Welcome to my Trekcapri Discovers Scotland website where I will write about
my trip plans both before and after my trip.
This year, I intended to return to Italy a country that I adore, but with the
much improved exchange rate in the UK, I decided to seize the opportunity to visit a country that has been
on my must see short list, Scotland!
So, follow along as I plan my trip to beautiful Caledonia!
I posted this video called "Scenic Scotland" to keep me inspired.
Another inspiring video is of this cute Highland Baby Cow! The Highland Baby Cows were added to my Must See List thanks to AnnieNC who posted a photo of a little baby cow (what she thought was of a little sheep)
on her blog. I just love that story.
I looked at my clock this morning and low and behold I am less than a month away. I feel so uprepared and maybe that
feeling is because I'm not not prepared. I've been distracted and have been procrastinating big time.
Hopefully, I will work well under pressure and get some stuff done and done quickly. I discovered this morning
while getting the time schedule for the ferry ride from Mallaig to Armadale on the isle of Skye, that it does not run on the
weekends during the winter. HERE is the schedule. So there goes my plans to spend a night in Mallaig before taking the ferry to Skye. Now I'll have
to plan on driving from Arisaig to Mallaig to catch the early am ferry to Skye. I need to cancel my room reservation
in Mallaig where I had hoped to spend the night then make a new reservation or add a day to my reservation at the hotel I'm
staying at near Portee....
I will work on that today and then research my day trip to St. Andrews from Edinburgh. After that it will be a
matter of organizing my travel information and documents and transferring my notes and then last but not least start to pack...I'm
hoping that I don't procrastinate and end up staying up late to pack the night before.
Now I've been a little worried about driving and then found this cute video...now that would probably make me happy to
run into this traffic jam @ 1:52! :)
I knew I was going to obsess over my countdown clock! :) Maybe I'll jot down some pending thoughts for my To Do
List:
- Research the trains schedule for trip from Glasgow to Fort William and from Ft. William to Edinburgh.
- Nail down all my must sees in each City/Town. I sort of started this but it needs more work and detail like opening
times, etc. then with the free entry opportunities in Edinburgh because of the Homecoming and St. Andrews Day celebrations,
I should factor that in too.
- Research possible overnight day trip to the town of St. Andrews on November 30.
What else...
- Organize my lodging confirmations, Transportation Information, car information on to i-touch.
- transfer notes on sight seeing stuff onto i-touch.
What else. . .
- Make a to do list (I have an ongoing list that I have been working on).
- Make a list of cuisine that I'll be sampling so I know what to order. Maybe some restaurants . . .
- Get my International Driver's License from the Auto Club. ..
What else . . .
- I wonder if I'm going to get a chance to see the "Northern Lights" or AKA "Aurora Borealis" That would be cool!
Well, I couldn't find a really cool countdown clock but this will do! And until I put my clock up I didn't realize
that I really don't have that much time left before I leave. Yikes!
So instead of putting my countdown clock on my main blog where looking at it everyday would just make me anxious, I put
it here on my trip planning site. I do prefer to know how much time I have so I can make sure that I get everything
done that I need to get done.
I've been neglecting my planning site lately. But now that I have my tickets and can officially say that I'm on
my way I will most likely blog on my Trekcapri blog. I will definitely continue to update my travel resources and trip
information here as I really find it useful. Before my trip I'll transfer the information to my i-touch to take with
me.
I'm so excited but with me leaving in just over a month I have much to do to prepare. I'm trying not to wait until
the last minute!
The joys of travel....I'm certainly not complaining. It is an absolute privilage to be able to get this opportunity
to travel.
Well, the big Labor Day weekend is slowly sneaking up on me so have to come up with some idea of my Itinerary, specifically
how many days I want to stay in each location. I think this is the hardest part of trip planning.
After reading a Slow Traveler's, MaryT's Reflections on My 40 Years in Umbria, recent blog entries on her weeklong stay in the city of Edinburgh, I am sure that I want to spend at least 5 days there,
maybe longer up to 7 days.
I'm flying into Glasgow so I should at least see a couple of things there so I will spend a couple of nights. Then
I want to take the train over to Fort William where I'll rent a car and stay for a night so I can maybe see Ben Nevis.
Then I'll leave early and drive the Road to the Isle stopping in some little towns on my way to Mallaig so I can catch the
ferry over to the Isle of Skye. I'm not sure if I want to spend at least a night in Mallaig or in Arisaig.
