We only spent one day in Edinburgh, but it was a great big-city Scotland experience! Edinburgh is the country’s capital and a tourism hotspot with countless shops, restaurants, and parks filled with people having picnics. Since we only had one… Read more: Road-Tripping Scotland: 3 Exciting Things to Do in Edinburgh
After months of planning, Jordan and I have finally made it to Scotland! We are road-tripping the Scottish Highlands for two weeks and hope to experience genuine Scottish culture. We had a lot of questions when we first started planning:… Read more: Road-Tripping Scotland: The Little Town of Crieff
I’m back on the mainland and am back spending all my nights at the hospital. I already miss Mexico’s endless sunshine and warm, dry heat! Spring continues in Illinois with sporadic rainstorms and high 60s/low 70s temperatures. To keep my… Read more: 5 Important Facts as We Prepare for the Scottish Highlands!
After months of planning, Jordan and I have finally made it to Scotland! We are road-tripping the Scottish Highlands for two weeks and hope to experience genuine Scottish culture. We had a lot of questions when we first started planning: Where do you stay in Scotland? How can we get around to multiple locations? Do we have to rent a car and drive on the opposite side of the road? What is summer weather like in Scotland? Where can we find food that we will both eat?
Lucky for us (and you!), we found all those answers and more. This Scotland series will answer all your questions about traveling to Scotland, and I’m excited to share what we’re learning about Scottish culture! Without further ado: The Little Town of Crieff!
We flew from Chicago to Glasgow via Icelandair Airlines with a brief layover in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. The first leg was six hours long, and the second leg only took about two hours! We left Chicago at 10:30 pm, slept on the planes as best we could, and were ready to rock & roll by the time we arrived in Glasgow around 1 pm. Our bags arrived as expected (thank goodness), and we caught a taxi to Enterprise down the road.
Tip #1: Don’t expect to Uber out of Glasgow Airport!
Glasgow and Edinburgh, the two largest Scottish cities, have Uber, but none were available when we were there. We waited for about 20 minutes watching the Uber app spin before we realized that taxis were lined up along a designated lane at the airport! The taxi driver popped our luggage into the back, cheerfully greeted us in a lovely Scottish accent, and dropped us off down the road at Enterprise for only £10.
Tip #2: Don’t book a rental car at the Enterprise at the airport!
Enterprise conveniently has another location just three minutes down the road, which is where we picked ours up. We saved 15% on our overall cost just by switching locations!
Everyone at the Enterprise spoke English, and they accepted our U.S. driving licenses with no issues. Some countries require you to get an International Driving Permit before you drive in their country, but since the primary purpose is to translate your license into English, an American license works perfectly fine! Enterprise offers roadside assistance and coverage on tires and glass. Not so fun fact: If someone else hits you here, you’re still liable for the damages up to a certain percentage. We haven’t hit anything yet, so fingers crossed!
UK cars have steering wheels on the right side of the car, and you drive on the left side of the road. Driving as an American is exactly as weird as you’d think! It was nerve-wracking for the first hour or so that we each drove, but we got it down quickly.
Now for the best stuff: Comelybank Guesthouse! We drove one hour north from Glasgow to Crieff, a lovely market town with winding roads and picturesque views. We stayed at Comelybank Bed & Breakfast, which was suggested to us by our British friends Tim and Jack, who we met by chance at Mardi Gras in New Orleans! The men met us for the weekend and introduced us to Tim’s family, who run the B&B during the summer months.
This was such a great stay! It was affordable, beautifully quaint, and centrally located in Crieff. Marion and Ron were gracious hosts, included us as a family since we were with the men as guests, and gave fantastic recommendations for excursions into the town.
Tip #3: If you stay here, try the pub directly next door!
We went each night for hours, drinking and chatting and enjoying the local Scottish culture. Fun fact: During the summertime, the sun doesn’t go down until after 10 pm and rises by 4 am. So strange!
