144: Travel to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Isle of Skye in Scotland

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Slip on your wellies, don your kilt, and grab a Scotch because this week we are chatting with Moon Travel Guides author Sally Coffey about Scotland. Sally fills us in on things to do with kids in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Isle of Skye.

About our Sponsor Moon Travel Guides

If you’ve traveled the Americas, then you already know Moon Travel Guides are the go-to guidebooks for truly immersive experiences. Now with expanded coverage of Europe, your family can enjoy everything you love about Moon—honest local insight, strategic planning advice, and the opportunity to support unique and vibrant communities just by having fun—in extraordinary European regions from Prague’s fairy-tale architecture to the ruggedly picturesque Isle of Skye. Wherever your wanderlust may lead, there’s a Moon guide for you. Visit moon.com or your favorite bookseller to grab your guide.

ON THE PODCAST

00:31 – About this week’s sponsor

01:10 – Using Moon Travel Guides to plan your travel

03:51 – Talking with Sally Coffey

05:43 – Must see places in Scotland

07:44 – When to go and how long to spend

14:50 – Areas to stay in Edinburgh

15:40 – Getting around

16:36 – Glasgow

20:02 – Transportation

22:23 – Isle of Skye

30:16 – What to know before visiting Scotland

32:57 – Sally’s favorite travel gear

35:13 – What’s coming up

ABOUT SALLY COFFEY

Sally Coffey is a freelance journalist specializing in Scottish and British travel. Her first travel guidebook Moon Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Isle of Skye is out now and she is currently editor of Scotland Magazine.

Follow Sally Coffey on Instagram and Twitter or see what she’s up to on her website sallycoffeywrites.com.

TIPS FOR VISITING SCOTLAND

Edinburgh is a must see when visiting Scotland.
The West Coast of Scotland is another great area to visit, with the Isle of Skye being the most dramatic.
Scotland can get quite crowded in the summer months, but the weather is also the nicest. Places like the Isle of Skye is best to visit in the summer, whereas Edinburgh you can enjoy year round. If you are visiting Edinburgh in August, keep in mind that you will be competing for hotel rooms and in lines for attractions with those attending the Fringe Festival. Keep that in mind when you are planning your trip.
Edinburgh is the ideal spot to start your trip. The city has lot to offer, with a medieval feel and cobblestone roads of Old Town, as well the gardens and buildings of New Town.
Plan on spending at least three days in Edinburgh. The shoulder seasons of spring and fall are the ideal time to visit to avoid the crowds.
New Town in Edinburgh has a lot of museums and galleries that you can explore.
If you like J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, there are quite a few locations in Old Town that seem to have inspired characters/locations of the books. Including the Greyfriars Kirkyard which is a graveyard where some of the characters may have been inspired from.
Edinburgh is very walkable and pretty. There are taxis and other transportation, but that can get pretty expensive.
Glasgow offers loads of great museums and a lot of outdoor areas, which comes in handy if you have younger kids that like to run around outside.
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is really great and right outside there is a nice green area to have a picnic after exploring the museum.
Traveling by train is a great way to get around Scotland and it is not too expensive. The Jacobite steam train is the train that the train in the Harry Potter films was based off of along with the track it takes. If you can get a ride on that train you will see some really fantastic views.
The Isle of Skye has really fantastic views and natural beauty. You can take a train there but then you will need to rent a car to explore.
The island has some great hikes where you can walk for a long time without seeing anyone. If you would like, you can catch a short boat trip to see dolphins or even to the other smaller islands nearby.
You should really spend at least 3 days on the Isle of Skye or you might miss things if you are rushing around trying to see everything. If you can, you should try to stay a week to really get to explore the whole island.
There are some areas that you will need exact change when you are buying anything so do exchange some dollars for British pounds.
Don’t be afraid to talk to locals. They can have some really great insight into spots to visit. Keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to take a look at some suggestions.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Sally loves to wear jeans along with her hiking boots. She also likes to keep a waterproof jacket handy for when she is walking around outside in Scotland!

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

Moon Travel Guides

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions

The National Museum of Scotland

Gallery of Modern Art

Greyfriars Kirkyard – Harry Potter

Balmoral Hotel

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

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