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  • Ideas for short break with my 8 y.o. son in Scotland
  • rajboab
    Free Member

    Hi all.

    I’ve got 2 weeks holiday starting 1/7/13.
    Sorted for the 2nd week.

    I trying to get some ideas for an cheap 3-4 night break in Scotland to get me and my son away from the house (Falkirk area), and away from Mum. Half thought about a working farm or a tee-pee trip or similar but struggling. Don’t really fancy camping.

    Anyone got any other bright ideas?
    Cheers,
    Stuart

    nickc
    Full Member

    Stuart,

    Me and mine spent a week “glamping” at Hilly Cow near Edinburgh. Wooden huts to sleep in, modern and well equipped kitchen hot showes and clean proper loos. We did days out at the Zoo, the Castle and the climbing wall at Ratho. Train into Edinburgh each day was a fiver for all of us, and there’s loads to see and do, and even managed a day at the beach.

    globalti
    Free Member

    Bothying would be a huge adventure for him.

    Drive to Skye, park at Elgol and take the boat to Loch Coruisk, which is one of the remotest and wildest places in Britain. Spend some time swimming in the sea or the loch and exploring the amazing slabs where the river flows into the sea. Walk round the headland to Camsunary, which is a superb bothy in a stunning location. Walk out easily a couple of days later to Kilmarie and hitch a lift the few miles down the road to pick up the car. You can also walk back along the coast to Elgol but it’s a tedious walk for an 8 y.o. and you could also walk back round and take the boat back. Expect eagles, basking sharks and other stuff.

    Between Coruisk and Camasunary the path crosses a rock slab called The Bad Step but don’t worry about it; it’s just a ledge across a slightly exposed slab about 15′ above the sea.

    Loch Coruisk: the boat lands just near the outflow.

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    surroundedbyhills
    Free Member

    Try the place at Strathfillan with the Wigwams not too far but just enough, great scenery, West highland line near by, on the WHW and the Green Welly Stop. You can walk into Tyndrum from the wigwams for pub lunch, bonfire outside every night.

    http://www.wigwamholidays.com/Strathfillan_Wigwam_Village

    BigButSlimmerBloke
    Free Member

    tried looking at hostels? SYHA web site would be a start and some offer private rooms.
    also for a day out, one of my favourites is the waverley, take the classic doon the watter cruise to rothesay. night in glasgow at the syho hostel which is just above kelvingrove means you do the science centre as well.

    peterfile
    Free Member

    Wigwams are great and you should find availability midweek for July, but less likely at the weekends in popular areas.

    Have a look for some Mongolian yurts too, they’re great.

    Loch Tay is a good base, and close to you. Plenty of walking in the area and you can hire boats to go out on the loch (with fishing rods too!). A great way to spend the day and no doubt a real adventure for an 8 year old.

    There’s a guy based on the loch tay marina site (where they have lots of different type of accomm, form wigwams, to yurts to proper cabins) who organises lots of different activities (biking, archery etc).

    Definitely a good base with plenty to keep you busy for 2 or 3 days.

    globalti – thanks for posting that, you’ve just reminded me i’m catching a 10pm crossing to Coruisk on Friday night (MC weekend away). Dubh’s Ridge on Saturday if it stays dry!

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    If you wanted to go further afield and slightly less glamp theres a Campsite on Harris based around some restored Blackhouses. Everyone makes communal use of the blackhouses for cooking and lounging so your tents are just for sleeping. So you get the nice bits of a nights under canvas but you’ve got a bolt hole for wet days and easier cooking, cleaning and eating and a peat fire for the evenings

    The site is nicely laid out so the pitches are quite isolated from each other

    Lickisto

    globalti
    Free Member

    When I was about 12 we got dropped by the boatman and set off up the Dubh slabs… straight into a thunderstorm with no choice but to carry on. The Thearlaich Dubh gap was interesting with water pouring down the ascent chimney but at least in those days the Alasdair stone chute was a proper stone chute, down which you could run for about 1500 feet.

    StirlingCrispin
    Full Member

    How’s about a night or three at Trossachs Tryst / Wheels of Callander, followed by a night or so in the wigwams at Comrie Croft.

    Lots to do on the doorstep at both locations.

    iainc
    Full Member

    +1 for Comrie Croft – great place for kids, quite relaxed, play in woods, open fires etc, My 2 love it (aged 7 and 10)

    rajboab
    Free Member

    Cheers guys.
    Great response. I’ll start investigation some of the suggestions tonight.

    Thanks again!

    Stuart

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