Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => This 'n' That => Topic started by: Unhinged on August 10, 2015, 06:43:25 PM
-
Hello I'm hoping there are some ladies from Scotland who can help? First week of September I am going for a holiday in the Highlands - it looks stunning! It will be my first time there, and I have two questions:
1). I have been warned about midges. Are they really that bad and will there still be many in September? If so, is there a best repellent to use?
2). What will the weather usually be like early September? I don't know what clothes to take and not sure I'll have room to take two full different sets for both hot and cool weather!
Any advice much appreciated before I start planning what to pack - I'm so excited about it, I can't think why I haven't visited before! I'm big into scenery and usually choose moorland and countryside places like Exmoor if I holiday in the UK - I love the heather, the moors look magical and otherworldly, almost primeval! Scotland looks amazing and I can barely contain myself, I'm hoping to see a Pine Martin if I go on a jeep safari - never seen one, nor a red squirrel, nor an eagle! Oops ... I'm getting carried away .... can't help it!
-
I'm in Scotland. West Coast.
There is a midge forecast for all areas ....have a Google and you will find it.
If the midge forecast is bad then Avon Skin So Soft is excellent. The weather won't be that bad, wet perhaps but not that cold at all. But as Billy Connely says...there is no such thing as bad weather...just inappropriate clothing ;D
Where abouts are you going....generally. You don't have to give the address just the general area. ;D
Honeyb
X
X
-
Hi Honeybun!
Midge forecast? Who'd have thought there would be such a thing, how awesome, will def Google that and Skin so Soft! Thankyou.
Not cold at all? So I might be able to wear t-shirt or shirt in the daytime and I imagine cardigan/light jumper in evenings? (That's funny re Billy Connely).
I don't mind at all telling you exactly where I'm going! I'll be staying in Fort William, and we have booked excursions to Skye, Loch Ness, I'll be going on the Nevis Range gondolas - eek I'm scared oh heights, plus Glen Coe, probably what sounds to you like all the usual tourist stuff, plus I'll be doing the wildlife safari in the jeep, and if I can I'd like to go on the Jacobite steam train to Mallaig! I won't have time for menopause and anxiety, be too busy! Is where I'm going classed as 'west coast' like you, or is that further north? x
-
I'm more central west so much further north than me. I would take some good wet weather gear and a couple of cozy jumpers.
I haven't been to Fort William for years but it's lovely. If you get a chance to see Oban then it's worth a bit of a detour. Long drive though on very windy roads. Take what google maps tell you and add on....lots ::)
Sounds absolutely great and I hope the weather is kind...ie dry ::)
Honeyb
X
-
Thanks Honeybun for those tips, I will for sure take a couple of jumpers and I don't mind the cold at all - in fact most of the time with the flushes it's a case of "bring on the frost"! I have been looking at Oban too, heard it's lovely.
It'll be nice if it's dry, but I won't even mind if it rains, I shall love it anyway.
Unhinged x
P.S Just Googled and found a midge forecast, says Fort William is 4 out of 5 on the 'nuisance level' at the moment. Fascinating stuff!
-
Skin so soft is def the repellent of choice. And pack jumpers or fleeces. My central heating has only been off for 2 weeks this year! Tshirts have only been worn by me for 2 weeks also! Bank on wearing tshirts and jumpers during the day and if you can, pack some windproof jackets for the mountains. There have been times when we have had an Indian summer in September but pack for not. Better to take off clothes than not have enough.
Sorry to sound so gloomy but we have had a miserable summer up here. It has rained most days for the last 2 months. I have never had to water a pot outside except for those 2 weeks in June! On the plus side, everything is fantastically green!
Bramble
-
You can buy very sexy midge nets that go over your head....think mad bee keeper ;D
Oh and standing next to a smoker also helps
As the summer goes on the midges get less.
