Scotland-Ireland vacation Advice please

[Texas PaPaw]

Wife and I are planning a 14 day vacation to Scotland & Ireland in September. Wife has done a lot of research but some first hand experience would be helpful. Would like to see more countryside farming and cattle. How is best way to travel around these 2 countries. Appreciate your input.

 

[jltrent]

My daughter in law has been three times there. Her and my son in a couple weeks are going to Alaska for the second time. The last time it was 90 degrees and none of the shops/businesses has AC. Talk about miserable.

If you are going on a guided tour, which is the only way to go IMO, they will have the travel thing down for you as you have to do is keep your legs moving and eyes peeled.

 

[Silver]

My wife just got back from Scotland a couple of days ago. She did a bus tour and was quite happy with it.

 

[bird dog]

Its going to be tough to get them old cow pairs back to Texas

 

[Stocker Steve]

Iceland Air offers good connections into northern Europe. I would try to fly them and layover in Iceland. I enjoyed Iceland more than the UK.

Europe has a lot of half or full day tours of major cities. You end up seeing old buildings and traffic. Ok for orientation if you want to come back on foot later, but not my thing. Or you could rent a car, do picnics, stay in small or B&B type places., and meet some locals.

If you did not do Iceland Air, I could consider flying into Shannon rather than Dublin and focusing on the less populated west coast of Ireland. Then ferry across to do a distillery tour of Scotland.

 

[SmokinM]

Iceland Air offers good connections into northern Europe. I would try to fly them and layover in Iceland. I enjoyed Iceland more than the UK.

Europe has a lot of half or full day tours of major cities. You end up seeing old buildings and traffic. Ok for orientation if you want to come back on foot later, but not my thing. Or you could rent a car, do picnics, stay in small or B&B type places., and meet some locals.

If you did not do Iceland Air, I could consider flying into Shannon rather than Dublin and focusing on the less populated west coast of Ireland. Then ferry across to do a distillery tour of Scotland.

Good advice as usual and great to see you around. Hope you and the family have been doing well.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

I have always wished to roam the highlands of Scotland on foot, touring pubs and sampling wee drams.

 

[shaz]

Edinburgh castle should be on your list. Dublin has a lot to see and the Guiness factory is awesome. Loch Ness is one of many bodies of water in Scotland with castle ruins that are cool to see. Nothing to see in Glasgow. The cliffs of Moore if I'm spelling it right is great unless you're scared of heights.

I've been all over both countries with the exception of Ulster in North Ireland
Smithwicks is the best beer EVER invented bar none

FYI - the food is not that great, don't eat black pudding!

 

[Silver]

Edinburgh castle should be on your list. Dublin has a lot to see and the Guiness factory is awesome. Loch Ness is one of many bodies of water in Scotland with castle ruins that are cool to see. Nothing to see in Glasgow. The cliffs of Moore if I'm spelling it right is great unless you're scared of heights.

I've been all over both countries with the exception of Ulster in North Ireland
Smithwicks is the best beer EVER invented bar none

FYI - the food is not that great, don't eat black pudding!

My wife quite enjoyed the black pudding. And the haggis too actually.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

From wikipedia "Haggis (Scottish Gaelic: taigeis) is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with chopped onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach"

"In the absence of hard facts as to haggis' origins, popular folklore has provided some notions. One is that the dish originates from the days of the old Scottish cattle drovers. When the men left the Highlands to drive their cattle to market in Edinburgh, the women would prepare rations for them to eat during the long journey down through the glens. They used the ingredients that were most readily available in their homes and conveniently packaged them in a sheep's stomach allowing for easy transportation during the journey. Other speculations have been based on Scottish slaughtering practices. When a chieftain or laird required an animal to be slaughtered for meat (whether sheep or cattle) the workmen were allowed to keep the offal as their share."

I think I would have to have too many wee drams in order to try this.

 

[shaz]

My daughter in law has been three times there. Her and my son in a couple weeks are going to Alaska for the second time. The last time it was 90 degrees and none of the shops/businesses has AC. Talk about miserable.

If you are going on a guided tour, which is the only way to go IMO, they will have the travel thing down for you as you have to do is keep your legs moving and eyes peeled.

2nd that on the guided tours. You spend a lot of time just navigating otherwise and you could be a few hundred ft from something really great and not know it.

My wife quite enjoyed the black pudding. And the haggis too actually.

Maybe you should visit Japan

 

[Ouachita]

Say hello to the Dubliners for me. You may have to visit some in the nursing home.