Honeymoon in Scotland

Overview

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Our winter honeymoon to Scotland included visits to Glasgow, Dingwall, Isle of Skye and Edinburgh. The best part about Scotland: all the wonderful people. While in Glasgow, we met many people from the United States. It was the perfect way to get accustomed to the new land because it was also the last time we saw people from the US. In Dingwall, we shared a taxi with a girl from Zimbabwe who was studying in Scotland. While on the Isle of Skye, we visited the tourist center in Dunvegan. The cashier was so excited to hear that we were on our Honeymoon, she gave us a calendar and made us promise to come back with our children. When we saw her a few hours later at the grocery store, she explained to everyo...Read More

Our winter honeymoon to Scotland included visits to Glasgow, Dingwall, Isle of Skye and Edinburgh. The best part about Scotland: all the wonderful people. While in Glasgow, we met many people from the United States. It was the perfect way to get accustomed to the new land because it was also the last time we saw people from the US. In Dingwall, we shared a taxi with a girl from Zimbabwe who was studying in Scotland. While on the Isle of Skye, we visited the tourist center in Dunvegan. The cashier was so excited to hear that we were on our Honeymoon, she gave us a calendar and made us promise to come back with our children. When we saw her a few hours later at the grocery store, she explained to everyone at the store who we were. Back in Edinburgh, our hotel clerk gave us great insight into the city. While we marvelled at the beauty of the city, he reminded us that we were in the central area and not all of Edinburgh is as beautiful as the area right outside the castle. My second favorite thing was the scenery. I particularly enjoyed driving through the Isle of Skye, taking the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig, and all of the train rides. The train from Mallaig to Edinburgh/Glasgow is the same train Harry Potter uses to get to Hogwarts. The ride is gorgeous.

Quick Tips:

During low season, some of the hotels on the Isles will offer three-nights-for-the-price-of-two discounts. Carry cash. If you want to order something (food or drink) at a pub, you might have to go up to the bar to order. Just give them the number on your table, and they will bring your order straight to your table.

Best Way To Get Around:

We used public transportation, the train, rental cars and walking when needed. If you are taking the train to a small town (not one of the top 5 cities in Scotland) please make sure you have your transportation lined up in advance. You do not want to be stuck in the middle of a small town, with no idea how to get to your hotel. The rail brochure you receive when you book your tickets might not have the latest information. During our trip we discovered trains schedules that weren't in the book, itineraries that no longer existed, and areas where we had to rely on the bus because the train tracks were undergoing renovation. Be very flexible. When we rented a car, the locals laughed at the distance we were about to drive. We think nothing of driving an hour away, but to the locals in Kyle of Lochalsh, they couldn't understand it. Be careful of single track roads. They hold only one car at a time, although there are plenty of places to pull over so the car coming at you can pass. Read Less

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Jurys Inn Glasgow

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Hotel | "Jurys Inn"

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Basics and LocationJurys Inn, Glasgow is a budget conscience hotel that also happens to be clean and centrally located! We booked this hotel for only one night and were pleasantly surprised. We paid 60 GBP and had no problems checking in. We arrived from Edinburgh to Glasgow's Queen Street Station and walked a short 15 minutes to get to the hotel. Our room on the 11th floor had a view of the other main station, Central Station. You know what this means, any where you want to go in Scotland is easily accessible if you use Jurys Inn as a home base. The RoomThe room had basic amenities. Nice decor, comfortable bed, clean bathroom, a hot pot to boil water, tele...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 10, 2006

Jurys Inn Glasgow
70-96 JAMAICA STREET
Glasgow, Scotland G1 4QE
+44 (141) 314 4800

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Tulloch Castle Hotel

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Hotel

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Getting ThereWe took the train from Edinburgh to the town of Dingwall, via Inverness. Inverness is very close and looks like a beautiful town. We arrived into Dingwall pretty late and were fortunate to get a cab. I recommend making those arrangements in advance. The CastleStopping at the castle, it just felt like I was on grand property. It is a small castle, but it is located on the top of a hill and you definitely feel important. There is nothing immediately near the castle, but there is a restaurant and a pub on castle grounds. The pub was really good. The hotel also provides breakfast made to order in the morning. My only complaint here was that I couldn't fin...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 10, 2006

Tulloch Castle Hotel
Tulloch Castle Drive
Dingwall IV15 9ND
+44 01349 861325

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Balmoral Hotel

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Hotel | "The Balmoral Hotel"

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LOCATIONThe Balmoral Hotel is located right next to Edinburgh train station. It is close to everything. Old town is steps away, the views of the castle are right outside the front door and there is great shopping on the same street. The clock tower at the hotel is a city landmark. RATESI've seen this hotel's standard rooms starting at 120 GBP all the way up to 300+ GBP. Patience can result in a good rate, but that's never a guarantee.THE GOODWell, obviously the location. It's also great to be able to use the sauna and steam room after a long day of sightseeing and shopping. The hotel is large and I believe it was sold out during our stay, ...Read More

LOCATION
The Balmoral Hotel is located right next to Edinburgh train station. It is close to everything. Old town is steps away, the views of the castle are right outside the front door and there is great shopping on the same street. The clock tower at the hotel is a city landmark.

