FlyingHighlander

Well worth the detour to do this road. You don't "need" too

erik123

Good advice above. Best time to visit is June so if you can fit it in before the wedding that would be preferred. Also check the schedule of highland games - Covid permitting. I would plan part of your trip around one of them. Don't get to hung up on luxury hotels only - as some of the better locations/experiences could involve a very nice B&B.

brandie

Pausanias's 2019 comment about Glenapp Castle caught my eye as I'm planning a South Ayrshire visit. I understand that South Ayrshire is the least visited region of Scotland. My family is from Troon which is why we have the interest in South Ayrshire. We also like to hike and the relative proximity to Hadrian's Wall caught my eye. I'd like to walk the middle area and tour around the Roman forts.

We are considering the following for 2023.

Troon- several days-family stuff
Arran-several days
Glenapp Castle/Ballantrae--several days
Go east and tour Prince Charles's Dumphries Estatee
Hadrians Wall region-stay at one place-4-5 days and tour and hike around

Is Arran worth several days? Or should we ferry over for one day from Troon and return the same day?
Any comments on Langley Castle hotel in the Hexham region? It appears to be about 14 miles from Hadrian's Wall.
We don't plan on hiking Hadrian's Wall other than smaller sections in the middle and touring the forts.

Pausanias

I can't help with Arran or Langley Castle. For Hadrian's Wall I recommend you look at Farlam Hall near Brampton. This is a long-standing Relais & Chateaux member and has recently undergone a total change of management and an extensive refurb. I haven't sampled the new look yet but on my last stay under the previous owners it was looking very tired. I'd happily go back now. (Hope the mods don't delete this post as we are in England now, the civilised side of the wall.)

brandie

Pausanias, I appreciate the intel. Farlam Hall looks great. Interestingly the chef is featuring a Burns Night with all things Scottish on the menu. I'll direct all future questions about Hadrians Wall to the General UK thread on flyertalk.

In researching Roman ruins in Scotland I came upon the Antonine Wall in Scotland. I had never heard of it before. I guess much of the Antonine Wall was built out of wood and dirt so there is not a lot left of it with the exception of some areas built out of stone.

jtrader

We've narrowed things down a bit, We realize the crowds are worst in mid-July and normally avoid high season in all our travels. However, in this case we don't have a choice.

We're planning to spend 3 nights in Skye. We've booked The Three Chimneys two nights and are inclined to book a B&B in Uig the third night (Three Chimneys is sold out our 3rd night and we felt it would be good to locate in a different area our other night).

Since the Torridon hotel is only available for one night, we've booked the Kylesku Hotel for 2 nights. We'll drive to Kylesku from Skye. Would appreciate any advice on the best route or potential hikes/walks to do on the way. Any advice for the area around Kylesku would also be appreciated.

We're undecided about our first night after leaving Edinburgh and before departing for Skye. We only have one night. We're trying to decide between staying at Killiehuntly Farmhouse in Cairngorms, Kingshouse in Glencoe or The Pierhouse in Port Appin (Airds requires a 2 night min). The total drive from all three to Skye via the ferry is about the same. The tradeoff seems to be that if we stay in Killiehuntly, we see Cairngorns and get to experience what is supposed to be a spectacular property (albeit only for one night). However, on the drive from Killiehuntly, we miss driving through Glencoe. Staying at Kingshouse or The Pierhouse gives us the opportunity to drive through and potentially do a short hike in Glencoe. Would welcome any thoughts on this.

Thanks

FlyerEC

We enjoyed our stay at The Pierhouse many moons ago .. lovely view from our room , thoroughly enjoyed our meals and exploring the area . Just drive carefully as you might miss some smaller lanes .. it is at the end of the lane / road so you cannot miss it anyway , we parked on the beach . Had a dinner at Airds , they were fully booked too then .. We were there end May . We landed in Glasgow & drove around before heading to Edinburgh , where we flew out from . It was the year that the bomb went off at the Glasgow airport , at the exact spot we were at exiting from

thearmada

Has anyone stayed at the Fife Arms recently?

LRobs

This is the most recent thread that includes the Isle of Eriska in search so thought I would add a review here as the thread is quite old. I booked it with Hyatt points as it is a SLH. Every room is unique due to the size of the hotel which really restricts award space. Fortunately, the award room is in the main stone house which is where I wanted to be but I think the suites are mostly in a separate building. The island and its gardens are really lovely. There is a croquet lawn, putting green, and six hole golf course. We used the first two but not the golf course. You can see wildlife throughout the island like deer in the evening or jellyfish congregating at the dock. We paid to shoot clays which was a lot of fun but Ł130 per person so not cheap but the instructor is really excellent.

The tasting menu at the fine dining restaurant was not great and I would not do it again. More misses than hits but the scallop dish was quite good. The more casual Deck restaurant was quite good, especially the venison 'slider' that was really a full size hamburger. Breakfast is good but the biggest tragedy is that I only ordered the whisky brulee porridge on our last day there. This stuff is easily the tastiest thing on the island.

We went to Oban one day to see the distillery and ate the locally sourced fried hake at Oban fish and chips which was for sure the best fish and chips of the whole trip.

​​​​My biggest complaint might be something that it is just a matter of opinion but all the guests are 60+ years of age and the place is super stuffy. There is no music in the dining rooms and everyone whispers if they speak at all. The result is that it is so quiet you can hear your partner chewing. These were some of the most uncomfortable meals of my life. I think they really need speakers and music. I don't think e would return unless we had like 4 friends to come with us.

offerendum

Sounds like big fun....

behuman

Enjoy being young - it will change for sure .

Piped music in restaurants is to cover the emptiness of its guests only. Inverlochy would be worse for you and Airds has "old fashioned" service. Many folks love quiet places.

For a younger crowd there is Inver restaurant, certainly not stuffy and the cabins are chic. Also the cooking is quite futuristic.

cakegirl

What are current opinions on Edinburgh hotels? There’s no real standout when I’m looking. I would like to be somewhat centrally located, I will be solo.

RichardInSF

Probably the best known is the Balmoral but I stayed there during Fringe and was not at all impressed with either the room or the service.

cakegirl

Thanks , I was leaning toward it. Anyone have comments on Gleneagles Townhouse, Kimpton, or Waldorf in comparison to Balmoral?

norcalfiend

Stayed at the Waldorf and Kimpton earlier this year - both are decent options but imo not 5* / luxury forum worthy. From what I heard / saw from the lobby, the Balmoral was the best in town, but have heard positive things about Gleneagles Townhouse as well.

The Waldorf is passable, but I wouldn't classify it as on-par with the standards of this forum. It's very well-located but a converted Hilton, so the finishings aren't premium and some rooms have odd layouts. It's relatively large for a luxury property (~250 rooms) so the service isn't personalized and breakfast can be a zoo - food and bev. are just OK.

The Kimpton is also a conversion of a 4* property (but more recent) so the hard product is a bit nicer, but it's still 200 rooms with middling service. The food and bev. are a bit better than the Waldorf but the nicest of the Kimptons in Scotland imo is the one in Glasgow.