Help your Milanese friend....

[Curva Sud Milano]

I saw there's no travel section on the forum, so I'm asking here for some advice: we're a group of six and we're planning a 7-day trip for May/June 2026.

We have two options:

1) Edinburgh and the Highlands

2) Dublin and the Wild Atlantic Way

Both with rental cars... what do you recommend and why?

In exchange I can give you advice on your Italian itineraries, thanks.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2025 by Curva Sud Milano

[Fak]

Have you not got access to the General Chat forum?

(Edinburgh & Highlands, btw.)

[gbandit]

Edinburgh all the way. My favourite city on the planet

[Hanshithispantz]

Aye Edinburgh is genuinely class like and, although I've never properly been, everyone raves over the Scottish countryside.

[OpenC]

You won't be disappointed with either option.  The Highlands is a wide area though, and it would depend where you were going and what you wanted to do when you were there.  It's very scenic but it's not particularly geared toward tourists, which a lot of people find disappointing.  If you want to get out of the car and walk some miles and climb some hills, it's the equal of pretty much anywhere in Europe imo, but the towns at the bottom of those hills are often a long way away and often not particularly interesting.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2025 by OpenC

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Both are fairly beautiful, Edinburgh has the edge over Dublin for me as long as the wind isn’t too brutal

[Benwell Lad]

Edinburgh.

But Glasgow, though different, could be a great base, arguably more fun, but definitely less expensive and less touristy.

[Cronky]

The Scottish Highlands are absolutely beautiful.

[Newcastle Fan]

33 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

I saw there's no travel section on the forum, so I'm asking here for some advice: we're a group of six and we're planning a 7-day trip for May/June 2026.

We have two options:

1) Edinburgh and the Highlands

2) Dublin and the Wild Atlantic Way

Both with rental cars... what do you recommend and why?

In exchange I can give you advice on your Italian itineraries, thanks.

 

 

 

 

Edinburgh and the Highlands are incredible, we did it twice and definitely worth going to Isle of Skye as well.

[Earp]

6 minutes ago, Cronky said:

The Scottish Highlands are absolutely beautiful.

Seconded. Have family from the Isle of Skye. It's stunning - drive through Glencoe and take the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale.

[LordJake]

Accommodation on the west coast of Ireland is fucking expensive, be warned. I’d do the highlands and a couple of the inner islands, beautiful 

 

[Dr.Spaceman]

Edinburgh 100%

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

Edinburgh over Dublin. However the Wild Atlantic Way looks incredible. Scottish highlands driving isn't particularly fun. 

[Tsunami]

Edinburgh for me, great city. Why not do the Hogwarts Express in the Highlands, it’s a round trip, all the scenery you’d need and then do a couple of the islands?

[Curva Sud Milano]

Wow, almost a landslide for Scotland....thanks everyone.

[Curva Sud Milano]

1 hour ago, gbandit said:

Edinburgh all the way. My favourite city on the planet

 

A dear friend of mine, who has traveled everywhere, always tells me that Paris is the most overrated city in the world (and I agree) and Edinburgh one of the most underrated.

[Jimburst]

Edinburgh is amazing, you could spend a week there easily. Food, drink, art/culture and architechture are all top class. Of course the North Coast 500 is a ready made itinerary for the highlands, but if you can't do the whole thing I'd focus on the west coast and inner islands (Skye, Mull, Arran) as they're the most easily accessed and are really beautiful. 

 

Aim to do some outdoorsy stuff (climb a Munro, go to a beach sauna and have a wild swim, stay at a bothy), visit some distilleries. Get stuck into some whiskey in a warm pub after a long walk. All quality stuff. If you could manage to find a Highland games, that's decent fun and you might get to experience a ceilidh. 

[AJ9]

I live in the Scottish Highlands. That time of year up here is probably the best time weather wise (not warm, but beautiful). Highlands can be very expensive and is absolutely massive to navigate, so definitely need cars. Edinburgh is world class, but I prefer Glasgow. Both awesome. Happy to provide some more tips if you’re coming over, I live in Inverness and I think there’s someone else up here who lives along towards Elgin.

[Abacus]

For the Newcastle based posters we're mostly nearer to Edinburgh so will have more opinions on it. I agree with OpenC that you can't much go wrong either way. 

 

But to me Edinburgh is slightly better than Dublin as a base. Both are fantastic though. West coast of Scotland isn't too different to the West Coast of Ireland, though Ireland is a bit wilder. I'd go with Edinburgh too and explore a few islands. Actually Jimburst has set it out really well.

 

It depends what you and your friends like to do, of course.

[CallumG6]

Edinburgh is just another level of city. Nowhere on the planet like it. 

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

1 hour ago, AJ9 said:

I live in the Scottish Highlands. That time of year up here is probably the best time weather wise (not warm, but beautiful). Highlands can be very expensive and is absolutely massive to navigate, so definitely need cars. Edinburgh is world class, but I prefer Glasgow. Both awesome. Happy to provide some more tips if you’re coming over, I live in Inverness and I think there’s someone else up here who lives along towards Elgin.

That would be me (Lives a few miles south of Elgin), I would definitely recommend Edinburgh. As others have said the Highlands are beautiful, but be prepared for the travel around that area to be more frustrating that you might realise. It might look like a short distance on a map, but it may take hours because of the volume of traffic on roads that struggle to cope with it.

 

As others have suggested it might be worth picking somewhere like Aviemore, Fort William or Drumnadrochit to act as base to explore, but expect accommodation there to be expensive. People have suggested the NC500 and whilst it’s starkly beautiful, there isn’t really much to see or do beyond the scenery along the way. I’d definitely say the likes of Skye and Oban are worth a visit too.

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

Oh and whatever you do, don’t forget the midge repellent if you’re heading anywhere in the highlands 🤣

[Kaizero]

Edinburgh and the Highlands = 

 

Dublin and the Wild Atlantic Way = 

[Curva Sud Milano]

33 minutes ago, Abacus said:

For the Newcastle based posters we're mostly nearer to Edinburgh so will have more opinions on it. I agree with OpenC that you can't much go wrong either way. 

 

But to me Edinburgh is slightly better than Dublin as a base. Both are fantastic though. West coast of Scotland isn't too different to the West Coast of Ireland, though Ireland is a bit wilder. I'd go with Edinburgh too and explore a few islands. Actually Jimburst has set it out really well.

 

It depends what you and your friends like to do, of course.

 

That's the problem...all 6 of us prefer to see Edinburgh over Dublin but we also prefer the Wild Atlantic Way over the Highlands.

But having never been there it's just our perception...as Italians we believe we like one thing more than another. Like when a Frenchman and a Spaniard ask me for advice on certain parts of Italy, my answer is different because I know they have different tastes.

We hadn't considered the islands in Scotland, though, and it's definitely a great idea.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2025 by Curva Sud Milano

[Pixelphish]

Edinburgh is also my fave city. It’s hard to even pinpoint why it’s just a feeling you get when you’re there.