Yeah, I don't think you'll regret spending longer at each location - you'll have more time to explore the smaller islands and nooks and crannies... :)
Our journey, incidentaly, took up from Southampton to the Lakes for a couple of nights early September a few years back, then on to Gretna, which is only really worth stopping off at if yer gettin' married! From there, a bit of a hike to Loch Ness for an overnight stay. This took considerably longer than it could have due to all the stops we had to make to look at the utterly breathtaking scenery! Then, from Loch Ness, we drove straight up to Gill's Bay over to St Margaret's Hope.
We hadn't booked anywhere to stay in Orkney, but were so lucky to find a cancellation at a fabulous holiday flat overlooking the Loch of Stenness, with Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness, Maes Howe, etc for a few nights. The second place we stayed was at Finstown, with he Bay of Firth lapping up against the outer wall one side, and teh Fairy Knowe up on the hill behind...
Absolutely fantastic and dream-like holiday. I can't wait to get back...
The return journey brought us straight down the A9, through Inverness, to Pitlochry, where we stayed at the amazing and much recommended Moulin Inn, via a few megalithic and sightseeing stops on the way.
A couple of days of excellent guided tours of Perthshire's finest ancient sites with the excellent Bigsweetie, thenceforth onto Northumberland, for another amazing guided tour of some superb rockart and big owd rocks with the delicious Hob.
Back across to the Lakes, for a night in Shap Wells Hotel, a birrovan explore the next day, then home!
A holiday to remember...
G x
PS - I can give you more details if you like, but didn't want to clog up yer thread! ;)