Then I want to cross over and spend a couple of nights maybe three and check out a few sights before crossing over the Skye
Bridge and back on the road stopping off to see the Castle Donrie before heading back to Fort William where I will drop off
the car and catch a train to Edinburgh.
Glasgow - 2 Nights
Fort William - 1-2 Nights
Arisaig or Mallaig - 1-2 Nights
Isle of Skye - 3 Nights
Edinburgh - 5-7 Nights
2 1/2 weeks total (I'll probably leave mid November and arrive first week in December) Oooo,
I can feel the cold brisk air of the Scottish Highlands already. :)
Cheap airfares are not the only thing that I've been keeping track of! Today the exchange is 1.641 US Dollar to
1.000 Great Britain Pound! It was 1.73 USD to 1.000 GBP last week! Yikes!
And the most ironic thing of all, I brought back 900 Euros from last year to use this year in Italy! The silver
lining to that is I bought it when the Euro was down late last year. :)
I found this great video of what it might be like driving single track roads on the Isle of Skye . . .
I just love the narration of this couple as they drive the narrow single track roads from the town of Portee (where I might be basing myself to explore the Isle of Skye) to Staffin and a view of the nearby rock formation called Quirang. Also on my must see list: The Old Man of Storr and The Kilt Rock and Waterfalls.
Although I knew that I'd be driving on the left side of the road, I somehow forgot that I would be physically sitting on
the right vs left side of the car and my gear shifts will be on my left (and I'm right handed). Now I will know just
how left handed people feels like when driving a right handed vehicle.
And although seeing cars coming at me on the right side of the road will be a sure "hint", I plan on taking a
big bright sign with me to tape it to the dashboard of my car to remind me that I am in Scotland and need to
drive on the left side of the road!
Well, I've neglected my Scotland trip for too long. Summer distractions? I'll have a 3-Day weekend this week
(Monday off) and will try to start researching lodging and car rental things. It seems that the airfares have not budged.
Still hovering around $830 to $900, somewhere in that range.
But today, while enjoying catching up with my favorite bloggers, I was listening to my Scenic Scotland video and the
Caledonia song I am once again reminded of the great adventure that awaits me in beautiful Scotland . . . the climb up to
Arthur's seat in Edinburgh, the scenic drive on the Road to the Isles, the baby Highland cows and sheep and castles in the
Island of Skye...they are calling out to me once again!
Well, I did manage to create my Google map so I can visualize my itinerary. It appears like a lot but I read that
the Road to the Isles for example is only 46 miles and heck I drive 44 miles each day to and from work. Of course, in
Scotland I'll be driving on the left side of the road and stopping to visit Castles and beautiful Lochs . . . ! :)
Well, I think it's time that I start to nail down my logistics! Now if only the Airfare Gods will cooperate and
give me some great prices. :)
And to keep me pumped (not that I need to be) and focused (this, I need), here's another fantastic video on
Scotland...
Okay, now that I'm ready to purchase my airfare and move my trip to the "reality" phase, the prices are . . . well .
. . . pricey!
What was a deal (when Annie tipped me off) at $680 RT, is now holding steady at $867 (RT from Glasgow to Edinburgh) on
Northwest. It's not that bad, not as good as $680, but its not bad!
Schedule wise, I purchased my Spain tickets around 4th of July weekend last year. But I'm going to keep hanging
in there for some Fall Fares to Fall.
And while I wait for some great airfares, I'll continue to develop more details of my trip. And
after purchasing my airfare, I'll then book my lodgings and look into my car rental for that portion of my trip. I decided
to do the Highland trip at the beginning of my trip so its in the early part of November (weather considerations) and save
Edinburg for the latter part of my trip. So fly into Glasgow, and fly out of Edinburgh.
I might do a little research on the remote possibility of trying to get to Iverness to see Loch Ness but I just don't
think I'll have the time! But then again . . .
Well, it looks like I could go into Glasgow, train over to Ft. Williams, drive the Road to the Isles, maybe stop in Airaig
or Mallaig over night, then drive over to Donrie where I can see the most photographed castle in all of Scotland the Elian
Donan Castle, then drive (rather than ferry) over to the Isle of Skye and overnight in the town of Portee.
Then I'd want to return to Ft. William to return my car, then train over to Edinburgh where I will stay for maybe 5-7
days before flying home.
Fly into Glasgow and fly out of Edinburgh! Yay, I finally think I've got my basic itinerary.
