Happy to talk more about my experience. Both times I have absolutely loved Scotland. The people are world class.

Arrivals- once was Glasgow and once was Edinburgh but both were easy to get a car. I recommend a car.

Cars- do not drink and drive. The BAC limit is 0.02 and they catch more drunk drivers in the AM. Be smart. That said, you get used to driving on the other side in 5 mins… it is the stick shift that is fun. I think a car is necessary.

Distilleries- wow there are so many. Don’t do a ton of tours… do one. Do tastings otherwise. Now, on to favorites. This is tough and is so dependent on what you like. The heart of Scotland is Speyside. We stayed two nights in Dufftown on the first trip and it was pure joy. Low key, easy going, and local. Skip the big name distilleries like Macallan and go to smaller ones like aberlour and Glenfarclas. Outside of Speyside the distilleries in Campbeltown are awesome but you need a reason to go that way. The same is true with Islay… I LOVE that place but if you go for the whisky (while amazing) you may be underwhelmed.

The second trip we took was more about the views. Glencoe was stunning and I can’t describe the beauty. The Cairngorms national park is stunning. The drive
Is unreal. If anything we missed the north most islands. We did do Inverness and also went to Loch Ness, both were great and Inverness is good for 1-2 nights. We didn’t go to the pure highlands or the outer islands.

It is easy to move from city to city. I will say that you need to know your travel partner while planning the trip. With my wife I get 2 maybe 3 hotels on a 7 night stay. She hates moving. With my father in law we cover way more ground and move daily. You have to know that when planning.

A hidden gem for me was The Speedwell Inn in Dundee. If anyone in this thread is going I will give them some stuff to bring to a few regulars. I owe them some LSU stuff. The people I met in that one small bar are now life long friends.

Edinburgh is infinitely better than Glasgow. The city is vibrant, has some food, an amazing bar scene, and plenty whisky bars.

What else… how can I help?