The very lavish locales of Scotland and Ireland are pretty much on everyones "To-Be-There" list. Lush greenland, extremely beautiful and vintage architecture, lots of Irish and Scottish whiskey and Harry Potter filming locations. Yet need a reason to pack up and start exploring?
Back in 2015, I had enrolled myself at LSE for a summer programme and decided to spend 10 more days in the land of extreme scenic locations of UK, ie to explore Scotland and Ireland, a decision I am forever grateful for.
TIPS : Carry an umbrella, because it can literally start raining at anytime of the hour. It can be sunny and the next 15 minutes later it might begun to drizzle. Make sure to also keep a jacket, because it tends to get windy by night. Its generally very safe but avoid exchanging money at any random counters.
GETTING THERE : A lot of flights fly to Edinburgh airport, but in case you are starting from London you can take EasyJet or Ryan Air. They are the cheapest.
However, you can even take an overnight bus from Victoria Station, London to Glasgow. (The first stop in Scotland)
BOOKINGS : I recommend Youth Hostels. They are cheap, pretty, located right in city centres, extremely friendly and very safe and cater to every basic need of a traveller in a foreign location. A must if you are going solo since you will meet a lot of people from around the world.
Major plus point is they are always located in the best areas of the city. Everything worth travelling to will be near. They are managed by young people with passion for travelling and will help you explore the place better and even get you some deals on food/alcohol and day trips.Try HostelWorld or Booking . Com.
INVERNESS
Getting there : There are buses going to Inverness everyday from the main station of Glasgow to Inverness
Where to stay : Inverness Tourist Hostel. Costed roughly £12 per night.
Things to do : Inverness is legit the star location of Scotland. Every goddamn story about Scottish highlands to exotic locations, everything is on Inverness. And, yeah you can go monster searching at Lochness. Cool no?
GLASGOW :
Where to stay : Euro Hostel Glasgow. Costed roughly £15 per night.
One day is pretty much enough for Glasgow. Major points of interest includes People's Palace and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Botanical Garden. Everything is pretty much located within the vicinity and can be done in a day. I highly suggest end the day by the riverside for typical Scottish musicals by local musicians and some great food.
Scotland is quite famous for its castles. And, you can visit a few of them here. I spend a good 2 days around Inverness visiting the Inverness Castle, Chanonry point and the Cathedral. However, if you are more into nature sight seeing, you can skip the castles and cathedrals for boating and trekking around the Lochness lake.
ISLE OF SKYE
This is a must. This is a picturesque rugged landscape with castles and some breath taking views. Getting here can be a task, but you can always look out for day tours. A lot of local tourist stalls offer 1 day and 3 day trips to Isle of Skye. You can also self drive around if that interests you.
This place is going to be a treat to the eye with its beautiful mountain views and castles located on the hills. You will even come across multiple waterfalls and cliffs with sunset/sunrise views. The top locations at this beautiful place are the Fairy Pools, Coral Beach, Duntulm Castle, Neist Point and the Storr among the other places. This sprawling beauty has to be a must on your list.
EDINBURGH
Getting there : Take a bus from the Inverness station to Edinburgh. The distance from Inverness to Edinburgh is really short like about 4 hours or so.
Where to stay : Castle Rock Hostel. (Highly recommended) costs bout £30.
Things to do : Edinburgh is vintagly pretty. It has its own old city charm with very artistic architecture. You can walk around the whole city, and that is really fun. Also, Edinburgh is called Edinburraahh. Did the inner Punjabi in you just do the burraahh? The mighty Edinburgh Castle is a must visit. If you are staying at the above mentioned Hostel, this castle is just on the opposite street. It roughly takes about 3-4 hours to see the castle in its whole splendid awe. Spend your evening with a view at the Royal Yacht Britannia, the royal vessel of the Queen. This place has Scotch/Whiskey museum. NO KIDDING. And, this is going to be the best time of your life. You can try local malts and shop for the finest whiskey. Also, eateries serve really nice whiskey cheese cake. Edinburgh is home to a lot of street plays and activities. The Fringe is a famous art festival, which I got to witness during my stay there. You can go climbing the Scott Monument if you want to get a whole view of the city. Its a 200 step steep tower which rewards you with a certificate after climbing, so YEP.
Take this day to explore the cliffs of Edinburgh or visit the Arthurs seat. Its a lot of walk, but a good change to basic touristy things. You can also check out the Holyrood Palace and the Botanical Gardens. If you are a potter fan, YOU HAVE TO GO The Elephant House, the place where JK Rowling started writing Harry Potter. They also sell a painted postcard of the author sitting in a quaint corner writing the book. The whole of Victoria Street gives major HP feels and can surely be your drinking place for the evening. Also give The Devils Advocate a try. A very English pub with some great food and music.
BELFAST
GETTING THERE : A lot of flights fly out to Belfast from Edinburgh and cost as low as £30.
WHERE TO STAY : Vagabonds. Costs around £20 per night.
Belfast is a very small English area, also the capital of Northern Ireland. Major reference of Belfast is Titanic. Yep, there is a museum of ruins from Titanic and some other ships. Just like every other English city this is also famous for castles and cathedrals and town halls. I would pretty much suggest you to walk around the place and visit places of interest if you do not want to repeat a castle or cathedral visit. There is a big fish and tower clock photo stops along with some other local architecture stops. Its famous for its Titanic and Rifle museum.
Belfast
I spend the day chilling around my hostel and trying out some local food, however you can use it to go check the Photography Museum or Royal Court of Justice. Later, in the afternoon, me and a couple of people decided to go hike up a nearby mountain and its worth it. Gives a whole view of Belfast and can be much of a change from everyday tourist things.
Belfast
For today, I booked myself a tour to Giants Causeway. Its an UNESCO declared World Heritage Site and its breathtaking beautiful. Try waiting till the sunset to witness the amazing scenery.
DUBLIN
Tip : Dublin accepts euros, to make sure to keep some euros handy too.
GETTING THERE : Its a small two hour bus ride from Belfast.
WHERE TO STAY : Abigails Hostel. (Its right around the Temple Bar) and costs around £25.
Start your day by visiting the amazing food joints around the canal area. From European cuisine to world cuisine, you get almost everything here. Along with castles and cathedrals, Dublin has a lot more to offer. You can visit the Guiness Storehouse and Old Jameson Distillery. Dublin is home to a lot of beautiful museums and my favourite pick is the Writers Museum and the Irish Whiskey Museum. Retire for the day at Temple Bar for some quirky music as well drinks!
Dublin
This was technically my last day of the trip and also the most fantastic day also. The Potter fan in me had been waiting for the day since the first day. Yep. The Cliffs of Moher, where the iconic Harry Potter wand scene was shot. You can book a guided tour to the Cliffs considering its a tedious job to reach the location. I booked mine on Viator, in case you need help and it was pretty good!
The location is a good 4 hour away, enough to catch a nap considering this place requires a lot of walking. My booked tour included a ropewalk to one of the mountains before the cliffs and it was a fun adventurous walk crossing mountains on a rope bridge.
Talking about the Cliffs of Moher, its one hell of an experience. The beautiful location is a mix of adventure and scenery. The walk to the cliffs can be a little tricky and stony and tiring but its worth it. Gets extremely windy at times, but the view is to watch for! DO NOT MISS THIS!
Well, thats what unfolded on my 10 day Scotland/Ireland trip and its been a lifetime of an experience! Absolutely recommend these places for your next trip to the UK! Get Packing Folks!