Advice for a trip to Scotland and Ireland

As a half-Irish who grew up in the UK, the only thing I'd urge is to tell your mother and step-father never to tell anyone about their "ancestry". It's a ridiculous American idea which will only mean they'll be laughed at. Seriously, they will not be taken seriously.

I already knew that R1. I'll remind them though.

OP you might also want to remind them that Scotland and Ireland are two separate countries and don't share a land border. They might want to take that into account.

I recommend the Shetlands and Orkneys, which I loved. You can fly to them or take a ferry. Orkneys are very close to Scotland, Shetlands farther out. Both are great for scenery, historical stuff, wildlife, and so on and so forth.

If they have ancestors from there, find out what cities or villages and visit those.

Otherwise, in Scotland, I’d recommend Edinburgh and then a drive up to Glen Coe. Oban is lovely as well. I’m also a fan of Glasgow with the botanical gardens, university, and Kelvingrove. If you don’t want to rent a car, public transit in Scotland is pretty great, and there are several great day-trips that base from Edinburgh. I took a day trip through the highlands and a boat across Loch Ness, and it was like £50. Well worth it.

I’ve spent less time in Ireland, but I enjoyed Limerick and Cork the beats and of course, the Cliffs of Moher. Driving in rural Ireland sucks, though-the roads are so narrow-and public transit options are less robust than in Scotland.

I’ll repeat what r1 said-don’t mention anything at all about genealogy or roots. Not a peep. You’ll get the side eye for sure and perhaps laughed out of the country.

I took the train from Glasgow to Oban. Lovely!

As for Ireland, I loved Sligo.

OP, you might want to remind your parents NEVER to feed the leprechauns. Americans make this mistake all the time. Yes, the leprechauns are cute and friendly, but they carry a lot of diseases. I know a girl who touched one once, and within three days she had died of ebola.

OP, please remind them to spend time on their essay for the visa. As you can see from the helpful and not at all condescending advice in this thread, there is a narrowly prescribed list of valid reasons for travel to Scotland and Ireland, and if your parents list the wrong ones on their application, the natives will get most upset with them and deny their visa.

My 85 year old mother in law asked a band in an Irish pub to play “Danny Boy” which was not well received. But the Irish kept insisting that the German Jewish redheads on this trip were Irish, so in this case they were the ones pushing “Irish ancestry.” Do they just want to claim all red heads over there? Maybe they’re running low on them.

R8 probably doesn’t even have a passport, but is quick to give advice for international travel.

Try the buckfast and the skag!

OP failed to mention ANY interests other than cocktails.

Seriously, at their age, invest in a premium coach tour. They don't have to drive, they will see the good stuff, they don't have to sort anything, and the planning will incorporate age to some extent. They can always tack on time at the end or the beginning. Any decent travel agent should know which tours would meet the measure. They are not usually tours with big buses, but mini buses.

Edinburgh is marvellous. The Highlands are classic Scotland from the movies. Balmoral is boring unless seeing Balmoral is satisfying.

R13, in Balmoral all seems to breathe freedom and peace, and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils.

Well, yes, there's definitely that, R14. So maybe drive by and open the window.

History R12. My step-father particularly loves bagpipes and a good scotch and cigar.

R8: essay for the visa? I’ve been to Scotland and don’t recall having any essays to write. If you’re from the US, have no criminal record, and are staying less than 6 months, you don’t need one.

Bless your heart, R17.

But not yours, R18.

R1 why do Europeans, in general, hate it when Americans say, "I'm part Polish, part French, and Part German" or "I'm Irish and Italian"? The fact is, white Americans are a melting pot of various European cultures.

Visit Belfast, the people are so friendly and welcoming. In Dublin skip the Guinness brewery tour if you don't like crowds but do check out the Jameson distillery. Edinburgh is hilly so take that into consideration. Glasgow is more walkable.

R19, taking the craic right out of the thread.

R20 We hate it because it's so irrelevant.

I was sick and tired of everything

When I called you last night from Glasgow

All I do is eat and sleep and sing

Wishing every show was the last show (wishing every show was the last show)

So imagine I was glad to hear you're coming (glad to hear you're coming)

Suddenly I feel all right

(And suddenly it's gonna be)

And it's gonna be so different

When I'm on the stage tonight

Dublin is very expensive, but there's so much to see there. Be wary of AirBnB deals in that city--I've been taken in Ireland because it's such a multinational city and there are a lot of scammers. There are so many great museums in the city and so much history to see, and since it's not ridiculously sprawling you can maneuver a lot on foot.

Belfast is wonderful, but it's very sprawling in its layout. Be sure if you're going to the Titanic Museum you make reservations well in advance--there likely won't be space for you if you just show up. It's a very pretty city.

