Winter Scotland trip questions

Hopefully someone will offer a more specific answer about Shannon, but I'd caution that there may be absolutely nothing open nearby (Limerick or Ennis would be the obvious destinations). New Year's Day is one of the most closed-for-business days in Ireland, with even large multinational supermarkets closed as well as individual restaurants and shops, and there's often nothing available in cities or towns other than a convenience shop. It's not just the Christmas period effect, it's like Christmas day itself. If you're very keen to leave the airport, I'd investigate places like hotels with restaurants, and I'd check directly about opening hours in advance and make sure that transportation will actually be running.

Scots writer (mainly SF, but not all) Iain Banks has a semi-autobiographical book called "Raw Spirit," describing his efforts to visit and review every licensed operating distillery in Scotland, and also to find anyone doing it in an unlicensed fashion. But the book was the best pitch for visiting Scotland ever-- his descriptions of a few sights (Orwell's cabin, or some familiar movie locations) and also some "great wee roads," where a certain kind of driving pleasure is derived, either from the path of the road, the scenery, or a certain dinnae know what. Bank's left-wing politics arise from time to time, but if it didn't bother me, it won't bother anyone to my left, which is most of MeFi.

January 1st and 2nd are holidays in Scotland (hogmanay) and most things will be closed (as TheOtherGuy says). This includes public transit (there may be some on the 2nd), restaurants, many supermarkets, etc. Without a car you'll have a lot of trouble getting around until after the 2nd.

I know others have said this upthread, but you really, really should not underestimate the degree to which Scotland shuts down after Hogmanay. There is some public transport on the 2nd, in a very grudging sort of way - but it will be on a very limited timetable, and often not even follow the usual routes (so they can, for example, cover three bus routes with the one bus). If you think of it as the entire nation having a hangover, you have it about right. I think if I was in your position I'd stay somewhere in central Edinburgh for the 1st and 2nd, because even if there isn't anything actually open you can still have a look round the outsides of places like the Old Town. Things are getting back to normal on the 3rd, but I wouldn't set out for any attraction without checking it's open.

Bunratty Castle is only about 10 km from Shannon Airport, and I would usually recommend it as somewhere suitable if you have a few hours to spare. The http://www.shannonheritage.com/Attractions/BunrattyCastleandFolkPark/BunrattyCastleAndFolkParkOpeningTimes/ doesn't say anything about New Year's Day, but it does state that the place is closed for 3 days over Christmas, so I assume they'd say so if they were closed on 1st January as well (though I'd check by email). The problem would be getting there - I'm not sure what kind of transport will be running.

Checking a bit more, while the local commuter bus service is not running on New Year's Day, the Shannon-Limerick bus has a http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1272287885-51.pdf. That bus is supposed to run every hour daily, including public holidays (the only day they say it's not running is Christmas Day). I'm a bit suspicious, though, that they list the request stop at Bunratty only in one direction, from Shannon to Limerick, and not on the return leg, from Limerick to Shannon.

Check out the kind folks at http://www.secret-scotland.com/ to see if they have any advice. We used them on our longer trip and it is no exaggeration to say that they rock.

New Year's Eve is bound to be a biggie in Bunratty, I very much doubt it will be open on New Year's Day. I'd ring Durty Nellie's if I were you and check opening hours on New Year's Day. +353. 61. 364 861 or email [email protected]

Thanks everybody! It sounds like we will do at least through the evening of 1/2, if not through to 1/3, in Edinburgh. Wilder, Thanks for the tip for Durty Nellie's, and Bunratty castle. If it's open I could even rent a car for the trip. TheOtherGuy, that is great info and I hope we can work out a meetup! If it's okay I might memail you closer to the time when we know our itinerary a bit more. Definitely checking out Go Scotland. Sunburnt, yay, something to read on the way to whet my appetite!