For me personally, it would be worth that extra push. I love the North Coast of Scotland. It is very rugged and very beautiful. Some of the roads can be hard work but you will also get that in some areas lower down.

This is a page on my piczo site that I have posted some pics of Scotland and some descriptions that might help you decide.

If you have any particular questions just let me know. I love Scotland and have been there a number of times!

PS, couldn't help but notice your user name, are you a Amateur radio user??

Oooh, it wont let me post my link cos I'm new. But I'd be happy to share any details with you, just ask :o)

Hi Jackie .. thanks for your response & no, nothing to do with radio

I'm at a dilemma as time restraints are obviously the issue. I'm currently pretty much decided on Oban for about 5or6 days, then up to Shiel Bridge for easy access to Isle of Skye ..... I then become undecided, i could go further & stay at Ullapool or go across to Inverness, before my last stop of Loch Tay or Lomond.

Any thoughts on which way to go ???

Also, whilst i have your attention, can i ask your opinion with something else

We have 2 available dates to spend 4 weeks touring in our caravan.
from 28th April - 26th May
or
from 8th June - 6th July

What are the pro's & cons of either date & what date would you pick ??

RE dates

June for me every time, daylight almost 24 hours.

Patka

I would recommend the extra push - it's taken me some time to find the itinerary I used ... have deleted the file but still have the hard copy .........

This was my itinerary for a car trip of Scotland - bearing in mind that I was using B&Bs rather than using a campsite: you will have to accept that my trip starts and ends at Rosyth because I was using the Superfast ferry route to get to Scotland from Eastern France.

Day 1 Rosyth - Blairgowrie - 50 miles ...... visited Perth on route

Day 2 Blairgowrie - Ballater - 50 miles ..... visited Craithie Church, Balmoral estate, Whiskey distillery behind the castle (guided tour and tasting) Braemar

Day 3 Ballater - Grantown on Spey - 80 miles ....... Visit distilleries, loop tour via Dufftown

Day 4 Grantown on Spey - Inverness 45 miles ...... visit to Aviemore, and cable car to top station, visit to Culloden battlefield (nothing to see!), Cawdor Castle (super with lovely gardens), beach stroll at Nairn

Day 5 Day in Inverness - loop tour of Loch Ness (70 miles)

Day 6 Inverness - Melvich approx 80 miles - Dornach abbey, Forsinard Visitor Centre (the Flow Country), detour to Thurso and Dunnet Head

Day 7 Melvich - Garve - 120 miles on small roads via Tongue and Ullapool (lunch stop)

Day 8 Garve - Portree - 80 miles via Bridge and Bradford

Day 9 Portree - 100 miles island tour and visit to Dunveagan Castle. Lovely pub with traditional music for supper!!

Day 10 Portree - Fort William 105 miles via the CalMac Ferry Ardvasar-Mallaig

Day 11 Fort William - my husband climbed Ben Nevis!! (I went shopping!!!!)

Day 12 Fort William - a day off, watched the Jacobean steam train leave, and investigated the flight of locks, and attended a rather cringe-making Scottish evening with haggis and dancers .. but an experience worth having!!

Day 13 Fort William - Oban - 90 miles nice scenery

Day 14 Oban - Port of Mentieth - 30 miles to get near the ferry for return trip

Day 15 Port of Mentieth - Rosyth - 35 miles to get our ferry home.

I still have the details of guest houses we used for this itinerary, and whilst we are used to driving long distances on mainland Europe, these mileages weren't daunting. I still remember very clearly three years on the details of all the varied things I saw ........ the obvious highlights but also the emptiness of the northern coast road, the wild scenery, eating herrings and good porridge (NO not on the same plate!!!) and the kindness and helpfulness of the local people we met.

I hope this helps, and please be aware that it's not a case of 'If it's Tuesday it must be Belgium'. Have a lovely time whatever you decide to do. And I agree that the June dates will give you more time to enjoy the outdoors, but the midges will have woken up from their hibernation by then so please don't laugh them off, and take precautions!!

wow ... thanks for taking the time to share your itineray with me ... much appreciated

g4fne, My auntie lives on the Isle of Skye, when we go to visit we usually go the May bank holiday week and normally get pretty good weather. From your two choices, I would definitely go with the later one, partly because the weather should be OK but also, as previously posted, for the daylight.

Louise

Just returned from a few days in West Scotland - Oban and Fort William area - beautiful spring scenery.

Went up Ben Nevis and still largely covered in snow!!

A couple people have mentioned it staying lighter in June ..... How much later does it stay light, in comparison with May ???

June the 21st is the longest day of the year. I always remember being taught that it gets lighter by 2 minutes morning and evening. So by that reckoning I would say over a hour each end of the day.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

People have been known to play golf at midnight in June.

Patka

If its just an hour or so ... i'm not to worried if it gets dark around 10'ish in May

We were staying near Fort William in mid June last year. The weather wasn't brilliant, but on one evening I was on the banks of Loch Linnie at 11pm and didn't need a torch - it was still only 'dusk' dark an hour later. At that time of year it never really goes very dark. I was up at 2am one morning as our daughter had woken up and even then there was light in the sky - by 3am it's getting light.

Midges are a real problem during the spring/summer. They drive you mad - pray for windy days!

I've only struck the North coast once - a day trip from Lochinver to Cape Wrath - it's very foreboding, but great if you like true wilderness.

I think we get better weather in May than in June.

I would suggest getting Avon Skin So Soft dry oil spray in Woodland Fresh fragrance. I think Avon may have changed the name, but an agent will know what you're after, it's the green one. It's reputed to be used by the army to fend off midgies.

luci

As someone who lives in the east of Scotland - I'd say make that extra push! Don't get me wrong - I love where I live and we do have beautiful scenery and amazing castles but the northwest highlands are definitely something else. Given your current plans, I suggest that you leave the east coast for another time when you can concentrate on slowly working your way up through the Borders, Fife (the East Neuk villages are truly quaint), Angus, the Grampians, Aberdeeshire and the Moray coast.

As Luci says, the weather in May is often more settled than any other time of year but I would personally plump for June. The experience of being somewhere where the sky never really gets dark is magical. At most you'll get a sort of twilight between about 11.30 and 1.00am. One of my most vivid memories is of watching the jade green Atlantic rollers on Achmelvich bay (there used to be a caravan site right by the beach!) at 2.00am and it being as bright as mid-morning. Put all that together with deserted snow white beaches, rugged cliffs and spectacular mountains and it really is no contest in my mind - it has to be the far north in June!

SM

Thanks so much for all the feedback

After really suffering with the midgies in July at Loch Lomond, I would highly recommend going before they become a pest, i.e. before June. But then again, we`ve spent 2 good holidays on the West coast of Scotland without a whisper of a midgie.

Thanks for all the feedback, have decided that we will be going from end of April & thru May & will push up to the far North ... really looking forward to it & keeping fingers crossed that the weather stays half decent

Have a great time, I`m sure you will, Scotland is wonderful!

I have never traveled beyond Edinburgh, but I have heard some good words and watched a documentary about the historic island of "Skara Brae" which is situated up north. Search it on google and if you find it interesting then it might be worth a trip.