Scottish tourism help for some US friends coming over

[Sanjøy]

Evening,

I am an usher at a my old flat mates wedding @ Loch Earn in Sept and she has asked me to write up a page of A4 of tourist things to do.
While Carole is a Scottish lass the majority of the people are New Yorkers so fish in a barrel comes to mind.

Rough ideas so far... (much plagerism)

Wedding @ Loch Earn

Loch Earn - Fort William
Taking in drive through Glencoe and up the chair lift
http://www.glencoemountain.com/store/home.php

Possible night in Fort William

Fort William - Dalwhinnie

Dalwhinnie Distilliery tour
http://www.scotlandwhisky.com/distiller ... Dalwhinnie


Dalwhinnie - Spittal of Glenshee

Glenshee
Lunch @ The Spittal of Glenshee Hotel

THE LEGEND OF THE GLENSHEE SCRONUT
From the 7th century A.D. there existed on Mount Blair, in Glenshee, a monastery run by an Order of Celtic Monks. The Monks were a particularly hardy breed, surviving all year, with the exception of the haggis feast at Christmas, on a staple diet of a cake consisting of rough corn, fruit and nuts.
This cake was known as "schroidhnutchaidhoir". While the corn was being hand ground by mortar and pestle and the cakes were being baked, the monks always maintained periods of silence and chastity.
The recipe for the cake was jealously guarded for hundreds of years, but was entrusted to the innkeeper at the Spittal of Glenshee in the early 16th century by the head Abbot who feared marauding English would steal it.
And so the Scrocnut survives today - and to this day is still baked to the traditional recipe.
Minus unfortunately the periods of silence and chastity!!!

Possible night in the Hotel

Glenshee - Stirling

Wallace Monument
http://www.nationalwallacemonument.com/
A national landmark, Stirling's Wallace Monument was erected by public subscription and first opened its doors in 1869. Commemorating Sir William Wallace, Scotland's greatest freedom fighter, this impressive Gothic tower stands 220 feet high overlooking the site of Wallace's greatest victory, the Battle of Stirling Bridge.
If you're not a keen walker, a regular shuttle bus goes to the top of Abbey Craig and the Wallace Monument. However, there's no getting around the 246 steps which will take you to the top for one of the best views in Scotland. On a clear day, you'll be able to see The Trossachs and Ben Lomond in the west and over Stirling to the Pentland Hills in the east.
Although you can access Abbey Craig and see the outside of the Wallace Monument for free, it's worth entering to see Wallace's famous double-handed broadsword. You'll also learn more of the real William Wallace and his nationalistic struggle to free Scotland from its English oppressors. In the “Hall of Heroesâ€

[bertieduff]

If they're Fort William way there's always the Mallaig road: stop at Glenfinnan- Jacobite monument/visitors centre/'harry potter' viaduct/half-decent hotel for lunch (or used to be anyway-dunno since we last trashed it ) - all very picturesque & atmospheric- and possible trip o'er the sea tae Skye at the end of the road?

[Skyenet]

If they're Fort William way there's always the Mallaig road: stop at Glenfinnan- Jacobite monument/visitors centre/'harry potter' viaduct/half-decent hotel for lunch (or used to be anyway-dunno since we last trashed it ) - all very picturesque & atmospheric- and possible trip o'er the sea tae Skye at the end of the road?

Will be heading up that road on Friday on our way to a BMW camping weekend on Skye Will be Skye's first time on the island she was named after.

[gorrie]

I would have said Edinburgh Vaults, but it's extortionate.

[Sanjøy]

Cheers gents keep em coming, Edin is going to be a shocker fo them as they had no idea about the festival.

Just trying to think of other famous monuments / film set(!) etc that they could take in.

[mac]

The village from local hero?

It's on the east though

[kenny]

The village from local hero?

It's on the east though

Pennan, its in the north and under a couple of feet of mud, dont you watch the news Mac.

The beach scenes from the film were filmed at Lochailort and Morar.

[mac]

nope - it's always full of bad news.

White sands of Morar are a must if you are up that neck of the woods

mac

[Sanjøy]

I will need to add a bit about careful is haggis rutting season.

[douglasgdmw]

As they are at the Spittal of Glenshee you could always direct them to Hagrid's Cottage from the Harry Potter film

[Edin430]

Zoo/Castle/Mary Kings Close (which is awesome definately do that they'll love it)/Dynamic Earth/Hollyrood Palace/Scots Monument/National Gallery/Arthurs Seat/Whiskey Factory/Edinburgh Woolen Mill/The Observatory - All the obvious ones in City Centre....

Unfortunately my knowledge doesn't stretch much further

[Sanjøy]

As they are at the Spittal of Glenshee you could always direct them to Hagrid's Cottage from the Harry Potter film

Jsut read up and it is glencoe and it is gone now. mince.

[Sanjøy]

Finaly draft that I pdf'ed over to them posting to be archived should somone else need it later on...

Balquhidder - Fort William
Taking in drive through Glencoe on the A82 and stopping to go up the chair lift
http://www.glencoemountain.com/store/home.php
The Commando Memorial on the A82 is also a good spot for taking photos of Glencoe. (Be careful when you park up though as it will be late August which is the end of rutting season for the Haggis. Normally docile at the end of season when the females start nesting they get a little feisty if you get too close.)

Possible night in Fort William
Head west of out Fort William to Glenfinnan then double back.
Jacobite Monument
On Monday 19 August 1745 a small rowing boat landed at the north end of Loch Shiel. It was early afternoon. Prince Charles Edward Stuart, "Bonnie Price Charlie" came ashore and met his escort of 50 MacDonalds before retiring to a nearby barn to await the response to letters he had sent to possible supporters all over the Highlands
....By 1815 the Jacobite threat had receded sufficiently into history to allow the erection at Glenfinnan of a monument to mark the raising of the standard, paid for by the wealthy descendant of a Jacobite. This is a stone tower surmounted by a statue of a kilted highlander (not the prince himself as is often thought).
Glenfinnan viaduct where they filmed Harry Potter
“At Glenfinnan Viaduct, the Hogwarts Express steams across 416 yards of raised track over 21 supporting arches. In film #2, Harry and Ron miss the train and fly to Hogwarts in a car that zooms around and through some of the viaduct's 100-foot-high arches. In film #3, the train stalls atop the viaduct, as Dementors stalk the train and torture Harry.â€

[MacK]

The Commando Memorial on the A82 is also a good spot for taking photos of Glencoe.

You can't see Gelncoe from the commando memorial, Ben Nevis, Aonoch Mor, Aonoch Beag, and the Mamores are in the way

[mac]

Yeah - Comando monument is the other side of FW.

But - you can still stop at Glencoe and describe the battle of the foodstuff. Who won - the soup or the burger?


Mac