Scotland. I think I was attracted to the usual touristy places (castles, distillery tours, and museums) but it was the Scottish scenery that totally blew me away! I was so glad we rented a car to tour the country side. It was a memorable experience (especially driving on the opposite side of the road and multiple lane round abouts). As drokka said we kind of played it by ear and took things day by day which in my opinion is the only way to travel. I’m hoping to see many more new and exciting things on a return trip sometime in the not so distant future.
rb