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Author Topic: Where to go in Wales and Scotland  (Read 6075 times)

cottagehunter

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Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« on: November 21, 2015, 06:30:10 pm »

We are planning a trip next year for 4 weeks to Wales and Scotland , we are a couple in our mid 70's usually travel alone and only one of us is a photographer, the other is extremely patient but I don't want to push it. We would be going for the month of May any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks
Pierre
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Jimbo57

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2015, 03:54:42 am »

Hi Pierre,

Paradoxically it is easier to provide a response when someone asks the silly "I am going to be in Scotland for three days. Where should I go?"

Assuming that you are splitting your time equally between Scotland and Wales, then here are some suggestions for the Scottish half. (But don't forget to stop for a couple of days in the English Lake District on your way between the two. It is only 4 hours drive between south Scotland and north Wales but the Lakes are worth a couple of days.)

If you are flying in, I would suggest flying to Edinburgh and picking a car up there. But allow 3 days for the capital and you won't need the car until you are ready to leave.

After Edinburgh, I would suggest the following route, spending two days in each area:

Fife (East Neuk and St Andrews)
Aberdeen(shire)
Moray Coast/Inverness
Fort William
Glasgow (an absolutely fantastic city)
Dumfries and Galloway/Ayrshire.

Following that route will give a good mix of urban/rural and coastal/mountains. It will take you through the Great Glen, Glencoe and over Rannoch Moor, which are all photogenic locations. Unfortunately that short time won't let you visit the western isles or the north and north-west of Scotland but maybe that will be for your next trip. (Or just forget about Wales this time).

Have a great time.
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mlewis

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2015, 04:30:12 am »

The castles in north west Wales - Conwy, Harlech, Beaumaris, Caernarfon - are good to visit.  They are next to Snowdonia National Park as well.  If it is a wet day in north west Wales there are several mines you can visit or Electric Mountain - a pumped storage hydro electric station inside a mountain.  There are lots of other great places to see in the rest of Wales too.

In Scotland apart from the usual recommendations of the Highlands, how about the area around Pitlochry in Perthshire.  There are some nice woodland areas nearby (which are great in the Autumn).  Visiting a whisky distillery is interesting even if you don't like the drink.
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john beardsworth

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2015, 04:53:34 am »

I'm surprised Jimbo didn't mention the Isle of Skye, though his route heads in that direction. This would be my number one recommendation.

In Wales, I agree about using the castles to plan the trip. S Wales has some lovely areas, but I'd suggest remaining in the North.

Between Wales and Scotland, consider the Lake District as it's at least the equal of either Wales or Scotland (!). And take the chance to see Hadrians Wall (Birdoswald fort) as it isn't far off the route.

John
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Mike Dale

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2015, 01:09:06 pm »

Pierre,
you don't mention what sort of photography that you are interested in. That will help to decide where to suggest. Are you interested in Landscapes, Bird and Animal, Architecture? 

Mike
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cottagehunter

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2015, 03:02:24 pm »

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I don't think we will be making another trip to GB. So one trip will have to do it.
Mike my interests lie mainly in landscape and architecture photography.

Again many thanks
Pierre
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drmike

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2015, 04:52:04 pm »

If landscape is your desire then North Wales should prove ideal for you. You can go for the obvious places such as Snowdon or just go pretty much anywhere just inland from Harlech for example but you generally need to walk a bit to get the best views. Buy a detailed Ordnance Survey map and work out which of the many small roads will get you closest to where you'd like to be. We have a holiday flat in Barmouth which is a very traditional seaside town but we can walk inland and get instant views, or drive a short way to get even more. We have bought a couple of small books of circular  walks in and around that area and each one has proved to be great and well explained. If you'd like to know the books we have email me and I'll tell you when we go to the flat next.

I am sure that a good photographer can get some good shots around Blyneau Festiniogg (which I have spelt wrong!) as the worked out slate mines are very impressive but I have never made the time yet and probably lack the ability. The Ynys estuary is also full of potential in the right weather.

However, you will need to be prepared to walk to get the best I think.

Mike (another one!)
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Ian99

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2015, 12:05:32 pm »

OK, mid 70s with 4 weeks to do Scotland and Wales to shoot landscapes and architecture. It might help a bit to tell us where you would be flying from/to and whether or not you are Scots/Welsh expats.

I was born in Glasgow and my wife was born in Caernarfon. We did a  4 weeks photo shoot around Scotland 8 years ago and a similar one around Wales two years ago. I have some snaps of these trips on www.whitepixels.ca which might help you choose locations.

