What to see for a 3-day weekend in Scotland?
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Translated into English.

Original post
MR
Hi there,

I’m desperately turning to you all for advice—I just can’t seem to organize myself or make efficient city choices for such a short trip.

There are two of us, and we’re heading to Scotland for a few days in July, without a driver’s license. We arrive in Edinburgh (where we’ve already been) on a Friday at noon and need to be in Glasgow by Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

Between the two, we’d love to catch a glimpse of the Highlands—do you think that’s doable? From Edinburgh, is it easy to get to Inverness, Fort William, or other spots (?) for 2 nights (3 max)? Would you recommend the train or the bus? Which company? Any suggestions for a reasonable little itinerary?

For example, I was thinking of doing Edinburgh → Fort William, and once there, either renting bikes and exploring or taking a round-trip train to Mallaig in the same day, since the route looks stunning.

Alternatively, we could skip the Highlands if there are pretty towns around Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Any tips would be *so* appreciated—thanks a million! !
TR Tripadvicom ·
It's tough to choose in such a rich region! If you're heading to the Highlands, the travel time to Inverness and Fort William is roughly the same (3/4 hour by bus...).

Both towns are worth visiting, but given your time frame, you might want to prioritize Fort William, which is the capital of the Highlands.

If you arrive at 12 PM and assuming there are no delays, there’s a direct bus to Fort William at 2:45 PM with Ember. You can catch it not far from the airport at Ingliston Park & Ride, and you’ll arrive in Fort William at 6:18 PM.

That gives you two full days in Fort William, but you definitely won’t have time to see everything! You could easily spend one day in Fort William and the other in Mallaig.
MR MrlndEcosse ·
Thanks so much for your reply!

I just saw that we land at exactly 2:10 PM at Edinburgh Airport. Do you think it’s possible to catch the 2:45 PM bus? It seems close, but still... Otherwise, we’ll spend a night in Edinburgh, hoping there’s a bus or train early the next morning. For now, we can’t book the Ember bus on their website for July yet.

Thanks for your tips. Once in Fort William, we’ll go for a walk around Glencoe and/or Mallaig. We’re not camping. Also, I hope we’ll find a hotel or accommodation at reasonable prices in Fort William.
TR Tripadvicom ·
35 minutes seems a bit short to me... There's another Ember bus at 8:20 PM from Edinburgh. But you'll arrive around midnight... That's the easiest way to get to Fort William, otherwise there are other options with connections if you want to arrive on Friday.

You need to go from Edinburgh to... Glasgow.

There's the Citylink bus from the airport to Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station, which runs regularly.

Then take the Ember bus at 5:05 PM, and you can arrive in Fort William at 8:15 PM.

I don’t have any recommendations for accommodation, but it’s a tourist town with plenty of options.
MR MrlndEcosse ·
Got it, thanks! !
GR Granini ·
Hi there,

If you want to enjoy the scenery, you can take the train from Glasgow to Fort William with ScotRail. The landscapes are pretty nice. You should check the schedules. It’s a little adventure in itself. There’s a bus from Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow (we stayed at the MotelOne opposite the station—I’d recommend it). West Highland Railway Line | Oban | Fort William | Mallaig

We stayed at Corrour on the line. It’s in the middle of nowhere, and you’ve got to love solitude and wide-open spaces, but you can go hiking around. The welcome is really friendly. Signal Box Accommodation | Corrour Estate | Highlands Scotland

Hope this helps a bit.

Have a great weekend in Scotland!..
http://www.longistheroad.net/
MR MrlndEcosse ·
Got it, thanks so much
MR MrlndEcosse ·
As recommended by Tripadvicom, we’re taking the Citylink from Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow, then the Ember bus from Glasgow to Fort William (arriving at 8:15 PM) or the Citylink to Oban (arriving at 9:07 PM).

If we go to Fort William, we plan to explore the surrounding area (Glen Nevis / Corrour / What do you recommend?). Just a reminder—we won’t have a car. We’ll also do a day trip to Mallaig and back.

Alternatively, we could stay around Oban (the town seems nicer?). In that case, do you have any walking routes or spots to recommend?

I’m noting the Motel One, where I think we’ll stay on our way back to Glasgow.

Thanks to both of you!
MR MrlndEcosse ·
I notice that 3 sites (Citylink / Megabus / Ember) offer the bus at the same time, 17:05 on Friday from Glasgow to Fort William (arrival at 20:15, as you suggested). I don’t know if it’s the same bus (since it’s at the same time), but the fares are completely different!! It’s really strange...
GR Granini ·
Hi there,

For Fort William, I can’t help you since we didn’t go there. We didn’t stay in Oban because we went straight to Mull. Oban is pretty, with lovely houses by the harbor and lots of restaurants. There are nice walks along the harbor and a ruin on the hill. We’d planned to visit the Isle of Kererra, which looked nice.
http://www.longistheroad.net/

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