Oban is the place for wonderful seafood. There is a shack on the pier that does the best stuff. Depending on what road you decide to take. Up and over the Rest and be Thankful is probably quickest rather than up the side of Loch Lomond. If you do the Rest route then you will go past a great fishery smoke house just before you get to Inverary. It's on the banks of Loch Fyne.
Can you tell I love Scotland ;D
Honeyb
X
-
Wow this is amazing, you two are far more useful than any guide book I've read! That's two votes for Skin so Soft, that's a def then, where's my Avon lady!
Bramble that weather sounds brill, really! I can't stand hot weather and I am happiest when wearing a comfy fleece, trainers and stretchy exercise pants (though I'm a fraud wearing them coz I rarely exercise!). Which part of Scotland are you in Bramble?
Honeybun, yes I can tell you love Scotland and it makes me want to go even more! And I won't mind wearing a mad bee keeper's hat at all, and eek I smoke sometimes myself (BAD). I love seafood! Am getting the road map out now, and how funny, I was at the Rest and Be Thankful in Wheddon Cross in Exmoor in April!
Oh it can't come quick enough, I'd leave right now! x
-
P.S. Will there be any heather in the Highlands or will it have finished? Also, have either of you seen a Pine Martin?
-
Yes there will be heather ;D and yes I've seen a pine Martin but only in a wildlife park.
Have seen loads of red squirrels though.
Bramble is not that far from me. I'm coast and she is inland.
How long do you think the journey will take you given the fact the motorway kind of runs out just north of Glasgow.
Honeybun
X
-
Do take rain gear, as well, Unhinged.
-
We had 4 nights in our camper at Luss in September. No midges. Fab weather. Lots of scenery to sit and enjoy or to explore. Friendly people. Good food.
We went to Oban. Where there is a Distillary ;). Rhu and Helensburgh were relaxing with lovely views.
Almost 10 years ago we stayed in self catering close to Dornie and spent 4 days on Skye, again fab weather.
-
Yippee heather! And wildlife, we're going out with a guide and he reckons we will see the red squirrels, red deer, pine martins, eagles and seals, I've got my binoculars ready.
I am estimating about 12 hours allowing for stops, I'm from down south, the furthest I've driven before is to Carlisle and that was about 8 hours. I'm used to driving from my previous job, was up and down the country every week, and I like it, it's an adventure but a 'safe' one, I feel like I'm at home in my car, so I don't mind if it takes longer. I've even driven to Greece a few times in my younger days, I'm quite a spirited sort - probably why the anxiety hit me so hard. AA says 11 hours, which is a steady pace.
Bonnie Scotland here I come! x
-
Thanks Dulciana, I'm going shopping, rain gear is what I don't have!
CLKD, thankyou - I've noticed there are a few distilleries ha ha, I do enjoy an occasional scotch! Where is Luss?
Any recommendations anyone of places I really shouldn't miss that is within reach of our Fort William base?
-
Which Company are you going with?
Allow lots of time from the South, it took us 9 hours from Coventry to Glasgow ;) - once through the City outskirts, by the airport and there - in the distance is SCENERY! :-*
Luss is on Loch Lomond ;)
-
I'm driving myself CLKD, I don't mind if it takes a long time, even if I don't set off til 6am I reckon I'll still be there by 8pm at worst, but will prob leave earlier - lots of coffee and loo stops with no pressure to rush!
I can't wait, can you really see the scenery from just outside Glasgow? Oh wow. When I get there I'm not going to drive everywhere as will miss too much, so we've got trips booked, and there's boats and trains and safaris ... I really can't wait.
-
'set off till 6 ' ;D - I'd go the night before then ;)
Safari - in Scotland? who with?
-
There was a deer walked past our front window last week ;D
It's a lovely part of the country that you are going to and I hope you get to see it at its best.
About twenty mins outside Glasgow, over the Erskine bridge and you are at Loch Lomond. Then it's scenery all the way.