In Crieff, my favorite place that we visited was Drummond Castle Gardens. Turns out, Ron used to be the custodian there before he retired! The castle itself is not open for visitors, but the gardens are gorgeous. This is a great place for outdoor photos. The paths through the gardens are stroller and kid-friendly, and there is a small cash-only snack/coffee trailer that is adorable! Plenty of benches and tables are nearby for a spontaneous picnic in the sunshine. Peacocks also call the grounds home, although they aren’t very interested in people. They were beautiful to look at and happy to freely wander the gardens! Tickets to Drummond Castle Gardens cost £10 for adults, £4 for children 5-16 years old, and £22 for a family (not sure what the qualifications are for family status). I would suggest planning 1-2 hours for this stop.
Our first two days in Crieff were relaxing, and I feel like we got a genuine experience of Scottish culture. Luckily, we still have 12 more days of road-tripping the Scottish Highlands! Onward we go!
I’m back on the mainland and am back spending all my nights at the hospital. I already miss Mexico’s endless sunshine and warm, dry heat! Spring continues in Illinois with sporadic rainstorms and high 60s/low 70s temperatures. To keep my spirits up, I’m diving headfirst into planning our next trip: the United Kingdom and the Scottish Highlands!
Jordan and I will be road-tripping the Scottish Highlands before I meet my husband in London. (Yes, we are huge fans of Outlander!) In June, Colton is turning 30, so we bought tickets to the Cardinals vs. Cubs baseball game at London Stadium! This will be my first visit to Europe, and I am pumped! In honor of our upcoming trip, here are 5 interesting facts about Scotland to enjoy.
1. Though English is the most widely-spoken language in the area, Scotland is still home to “the ancient Celtic language of Gaelic” (Scotland.org, 2023).
Gaelic is most common in the Scottish Highlands and outlying islands such as the Isle of Skye, and we’re lucky to visit both locations on this trip! We are flying into Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, or Glaschu in Gaelic, meaning ‘green glen.’ Don’t ask me how to pronounce it yet! Maybe after we get back to the States? 🙂 Below is a map displaying the population spread of Gaelic-speaking Scots.
2. The best way to explore Scotland is by renting a car.
A train system runs between larger cities (such as Glasgow and Inverness), but there are limited public transportation options in the Highlands. After researching how to get around, we decided to rent a car from Glasgow Airport and explore the Scottish Highlands ourselves! Challenges: Learning to drive on the left side of the road, memorizing traffic signs/signals, getting international driving permits, and preparing to navigate the lochs and glens of the Highlands. Stay tuned on that note!
If you’re looking for more specific information on navigating the Western islands by car, click here for an article that I recommend!
3. Scots use pounds as their currency as part of the United Kingdom (UK).
One English pound is worth $1.25 American dollars at the time of writing. Unfortunately, some items cost more in the UK! The average cost of gas as of April 2023 is $6.60/gallon. A dozen eggs cost $2.67, and a gallon of milk costs a whopping $4.67/gallon!
We will be paying for lots of gas as we explore the Scottish Highlands over a two-week period, so wish us luck that we don’t blow our whole budget on gas! 🙂
4. Scotland’s national animal is the unicorn.
Not kidding! The unicorn has been a significant symbol in Scotland since 1542, when Mary, Queen of Scots, chose unicorns to adorn her royal seal. When depicted in Scotland, the unicorn adorns countless historical buildings, coins, and even the UK Royal coat of arms.
5. The weather in Scotland is notoriously cool year-round.
On average, in Fahrenheit, summer brings a high of 62 degrees and gets as low as 48 degrees at night. Winter stays relatively mild as well, keeping between 32-45 degrees. According to my research, daily weather is labile, and the Western Highlands frequently get more than 100 inches of rainfall yearly. Experienced travelers suggest dressing in layers to be prepared for anything the day might bring. Extra fun fact: The rainjacket was invented by a Scottish man named Charles Macintosh in 1823. Although the spelling has evolved, the Mackintosh company remains a maker of high-quality coats and raincoats!
Have you ever been to the UK? Only 19 more days until we’re in the Scottish Highlands! 🙂