I would suggest:

1.   2 nights in Glasgow. The architecture is spectacular from the downtown Victorian work of Mackintosh, the Peoples Palace, George Square etc to the Squinty and Squiggly bridges (must see). It is a very walkable city but tourist buses are common in George Square. Do not walk along Sauchiehall St in the evening, the city still has a drunken lout problem.

2.   Go North and do Glencoe, Eileann Donan, Plockton, Stalker, and this will take you up past the Green Welly to the edge of Rannoch Moor.

3.   Skye is a must. The Cuillins from Elgol (take a boat across to Loch Coruisk if you are adventurous), the Quirang and the views are spectacular. Do not stay in the B&B at Dornie.

4.   Cross to the East Coast. Give Inverness a miss as the only thing it has is the World’s worst road system. Likewise give Aberdeen a miss – a thoroughly miserable grey place. Go to Culloden if you are Scots.

5.   Stonehaven is worth a stop for the magnificent Dunnottar Castle.

6.   Stop at St. Andrews on the way to do the Royal & Ancient GC and the ruined abbey. The little fishing villages along the coast are also interesting.

7.   3 nights near Edinburgh. In the city do the Castle and down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace. Good architecture here contrasting the “new town” from the old ie compare Rose St with the Grassmarket. Try drinking one pint in every pub on Rose St and see how far you get! It is a difficult city to walk around because it is very hilly.
As it will be raining go to the National Museum across from Greyfriars Bobby.
Drop the wife off at Marks & Spencers.

8.   From Edinburgh you can do day trips to do Bass Rock/Tantallon Castle and Jedburgh.

9.   On your way down through England spend a day or two in the Lake District or in the Western parts of the Yorkshire Moors – Ingleton, Malham Cove etc

10.   I think you will be too rushed if you did both North and South Wales so I would suggest 3 nights in Conwy and take day trips from there. Castle St and the Castle in Conwy are a must, as is Caernarfon and Beaumaris and the suspension bridge over the Menai Straits. If the weather is clear (unlikely) take the train up Snowdon. Drive through the Llanberis Pass.  There is a classic night shot of Conwy Castle from Deganwy. There is ample medieval architecture in Conwy and Beaumaris.

11.   Beddgelert is a must for the tourist shots. Also there is a classic shot in Blaenau Ffestiniog that takes in a rugby pitch, a chapel, and the backdrop of slate tailings – very Welsh. The Llechwedd cavern is worth a miss.

12.   My view is that South East Wales is a mess of industrial towns with little to attract anybody who does not have some ancestral link there. Having said that Abergavenny has the Priory Church of St Mary with magnificent tombs from about 1200 AD and a 14th century Jesse Tree. Otherwise give Abergavenny a miss.

13.   South West Wales is interesting and you can base yourself in Carmarthen and do day trips to St Davids, Laugharne, Tenby, and the Gower.

14.   Overall comments: I would suggest booking in a hotel for a few days in each area. Those from a North American chain are best. Firstly B&Bs are definitely variable and quite restricting. And secondly moving every night is a pain.

Rent the smallest car you can. I rented a VW Golf diesel with automatic that goes like a rocket. It is small but on some roads in Wales I had the hedges on both sides of the road rubbing along the car body! In Wales the roads are very windy with stone walls or steep hedges on each side so take care. In Scotland it is different as there are few trees and the roads cross open moorland so visibility is very good.

In May it will probably be raining non stop. Prepare for it. We were astonishingly lucky with the weather on both trips and the problem in Wales was avoiding heat haze in the pics!

Food is bad. Service is bad to non-existent. Expect to eat in pubs, curry restaurants, or fish and chip takeouts. I had two spectacular meals in Carmarthen but also two horrible ones.

In Wales the road sign posts are large and clear but are always built behind large trees or bushes. They are also bilingual so the sign will say Abertawe when you want Swansea , of course they are the same place! Scottish road signs will often be in Gaelic and the names are utterly impossible to pronounce.

If you want any more info send me a PM.
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DavidJ

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2015, 01:38:44 pm »

Ian I wonder how long ago you travelled through Scotland and Wales? It is possible to get acceptable to good food in both. Weather is hit or miss in May you could have lots of rain or lots of sun. We have had temperatures in the high 20s C in Plockton at the end of April. One of the joys of photography in the Highlands is that the weather is so rapidly changeable. You can have four seasons in the one day!

Plockton itself is a good base for exploring quite a lot of the West Coast of the Highlands. West in to Skye and North to Applecross and Torridon.

