Travel to Stornoway

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Jagger
Posts: 68
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:05 am

Travel to Stornoway

Post by Jagger »

Hello all... DW and I are planning a trip to Scotland, with one destination being Stornoway, from which my grandfather emigrated. Questions:
1. Has anyone been to Stornoway and, if so, what were your impressions of the place?
2. Have you visited Edinburgh?
3. What other favorite places in Scotland would you recommend.

Thanks,
Jagger
Valuethinker
Posts: 48944
Joined: Fri May 11, 2007 11:07 am

Re: Travel to Stornoway

Post by Valuethinker »

Jagger wrote: Mon Jun 05, 2023 11:02 pm Hello all... DW and I are planning a trip to Scotland, with one destination being Stornoway, from which my grandfather emigrated. Questions:
1. Has anyone been to Stornoway and, if so, what were your impressions of the place?
2. Have you visited Edinburgh?
3. What other favorite places in Scotland would you recommend.

Thanks,
Jagger

Scotland is not my patch, however:

- try to avoid Edinburgh in the Festival Season unless you are attending events. Accommodation is expensive and hard to obtain. Generally, if you are in a "desperate" situation for accommodation, you may find the Premier Inn behind Waverley Station (main train station) to be a good location - it's just inside the Old Town, but on a quiet cul-de-sac, rooms are clean & functional (budget travel chain, but generally better than Travelodge). The metropolitan format (on the same site, and I can't remember how they brand it) has *tiny* rooms (Japanese style). Premier can be good value or it can be very expensive (used by a lot of business travellers).

- everything in Edinburgh that is on the tourist track is worth seeing. A tour of Holyrood (the monarch's official castle when in Scotland and not in Braemar) would be really interesting (but it's restricted visiting if the monarch is there. Edinburgh Castle also. But just walking around the Old Town and the New Town (latter dating from 1700s). Museum of Scotland. Picture galleries.

- weather in Scotland is very variable. In summer you can be in the 80s or you can have blowing rain and be in the 50s. What's more you can have that kind of variation in a single day. But expect rain, particularly on the West Coast.

- the midges (small biting insects) on the West Coast are brutal. Really brutal. Would make me want to avoid July-August there.

- Inverness is a functional town rather than a pretty one. But it's a base for exploring the Highlands. You will need a vehicle to do that well. Getting out into the Highlands is great.
cardinal45
Posts: 24
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2018 11:55 pm

Re: Travel to Stornoway

Post by cardinal45 »

Never been to Stornoway, sorry. I think you can take a ferry from Ullapool. The other ferries leaving from Oban and Uig go to different cities on Lewis, but I'd play around with option. Can also fly. Also, don't go on a Sunday as I think it mostly closes down?

Edinburgh is beautiful and the fringe festival can be chaotically very fun, but need to know what you are getting into. I wouldn't do for a first time (the festival, not the city...Edinburgh is the first time city to go to). Staying in new town and walking to old works for me. New Years is also a major party...Hogmanay

Glasgow is underrated city and feels more real world plus more fun than Edinburgh.

I actually find Inverness to be particularly charming, but maybe that's just me. Glencoe area is beautiful...maybe try staying in the Kingshouse hotel? Skye is beautiful but so crowded in high season. Ive always wanted to drive the north coast 500.

Agree on the midges...deet, Smidge or Avon Skin so soft for the midges. They dont like wind. Can be brutal!
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shmidds
Posts: 284
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:25 pm

Re: Travel to Stornoway

Post by shmidds »

We walked coast to coast across Scotland in May, 2019 on the John Muir Way from Helensburgh to Dunbar. Before starting the walk we spent some time in Glasgow. The city's trails, parks, gardens, and especially the bridges over the river Kelvin were beautiful.
Rams2go
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2018 8:26 pm

Re: Travel to Stornoway

Post by Rams2go »

While I've not yet travelled to Stornoway, I have recently met a Scottish couple performing at the Fringe in Edinburgh, who live there. Follow Elsa McTaggart Music, and Elsa j McTaggart on Facebook, as they post somewhat regularly and stream live concerts from their home. You'll get a great flavor for life in the Outer Hebrides, fantastic photography and a fun site to visit.

Regarding Edinburgh, I've visited the Tattoo (held in August annually) at the Edinburgh Castle. I consider it a bucket list item, and be sure to research the Fringe as well, a festival of the Arts that runs concurrently with the Tattoo.
gutterman
Posts: 60
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:01 pm

Re: Travel to Stornoway

Post by gutterman »

I just got back from a 2 week Scotland trip and spent two nights on the Isle of Lewis and Harris and stayed just north of Stornoway. We spent two nights in Edinburgh, one night in Glencoe, two nights on Skye, then the ferry from Skye to Tarbet, two nights in Stornoway, then the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry, up to Durness, then to Orkney for a few days.
The Isle of Lewis and Harris has a more laid back feel after Skye and Edinburgh with less tourists and no tour buses, more of a people live and work here feel. Stornoway was a much bigger town than I expected.
If I had it to do over again I would have skipped Skye and spent an extra day each of Isle of Lewis and Orkney. Way too many people on Skye and most key sites had hundreds of people in an area for maybe a few dozen.
While I have no ancestors from Isle of Lewis and Harris, I went to two museums that explained the exodus from this area. It seems too many people were there at one point and a bunch of young people left. The land could only support so many people

Kinloch Historical Society https://kinlochhistoricalsociety.co.uk/

and the Comunn Eachdraidh Nis, https://www.nesshistorical.co.uk/

There is probably more places that explore this theme it just was not my main interest.

I don't think you could get around very well on Isle of Lewis and Harris without a car. Way easier for an American to drive on Lewis than Glencoe Skye area. We enjoyed St Moluag's Church, Butt of Lewis Lighthouse, and the Calanais Standing Stones. The Gearrannan Blackhouse Village might show you how your ancestor lived.
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Artful Dodger
Posts: 1949
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 12:56 pm

Re: Travel to Stornoway

Post by Artful Dodger »

Hello,

DD and I stayed one night in Stornoway after taking the ferry from Ullapool. We were doing a tour with Rabbies which I can recommend. We mostly toured around the island of Lewis seeing the beaches (including the one where the Lewis chessmen were found), lighthouse, historical villages with black houses.

It was a pleasant enough town. The one evening we were there it was raining and we checked out a folk/pop concert at a very nice performing arts center. During the break it gave us time to mingle with the locals and local travelers. It was the An Lanntair, a couple blocks back from the sea wall.

There’s an interesting murder mystery trilogy based in Stornoway, the Lewis Man. I read the first volume, The Black House, while we were touring.

We spent just one day in Edinburgh and were blessed with perfect weather for late October. We visited most of the historic area, Edinburgh castle, Calton Hill, a whiskey tour/experience. We also visited the royal yacht, Brittania.

I really enjoyed the trip and am planning a return next month with two old friends. The scenery in the outer islands is stunning. Hopefully the midges won’t be too bothersome.
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