Go Advice:Your questions answered
Q My son and I intend to visit the Scottish islands of Skye and Lewis this summer. We will be driving up from Co Kerry. Which is the quickest route by ferry from Ireland and then across to the islands? Also, what campsites are available?- GP, Kerry
AThe best route is probably to take the ferry from Belfast or Larne to Scotland with Stena Line (stenaline.ie) or PO Ferries (poirishsea.com). You can then drive up the west coast, taking the M8 in the direction of Glasgow and the A82 alongside Loch Lomond to Glencoe, where you could spend a night on your way to Skye at Invercoe Campsite (invercoe.co.uk).
Skye, which is in the Inner Hebrides, is closer than Lewis, which is in the Outer Hebrides, or Western Isles, so if you plan to spend a week in Scotland a trip to the former would involve less driving. You get to Skye by driving via the A830, which takes in the Glenfinnan Monument and continues under the Glenfinnan Viaduct, or by ferry from Mallaig to Armadale with Caledonian MacBrayne (calmac.co.uk).
A good place to base yourself is Portree, from where you can explore Skye by car or on foot. Torvaig Campsite (00-44-1478- 611849, portreecampsite.co.uk), at Portree, has a variety of pubs and restaurants within walking distance. The Three Chimneys restaurant is highly rated. You can take the Calmac ferry from Skye to Harris to visit Lewis. The main town is Stornoway. See scottish campingguide.com.
Q My wife and I are thinking of having a fortnight's holiday this summer in the islands around Scotland – the Hebrides, Orkneys and Shetland. We are interested in scenery, nature and archaeology. Could you suggest an itinerary and some places to stay?- JC, Wicklow
AVisit Scotland, the country's tourist board, is championing the islands of Scotland at the moment, focusing on food, drink, flora, fauna and archaeology. Visitscotland.com has pages for Irish visitors, outlining routes to follow and advising you on how to get the best value for your euro during your visit.
North Uist and South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, have long been recognised as one of the UK’s best wildlife and wilderness locations, with a diversity of species including golden eagles, otter, grey seals and numerous wading birds.
You can travel via Glasgow to Benbecula with Flybe (flybe.com), which has regular services. You can also buy an island-hopping ticket for Caledonian MacBrayne ferries (calmac.co.uk).
As for accommodation, you could try the Polochar Inn, at the water’s edge on South Uist, (00-44-1878-700215, polocharinn.com), which is a good base for peaceful walks along the island’s beaches.
On North Uist, the landscape is peaty, interspersed with lochs and bays. Balranald Nature Reserve is an oasis for birdwatchers. You could stay at Langass Lodge (00-44-1876-580285, langasslodge.co.uk), a small hotel that is a popular retreat with outdoor-activity enthusiasts.
For sightseeing, Island Trails (island-trails.co.uk) specialises in guided tours of the Shetlands that focus on the history, stories and culture of the islands, while Shetland Geology (shetlandgeology.com) arranges tours that delve into the geology, archaeology and wildlife.
Q Could you please tell me the best overland route to the Lake Como area, and suggest a few places to stay?- FC, Dublin
AIf you are going to drive, then take the ferry from Rosslare to Cherbourg or Roscoff with Irish Ferries (irishferries.com), from Rosslare to Cherbourg with Celtic Link Ferries (celticlinkferries.com) or from Cork to Roscoff with Brittany Ferries (brittanyferries.ie). The drive to Como should then take between 10 and 12 hours.
It should be cheaper to take one ferry to Britain, then another to France, using Stena Line (stenaline.ie) or Irish Ferries, but it would still involve a long drive through France to northern Italy, plus a six-hour drive from Holyhead to Dover or another English port.
If you take the train, the trip from Dublin to Como will take about 24 hours. A ferry from Dublin to Holyhead is followed by a train to London, then the Eurostar service (eurostar.com) from St Pancras station to Paris and onwards via Milan with artesia.eu and trenitalia.com. You can’t book this as a through journey, unfortunately. The three tickets for a return journey will cost about €300.
Accomodation in Como ranges from Hotel Como (hcomo.it), a three-star modern hotel about 1,500m from the lakefront, with rates from €110 per night, to the five-star Villa d’Este (villadeste.com), overlooking the lake, where prices start at €630 per night.
Go contact: E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com.