I highly recommend getting a car if they can to see:

*The Dingle Peninsula (most beautiful scenery in Ireland)

*The Cliffs of Moher (near Galway)

*the Arran Islands (a nice ferry ride from neat the Cliffs of Moher)

*Sligo (beautiful small city, full of associations with Yeats, and with gorgeous mountain scenery nearby including Ben Bulben, and neolithic sites)

Nothing is as much fun as taking a little boat out on Loch Ness and experiencing the wildlife.

R3, they are indeed aware that they are two separate land masses.

Be sure to have them kiss the Blarney stone. I did and ever since my friends say I won't shut up!

It's got the COVID!

[quote] why do Europeans, in general, hate it when Americans say, "I'm part Polish, part French, and Part German" or "I'm Irish and Italian"? The fact is, white Americans are a melting pot of various European cultures. R20

I’ve read a lot about it, and what I gather is that many Americans say things like “My fifth great grandpa was from Scotland” and then they claim the Scottish culture as their own even though they couldn’t tell you anything about Scotland and likely have never stepped foot in the country. It’s apparently been such a pervasive faux pas, it’s become a pretty common stereotype of Americans.

I’m very I to genealogy and have gone to visit several actual ancestral homes in Europe, but I know better than to bring it up while I’m over there.

When in Scotland, never, never mention the word 'scotch'. You'll regret it. It's Scot.

Edinburgh is beautiful but also the hilliest city ever. So a good tour bus is necessary. Book into a nice hotel. Stirling would make a nice trip.

Glasgow is a late era industrial city, not much juicy history.

Dublin is wonderful but the real beauty in Ireland is the West coast. Since driving is daunting out there even for young with good reflexes, a tour is recommended. Cork is a wonderful foodie city. Lots of cocktails to be had.

While in Scotland depending on time, they might want to dip down and visit York, an incredibly rich in history city.

Do their ancestry work online and maybe visit the town or village one of the ancestors came from. I visited Limerick in the 70's as a teen and watched my mother cry when she truly understood the poverty her mother fled from.

R30 what do they think of things like the Highland games and very ethnic festivals like Oktoberfest, Greek festivals etc. in the US?

Don't try to imitate the funny way they talk there. At least wait till you get back home.

Advise them to drop in at Nicholas Fairford's, OP!

[quote]When in Scotland, never, never mention the word 'scotch'. You'll regret it. It's Scot.

Well, there's also "Scottish." And it's not "Scotch whisky". There, it's just "whisky."

[quote] why do Europeans, in general, hate it when Americans say, "I'm part Polish, part French, and Part German" or "I'm Irish and Italian"? The fact is, white Americans are a melting pot of various European cultures.

Because a lot of Europeans are too and no one gives a shit.

[quote] what do they think of things like the Highland games and very ethnic festivals like Oktoberfest, Greek festivals etc. in the US? R32

I can’t speak for the entire country, but I’d be willing to bet the overwhelming majority of Americans don’t know a thing about any of those except Oktoberfest… and we only know Oktoberfest because many American cities do some bastardized version of it.

Pro tip: If you surname begins with "Mac" or "Mc", everything is free. Restaurants, hotels, tours, admission tickets -- free.

In Edinburgh we stayed at both the Waldorf Astoria and the Prestonfield, and we both much preferred the Prestonfield. I second the love of Oban and we really enjoyed the isle of skye. Also haggis is delicious and who doesn’t enjoy neeps and tatties?

I can’t speak to Ireland.

[quote] [R3], they are indeed aware that they are two separate land masses.

I love that r3 felt he had to explain that--as if they wouldn't have known otherwise.

The important thing to be aware of is that ADA as we understand it in America doesn't quite exist over there, especially in historical areas.

This can make for quite the problem if travelling with elderly folks that are used to elevators everywhere and no (or minimal) steps.

Visit Edinburgh for the castle (the Scottish Crown jewels, the Stone of Destiny and a spectacular view down to the New Town) and the walk down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. That walk will give you a feel for the city’s history, and you can stop off and buy a kilt, take a detour to the National Museum of Scotland or pop into St Giles’ kirk. There are lots of nice pubs on this route too.

Then go to the New Town with its beautiful Georgian architecture. Maybe stop for lunch at Badger, which is a restaurant in the former home of the writer of Wind in the Willows.

Then head over to Glasgow, visit the cathedral, which survived the Scottish Reformation because its congregation wouldn’t allow it to be destroyed. Head over to Kelvingrove Park to visit the art galleries and wander up to the university. Take a walk around Hillhead and Dowanhill. Visit Pollok Park to visit Pollok House, The Burrell Collection, and the herd of Highland coos.

If you have time, a trip to the Highlands and Islands is a must. Will your family members have a car? If not, the train trip to Glasgow to Oban is incredibly nice. When in Oban, enjoy fresh-caught seafood cooked in the harbour at the little green shed. From Oban, you can take a ferry to Mull which is a beautiful place, full of history. Book a stay in Tobermory for a day or two to take a whale-watching trip, visit the distillery and take a trip to Iona to visit the monastery there, which will be of particular interest if your parents are religious. Even if they are not, the journey takes you through some beautiful scenery and the history of the island is interesting.

