Holiday Thread

[theleader82]

I've thought about visiting the highlands but I've heard you get lots of midges up there in summer plus it's such a long drive from the Midlands. I'd like to visit the isle of Skye one day, and the Shetlands when they have that Viking festival. Only been to Edinburgh and Gretna

[delboy1983]

Had a good break,midgied to death however and nothing stops these bastards as there are too many of them.
In a camps site near Drymen on the edge of the loch and worth the bites for views like this

13924983_10157194533090623_4813428599854648512_n.jpg

[Carlos J]

Looks beautiful, Del. As a great fan of the train and intending to do the California Zephyr from Chicago to SF next year, though starting in NY, I was doing a kancut the other day. Reading this: in Waterstones. He mentions the Inverness to Wick as a great journey and also read lots about Glasgee to Mallaig as being glorious. Maybe one to ponder as well for a little tour of Scotchland. Any views Scotch friends or others?

[kancutlawns]

Looks beautiful, Del. As a great fan of the train and intending to do the California Zephyr from Chicago to SF next year, though starting in NY, I was doing a kancut the other day. Reading this: in Waterstones. He mentions the Inverness to Wick as a great journey and also read lots about Glasgee to Mallaig as being glorious. Maybe one to ponder as well for a little tour of Scotchland. Any views Scotch friends or others?

Kev recommended the Outer Hebrides a while back, Carlos with their serenity, unspoilt sands and general beauty. Further south, but still on the west coast, there are some islands next to the touristy Oban that are worth visiting too, can't remember the names sadly. Chris O mentioned some other island where there were some kangaroos that were marooned after a container got stranded years and years ago where you can still see some of the them hopping around.

I do remember starting a thread in October 2014 about where to visit in Scotland and had some great suggestions. I'm sure that caveman, roddy, kev, shab, del, doc and a few of our other Scotch friends can provide updated suggestions.

[Carlos J]

Ta, Kancut. Had a quick look for your thread but couldn't find it. Did find an old favourite, your sweater thread: https://www.talkforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=16576 Though, sorry, not as good as Jabe's scarf thread. MIA Jabe.

If I did those two train trips, would probably be a mainland only touring, the islands maybe for another day.

[The End]

Off to Berlin for four nights on Thursday, then a posting to Africa for work for anything between a month and three months.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

Reported both to Waterstones

[kevin04]

Most of Scotland is amazing, Carlos. Lots to do and see all over the country. It depends really what you would fancy doing?

The north-west is a very beautiful area and quite tourist free basically keep going north from Ullapool and you'll feel like you are at the end of the earth with some of the views, with some amazing hikes, villages, and sites to stop at. Wick, Thurso don't have too much going on and both quite run-down a little so I can see why they aren't hotspots, but the drive there is wonderful, and you might as well go all the way up to John O'Groats - not much there, but can say you've been there.

Lewis and Harris are two of my favourite islands. Both quite different in landscape. Lewis more the stereotypical green, hills, whilst Harris more rugged, mountainous terrain, and some of the lochs and beaches are out of this world - just hope for a good day and your pic will look like Barbados with the greeny/blue water. The Southern Isles of the Western Isles - ;() are even better with their causeways, beaches, and odd ruins. Need to get back there. Oban is a good base for island-hopping - tons of ferries go to the inner hebrides or outer ones. You could even get a single from Oban to Barra, work your way up Na h-Eileanan Iar - and take the Stornoway - Ullapool back back to ' an tir mor' and work your way up to Wick/Thurso/Orkney/Faroes even

Orkney and Shetland are both very interesting places to go to. Orkney is more 'Scottish' looking - it reminded me more of Angus or Tayside countryside whilst Shetland is definitely on the way to Scandoland - nae trees, barren, moonlooking landscapes.

World, or Jockland even is your oyster. I'm not a huge Edinburgh fan. It's a nice city, beautiful even, but I'd recommend Glasgow for a more 'cultural' experience. The people are nicer too Dundee is coming on. I was there yesterday and their new Watefront area will be excellent once finished, and the city iself has been re-vamped hugely since the early 00s - a bustling student life, and I've always found Dundonians top folk and extremely helpful. Again it's not on people's visit list I can't imagine, but it's looking good.

