beautiful places in scotland

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And also aim a bit further over to the left

Harthill Services (Neil Willett), Thursday, 10 August 2006 04:56 (seventeen years ago) link

Appleton Tower would look better if it wasn't all patchy from fallen tiles. I prefer DHT and the Library as far as looks go - the Library particularly from the Meadows side, because the basement level walls on that side make it look like some sort of non-pyramidal ziggurat.

Forest Pines (ForestPines), Thursday, 10 August 2006 06:39 (seventeen years ago) link

While I'm at, some of yer actually beautiful places in Scotland:

Glencoe:
http://static.flickr.com/49/144176042_fa91f77fc3.jpg

Cuillins from Elgol (Skye)
http://static.flickr.com/55/142937810_32f1ec7ec7.jpg

Old Man of Storr (Skye)
http://static.flickr.com/46/142937203_1c24b7d286.jpg

View from funicular train on Cairngorm
http://static.flickr.com/21/29234088_1fbb910ddd.jpg

Greig (treefell), Thursday, 10 August 2006 08:02 (seventeen years ago) link

If that picture of the David Hume Tower was taken from the other side, you'd be able to see my office!

alext (alext), Thursday, 10 August 2006 08:22 (seventeen years ago) link

If the picture of the Main Library was from the Meadows side, you'd be able to see my desk!

Greig (treefell), Thursday, 10 August 2006 08:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Never thought I'd be nostalgic for DHT and Appleton Tower. If the pic had been taken from the top floor of Appleton (the one with the animal experiments allegedly - evidence anyone?) you'd be able to see my flat if you squinted.

beanz (beanz), Thursday, 10 August 2006 08:26 (seventeen years ago) link

I was on holiday in Scotland last week. The Trossachs was (were?)good when it wasn't raining:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/jamiefake/P8030512TEMP.jpg

I also really liked St Abb's Head (just over the border from Berwick):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v284/jamiefake/P8010493TEMP.jpg

Teh littlest HoBBo (the pirate king), Thursday, 10 August 2006 08:36 (seventeen years ago) link

What ailsa said about Shieldaig upthread. All of Wester Ross is great. Up until last year, my parents would go there each year, I've been there with them once and it's a gorgeous place. Take a walk up Beinn Alligin from Torridon Hotel, the view from the top (Sgurr Mhor, I think) is magnificent! Also, if you happen to have a car, take the pass from Shieldaig to Applecross, the panorama after you've passed the highest point is amazing. As is the ride down.

willem -- (willem), Thursday, 10 August 2006 11:04 (seventeen years ago) link

North West Coast

Gairlock
Scourie
Pretty much everything

Mid highlands

Glenmore National Forest
Cairngorms
Findhorn Valley
Camp at Lock Morlich

Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Thursday, 10 August 2006 11:15 (seventeen years ago) link

have any of you guys done any camping in and around edinburgh? know any good places? i tried to phone the campsite that looked pretty good but they said they can't book anymore (they book out half the pitch and leave the rest to whoever turns up!) eek.

ken c (ken c), Thursday, 10 August 2006 11:40 (seventeen years ago) link

I've no idea about camping round here, but I'd expect it to be pretty difficult to find somewhere during the festival...

Craig Gilchrist (Craig Gilchrist), Thursday, 10 August 2006 12:56 (seventeen years ago) link

i know.. grr stupid festival. i'm going to have another look around.

how far away is north berwick?

ken c (ken c), Thursday, 10 August 2006 13:00 (seventeen years ago) link

Half an hour on the train, roughly.

Forest Pines (ForestPines), Thursday, 10 August 2006 13:02 (seventeen years ago) link

mmm sounds a bit far but i guess that's why there are spaces...

ken c (ken c), Thursday, 10 August 2006 13:26 (seventeen years ago) link

Someone I know claims to have turned up in Edinburgh during the festival and camped in Edinburgh itself - "Near the castle" - she claimed - as she had no back-up evidence of this remarkable feat I doubted her a lot but maybe a Edinburgh dweller (what are they called?) can confirm or deny it?

Or maybe she was just camping on Princes Street Gardens?

Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Thursday, 10 August 2006 14:18 (seventeen years ago) link

is that allowed??? i mean, that'd rule!

ken c (ken c), Thursday, 10 August 2006 14:22 (seventeen years ago) link

Heh heh.....no.

But wait...a plan is forming in my small brain. If your tent was big enough you could probably claim to be a venue - put a little sign up Venue 446 - The Tent - and tell everyone it's sold out.

Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Thursday, 10 August 2006 14:28 (seventeen years ago) link

North West Coast
Gairlock
Scourie
Pretty much everything

Mid highlands

Glenmore National Forest
Cairngorms
Findhorn Valley
Camp at Lock Morlich

Rule No. 1 - learn to spell Loch, even if you can't pronounce it. Gairloch has excellent beaches if the weather's nice. I'm also very fond of Inverewe Gardens, but I don't know if walking through gardens looking at plants is your thing. This is about 10 miles or so from Gairloch, and Poolewe is a nice wee place to stay (I used to work in one of the hotels there several million years ago when I was a young thing).

ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 10 August 2006 14:29 (seventeen years ago) link

Princes St Gardens is locked up at night, so you'd have a bit of trouble getting back after a late show. You might be able to get away with doing it in St Cuthberts' graveyard next-door, though.

Forest Pines (ForestPines), Thursday, 10 August 2006 14:31 (seventeen years ago) link

i've never done it in a graveyard before!

i'll keep looking for a proper camp area, i might just have to head up and hope for the best! worst comes to worst i can we can pitch up some countryside outside edinburgh and hope nobody steals our tent.

ken c (ken c), Thursday, 10 August 2006 14:41 (seventeen years ago) link

the one with the animal experiments allegedly - evidence anyone?

Haha, this has been the rumour for years. I think it's basically down to the doors being locked. You can go up the stairs, which I did once, for a look (largely at the view, but in part to see if there were any dead winged monkeys about). I didn't see anything of the sort, but the view's great.

KeefW (kmw), Thursday, 10 August 2006 15:39 (seventeen years ago) link

Ned,

Every year, a bunch of German punks used to turn up for a punk festival at the Tap on Lauriston Place (Actually, I should put 'German Punks Alight Here' on my underground map). They used to camp on the Meadows. Dunno if the Police moved them on, but the Tap's been demolished (bit of luck there), so no more punks.

KeefW (kmw), Thursday, 10 August 2006 15:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Hey, there's actually a place called Gairloch?! Funny. I only know it as a tune, "The High Road to Gairloch." The burning question: Is there a high road?? Oh the things you learn.

Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 10 August 2006 15:46 (seventeen years ago) link

Hey Laurel...

It's probably the only road.

KeefW (kmw), Thursday, 10 August 2006 15:48 (seventeen years ago) link

Hi, Keef. Yo yo, why don't I see my namesake town on this list? I'm sure it's BEEYOOTIFUL in Girv@n in the summertime.

Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 10 August 2006 15:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Well, I've never been there. I have a friend who lives there and says it's very nice. It's apparently very nice down the south west. Some of it is in the Wicker Man, but I'd need to go there to check.

KeefW (kmw), Thursday, 10 August 2006 15:53 (seventeen years ago) link

That's funny, I was kidding and assuming it would be sort of a run-down place whose day in the sun was basically past. Nice to know that it's having some sort of renaissance!

Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 10 August 2006 15:58 (seventeen years ago) link

Gairloch and the Gare Loch (on which Garelochhead stands) are two completely different places.

Don't take Keith as an authority on stuff, is my advice.

Ooh, Ayrshire places. Culzean Castle is nice. Electric Brae is crap. There's some Robert Burns stuff. And a lot of golf courses. Largs/Saltcoats/Ardrossan/Stevenston etc are all horrible faded seaside towns that used to be popular before they stuck package-holiday-central-airport right in the middle of them all - like a Scottish Scarborough with nicer roads getting there but less to do when you arrive. (xpost, yeah, like what Laurel thought Girvan would be like)

I've never been to Girvan.

ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 10 August 2006 16:02 (seventeen years ago) link

Multiple x-post, as far as I'm aware the animal experiments actually took place in the Hugh Robson building. I worked in the Medical Library for a while, which had a connecting door to HRB and there were rules about containing diseases and hazardous materials.

Greig (treefell), Thursday, 10 August 2006 16:21 (seventeen years ago) link

two weeks pass...
my new ambition is to go to Tobermory, and I intend to achieve it some time in 2006. my new year's resolution for this year was to drink a whole beer, and I have already done that 4 and a half times, so I think I am allowed to make a new one.

Cathy (Cathy), Monday, 28 August 2006 19:58 (seventeen years ago) link

a tribute to nigel rushworth and his hard work over the past week
http://lolrider.com/silly/runlondon.jpg

ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 29 August 2006 23:26 (seventeen years ago) link

one year passes...

I just went again last weekend! it was so good

wow i went to that exact place Elgol as treefell took a picture of upthread!!!! and glencoe too! yes this time was just two days staying in kinlochleven went to Eilean Donan and then to skye for the first day and then took the cablecar up to aonach mor and saw an unbelieveable amount of snow. it was so amazing.

i think i want to go up to beautiful places in scotland every year.

ken c, Friday, 4 April 2008 10:32 (sixteen years ago) link

Damn, you can drive, can't you? I want to go!

Masonic Boom, Friday, 4 April 2008 10:34 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah lots of driving was done!

next time i might go to mull + iona.

ken c, Friday, 4 April 2008 10:37 (sixteen years ago) link

Iona is the most beautiful place on earth. Seriously. Or at least, it was when I was a child. Can I come with?

Masonic Boom, Friday, 4 April 2008 10:38 (sixteen years ago) link

OMG I mistyped Loch.

Jarlrmai, Friday, 4 April 2008 10:55 (sixteen years ago) link

Scotland is beautiful, just avoid the midges if you can.