My favourite island is Islay. It’s a whiskey-drinker’s paradise, with at least 5 distilleries to visit, and the beaches are beautiful. Islay is like Scotland from 50 years ago, in the nicest possible way. People are very welcoming and the place is very unspoiled.

There are castles all over Scotland and tourists tend to want to see at least a few. Eilan Donan is a big favourite. It has all the Highland atmosphere you expect. Inverary Castle (and town) are nice. My favourite castle is Culzean (pronounced Cullane) in Ayrshire. Eisenhower was given a permanent right of residence here by the owners in gratitude for his service in WW2. He visited here for a holiday during his presidency.

If your parents are into literary history, they may enjoy a lot of the Rabbie Burns sites in Ayrshire too. Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott is worth a visit too. Its in the Scottish borders, which is an area much less touristy than the Highlands, but it has its share of abbeys, castles and pretty towns and complex history as the site of many historic skirmishes with invaders from south of the border.

R40 Americans are not known for their awareness. You'd struggle to put Ireland or Scotland on a map. But you'd then try to tell me about your ancestry and how that's somehow important.

How long do they have for the trip, OP?

Be sure to tell the locals how much you loved the English and that they should try to get along with them more.

In Scotland, if someone annoys you, the correct response is “Yer maw’s a wee feckin bawbag.”

[quote]why do Europeans, in general, hate it when Americans say, "I'm part Polish, part French, and Part German" or "I'm Irish and Italian"? The fact is, white Americans are a melting pot of various European cultures.

Because they rarely are those things, even in "part.". Iris turns out to be Scottish; French turns out to be Belgian; Swiss turns out to be German, or Swedish...and all removed by a century or two of embroidered family folklore.

And if you think you had relatives in the first half of the 19thC from Donegal or Cookstown or Puglia, what do you want the current residents to do? Throw you a fucking parade? Give you an honorary golden key? Make you mayor fora day? What, after all, could be more fascinating than a family member purportedly bolting for new opportunities an ocean away and then, more than a century later, sending your sorry ass as an ambassador of big cars and big cheap suburban houses and closets full of cheap clothes and Big Gulps to brag about the American way to the poor peasants left behind to fend for themselves all these years with their thatched roofs and wooden shoes and quaint ways, without the benefit of your family to bring them into the modern ways?

R46, it’d be ‘fuckin’ - ‘feck’ and its derivatives are Irish and Northern Irish (a softer form of ‘fuck’, rather than only a difference in accent). ‘Bawbag’ is used more to address/refer to (ineffectual/irritating) men. More likely to be just ‘Yer maw’, and even that’s pretty uncommon these days.

I agree with the others re ancestry chat, though it’s hardly an issue - it’ll just be received with polite bemusement and indifference.

I remember being at a fancy-schmancy dinner party where one of the guests was the executive in charge of it's Ireland branch (this company has several hundred thousand employees).

I referred to Ireland as 'The Mexico of the UK' as a joke and everybody laughed except one person.

This was un-nice, of course, but it did get a big laugh.

Dal Riata ties Ireland and Scotland together.

Elderlez, while I respect you otherwise, you don't have any knowledge of Ireland and Scotland.

OP, I had the opportunity to visit Ireland right before the pandemic with my aging parents. It was a magnificient trip and I was impressed both with Ireland’s beauty and the friendliness of it’s people.

My advice to your parents:

1. Buy a Frommer’s guide to Ireland. I know, I know, internet, etc but it was nice to have a hard copy for those days we played it by ear.

2. If cost is an issue, I would recommend staying at the Maldron hotel in Tallaght, Dublin. It’s priced well, but it is bright, clean and tidy, the staff are very helpful and it’s one block away from the LUAS station and shops (which can come in handy if you need to buy meds or toiletries or socks).

3. If your parents feel comfortable, they should rent a car and drive through the countryside. Ireland is small and easy to navigate with a car. The other drivers were polite and signs are abundant. We navigated using our phones and there was never a time we felt in danger or lost. We drove from Dublin to Belfast, drove from Dublin to Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, to Galway and Limerick and throughout County Clare. Visited random villages and ruins along the way.

4. If you visit Belfast from Ireland, be aware that your phone will stop working and you’ll need to buy a SIM card. We only did a day trip so we roughed it without a phone.

5. As for castles, we did visit the very touristy Bunratty Castle and King John’s Castle in Limerick. It’s fun if you accept that they’re tourist destinations. There are better castles out there like Malahide, Drimnagh and Howth. If you decide to drive, you may just stumble upon ruins and I found that far more exciting that Bunratty.

OP, they should do some castle tours. If they are up for it, they can just drive to ones they are interested in (this is what I did and it was a great way to see much of the country), otherwise get them on a coach. A word of caution--some castles are owned and maintained by the state, and others are private. You can get passes that promise entrance to "every" castle, but that's not accurate--you have to look at which ones the passes are actually giving you access to.