[Carlos J]

Thanks and very informative, Kevin. Might have to bbok a trip to Scotland next year and see a bit. Long time since last went there. Was going to the Commonwealth Games 2014 but a fuck up with my ticket.

[Lou Grant]

Looks beautiful, Del. As a great fan of the train and intending to do the California Zephyr from Chicago to SF next year, though starting in NY, I was doing a kancut the other day. Reading this: in Waterstones. He mentions the Inverness to Wick as a great journey and also read lots about Glasgee to Mallaig as being glorious. Maybe one to ponder as well for a little tour of Scotchland. Any views Scotch friends or others?

Some beautiful Scottish train routes covered in this series. Can't remember precisely which as I saw it a few months back now.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/paul ... t-stations

[delboy1983]

Another couple of photo's expertly taken of Gods Country on Loch Lomond at night time

13900365_1767034276915294_1502660427515910194_n.jpg

[Carlos J]

Lovely, del, and ta, Lou, will watch that sometime.

[kevin04]

Lovely pics, Del.

Nae probs at all, a' Charlois. Your trip to USA sounds very exciting as well. Always fancied something but not quite Road 66 although more on the way down to LA stopping in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, etc middle America.

[Carlos J]

Sounds good, Kevin. Fancy the idea of a road trip sometime, love reading Paolo's Stateside escapades, maybe another time, especially as you can stop and go all over Hicksville, USA.

The 'California Zephyr' is pretty cheap, if going for the cheap option, sleeping in your seat, only a couple of hundred. Of course flights hike it up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Zephyr As per, I do love the train, thought about similar on the Greyhound, another maybe sometime.

phpBB [video]

phpBB [video]

Off to NY in November for the first time and a couple of days in Washington DC just after election time, so should add fun. Reviewing advice given when asked for a friend last year, but will be quite a full timetable even though 8 days. Got some basketball at the Garden and supposedly the World Chess Championship is on there so might pop along to that for an afternoon if it gets sorted.

[finchman]

Most of Scotland is amazing, Carlos. Lots to do and see all over the country. It depends really what you would fancy doing?

The north-west is a very beautiful area and quite tourist free basically keep going north from Ullapool and you'll feel like you are at the end of the earth with some of the views, with some amazing hikes, villages, and sites to stop at. Wick, Thurso don't have too much going on and both quite run-down a little so I can see why they aren't hotspots, but the drive there is wonderful, and you might as well go all the way up to John O'Groats - not much there, but can say you've been there.

Lewis and Harris are two of my favourite islands. Both quite different in landscape. Lewis more the stereotypical green, hills, whilst Harris more rugged, mountainous terrain, and some of the lochs and beaches are out of this world - just hope for a good day and your pic will look like Barbados with the greeny/blue water. The Southern Isles of the Western Isles - ;() are even better with their causeways, beaches, and odd ruins. Need to get back there. Oban is a good base for island-hopping - tons of ferries go to the inner hebrides or outer ones. You could even get a single from Oban to Barra, work your way up Na h-Eileanan Iar - and take the Stornoway - Ullapool back back to ' an tir mor' and work your way up to Wick/Thurso/Orkney/Faroes even

Orkney and Shetland are both very interesting places to go to. Orkney is more 'Scottish' looking - it reminded me more of Angus or Tayside countryside whilst Shetland is definitely on the way to Scandoland - nae trees, barren, moonlooking landscapes.

World, or Jockland even is your oyster. I'm not a huge Edinburgh fan. It's a nice city, beautiful even, but I'd recommend Glasgow for a more 'cultural' experience. The people are nicer too Dundee is coming on. I was there yesterday and their new Watefront area will be excellent once finished, and the city iself has been re-vamped hugely since the early 00s - a bustling student life, and I've always found Dundonians top folk and extremely helpful. Again it's not on people's visit list I can't imagine, but it's looking good.

Maith a dùirt kev.