Honeyb
X
-
Yeah I know 6am, but I'm going to the Isle of Wight just for a day trip on Saturday, and I have to leave the coach depot at 5am, so I'll be getting up before I've gone to bed ha ha!
There's a safari company which runs out of Fort William (there's a few different ones), the one I like is called 'Wild West Safaris' and they do what they call 'The Big Five' safari (wildlife of course, not the lions, tigers and bears oh my!). Anyway, he says that we will see (all being well): seals, otters, red squirrels, red deer and golden eagles, plus a two hour boat trip on Loch Shiel.
I'm really into wildlife and scenery, I visit Exmoor regularly and go on the wildlife jeep safaris there, I really love it because you see so much more when you're not driving. Also, I have noticed that when I'm on holiday my anxiety disappears! (Except I'm going back to Prague in October which I absolutely love, but now I feel anxious about flying after that Germanwings crash!)
-
Honeybun, a deer outside your window? How wonderful! I live on the outskirts of a town but I would really love to live in the country, I feel like that's where I belong, the trouble is work though, I'm on my own with a mortgage so have to keep working, but if I win the lottery I will move to the middle of the heather-clad Exmoor and have a holiday home in Scotland too by the sounds of it! I have never heard anyone say they didn't like Scotland and I genuinely cannot fathom why I haven't gone before (except for a diverted flight to Glasgow airport before!). I can't wait to see the scenery x
-
The scenery will get better and better as you drive north. You will have the Lakeland hills then the soft rolling green hills of the borders then on to the proper mountains around FW. You will be about an hour and a bit from Oban - you could get the ferry across to Mull and the chocolate shop in Tobermory! I walked from Fort William to Inverness about 10 years ago along the Great Glen Way. Took 6 days but beautiful scenery. Look out for Nessie. FW is a great base. Enjoy!
Bramble
-
Bramble - you walked the Great Glen Way? How absolutely awesome is that! I would love to do that, and also that walk from Glasgow to Fort William, I can't remember what it's called, but I think it's about 90 miles or something. I saw a programme on TV a few weeks ago about a young chap who climbed all the Munros? Wow, I wish I could get fit, what a wonderful world is out there, that walk must have been magnificent, imagine all that way from FW to Inverness - yes I shall watch out for Nessie ha ha!
Ferry across to Mull, yes would like to do that, also want to see the Islands and the far north as well as the Cairngorm area, go to where the battle of Culloden was. I can see I am going to need to make several visits!
I might even do a coach holiday next time, I saw 'Lochs & Glens', it looks terrific. Thanks for all your tips! x
-
I'm actually right on the coast and am more likely to see seals than deer but we live next to a country park and they come awandering at times along with pheasants trying to avoid men with guns ::)
Honeyb
x
-
Oh boy, what a place to live you lucky woman! (Men shooting birds not so much - but the rest yes!). I am off to bed to dream of heather clad hills .... x
-
Scenery up the A9 is amazing, especially north of Perth. I lived in Inverness for 3 years & still miss it to this day. Moray Firth tends to be milder as a rule. Loch Ness is beautiful. Braemar is also beautiful. If you like walking there is a walk around Loch Muick (pronounced Mick) it takes a few hours depending on how fast a walker you are. Also Lochnagar, but I've never walked up it as its a bit of a hike, but lots of deer there.
-
Thankyou cubagirl, I do love to walk, I think I am going to need to plan separate visits - so much I want to see, maybe Fort William as a base this time, then a base further north next time, but then there's the areas south of Fort William and to the east, then there's all the islands - how can there be so much to see in one country! No way can I fit everything in, I think I will need to spend 6 months there simply because everything looks so beautiful, I don't want to miss anything!
-
Unhinged, I'm not able to answer your question, but just wanted to say your username made me burst out laughing, so thanks ;D
-
How long are you going for ::)
-
I've always fancied a trip up the West Coast of Scotland as some of the scenery is spectacular, Tighnabruaich in particular. But hubby was made to do this with his folks one year. He had to drive them everywhere & it's put him right off. I've seen a few places, but would love to see more. We do have some of the most wonderful scenery.