The castles are in various states--some are in carefully preserved ruins, some are restored but uninhabitable, and others are fully functioning. I've been to a large number and was impressed by the depth of information provided at each about the history, architecture, etc. A few favorites:

Caerlaverock. It's in ruins, but in its day was a stunning modern triangular fortress near the English border. The history is fascinating--lots of border clashes and raiding.

Stirling. Way up on a hill, also near the border, lots of amazing history, and was the primary home of the Stewarts until the kingdoms were united.

Doune. It's been used in a number of movies/shows (including Monty Python and the Holy Grail) because it has a very classic medieval fortress look.

Blair. Privately owned, fully restored and functional, it looks as much like a modern mansion as a castle. Really opulent.

Dunrobin. Looks like something out of a Disney movie.

And they should spend some time in Edinburgh. Edinburgh Castle is amazing--HUGE and the center of the city. If they can handle a walking tour, you can also do a nighttime tour of old Edinburgh, which takes you into the underground vaults and tunnels.

I haven't seen much of Ireland outside of Dublin (one very fun touristy bar/pub with a great story they should check out is the Hairy Lemon), but I did once take a train from Dublin to Belfast and it was just a gorgeous trip--if they need a bit of a break, that would be good way to build in some rest. And they should spend time in Belfast if they can--I'd recommend using it as a stop between Ireland and Scotland.

I hope they enjoy it. I absolutely love the isles, Scotland especially.

^ Should have clarified, all the info about those castles is in reference to Scotland.

[quote]If you visit Belfast from Ireland, be aware that your phone will stop working and you’ll need to buy a SIM card.

R52, is this a new thing? I went to Belfast from Dublin in 2012 and I don't remember it being an issue. Had my US iPhone with an international data plan and it worked all across the UK and Ireland.

Hey, R47, Begorrah, you're testy.

[quote] why do Europeans, in general, hate it when Americans say, "I'm part Polish, part French, and Part German" or "I'm Irish and Italian"?

I do it just to annoy them. At high volume.

R51 I know nothing about Ireland, but I have climbed the hill at Dunadd and I know where the US nuclear submarines are serviced in Scotland so I know a little bit about being an only lady tourist in Scotland. To be sure though not everyone is as excited by a bust of David Hume as I am so I’ve kept my comments short.

[quote] Stirling. Way up on a hill, also near the border, lots of amazing history, and was the primary home of the Stewarts until the kingdoms were united.

Near the border?? Oh, dear!

If so, then the perfidious English have annexed a third of Scotland and most of the Scots!

If your parents are up for it, Ireland is a great place for a road trip. It takes a day or so to get used to being on the other side of the road and its best to pickup the car away from a big city (Shannon and the airport in Dublin worked for me). Coastline is beautiful in the West esp., as others have mentioned the Cliffs of Moher, Dingle Peninsula (never saw so many rainbows), but also the stretch between Belfast and Derry and parts of Donegal (much less touristy than the Dingle. It's very easy to get around. There is a guide to antiquities that I used was The Dumont Guide: Ireland. The current edition was written in the 80s but still useful.

If they are not game to drive, they can easily book bus/coach trips in the Dingle, Cliffs, etc. Northern coastal trips that include the Devil's Causeway and other sites can be booked from Belfast or Derry.

Dublin is relatively compact and walkable and worth at least a couple days. It is a good city for theater.

I plan on visiting Belfast later this year--the main sites seem centrally located and you can do a "Troubles tour" with a black cab. There also seems to be a lot of Titanic tourism there.

I would skip castles in Ireland as a person of Irish descent. They all belonged to the British landlords who made the famine as bad as it was.

Do look into where your ancestors came from---even just to catch a glimpse. Otherwise, the common points of departure were Cork (an island outside the city was the point of departure and the last thing emigrants saw of Ireland) and Belfast. Many boats originated in Liverpool, but many stopped in Belfast and Cork. The O'Neill clan famously was based at Tara which is worth the effort if your from that clan or have an interest in Irish history.

The Blarney Stone is regularly pissed on by the local drunks and easily the most skippable part of a tourist itinerary.

If your parents drive and are interested in Irish goods, they should visit Donegal (for Magee tweeds), Belleek, and/or Waterford.

R59 Oops, that was supposed to say near the Highlands border!

R55 We didn’t have an international plan. I bought a SIM card at the airport in Dublin. The Irish SIM stopped working as soon as we crossed into Northern Ireland, which was part of UK’s network. This was in early 2019.

Thanks, R62. That's a good reminder--OP, be sure you're parents are up to speed on what to expect when border crossing between Ireland and the UK. They will need to exchange currency, they may have different roaming charges, and depending where they go they may see differences in how much of the old imperial measurements are still used vs. metric (you see both in various parts of the isles, but it can vary how much of one vs. the other). I haven't been in the UK since the very beginning of Covid, so there may be even more border crossing intricacies as a result of Brexit (including varying Covid protocols), and that will be compounded if they do make a stop in Northern Ireland as well.