Jarlrmai, Friday, 4 April 2008 10:56 (sixteen years ago) link

Impossible

Tom D., Friday, 4 April 2008 10:59 (sixteen years ago) link

I believe a circular wall of fire is effective.

Jarlrmai, Friday, 4 April 2008 11:26 (sixteen years ago) link

three months pass...

I am going a world tour of Scotland in September. Just going to take my bike and a tent and make off into the wilderness. Exciting.

Anything I should aim to see? I'm planning to start off from the Cowal Peninsula.

webinar, Friday, 25 July 2008 13:12 (fifteen years ago) link

three years pass...

HEY GUYS

I'm going again. (2 days: weds 10th aug-11th aug, hiring a car from edinburgh) any good recommendations? maybe not drive so far if poss....

Gary Numan, or Gary Fletcher (ken c), Wednesday, 27 July 2011 13:11 (twelve years ago) link

Fife is lovely- coastal walks, fish n chips, Forth Bridge, nice pubs.

Neil S, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 13:12 (twelve years ago) link

... brooding ex-Prime Ministers

R. Stornoway (Tom D.), Wednesday, 27 July 2011 13:13 (twelve years ago) link

Yes avoid North Queensferry for that very reason, unless you want the big clunking fist treatment.

Neil S, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 13:14 (twelve years ago) link

Off to Gardenstown, on the Banff coast, with the family tomorrow. We booked it because we saw it on a documentary about sea shanties and it looked the bleakest place on earth. Turns out it's a summer "resort", too, but I fear the kids might not view this as the holiday of their dreams.

Trudi Styler, the Creator (ithappens), Wednesday, 27 July 2011 13:18 (twelve years ago) link

previous trips:
1: fort william and drumnadrochit christmas 2002
2: edinburgh -> glencoe -> durness -> ullapool -> inverness -> glasgow -> edinburgh august 2006
3: kinlochleven, skye, aonach mor april 2008
4: ardrossan -> brodick march 2009

xposts Will research Fife!

Gary Numan, or Gary Fletcher (ken c), Wednesday, 27 July 2011 13:29 (twelve years ago) link

I'm a Fifer, from Kirkcaldy.
Fife is a place of contrasts. There are some absolutely stunning bits of countryside and some of the worst social deprivation in Scotland is found in the small central Fife ex mining towns.
The coastal walks are lovely, some beautiful beaches (Aberdour, Burntisland) and the small fishing villages of the East Neuk are a definite must-see; also, yes, great fish and chips to be had there.
I'm not a huge fan of St. Andrews personally but there is a shedload of history in the town and lots of stuff laid on for tourists - particularly those keen on golf.
I would recommend spending some time on the north coast of Fife - it's pretty underappreciated.
As for the big towns:
Glenrothes is a new town built to accomodate the car. It's a pleasant place to live mostly - but rubbish for visitors.
Dunfermline has some interesting stuff to see in the centre - the abbey and the ruins of the old abbey are worth seeing. Pittencrieff Park is quite nice and has decent views of the Forth. The Carnegie library is one of my favourite libraries in Scotland (I'm a librarian - these are things I notice).
Kirkcaldy is the biggest town in Fife and like much of the Kingdom has never really recovered from the loss of mining and manufacturing in the 80's. My favourite bit of Kirkcaldy is the coastal walk from Dysart Harbour to Ravenscraig Castle.
I also very much like Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery and the big library next door. They occupy a handsome building donated to the town in the memory of the soldiers lost in the first world war.

Another place that I'd say that is well worth a visit is the far north and Orkney.

treefell, Wednesday, 27 July 2011 14:43 (twelve years ago) link

I had a cracking weekend in Skye earlier this year at friends' wedding in Isleornsay. Lots of lovely driving about looking at hills and that (also llamas! though they were on the mainland somewhere near the Kintail end of Loch Duich). It's great.

ailsa, Monday, 15 June 2015 00:30 (nine years ago) link

eight years pass...

previous trips:
1: fort william and drumnadrochit christmas 2002
2: edinburgh -> glencoe -> durness -> ullapool -> inverness -> glasgow -> edinburgh august 2006
3: kinlochleven, skye, aonach mor april 2008
4: ardrossan -> brodick march 2009
5: edinburgh -> pittenweem/Anstruther aug 2011
6: edinburgh -> ballachulish -> kinloch forest (skye) -> ullapool -> drumnadochit -> pitlochry apr 2014

back again in August! Probably should visit new bits. Likely Kinghorn will feature. Suggestions welcome!

Covfefe and TV (ken c), Saturday, 24 June 2023 17:47 (eleven months ago) link

I've done more than a few bothy supported walks, two of the more memorable ones were glenfinnan to knoydart, and one to peanmeanach beach - not a long walk but we did it at one am on a moonless night with no torches!

Kinghorm, well the east neuk of fife - pittenweem, anstruther, isle of may nature reserve, st andrews. note: despite spending four years in st andrews i've never been to any of those others!

ledge, Saturday, 24 June 2023 18:51 (eleven months ago) link


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