Me and the Mrs both like snow, I was thinking of whisking her away for the weekend up to the mountains in the North. Can't do a lot of walking or biking or much strenuous, what with the pregnancy and all 🙂
So where would you go for nice mountain scenery and snow?
Can you get the train or fly up there and get a hire car easily?
Not sure how much snow there is left TBH? Certainly none visible from my flat just north of Glasgow, but up near the skiing places theres possibly some left? Its been really warm here for a couple of weeks (10+ degrees in tee day) but then it is forecast to snow on Tues pretty heavily again. I drive everywhere because I can never find public transport where I want it in convenient times and my brother flew from Bristol to Glasgow and it cost him as much as if he had driven, just took less time lol.
Snow's virtually gone but there is more forecast this week.
Aviemore and Fort William easily reachable by train from Glasgow or even fly to Inverness.
Still some picturesque patches of snow on the Cairngorms and you could go up the funicular for a wee wander in the snow without too much expenditure of effort on the Mrs' part.
Aye - train to Aviemore (its not the most scenic of towns...) as hills n woods around are fan-bloddy-tastic - and as jojo says the funicular is fun.
As the others said, the snow is only left on the tops now, but still worth seeing. Realistically you need a car to get around unless you want to spend hours hanging around for buses that don't go where you want to.
Fly or train to Edinburgh or Glasgow then get a car. Aviemore or Ft William would make good bases
THere are web cams on various mountains (Glenmore lodge has one pointing at cairn-gorm). Should indicate what little snow is left.
[b]Oh FFS!![/b]
Can you get the train or fly up there and get a hire car easily?
The steam train does run every Thursday you may have bring some coal to keep it running as we are a bit low due to the cold weather.
No we don't have many roads or these car things that you speak of. Although Sandy Thompson does have a car he may lend it to you for a week or so but has been known to keep his chickens it from time to time, we do sometimes see metal birds in the sky are these the planes you speak of.
🙄 🙄
Bruneep, my thoughts exactly.
"England, can you get a train or fly there and hire a car?"
"England, can you get a train or fly there and hire a car?"
My thoughts too - and I'm English.
Loch Lomond is nice even if not snowy, too. Its about 540 miles north of London.
THere are web cams on various mountains (Glenmore lodge has one pointing at cairn-gorm). Should indicate what little snow is left.
Fack all! 🙁
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Can you get the train or fly up there and get a hire car easily?
FFS yourselves, I knew someone would say that. I'm not stupid, despite what you'd love to think...
In most places in England and Wales, in my experience, if you get a train to the middle of the hills and mountains there isn't a branch of Avis you can walk into. However I notice that in some tourist locations there sometimes is. So I was basically asking for a destination that might have such facilities to hand. For instance I believe that in Inverness there's a couple of car hire places conveniently situated for the airport. I don't fancy trawling through a phonebook for Honest Jock's garage and rentals, it needs to be quick and easy. I think you imagined a comma in the sentence where none was specified.
So (to spell it out for those who love to cultivate their shoulder chips) - what destination would be recommended for those seeking accessible scenery for those who may be requiring such facilities as public transport and car hire easily to hand?
If someone'd asked me if they could get to Mid Wales or by train and hire a car easily, I'd have said that for instance trains are limited so that would limit your options, and car hire would be hard to find so you may wish to tailor your itinerary appropriately. I wouldn't have taken the piss and assumed they were some kind of ignorant Southern yahoo.
Anyroadup - more snow forecast for the next couple of days. If you're looking for accommodation in Aviemore, I'd recommend the Cairngorm Hotel. Right on the main street (opposite the railway station), nice food, and a real "bar" downstairs inhabited by locals.
Lots of lower level walks (try Loch an Eilean) if you don't want to go far.
molgrips - dont worry, the natives do sometimes seem to harbour a chip or two 🙂
🙂 Thanks druidh.
Had a look for a few country hotel old-skool style hotels in the hills on expedia - didn't find many. Anyone got a favourite place in the Highlands somewhere abouts?
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Cultivating the chip harvest.
not sure what your budget is but here is nice and not very far north. you would need to drive i think unless you took a day either side to get public transport.
[url= http://www.visitscotland.com ]visitscotland[/url] is a better starting place than Expedia.
If you want to drive, I can recommend the Cluanie Inn. Lovely scenery roundabouts. The Clachaig in Glencoe is a real walker/climbers pub - again great scenery. If you're limited to rail, them then the Bridge of Orchy hotel is nice, but there's absolutely nothing else nearby.
Depends where you are flying from but you can easyjet it to Inverness or Aberdeen, both have loads of Hire Car places and are well served by buses/taxis/trains. You can get to the biggest pile of scenery you can shake a stick at within a few hours. (there is loads a lot closer in too). Great Glen/Loch Ness, Cairngorms, Royal Deeside, etc, etc. Fill your boots and ignore the chips thing, they don't mean it. I used to drive from Aberdeen to Fort William and back in a (long) day for work. It is great living there and I cannot wait to get back in a month or so.
The Scotch do love their chips, deep fat fried pizzas and battered Mars bars dont they !
Isn't 'scotch' a drink Scruff?
