General notes
Just a couple of general notes, that don't quite fit anywhere else.
- Bring two pairs of walking/hiking shoes. At some point in your travels you will manage to soak your feet completely, and there is nothing worse than squelching around in wet shoes all day.
- Dress in layers. We travel in late Spring, when the weather varies wildly from cold and rainy to hot and sunny. Wear layered clothing (t-shirt, shirt, fleece, rain shell) so you can shed layers if it gets hot and add them if it gets cold
- Buy or rent an unlocked cellphone that works in Scotland, or make sure you have international coverage on your phone when you travel. PHones can be picked up cheaply at many newsagents (and Tescos, of course). It is often cheaper to buy a pay-as-you-go phone in Scotland than pay the exhorbitant rates for international calls on your local phone. Having a phone means you can call for lodging, call in emergencies, call to check hours, and give your B&B hosts a local phone number, just in case.
- Buy a good road atlas (xxx is good) or purchase Ornance Survey (xxx) maps, if you intend to drive outside of the cities. Even if you have a GPS, having a large-scale map of the major roads is helpful in finding things.
- Join Historic Scotland, at least for a Holiday Pass. If you intend to visit more than one or two of their sites (and since they are responsible for most of the major castles, you'll undoubtedly visit more than a few) you will save a boatload by becoming a member. You can join at any manned site.
- Try the haggis. Really. And try the local beers at the pub, evein if they aren't your style, you might be surprised.
- Pack as lightly as you can. B&Bs often include narrow staircases and you've got to schlepp that luggage on your own. Unless you're staying on one place, you need to think small. I actually kept track of what I wore/used on the trip and I've discovered that (if we do laundry once a week, which is easy enough) I need only three pairs of pants, three long-sleeve shirts, and three short-sleeve shirts, and enough socks and underwear for a week, plus a fleece vest and a rain jacket. Add in two pairs of shoes, and I'm still well within carry-on limits. If you get cold, silk long underwear and silk t-shirts pack very small.