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[The Grim Reaper]

Usually go to Tenerife every September. Went last year, quite confident I’ll go this year too.

[Broadbents Tackle]

Most of the two trips we did were right up north, but we did a few things on the west coast.

I would recommend a trip to Arran - they've got a distillery and a brewery, and Arran is like Scotland in miniture -rolling hills in the south, craggy peaks in the north.  Further north is Oban - obvious whisky town.  If you have time the Fort William to Mallaig train is great (it goes over the bridge in Harry Potter I understand).  Just outside Inverness is the Culloden Battlefield site, which is pretty cool.

Can't help much with the Cairngorns as I've not been, but hopefully that's of some use.

Top man(mule), thanks. Arran sounds good and will definitely look to see if we can fit the train journey in.

[donkey]

Top man(mule), thanks. Arran sounds good and will definitely look to see if we can fit the train journey in.

 

[Chunkyhair]

I was thinking of driving up the west coast and across to Inverness, then maybe coming back through the Cairngorms. I can only really take a week off in summer though, which I realise isn't a great deal of time. My main questions would be where I try and see in that time, and where it is worth stopping along the way for a night or two? Cheers.

The break we planned last October was just under a week and that included stopping over in Glasgow for night to break the journey and pick up my son who was flying up to Glasgow to join us and 2 nights in Edinburgh that we could easily have trimmed to one.

Calmac ferries are very customer centric but I would recommend booking specific ferries as lot of the shorter routes do have a lot of "rock ups".

My suggestion given the timings you are talking about could be head to Oban (as already mentioned above - beautiful town and great for food and drink  ). Then go over to Mull for a couple of days on the Craignure ferry.  Tobermory is delightful and it is a great drive around the island, including popping over to Iona which is well worth a visit.  The Abbey is quite a treat and also ex-Labour Party Leader John Smith is buried there if that is your thing (it is mine).  You are guaranteed so see seals and the like and if lucky Golden Eagles. Also Calgary beach is probably the best beach in Britain!

From there you can head back to Mainland and up to Fort William (via the Fishnish/Lochaline ferry) for Glencoe, Loch Ness, Ben Nevis, Spean Bridge and more.

After that depends upon how much time you have left/how you want to use it.  It's an easy drive to Inverness from Fort William along the banks of Loch Ness for instance, or as I said previously the drive to Skye from Fort William is amazing and the bridge means no ferries to worry about.

Honestly, you cant go wrong up there - plan your route, book accommodation/ferrries as needed and you are laughing.

I did this route (without Inverness) last January in 5 days and it was amazing, even in depths of Winter.

HTH as young people say. Happy to add anything if you need more advice/help  

EDIT*** Channeling my Inner Bamboo with the length this post (no offence intended Bamboo  - last time I wrote this much was for my thesis!!!!!!)

[McGurk's Missus]

No offence taken, some great advice for BBT and I only wish a few more would write some detailed posts. Then they'd be channeling their own "inner whatever" rather than mine 

Good read - I'll add Foyers Falls near Dores (top end of Loch Ness) is a treat, especially if there has been snow.

[Broadbents Tackle]

Thanks, Chunky. I'll be spending Easter weekend researching and you chaps have given me plenty of ideas. The vastness of it all seemed a bit daunting at first glance.

[Legends-Lounge]

I’ve given up the notion of having a foreign holiday this side of the summer holidays and will consider non European destinations from September onwards. Now the offspring are of an age we can avoid the wallet crushing excesses of Skool holiday price hikes.

[Shrivvy Road]

I’ve given up the notion of having a foreign holiday this side of the summer holidays and will consider non European destinations from September onwards. Now the offspring are of an age we can avoid the wallet crushing excesses of Skool holiday price hikes.

Wise choice. It seems a lot more people are taking this route

[Costanza]

Just the usual long weekend down in Devon in September for the Costanza's. Hopefully we can arrange another break during the summer too.

[4D]

Are STFC doing a pre season tour this summer? Could help sway my decision

[Panda Paws]

Are STFC existing this summer? Could help sway my decision

Fixed for you.

[Berniman]

You will be lucky if there is a tour of Chippenham, Melsksham and South Cerney at the rate we are going..

[scillyred]

Operation rip-off this year.
I have been charged £137 for a single night in a double room in a Travelodge near Penzance in early July.
A friend was quote £280 for a disabled persons room in a Premier Inn in the same place in June, because it was G7 week.
Suffice to say we won't be using them next year when everyone has returned to the Costas 

[McGurk's Missus]

Operation rip-off this year.
I have been charged £137 for a single night in a double room in a Travelodge near Penzance in early July.
A friend was quote £280 for a disabled persons room in a Premier Inn in the same place in June, because it was G7 week.
Suffice to say we won't be using them next year when everyone has returned to the Costas 

Let's not start with Tresco's already over inflated prices pre pandemic. I daren't look at at the prices for this Summer and in others parts of the Islands too.

Some people say "it will return to normal after a while" but the truth is it probably won't for a very long time. Once businesses know they can still capitalise and corner a market, they will continue to do so. I'm not blaming them per se, as across the board businesses have lost a year and a bit of trade - it's more the fact the price will likely stick and in somewhere like Scilly, once a price is set, most follow suit there.

My only realistic option for the foreseeable would be to camp on Aggy and even then it's not cheap. Very much catering to the more wealthy. Whilst the local workers, Islander's and Scillonians still have their struggles that I'm very aware of - not least freight costs. Government allowing freight subsidy would be a start seeing as they can make beneficial deals for their mates, why not for the Islands?!

We won't talk about the Duchy either...

[Bob's Orange]

Now we have an idea of the green list, I just remembered I had booked a long weekend in Porto last year for the wife's birthday and have a BA voucher that I can utilise. Not sure how relevant it is but we have both had 1 of the AZ vaccines. Does anyone know what the current rules are for travelling, do you have to have a negative test etc? I could probably use google to find this out but there is usually a couple of helpful TEF people that know this stuff off the top of their heads