R47 made quite an astounding number of leaps in logic. Having a fascination with one's ancestry does not equate to bragging about the American way while abroad and drinking Big Gulps. Stereotyping and generalizing is pretty annoying no matter where you're from.

[quote] If you visit Belfast from Ireland, be aware that your phone will stop working and you’ll need to buy a SIM card. We only did a day trip so we roughed it without a phone.

That’s nonsense, r52. Maybe your particular phone had something against NI, but that’s not a general rule. I Traveled between Dublin and Belfast in November, and my American AT&T SIM card worked just fine the whole time.

[quote] You'd struggle to put Ireland or Scotland on a map. But you'd then try to tell me about your ancestry and how that's somehow important.

None of that is true.

You're making stupid and untrue generalizations... and yet you're claiming Americans are the stupid ones when you're the one making idiotic claims.

Begone, troll.

A ferry from Liverpool to Dublin would be a great start. You don’t need a car driving is a hassle. just take trains and an occasional taxi. Public transport is great all over the British isles. PT is also a good way to interact with people and meet the locals.

Re: Belfast, I did a hop-on, hop-off red bus tour when I had a day. It takes you to the major areas, incl. to the murals. The man selling the tickets decided I was a student and insisted on selling me the cheaper ticket - I was 32 when I went - and the guide doing the commentary was live and hilarious and was very kind to the clueless tourists about safety and the like.

In Derry (or Derry Londonderry as the BBC refers to it) I did an excellent car tour with a man whose father died in the Troubles, which suited me because I wanted a non-Unionist perspective. You can find him on TripAdvisor.

tourists tend to like to do touristy things like kissing the blarney stone.

fair warning, there isn't a bit of it that hasn't been pissed on.

R47 sounds exhausting

[quote][R1] why do Europeans, in general, hate it when Americans say, "I'm part Polish, part French, and Part German" or "I'm Irish and Italian"? The fact is, white Americans are a melting pot of various European cultures.

Exactly. There is no such thing as simply being 'American'. Our ancestors came from literally all over the world. Americans also have different regional dialects. The advice upthread is pure bullshit and snark. Especially the archly superior asshole @ R47, who needs to take his meds.

I'm of two races, six nationalities and proud of it. America doesn't just consist of Wasps who descended from the Mayflower.

As here, it'd sometimes be useful and convenient to have at hand a simple term which could be used without offence to refer to Britain and Ireland jointly. Like the Balkans and the Baltics. Is there such a thing?

R65 Lose the bitchy queen attitude, hon. As I explained in R62, I didn’t have an international plan. And as R63 kindly expounded, there can be some intracacies to deal with. I ended up with a SIM card from Vodafone that I bought at Dublin’s airport. It was a basic one, and yes, it didn’t work in the UK, of which Northern Ireland is a part. It worked perfectly well in Ireland like it was supposed to. Goody, goody gumdrops for you that your phone plan was better than mine.

Avoid the tourist trap shops in the Royal Mile in Edinburgh They are full of cheap tat. I once saw an old American lady dressed top to toe in clashing tartans. She looked ridiculous, but clearly had no idea.

Also it’s not pronounced EdinburrOH as most Americans seem to think. it’s EDinburra..

I would recommend the West Highlands for the magnificent scenery.

For a once in a lifetime experience, I would suggest St. Kilda. It’s a World Heritage site with a fascinating history, and a spectacular landscape. It’s expensive for a day trip, but it is unforgettable.

[quote] As here, it'd sometimes be useful and convenient to have at hand a simple term which could be used without offence to refer to Britain and Ireland jointly. Like the Balkans and the Baltics. Is there such a thing?

The British Isles, r72.

Most Europeans are as mixed in heritage as white Americans, that’s why it’s tiresome when Americans say they are “Irish” or “Italian”. My ancestors are Irish but I was born and bred in England and would never refer to myself as Irish like an American would.

[quote] I ended up with a SIM card from Vodafone that I bought at Dublin’s airport. It was a basic one, and yes, it didn’t work in the UK, of which Northern Ireland is a part. It worked perfectly well in Ireland like it was supposed to.

So I guess the advice on phones, OP, is if you’re going to go the international SIM card route, don’t be a moron like r73 and buy one before you check to make sure it will work every place you plan to visit.

Tell them to watch out for the wild Haggis in Scotland, creepy little creatures with those weird uneven legs.

Dingle and Killarney in Ireland.

Lots of great suggestions on this thread; while the UK & Ireland do have trains and bus lines much better than the US, a lot of places mentioned are some distance apart (the Highlands- amazing - require a lengthy train ride). Depending on the time you have in country & the general health of your parents, I'd pick 2-3 things & enjoy those areas. Even a young healthy individual can wear themselves out traveling from one place to another, schlepping luggage, changing hotels, etc. Find some place they enjoy & savor it rather than running off to the next spot

[quote]Most Europeans are as mixed in heritage as white Americans, that’s why it’s tiresome when Americans say they are “Irish” or “Italian”.

