0 How to Plan Your Amazing Scottish Trip? Planning your one and the only unforgettable trip to Scotland can Contents: ​ ​ prove hard if you're not sure where to look for information. 1 Why Visit Scotland? 2 What’s The Weather Like In It seems like there is an infinitude of Scotland? websites and resources but having too 3 What to Pack For Your Scottish Trip much choice can sometimes be a bad 4 Map Of Scotland thing! 5 How To Explore Scotland By Car 6 How To Explore Scotland By Public Luckily we found a perfect solution. Transport ​ 7 Other Useful Links While If you not sure where to start planning Researching your trip to Scotland read on. 8 Where To Ask Questions And Get The Right Answers In this XXL Scottish Travel 9 Books About Scotland ​ Handbook, we want to provide you 10 Where to Stay In Scotland ​ with all the links, tools, secrets, 11 Adrenaline and Adventure in Scotland and information you will need to 12 Blogs and Inspiration research ideas and plan your 13 Top Places To Visit amazing trip to Scotland. 14 Best Scottish Landscapes 15 Top Hidden Gems We also filled it with extra tips and 16 *Bonus: Scottish Trivia By Region tricks and advice to consider while 17 Comments & Conclusion you’re at it. We hope you will find this resource useful and helpful. So without further ado let’s get right ​ to it! ​ Roll up your sleeves grab a pen and piece of paper and let’s start planning. Why Visit Scotland? Scotland Is home to some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world... ​ ​ It’s also the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology… ​ ​ And whisky... ​ ​ golf... ​ and castles... ​ ​ Extra resources: ----------------------------------------- 24 reasons you must visit Scotland in 2017 Why Visit Scotland 38 Reasons You Should Never Visit Scotland ------------------------------------------ What’s The Weather Like In Scotland? Some people say that Scotland does not have a climate – it has weather and very turbulent weather at that! It can change in an instant, so don’t let a sunny morning fool you into believing you don’t need a waterproof jacket and never let a rainy start of the day spoil your ​ ​ plans. That’s why people say: “If you don’t like the Scottish weather just wait for 10 minutes or drive 10 miles”. ​ A key thing to remember is that the east coast enjoys more sunshine but lower temperatures while the west is wetter but milder. The coldest weather of all occurs in the Cairngorm mountains (the lowest recorded temperature in the UK of -27.2 C was twice achieved at Braemar!) so I’d treat these hills with respect if I were you. Extra resources: ----------------------------------------- Extra information on weather Scotland's climate Met Office North Scotland climate overview ------------------------------------------ What to Pack For Your Scottish Trip Visiting Scotland can be an exciting and remarkable experience but planning what to pack can be as important as ensuring you’ve got your passport or travel tickets – well nearly. Here is some must haves that you have to squeeze into your travel bag because you want to remember your trip to Scotland for all the right reasons. The key is to dress in many thin layers of clothing so you can put them on or ​ ​ remove them as you need. Although it is not true that it rains constantly in Scotland, it only feels like that at times, an umbrella is a must. ​ ​ Even in the warmer months, with average temperatures of roughly 19 C, it is advisable to bring a light waterproof jacket and a jumper for the colder nights and ​ ​ any rain you might experience. In colder months, from October to April you will need a heavier sweater or coat. ​ ​ ​ ​ Waterproof and/or thermal trousers are excellent winter clothing choices for ​ walking in the hills. For walking or climbing sturdy hiking boots are best as paths can become boggy. ​ ​ On rainy days while exploring wild paths or archaeological sites a pair of wellies can ​ ​ come in handy. Extra resources: ----------------------------------------- What to Pack for a Trip to Scotland Clothing and Supplies Tips What to Wear in Scotland ------------------------------------------ Map Of Scotland How To Explore Scotland By Car Exploring Scotland by car can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ​ methods of travelling throughout this beautiful country. ​ It is definitely the most flexible and cheapest way to travel, as you are not ​ ​ rushed to get back on your tour bus or have to depend on the public transport. You can easily drive away from the most popular tourist destinations and head ​ ​ into the amazing Scottish wilderness. The roads are usually clear of congestion except for morning and afternoon rush-hours in built-up areas and accidents. Before you set off, make sure to check your route for any accidents and