The great North Wales Castles are a must with the associated towns. Snowdonia is stunning and much photographed. Going a bit to the South the Mawddach Valley with its associated mountains is very beautiful. Barmouth is a seaside resort and inland Dolgellau is another possible base.

The finest of the seaside resorts is Llandudno a remarkably unspoiled Victorian Seaside resort with a handsome pier. The Great Orme has some fascinating prehistory and spectacular views.
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David Allen

Ian99

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2015, 04:14:45 pm »

DavidJ,
Read my post. It says that I was in Scotland 8 years ago and in Wales 2 years ago.
I agree that “it is possible to get acceptable to good food in both”. It is not likely but it is possible.

In responding to this type of post I think you have to flavour your answers to suit the background of the OP. In this case we are not told much, but that we can surmise that if he is asking about Wales and Scotland he almost certainly does not live there already!

He probably lives in the US or Canada, with Aus as a possibility, and I think it is appropriate to help the OP understand the differences in the environment in Wales/Scotland.

In the US/Canada places like Denny’s or Tim Hortons are ubiquitous and are found in every tiny community across the two countries. In them you get a decent, but not spectacular, menu. They are clean, friendly and open from about 7am to 11pm. You can always find food.

The situation is not the case in Wales and Scotland outside the major towns. Mostly they shut down exactly when tourists want to eat! The OP should prepare for this.

Likewise the weather. Yes I agree it can be variable, but it is far better to prepare for rain and it ends up being hot, than the reverse.

I agree Llandudno is a wonderful place to view Victorian architecture and the Great Orme is worth a drive on a clear day so you can see the wind turbines. I would suggest Conwy is a better base than either Barmouth or Dolgellau as it has much greater facilities for a visitor.

The fact is we don’t know much about the OP’s wants at this stage. For example if he was a train nut then there are many suggestions that could be made around Wales with the Tal-y-Llyn being my favourite (you can get married on it now!).

PS your website www.pistyllphoto.org.uk does not work.
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cottagehunter

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #10 on: November 23, 2015, 09:19:27 pm »

Okay it seems as if it is important to know where I hail from. I live in Canada a town called Cobourg pop approx. 20,000 60 miles east of Toronto. I am thinking of flying from Toronto to Manchester or Edinburgh.
Will rent a car and travel around Wales and Scotland as time allows. We generally rent apartments or houses for 3-5 days, and have been traveling through Europe for the past 15 years we have visited all countries in Europe except for Greece, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. We usually travel for 4-5 weeks at a time. France has been our favorite and there is few places that we haven't been to. We also have traveled to Russia in 2014.
The last time I was in GB was in 1964 when I was in the Royal Canadian Air Force. I have been shooting since 1960's first with a pentax spotmatic then several other pentaxses . My first digital was an Olympus d600 1.6 mp and have progressed thru to now using a Sony a99 with a 24-70 Zeiss , 70-300 Tamron and a rokinon 14mm. I have a Epson 7900 as well as 4 other smaller Epsons . I liked France because I and my wife like fine food , yes I go to Tim Hortons for a coffee or a sandwich, if I want a hamburger I go to Harveys or Wendys not Macdonalds. I like any food that is well prepared it does not have to be fancy. We are not expats of any country. I have traveled as far West and East, North and South that you can go in Canada. For 15 years we lived near Algonquin park (lot of wildlife there).
 I dont know if this information is a help to anybody.

Pierre



 
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DavidJ

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #11 on: November 24, 2015, 03:42:02 am »

Yes google must be out of date I have taken my web site down for the moment!
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David Allen

john beardsworth

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #12 on: November 24, 2015, 06:07:25 am »

Okay it seems as if it is important to know where I hail from. I live in Canada a town called Cobourg pop approx. 20,000 60 miles east of Toronto. I am thinking of flying from Toronto to Manchester or Edinburgh.
Will rent a car and travel around Wales and Scotland as time allows. We generally rent apartments or houses for 3-5 days, and have been traveling through Europe for the past 15 years we have visited all countries in Europe except for Greece, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. We usually travel for 4-5 weeks at a time. France has been our favorite and there is few places that we haven't been to. We also have traveled to Russia in 2014.
The last time I was in GB was in 1964 when I was in the Royal Canadian Air Force. I have been shooting since 1960's first with a pentax spotmatic then several other pentaxses . My first digital was an Olympus d600 1.6 mp and have progressed thru to now using a Sony a99 with a 24-70 Zeiss , 70-300 Tamron and a rokinon 14mm. I have a Epson 7900 as well as 4 other smaller Epsons . I liked France because I and my wife like fine food , yes I go to Tim Hortons for a coffee or a sandwich, if I want a hamburger I go to Harveys or Wendys not Macdonalds. I like any food that is well prepared it does not have to be fancy. We are not expats of any country. I have traveled as far West and East, North and South that you can go in Canada. For 15 years we lived near Algonquin park (lot of wildlife there).
 I dont know if this information is a help to anybody.

