On seven trips to Scotland spanning nearly five months of time, I’ve completely missed Scotland’s third largest city, Aberdeen, the “Silver City,” save for two paltry nights. This situation is largely a result of Aberdeen’s geographical position in the far northeast of the country, an area that I typically skip as I round the corner westward toward Speyside. Come to think of it, a city focus is largely missing here on Traveling Savage – excluding Edinburgh; in addition to Aberdeen, what about Dundee? Perth? Inverness? More Glasgow? The road goes ever on and I’ll be sure to keep this in mind for future trips, but allow me to rectify this void, at least slightly, with today’s post.
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Scotland’s Isle of Skye is a difficult place to plan accommodations. It’s a deceptively large island with the only “major” settlement being Portree in the north. Google Maps seems to have trouble accurately estimating drive times on Skye, and there are loads of worthwhile stops around the island, from the Black Cuillins to Dunvegan Castle to the craft trail and the Old Man of Stoor. Do you base yourself in Portree or roll the dice somewhere further afield?
Invariably, all of my previous visits to Skye involved me speeding through the southern half of the island en route to my accommodation in Portree. Portree is a pretty, compact town with all the conveniences you would expect… Read more...
A travel around Scotland lends itself well to a circular route that has Edinburgh and Glasgow at its southernmost points and Inverness at its northernmost point. It was a route I adhered to (barring the occasional visit to Orkney) on my first five trips to Scotland, so when I planned my sixth trip last spring I wanted (and needed) to step off that well-worn path.
I decided to skip Inverness and head for Black Isle instead. Black Isle is full of charming, small coastal towns as if it were the northern cousin of Fife’s East Neuk. After much perusal of our accommodation options, Sarah and I decided to stay just outside Avoch (pronounced Och, rhymes with loch) on the Rosehaugh Estate, thanks to our friends at HomeAway. Read more...
San Antonio is great. But this post isn’t about that Alamo or Texas, it’s about Scotland – Glasgow, specifically – and my guest house de rigueur whenever I’m in town.
Stays at the Alamo Guest House bookended the three-week trip around Scotland that Sarah and I took in 2006, and I remembered my stay with such fondness that I decided to return for three nights on my last jaunt to Glasgow. As you can imagine, Glasgow is loaded with accommodation choices that are all priced competitively at levels you would expect of a large city. The Alamo shines in a few key areas that puts it on my shortlist of places to stay in Glasgow. Read more...
Tobermory on the Isle of Mull is often cited as Scotland’s most picturesque seaside town. Pink, blue, yellow, and white buildings alternate along the harbor and look out over a bay filled with boats. Buildings grow above buildings in a kind of stepped terrace. On the top of the hill surrounding the harbor stand some of Tobermory’s most impressive buildings.
The Western Isles Hotel is one of these buildings, a purpose-built 26-room late Victorian hotel in red and brown stone with distinctive conical towers. I arrived to the Western Isles after spending the first half of my week on Mull at Druimnacroish, and it would be here that I finished it up. I was looking forward to being based in Mull’s largest town, small as it is. Read more...
A hunter, oft-stubbled and bleary-eyed, driven by an insatiable hunger for exploration and experience - and perhaps a chance to thin the herd of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. From the highlands and islands to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Borders, I explore Scotland with a pen in hand and a fire in the belly (which could be partly from the whisky). 