Exactly. And when some of these ancestry-obsessed white American tourists go back to the old country, it doesn't seem to occur to them that they are just one strand of a complex web of migration to and from Europe across the centuries. There's a whole history of migration from Italy, Poland and Russia into Scotland too. There's nothing wrong researching your own family history and visiting where your grandmother was born, just don't walk into the pub in the village and expect everyone to be fascinated by your story.

2 weeks R44.

Are Europeans so dim and uncomprehending that when they hear an American tourist casually say “I’m [insert nationality]” they aren’t able to grasp that the tourist is [italic]implying[/italic] that he has forebears from said country and not at all that he is a native of the place?

R78, you are being very naughty!

R82, if your family members have two weeks, I would plan to spend 5-7 days based in the Central Belt (Between Glasgow and Edinburgh), spending 2 days in each, and making day trips to places like the East Neuk of Fife or St Andrews (from Edinburgh) or the Isle of Arran, Loch Lomond and Ayrshire (from Glasgow). I wouldn’t try to fit them all in, as it would be quite exhausting, but you could fit a lot in in a week, as that part of Scotland is not big. It is very varied though. St Andrews is an old university town, the home of golf and has royal interest as the place where William and Kate met and studied. The East Neuk has pretty fishing villages and nice walks. Arran is like a miniature Highlands, with villages, mountains, a castle, beaches all within two hours of Glasgow.

In the second week, and especially if your relatives don’t want to drive in Scotland, I would advise them to consider taking an organised tour of the Highlands and Islands. You can travel by train to most places, but a coach tour would allow them to see far more in the time they have, and they would have a driver/guide on hand to help. My mum used to do these tours a lot in her later years and they seemed like jolly affairs. You can get a tour leaving Glasgow or Edinburgh, going through Perthshire or the Western Highlands up to Inverness and across to Skye.

[quote] Are Europeans so dim and uncomprehending that when they hear an American tourist casually say “I’m [insert nationality]” they aren’t able to grasp that the tourist is implying that he has forebears from said country and not at all that he is a native of the place?

But they’re almost always NOT [insert nationality here], yet they act like some lineage from 200 years ago with dubious documentation is equivalent to being born and bred in said country.

My 4g grandparents immigrated from Germany and my 6g grandparents immigrated from Scotland. When I first went to these countries, I did have the urge to say “I’m Scottish” or “I’m German,” but then a Brit I was staying with mentioned this stereotype. My ancestry is important to me, but I understand why it’s laughable to many Europeans. I just keep it to myself when I’m Over there. I’m not Scottish. I’m not German. I’m American and my ancestors immigrated from these countries. They did not pas down the culture, language, customs, etc of these countries to me. My customs and culture is purely American.

Two weeks for countries R85. They need a week for Ireland. Probably a enough time for Dublin and a trip West or North.

I asked a Caucasian Australian what he considered himself and he said "Australian" (vs. Irish, etc.). Maybe Caucasian Australians just consider themselves Australian.

I’m a Scot, and worked in the tourist industry for a while. I can’t imagine anyone being irritated by those people who come here feeling a historic, familial affinity with the country. It’s just nice. Some of the people I met came here had better knowledge of parts of the country than I do, because they had grannies who grew up in Aberdeenshire and still talked lovingly of the place decades after they left for North America as GI brides in the late 1940s. Some others arrived amusingly clueless, with nothing but a deep yearning to see the villages their ancestors were forced out of in the 1800s, but their enthusiasm was a pleasure to see.

It’s like having a very distant relative try to make contact with you. They might not know much about the life you currently lead, but it’s nice that they are trying to reconnect.

Go to a Scottish wedding...

Ah, I stand corrected, r87, thanks.

R77 What the fuck are you going on about? I bought an Irish SIM card for my trip to Ireland. It didn’t work in Belfast, which isn’t a part of Ireland. I knew that when I bought it, which was fine because Belfast was an impromptu day trip, I didn’t want to spend extra and I’m not an imbecile dependent on my phone like you. All I did was give a reasonable caveat to OP for his parents. And here you are, acting like a little bitch over it, lol. Any other enlightening tidbits you have other than your ATT SIM worked fine?

Thank you r89. You sound like a gracious and kind person.

Look, ya cunt at r92. You said:

[quote] If you visit Belfast from Ireland, be aware that your phone will stop working and you’ll need to buy a SIM card.

That’s horse shit. One’s phone doesn’t just stop working in Belfast unless they moronically purchased a SIM card that doesn’t work in Belfast. You don’t need to buy a SIM card at all on that trip, FFS.

Sorry being wrong on the internet has your panties in such a wad. Try some Yoga.

I've heard they have bad teeth, only bath once a week, subsist on potatoes and gravy, smell funny, are rude to Americans and hate democracy. Why bother? Just go to Florida instead.

I go here for two weeks every summer for total relaxation. I come back like a whole new person.