roadworks ​ so you don’t get stuck for hours Traffic Scotland - Timetables and journey planner for all bus, rail, coach, air and ​ ferry services in Scotland. TIP: If planning to cross the Firth of Forth make sure that the Forth Road Bridge is| not closed. Due to the high winds, there can be speed restriction or complete closure of the bridge. Whilst driving through the remote, beautiful Scottish countryside the roads are often single track so watch out for oncoming traffic. Passing places let vehicles pass each other on these narrow roads. If a traffic builds up behind you, it is a good idea to let locals get past. ​How To Explore Scotland By Public Transport Scotland by Bus? The biggest bus operator that connects all the major Scottish cities including the remote highlands is Citylink. They will get you pretty much everywhere you want to ​ ​ go. Their Explorer passes are a great option to consider when planning a tour around ​ ​ Scotland by public transport. You get unlimited travel for every Citylink destination in Scotland for a ​ different duration depending on your time and budget. You can opt for either 3 out of 5, 5 out of 10 or 8 out of 16 days. We think that’s a super flexible way when planning an amazing itinerary ​ with a decent value of £42, £62 and £93. Compared to their individual ticket prices, those are awesome savings and a great place to start planning your adventure. If you decide to go for individual tickets remember to book in advance as the ​ ​ remote highland buses tend to be busy and only booking in advance will guarantee you a seat. If you’re planning to travel around a smaller location like Edinburgh, Glasgow or Isle Of Skye, Stagecoach will be your pick with the Megarider ticket that you get ​ ​ ​ ​ unlimited travel for 7 days for just 32 pounds. Scotland by Ferry? There are two main ferry operators in Scotland. ​ ​ NorthLink operates ferries to the Northern Isles. NorthLink’s overnight motor ​ ​ ​ ferry service between Aberdeen and Kirkwall/Lerwick has cabins to help you ​ ​ get a few winks overnight – 12 hours from Aberdeen to Lerwick, 14 via Kirkwall. NorthLink also operates a motor ferry between Scrabster to Stromness, ​ Orkney – 1 hour 30 minutes. Pentland Ferries also operate routes from the ​ Northern Highlands to Orkney (Gill’s Bay-St Margaret’s Hope). Summer ferries also operate from John O’Groats. Inter-island ferries are extensive in Orkney and Shetland, ran by the respective councils. Caledonian MacBrayne – colloquially known as CalMac – run ferries along ​ ​ Scotland’s West Coast. ​ CalMac’s route network connects 20 destinations in the Clyde and Hebrides, ​ ​ to destinations including Arran; Skye; Lewis; Harris; Uist; Eigg, Islay and more… Book in advance to guarantee car space on larger routes. ​ Smaller routes like Wemyss Bay-Rothesay, you just Turn Up and Go, which allows ​ ​ you to check your can in once you arrive at the port. Bikes are free for all you ​ ​ dedicated people! There are a number of Hopscotch tickets which permit multiple journeys across a ​ ​ given area with or without your car. If you love public transport as much as we do – why not combine your train journey with your ferry journey with a Rail and Sail ticket? No brainer! ​ ​ Argyll Ferries and Western Ferries operate sailings to Dunoon on the Firth of Clyde. Ferries also run by SPT depart from Gourock, for Kilcreggan – included in ​ your daytripper. A number of independent companies and councils run ferries, ie. Jura ferry and the ​ ​ best place to find information for these ferries is on the Traveline Scotland ​ website. Stena Line and P&O Irish Sea operate car ferries from Cairnryan, Galloway ​ ​ ​ ​ to Larne, Northern Ireland. There are at least 12 sailings per day – journey time ​ 2 hours 15 minutes (Stena Line) or 2 hours (P&O) Scotland by Train? Trains connect all 7 of Scotland’s cities. ​ ​ The extensive network also connects a number of smaller towns and villages. The network is densest within the Central Belt; the City of Glasgow has the largest suburban railway network in the UK, outside of London. Types of train tickets Three types of train tickets are available for most journeys in Scotland: ● Off-peak tickets are restricted to only certain times of the day, they are not ​ permitted for use outside of morning peak and evening peak. Please note that in Strathclyde (West Central Scotland) evening peak is not applied; it is everywhere else in the country. These tickets do not reserve seats. ● Anytime tickets can be used all of the time. These tickets usually are a little bit ​ more expensive than off-peak, and these too, do not reserve seats. ● First Class tickets are usually far more expensive than the above but offer a ​ ​ raft of benefits like extra space, curtains, power sockets and even sometimes…free refreshments.