Pierre

Unlike France or Italy, you won't find the same culture of good food in any small town anywhere, but I wouldn't let that determine your trip. Decide where you want to see, and then do a little research rather than searching round a one kebab shop small town.

I suggest that you get the Good Pub Guide app for your iPhone or iPad because it tends to list pubs that are as much about food as they are about beer. Many pubs are more about food nowadays, and that's even more so in rural areas like N Wales and in Scotland's less-populated areas where they depend on higher-end tourism. The Good Food Guide would be more for restaurants, a bit bulky to carry around if there's no app, and perhaps it's more for around bigger cities and towns. But Scotland isn't all about deep-fried Mars bars, and you can still find amazing places in pretty remote locations (I don't know if this is reliable). If there's one really good place in an area, there will often be others worth trying.

N Wales is good for cottages to rent, as is the Isle of Skye.
« Last Edit: November 24, 2015, 06:17:54 am by john beardsworth »
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cottagehunter

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #13 on: November 25, 2015, 12:26:58 pm »

Thanks to all who replied.
John: I don't have an " I " anything, use windows (nice and clean  8) ) Are the apps available to download to my laptop?

Thanks again to all

Pierre
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john beardsworth

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #14 on: November 25, 2015, 03:09:24 pm »

Sadly, I don't see any non-i alternative other than the books, Pierre, and they are a bit bulky. 5-6 cm thick.
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jeremyrh

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #15 on: November 26, 2015, 04:39:35 am »



2.   Go North and do Glencoe, Eileann Donan, Plockton, Stalker, and this will take you up past the Green Welly to the edge of Rannoch Moor.

3.   Skye is a must. The Cuillins from Elgol (take a boat across to Loch Coruisk if you are adventurous), the Quirang and the views are spectacular. Do not stay in the B&B at Dornie.


This. Sacrifice the east coast if necessary. If you get comfy with small roads, go north to the Assynt coast, Lochinver, Ullapool etc. Some excellent food to be had in Ullapool by the way ...
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john beardsworth

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #16 on: November 26, 2015, 05:11:45 am »

I'd agree with a Western route, and you can do a great round trip via Ullapool. You take the ferry to Lewis and see the Callanish stone circle, then return to Skye by the Harris-Uig ferry. Or maybe do it the other way round, so you'd be driving southwards down the west coast and keeping the landscape backlit.
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markadams99

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #17 on: December 01, 2015, 10:13:58 pm »

I'd agree with a Western route, and you can do a great round trip via Ullapool. You take the ferry to Lewis and see the Callanish stone circle, then return to Skye by the Harris-Uig ferry. Or maybe do it the other way round, so you'd be driving southwards down the west coast and keeping the landscape backlit.
Seconded, a wonderful trip. Uig, the ferry port in N. Skye is quite convenient for the spooky and spectacular Quirang, which I'm told is used to great effect in the new film of Macbeth.

Tarnash

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2015, 03:37:57 pm »

If you are going to be in Cardiff a short excursion to Castell Coch (Just North of the M4 motorway, Nr. the village of Tongwynlaisis) is well worthwhile.  To the West, St David's and the Pembrokeshire Coast are delightful too (the light there can be wonderful).  In between the two, the Gower Peninsular offers some good coastal vistas.  You will be spoilt for choice in Scotland, I'd say you almost can't go wrong with spectacular, rugged `wilderness', gritty industrial/urban landscapes and everything in between.  Good luck and enjoy! 
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SimonC

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Re: Where to go in Wales and Scotland
« Reply #19 on: December 10, 2015, 10:15:19 am »

Hi I live on the island of Anglesey in North Wales and I confirm that:

- There are plenty of excellent landscape photographic locations in North Wales and this book might be useful: http://www.landscapephotographyuk.com/north-wales-photography-location-book
- There are decent places to eat but you need to know where to look and it depends upon your budget, I can give you some suggestions for some places to eat in North Wales.
- If you are in North Wales Chester would also be worth a visit especially for a non-photographic partner.

Hope you both have a great time.

Simon
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