Little Roads' First Foray Into Scotland
/A lot of travelers contact us who say they want us to plan an itinerary for them to go to both Ireland and Scotland.
The fact is, the two are not necessarily interchangeable – there are differences in the logistics and in the experiences; and to traverse from one to the other could easily eat up an entire travel day.
We’ve been to Ireland dozens of times; but we rarely traveled to the UK, and when we did, we never got as far north as Scotland.
Given the increasing number of queries we’ve received in recent years, we decided it was high time to make for the Highlands… So in mid-August, we took a small-town driving tour, Little-Roads-style, around Scotland.
From our point of view as experienced travelers, while there are some cultural and geographical similarities between Eire and Alba – Giant breakfasts! So many hillsides dotted with sheep! Driving on the wrong side of the road! – we did discover a number of notable differences.
Geography
In general, compared to Ireland, Scotland is just simply bigger. The vastness of unsettled territory – forests, steep hillsides, long lakes cutting across the landscape – make for incredibly gorgeous drives. And sometimes that’s the point – one of our favorite things is an aimless drive to gawk at the scenery and stop dozens of times to take pictures or just to feel the cool breeze and breathe the fresh air.
This makes the Scottish countryside a paradise for hikers, mountain bikers, climbers, photographers, and other vigorous outdoorsy types. But for a couple of 50-somethings who would rather sit in the comfort of a pub patio with a pint in hand whilst watching the cyclists breezing by, those kinds of challenging activities don’t offer the same charms. We prefer a more relaxed visit to points of interest – a stroll through abbey ruins or along the edge of a cliffside castle, or perhaps a leisurely meander through the woods to a waterfall, and ideally rambling back to end up at a gastropub with rooms above it.
A side effect of the vastness of the countryside, then, is that all of these points of interest are generally farther apart. This means longer stretches of driving, which in turn means more time in the car and less time to see the sights. Which brings us to the next point:
Sightseeing
Even in high summer, we found that many attractions and shops were open only until 4:00 or 4:30 PM, and a good many of those closed for 30-60 minutes at lunchtime as well. When it takes a long time to get from point A to B to C, that leaves less time to explore each place.
Moreover, compared to historic sites in Ireland, many more of the Scotland spots are ticketed admission sites, between £5-20 depending on the size of the place and how close they are to the tourist circuit. We’re not saying they’re not worth it! But it is a factor to consider when lining up your sightseeing budget. Travelers who are committed to visiting a lot of sites can benefit from buying a comprehensive pass from the National Trust or similar organizations, that grants admission to certain sites all over the country. (But again, make sure you allow the time necessary to get from one site to the other on your trip, considering the distances involved!)
Speaking of the price of admission, this brings us to the next aspect of visiting Scotland that we noticed:
Costs
Even setting aside the exchange rate between the GBP (£) and Euro (or USD), we found that lodgings and food tended to be more expensive in Scotland than in Ireland. In regard to the food, this makes some sense, given the relative remoteness and - in relation to fresh produce - shorter growing season of Scotland. (One exception to the fresh produce point that we encountered: At several roadside farm stands, we enjoyed some of the best strawberries and raspberries that we’ve ever had anywhere – and they grow them there for ten months out of the year!)
Lodgings, too, were more costly than what we are used to in Ireland, even considering post-pandemic conditions. Again, this is not to say that we didn’t find unique and excellent places to stay; only that travelers should expect a higher price point than they might expect.
One note: The typical huge breakfast tends to render anything other than light mid-day snacking unnecessary, so that is one way to reduce your overall food budget (if not your LDL).
Our Overall Impression of Scotland
(Note: this does NOT mean doing an imitation of Sean Connery. Just don’t.)
All in all, we had a wonderful time on our first jaunt around Scotland: Storybook scenery, hearty breakfasts, cute craft shops, delicious local ales and fine whisky, lovely people. We’ll definitely return! And we will now begin to include Scotland in our travel consultations and itinerary planning, along with designing trips to Ireland and Italy. The advice may not always be that you should go to Scotland; it depends on what you’re looking for.