RATES
I've seen this hotel's standard rooms starting at 120 GBP all the way up to 300+ GBP. Patience can result in a good rate, but that's never a guarantee.

THE GOOD
Well, obviously the location. It's also great to be able to use the sauna and steam room after a long day of sightseeing and shopping. The hotel is large and I believe it was sold out during our stay, but I never really heard anyone else. The set-up really kept noise to a minimum. Also, even though the hotel was near a busy part of Edinburgh we couldn't hear noise from the street. The bed is so comfortable and you get two bottle of water every night. The room was tastefully decorated, with light colors walls and crown molding. The ceilings were high and made the already good-sized room seem even larger. There was a flat screen television with digital cable that had many channels. The hotel concierge had to come up to show us how to use it, I think it was a new feature. The staff were all amazing.

THE BAD
The bathroom was nice, but was definitely showing its age. The bath tub was very deep and would make a great soaking tub, but there was too much mold around the edges for my taste. I do like soaking tubs to be absolutely flawless and this bathtub just wasn't.

OVERALL
The Balmoral can be expensive. I don'tknow if I would have enjoyed my stay if I spent the rates I first saw online. There's a great bookstore across the street and shopping. I did notice that cheaper hotel options (Jurys and Tulip) were in really good areas of Old Town and I might consider those the next time I'm in Edinburgh. But, I am glad I stayed at the Balmoral, who can pass up Edinburgh's Most Prestigious Address? Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 10, 2006

Balmoral Hotel
1 Princes Street
Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 2EQ
44 131 556 2414

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Stein Inn

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Hotel

Stein Inn Photo - Stein Inn, Isle of Skye, Scotland

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BookingI wanted to stay in a hotel that was very isolated. I found many B&Bs or cottage rentals that all said "view of the famous Stein Inn" as its selling point. I figured the Stein Inn must be expensive. I was wrong. Via an easy booking through their website, I paid 66 GBP for three nights. Over the winter they have a buy two nights, get one free. Angus and Terese (the owners) helped me sort out all details while I was here.Getting ThereWe arrived in Kyle of Lochalsh by train. It was late in the day and almost didn't find a way to get to the hotel. Fortunately, a car rental place had a turn in and we were able to rent a car. Our one rule was to "stay to t...Read More

Booking
I wanted to stay in a hotel that was very isolated. I found many B&Bs or cottage rentals that all said "view of the famous Stein Inn" as its selling point. I figured the Stein Inn must be expensive. I was wrong. Via an easy booking through their website, I paid 66 GBP for three nights. Over the winter they have a buy two nights, get one free. Angus and Terese (the owners) helped me sort out all details while I was here.

Getting There
We arrived in Kyle of Lochalsh by train. It was late in the day and almost didn't find a way to get to the hotel. Fortunately, a car rental place had a turn in and we were able to rent a car. Our one rule was to "stay to the left." We crossed the bridge to get to Skye and arrived at the Stein Inn, which is at the tip of the Waternish Peninsula.

Stein Inn
The hotel is pronounced Steen Inn. It is in a very sparsely populated area of Skye. The street the B&B is on has maybe 5 other buildings. The views from the hotel are amazing. It is on the ocean/bay and there are cliffs right across from the hotel. Terese and Angus are amazing hosts and I cannot say enough about their hospitality.

The Room
We stayed in an ocean view room. All the rooms are named after various localities and our room was "Loch Bay". The room was large, the bathroom was beautifully decorated. There was no television, so we actually had to talk to each other! At night, we listened to the radio. I recommend everyone do this while visiting the UK. BBC 4 has awesome radio shows late at night. They read stories to their audience and the stories are great.

Food
Breakfast was delicious. A choice of cold cereals and a menu. I recommend the porridge. It is not Quaker Oats. It is the most delicious food I've ever had. When I got back to the US, I purchased about 5 varieties of oatmeal until I found something close to the porridge I had in Scotland (by the way, McCann's Irish Oatmeal is the closest thing in the US). For dinner, there was a different special each night. Each meal was delicious.

Sights
Waternish is beautiful. Walking along the street the Stein Inn sits on is fun. During the winter the only other restaurant in town is closed. There is not much to do in Waternish, so a drive to the near-by Dunvegan or Portree is a good option. Both are within 20 miles of the Stein Inn. I also recommend taking a walk near the Fairy Bridge. The area has a proud history of fairies and the walk near the fairy bridge is beautiful. Take your camera and get some pictures of the sheep.

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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 13, 2006

Stein Inn
Waternish
Isle of Skye, Scotland IV55 8GA
+44 (0)1470-592362

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Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre

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Attraction

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For 10GBP per person, we decided it was about time to go on a whisky tour. Located on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre is located in a convenient location. The tour includes a taste testing. The tour guide will show you the correct glass to use when drinking scotch and how to drink your scotch. There is a science to this as there is a science to drinking wine. You get to keep your glass after you have your Whiskey.You then begin your tour where you learn more about the difference between Scottish and Irish whiskey. First they will tell you that Scottish whisky tastes better. Then they discuss that Scotch whisky needs to be distilled twice, whereas Ir...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 18, 2006

Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre
354 Castlehill
Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 2NE
+44 131 220 0441

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