Driving !! Major hurdle for Ireland. The reason to visit Ireland is the countryside / West coast - but it requires driving. So have them book a tour on a bus. Driving on the opposite side of the road - and car - is no joke, even for the young. O it’s the biggest issue in Ireland IMO.

The cities in Ireland are boring relative to most. I wouldn’t spend more than a day in Dublin - Trinity College, Temple Bar, St Stephens Green are all easily seen in a day. Belfast is even more boring - 1 or 2 buildings of interest and a lot of “history of war” tours looking at ugly walls and ugly row houses. The Titanic museum was a yawn. Go to the coast of anywhere in the North.

I find driving in Scotland and northern England very easy--the roads are pristine, the views are beautiful, and outside the major cities traffic is pretty sparse. The Lake District in England is really beautiful and it's a nice waste of several hours to just causally drive through it. I always ditch my rental car in or near London though--there is absolutely no need for a car in London and in fact it will bring you nothing but aggravation.

I mentioned above not having seen much of Ireland outside of Dublin. In Dublin there's also no need for a car, but from the view of the trains I've been on elsewhere I'd definitely want a car to explore the countryside.

R97 is right; Dublin is a friendly city, but not very pretty as European cities go & since your parents aren't going to party in Temple Bar, I think they'd be done with after a day or two. Due to the issues with driving on irish road, rental car companies (assuming you can even get a rental these days) have very high deductibles due to how frequently tourists get into fender benders. Depending on your budget, it seems like it would be worth it to hire a car service to take you where you wanted to go & don't even bother with rental.

And good luck finding an automatic car in Ireland - for less than the price of a first class airfare.

R99 and OP, I feel similarly about Glasgow. Nice to see but probably not worth spending more than a day or two. City time is better spent in Edinburgh.

R96, where do you stay?

It may be a lot to ask in their seventies travellers to learn the drive on the other side of the road thing.

WTF If you have red or blond hair and blue or green eyes, some local WILL ask you.

Laughed out of town...um, you're leaving anyway.

If you do end up on the wrong side of the road and slaughter a couple of pensioners, no problem! They'll understand your difficulty as an American and let you off with a small fine.

R103: They're in their 70s, but also no indication that they gaga old fools with no reflexes. Assuming their infirm is insulting.

R106: Assuming they're infirm, oh, dear.

And it is not insulting to raise the fair consideration a radical change in fifty years of driving experience and instinctive frame of reference might be tricky master.

But of course they too could pull an Anne Sacoolas. A much younger person who found the driving a struggle.

The comments about driving don't assume they should driving, they all mention caveats, you shit stirring troll. Here's hoping you're too diabled to leave the house at their age.

Who ya bitching at R108?

Definitely do the Ring of Kerry and the Rock of Cashel. Driving is tough on the back roads but doable. As for the ancestry thing, I am a ginger frau and felt like I had returned to my homeland. Lots of people who look liked me, never happens in the USA.

Hey Matthew Broderick killed two women driving in Ireland when he was in his 20'. My sister just about killed us when she was driving on a narrow rural road .

Well, that's just infirmist!

Usually travel threads are not nearly this nasty.

R110 lots of redheads in the US.

I’ve always wondered, how do the local riffraff get into Blarney Castle to pee on the Blarney Stone? The castle and grounds are privately owned and not exactly easy to access. Seems like it’d be quite an effort just to spite some tourists.

They work there. The young men who assist you while kissing Blarney Stone are locals.

In Scotland be prepared for the different banknotes. As well as the Bank of England, there are three banks which issue their own notes. These are The Bank of Scotland, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and The Clydesdale Bank.

Don’t worry about this, they have the same value as Bank of England notes. English tourists get their knickers in a twist about this all the time.

For added fun, Northern Ireland has four issuing banks!

And for even more added fun, banknotes issued by Scottish and NI banks are not technically legal tender in England and merchants may reject them as a form of payment.

[quote] And for even more added fun, banknotes issued by Scottish and NI banks are not technically legal tender in England and merchants may reject them as a form of payment.

I learned this the hard way last time I visited. My hotel in London wouldn’t accept Scottish notes. Seemed ridiculous. Lizzie’s picture is on them, so just accept the god damn things.

Fun fact: one of the most reliable ways to give an Englishman an erection is to allow him to use an archaic and impractical rule as the justification to say no.

Has anyone heard of a town in Northern Ireland called Ballymena?

What's it like?

I have heard of Ballykeel which is where my great grandparents immigrated from.

[quote] Has anyone heard of a town in Northern Ireland called Ballymena? What's it like?

In Ballymena all seems to breathe freedom and peace and to make one forget the world and its [italic]sad[/italic] turmoils.

Driven through Ballymena on the way from Belfast airport to Portrush - BFS used to have direct flight from Newark but no more. Fine enough town, if nothing special. No reason to go there unless it has personal significance.

