I am planning a five week Scotland tour in 2019. Can any one offer any advice? I was thinking of taking in some of the following.
*The Highland Games at Blair Atholl
*Edinburgh
*Culloden
*The film locations for 'Outlander' and James Bond
*The Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies
*Glencoe
*Isle of Mull

and anywhere else you can recommend, including places to stay.

I await your interesting replies.

Isle of Arran is my favourite, great wilding spots and a few nice little campsites if thats your thing. Outer Hebrides are interesting with some lovely beaches but I find them a bit bleak. Anywhere up the west coast is lovely though. Orkney and Shetland are different again.

Scotland is on our wish list for 2019 too. Is there a "best" time to go? I have heard that May is the best weather? Does that mean everyone is there then?

Before end of May and after end of August will be less 'midgy'


Isle of Skye is lovely - in fact all of Scotland is lovely. 5 weeks will not be long enough.



West is more scenic if you like mountains. There are not so many roads to choose from as there are in England so touring from place to place works really well wherever you decide to go.

Skye IS lovely but SO crowded in season. Parking in any town area was a nightmare. Coaches of Japanese everywhere!
I loved Lewis / Harris....beaches are awesome (be even better if you could pick ‘em up and put ‘em somewhere Hot!) Weather changes 10 times a day, but lots of wild camping available. If the weather’s bad , at least the midges are tolerable.
Mostly single track winding roads and passing places, so care needed with a big van. It was hard enough in my little 6 mtr Hymer.

Garcia

May and June I've always found best but I've been all year round and spent a few Christmas and New Years on Arran.

The islands are rarely crowded. We spent 7 weeks on Arran in July August 2016 and always found spots on our own or a couple of vans. The ferry puts a lot off I reckon. Islands are generally less effected by midges because of the wind but I once got bitten to death on Skye which is no longer a proper Island so maybe they come across in little midge buses I dunno

Many thanks for the replies so far.I was not expecting to have time to take in the islands on this trip Barryd . although i have rallied on Mull when the roads were closed.

https://blair-castle.co.uk/scottish-...ade-gathering/

It takes place at the end of May, 25/26, so that kind of determines your timetable. All the info is on the website and they have a caravan park so it may be an idea to book a pitch as I imagine it'll be pretty busy - no motorways up there.

Edinburgh is certainly worth a visit, but it's one of the most congested cities in the UK. Again, a campsite might be best. The C&MH Club have one convenient nearby, or stay at the site in Melrose, itself worth a visit and get the train from Tweedbank.

There are a few wilding sites in Glencoe or just before, but again it's a busy place in high season, but probably ok in May early June. Then Fort William, a bit of an eyesore, but trying to improve and of course some top class mountain biking country and the highest UK mountain - worth a look or even a climb up.

You could get the wee Corran Ferry onto Ardnamurchan and the most westerly point on the British mainland, with the option of a small passenger ferry to Mull and a look at the painted houses of Tobermory. (lots of fun on some single track roads - let people overtake, it may be a doctor or home visitor)

From Ft Bill take the road to Loch Cluanie and Kyle of Lochalsh and be amazed at the run down to Shiel Bridge. Then Eilean Donan Castle (we lived nearby for a few years) - it's a horrible pastiche rebuilt by people who knew nothing of historical accuracy but everyone goes there and it is "iconic".

You could try the Glenelg Ferry to Skye (back to Shiel Bridge from Eilean Donan), the last turntable ferry in Scotland. You go over quite a high pass to get there, so you may prefer to go on to Kyle and the Bridge.

Possibly the most "must-see" beach is Sandwood Bay. There's a camper stop at Kinlochbervie (https://klbcompany.wordpress.com/loch-clash-stopover/) and then a walk to the bay: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/suth...wood-bay.shtml

Just a few of the many.

Arran is beautiful

But depends on the weather and what you wish to do

Our last trip was a nightmare of rain and high winds, wasn’t helped by the fact our pump flooded the van

And the new carpets and we had to leave all the kitchen drawers out to monitor the pump which is underneath them , which meant the van was already too small

That the coast line was difficult to walk shadow, rocky beaches

He’s a big heavy, and older dog and rocky beaches are dangerous to him, to say nothing about Alberts naff knees which couldn’t afford th slip on rocks

As we cannot walk too far

And Barry loves to be on the water, but we are to old now to be Kayacking

Quite frankly I was bored

The coast was to much of a muchness on a small island,beautiful but circumnavigated in a few days

I preferred the wilds of Scotland

But of course it’s always a personal preference

And given we can’t walk far, but need to exercise the hound

It influences our ideas of where to be

Sandra

You can do so much in 5 weeks!
From Blair Atholl try a drive down Speyside to Aberlour (visit a distillery at Dufftown maybe) and by Fochabers and Lossiemouth to Inverness. Gets you off the beaten track a little. At Inverness maybe visit the Dolphin Watch At Channory Point. Perhaps cross the bridge from Inverness to Dingwall, the scenery is amazing on such a short run. Also, Dornoch is lovely and so is Ullapool.
Hope you enjoy your visit.