-
Hello Oldsheep, glad you had a laugh, that can only be good!
Only got 10 days CLKD. cubagirl, what a shame hubby has been put off, it looks so awesome up there I could easily spend a few months just driving about! Going to look up Tighnabruaich now ....
-
Years ago before we were married hubby and I did a road trip up the West Coast, right across the top, stopping at John o Groats. Then down to Inverness and back across to the west.
Hubby is from London so he enjoyed it very much.
We stayed in all sorts of places including a caravan that was on the top of a cliff and secured by a rope :o
If you wanted a good place to see Scotland in miniature Unhinged, then the Isle of Arran is the place to go. It has everything set in one island including Scotland's second highest mountain. Oh and I can see it from my window. ;D
Honeyb
X
-
Honeybun, you can see a mountain from your window? That's just not fair!
Your road trip sounds like a great adventure - though maybe not the caravan being held by a rope at the top of a cliff!
Isle of Arran, right I'm going to look at that now ....
P.S I just posted a thankyou message to you on my 'lost my marbles and become unhinged' thread - I now have Evorol conti patches!
-
Definitely Google images of Arran. I spent a lot of time there as a child. It's about an hour away by boat.
From my coastline I can see Arran,Ailsa Craig, Island of Cumbrae, and the Island of Bute.
I have lived in this area all my life and nothing will get me away from here.
Mind you the weather is usually rubbish, so in the middle of winter when I'm complaining about the wind and rain feel free to remind I said I would never move ;D
Honeyb
X
-
How absolutely wonderful to live somewhere you feel that way about - to never want to leave, that's quite something and I don't know anyone else personally who has ever felt that way, except people I've met down on Exmoor.
I don't care about weather, I tend to avoid the sun like Gollum in his cave, but yes if I see you complaining in the winter then I shall point you back to this post ha ha!
I have got my map out .... everyone I know thinks there's something wrong with me - I can spend hours studying maps!
-
I think both Arran and Skye are Scotland in miniature. Both good islands to visit along with my fave of Mull (but only because of the choc shop!). Love Arran cheeses. We are so lucky HB.
Bramble
-
Hi Bramble, oh good - I'm going to Skye this visit, just realised, I'll be there in less than a month. You are indeed lucky to live in such a beautiful place, and I'll post to let you know I really love it when I get back too - I know I will - 1,000 picture I've looked at online can't lie! x
-
I loved living in Wales and didn't want to leave :'( - now retired we were planning on going back but a lot of our current hobbies don't exist there ::)
The week after we visited Portree, it rained so heavily that the road slipped! :o we ran out of words after 2 days, the oohs and aaahhs and FabULus ran out ;)
My Great Uncle loves the Isle of Arran.
-
If I ever win the lottery, then I will go and live on Arran. Same view but just from the other side ;D
My dad used to have to work on the island and he used to take me with him every summer. I loved it. It was also my very first taste of freedom....The youth hostel was brilliant.
From about 13 a whole crowd of kids used to take our bikes on the ferry in the morning and come back on the last one at night.
I have family and friends there and visit quite regularly although we have not stayed over for quite a few years......and the ferry fares have now come down.
If anyone would like to read a wonderful book based on the island. It's called The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringles by Kirsty Wark. It's such a great read.
Honeybun
X
-
:thankyou:
If it means a Ferry ride then count me out :-\ ……… the Isle of Wight trip gave me enough worries though it was fine ……
-
It's a big ferry and it only takes 50 mins.
Honeybun
X
-
THAT long ;D ……. :sick02: - and one has to travel back to the mainland tha knows ;)
-
Never once in my life have I seen anyone being seasick, but I see your point.
You can helicopter in if that helps ;D
Honeybun
X
-
:rofl: ………. you'll be sending me to the Isle of Man next ::)