There is also a Ballymena in the Republic in Donegal - now that is a much more worthwhile trip. The coast of Donegal is spectacular.

Ashfordcastle.com. Is incredible,

And if they like gardens Powerscourt.com outside of Dublin is comparable to Butchart Gardens in Victoria.

The Giant’s Causeway is a great day trip.

When we were in Ireland, we paid local people to drive us around and also used taxis. This was before Uber. I imagine there are a lot of Uber drivers now.

We flew into Shannon.

We went to Kinsale, Killarney, and Dingle (and the Blasket Islands).

The Lake Hotel in Killarney had a very pretty view. It was (maybe still is) managed by Michael Fassbender's mother. I liked visiting the art studios of potters and artists in Killarney and Dingle. Ross Castle and Muckross House in Killarney were nice to visit.

Dingle is my favorite spot. Charming with colorful buildings. It is where the movie Ryan's Daughter was filmed.

The day trip to the Blasket Islands off the coast of Dingle was wonderful. The Basket Islands inspired the beautiful film The Secret of Roan Inish.

Fungi the Dolphin was adorable. He was a big tourist attraction. There were boats you could take out to see him. Fungi liked to swim in the wake of the boats. You could book a swimming/diving date with him, too. Sadly, he disappeared not long ago. He was last seen swimming with a pod of dolphins passing by.

It's heartbreaking. Fungi disappeared once for a couple of years after swimming off with a female dolphin. He came back to Dingle alone. I'm hoping that he will come back to Dingle again. He is presumed dead.

Do not go to Skull. We almost had a Bates Motel experience complete with Norman the desk clerk, but our driver whispered in my ear, "We can leave right now. I'll drive you to Killarney." I made some urgent excuse and we ran out of there. We laughed the whole way to Killarney and thanked our driver profusely for saving our vacation. We should have known something was up when the driver kept asking us, "Do you have family in Skull?"

We took a bus trip to Sneem, where Maureen O'Hara lived. It wasn't worth it. Do not go. I still have nightmares about a stinky swamp-like stew we were served at one of the restaurants.

I preferred hiring local drivers rather than taking a tour bus.

The memorial for Fungi (also spelled Fungie) the Dingle Dolphin...

Tell them not to drink before seeing the Cliffs of Moher. One wrong step and it won't be as good a vacation as they could have had.

Ashcord castle is obscenely expensive. I never understood how someone justifies spending $1,000/night on a hotel. Just visit it and find a cool Airbnb.

r132 always a good way to go and also proper guest cottages and smaller estates. The prices are significantly more affordable, they usually market themselves more to honeymooners, corporate types, elderly visitors . . . sometimes affiliated with int'l hotels. prices quite a bit more modest especially outside of city proper; as it would be with anywhere else.

There also several elderly tours - bus through the nation and see multiple sights with usually a fairer package deal on nightly stays along the way.

And for the risk takers, old style rooming houses, not all are run like young hostels, some with their own informal tours, usually a communal supper. a few dedicated to the pensioner crowd - so the prices tend to be lowered and some even with all the rooms all the ground floor (stair steps in Ireland can be awfully small), but while the rooms may be smaller, they do tend to be private but bathrooms might be shared or communal and tend to find these more off in the country or the smaller fishing villages than towns and cities.

Scotland is a bit better on finding respectable senior tours outright. a little more high end for a smaller budget.

I had a typo. The Bates Motel was in Schull (pronounced Skull), Ireland. They have a big regatta in the warmer weather, so maybe it wouldn't look so bleak as it did when we were there.

Skull is where Sophie Toscan du Plantier was murdered in her vacation home. There's a new documentary about her murder.

I haven't been to Scotland but I'd like to visit. Some of my ancestors came from Scotland. My sister says that Edinburgh is beautiful. I'd love to see the mischievous pony, Cpl Cruachan IV, and the guards with the bagpipes. The Queen scolded him when he tried to eat her posies. He's the pony who tried to bite Prince Harry when he and Meghan visited Scotland.

The Lake District in England is one of my favorite places on earth. Lake Windermere is beautiful. You can ride on steamboats on the lake. Bowness is a very short boat trip from Windermere. You can have a nice lunch.

I love Storr's Hall hotel in Winderemere and another one that's on the lake. I can't seem to find the second one on the internet.

Other fun things to do on Lake Windermere besides the boat trips, are visiting the Beatrix Potter museum, the boat museum where you can see the old steamboats, and taking a ride up a hill on a steam powered train.

The train trip from London to the Lake District was pretty tiring. I think we changed trains at least 3times and had to drag our luggage and get it on the next train.

That pony must have some sense of survival not to take a chomp on the Queen. Old ponies can be really mean.

I love this thread & it's given me new ideas for navigating Ireland when I return some day.

Edinburgh is deceptive. The historical Old Town is magnificent, and the Georgian New Town is very elegant. Go a couple of miles out of the city centre and you will find deprivation and addiction problems in the housing schemes on a scale you would not believe. Tourists are kept well away.