OK, so several months ago we were trying to figure out where to go for our major trip of the year.  The Seattle/Vancouver area was a strong contender, as was (of all places) Eastern Europe.  Nothing had really grabbed us until Patti discovered a Scotland based website called Secret Scotland.  We checked it out and it seemed pretty cool.  They have preplanned self-driving trips of varying length with turn-by-turn directions, side-trips, multiple day-trips from various destinations and even rainy day recommendations.  They had good reviews on Trip Advisor and were cheap, so we gave it a shot.

We bought the most flexible option (found here) along with their listing of recommended accommodations at each location. The whole package was less than $35.  It rocks!  They sent 2 PDF files, one for the tour & one for the accommodations, each with active links to B&B’s and tourist attractions.  We have exchanged several emails with them and they couldn’t be more helpful.

So.  We’re going to Scotland in June.  3 nights each in Edinburgh, Inverness, the Isle of Skye and Oban, then a final night in Edinburgh.

Whisky.  Mountains.  Lochs.  More Whisky.  Ruins.  Castles.  However, no kilts.  Unless Whisky is involved.