Its a broth no? The no-mans land between food and soup
Hilton Coylumnbridge is nice, I've stayed there loads of times. Straight out the door and on to some lovely low level walks through Rothiemurchus.
If you do managed to hire one of them motor vehicle things, and I've seen a few up here, then just be careful you don't run any haggis down.
>Anyone got a favourite place in the Highlands somewhere abouts?<
Where to start.
Inverness is hoaching with car hire joints - it's a big town.
Plane or Sleeper to Inverness:
Lochinver, Achiltibuie, Ullapool, Poolewe, Torridon, Sheildaig, Applecross, Plockton all good bases with a variety of accommodation. Applecross slightly off pitch accessibility wise but great place.
Sleeper/ train to Fort William or 2.5 ish by car from Glasgow / Edinburgh
Ardnamurchan, Arisaig or train to Mallaig and get the boat round to Inverie / Knoydart
West Highland Line worth it for the journey alone.
Lot depends on your budget / how long you can spare to get there / get back
Biggest winter snowfalls on the hills are often in March.
Try the lovely Rebecca and Andrew at [url= http://www.scotmountain.co.uk/ ]Fraoch Lodge[/url] in Boat of Garten, a short drive from Inverness. Andrew is a guide Inverness airport may be a pain for you to get to from mid-Wales.
I'd go with Inverness - plenty to do - boat trip to see the dolphins, speyside distilleries, loch ness etc
one of my personal favourites is the paddke steamer waverley [url= http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/ ]waverley[/url] - it's preety much glasgow based, so check the time table
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the paddke steamer waverley waverley
Which one is which?
both the same - just good enough to mention twice
ps - did "4lochs and a whirlpool" last year - fantastic
Has anyone mentioned the sleeper - think Harry Potter Night Bus!
Second Druidh's recommendation of the Cairngorm Hotel, or if you want to go big budget/luxury, there is the Aviemore Highlands Resort [url= http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/offers/AHRoffers/ ]linky[/url]
Just to say somewhere different to Aviemore and Speyside maybe a look at [url= http://www.royal-deeside.org.uk/RDvillages/ballater.htm ]Ballater[/url] Plenty of B&B's and resteraunts, these are both cracking resteraunts and I think you can stay in both too:
[url= http://www.theauldkirk.com/ ]Auld Kirk[/url]
[url= http://www.hotelreviewscotland.com/hotel.asp?ID=11 ]Darroch Learg[/url]
not stayed in them with being just 12 miles down the road! prob's both reasonably pricey
there's also the [url= http://www.hilton.co.uk/craigendarroch ]craigendarroch[/url]
Highland Hiltony type thing, with spa n' all that
as for 'attractions' there's Balmoral up the road and that's about it, there's quite a lot of pootly walks you could do that would all be quite nice (dunno how immobile pregnant ladies are); Loch Muick, Linn o' dee just up past braemar, cambus o' may, burn o' vat (just realised most have an o' in)
it's not really quite as touristy as other places in the Highland's but I think you could have a nice quiet weekend there, with gentle walks, decent scenery, tea rooms and resteraunts. Even better with a bike but I guess that's out the picture.
bout 42 miles from aberdeen so about an hours drive.
edit: upon reading that I sound like a teenage oik (I'm not I'm 20) but I've got too much to be doing to dedicate much time to my coherence just now!
Would agree with Matt on Ballater, and fabulous low level walks around Loch Muick or from Linn of Dee, or Easter Balmoral up the track towards Lochnagar is nice.
If you have the dosh, the Loch Torridon hotel is fantastic, brilliant food, and the the middle of probably the most fantastic scenery in Scotland. Propoper pub next door as well, or you can stay there in the B+B accomodation. Go to Applecross for fish lunch
2nd Applecross, but isn't it likeley to become OTT given the new TV coverage?
Bit more windswept and remote than Plockton for example so I hope not...
Crinan's another example that springs to mind.
Avoid the generic hotel chain joints.
Has anyone mentioned the sleeper - think Harry Potter Night Bus!
I'm sure you can actually get the Harry Potter train somewhere around Fort William.
I'm sure you can actually get the Harry Potter train somewhere around Fort William.
The Fort William - Mallaig line goes over the Glenfinnan viaduct and you can do it on a steam train ala hogwarts express
Top advice, thanks all 🙂 I'll let you know how it goes.
2nd Applecross, but isn't it likeley to become OTT given the new TV coverage?
Applecross is quite a hike for a weekend, even flying into Inverness. What is the new TV coverage you speak of, out of interest?
molgrips, you could always take a look at [url= http://www.sawdays.co.uk/accommodation/britain/ ]Special Places to Stay[/url] for some inspiration, although I can't recommend any, sorry.
upon reading that I sound like a teenage oik (I'm not I'm 20)
Oooh its close though, less than 12 months!
If you stay in Aviemore, The Old Ministers Guest Houst at Coylumbridge is marvellous. I've stayed there several times and the breakfasts are exceptional and Kate is an excellent host. Puts almost every luxury hotel I've stayed in to shame.
If you stop by Pitlochry, Buttonboss Lodge on the main street is another winner in my book.
Cheers
Sanny
Old Pines near Fort William, very romantic and ace food... Google is your friend....