Hello! My name is Marissa. I’ve just signed up as a housesitter. I’m headed back to Scotland in Aug/Sept 2022 for my second extended stay. I absolutely adore all that Scotland is and find myself in a constant state of longing to return! I would love to connect with people looking for a sitter, or people that love traveling… especially to Scotland!
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Welcome Marissa and good luck with your housesitting ‘career’.
I had a wonderful sit in a lovely place called Longniddry last August - 3 weeks with a cat called Sula. A beautiful home, lovely owners and great location - 20 mins by train East of Edinburgh & near the coast. I hadn’t really visited Scotland much before but managed to see quite a lot in the area. I’ve just checked to see if the owner has put dates up but she hasn’t. If you want to occasionally check it comes under ‘East Lothian’ but putting Scotland in the search field will no doubt find them
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Marissa
One of my first sits was a week in Edinburgh with Chester, an 80 lb flat coat retriever who had an endearing smile. He actually met me at Waverly Station when I took the train up from my prior sit in Somerset.
Was scheduled for a sit over Christmas/New Year in Kingussie in the Highlands but covid put an end to the whole month of UK sits.
And I’ve had a good sit in Portland and will be back for a month in Nov-Dec.
Take care.
tom
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Hi @Marissa a big welcome to TrustedHousesitters and to our community forum. Here you can connect with many helpful members who are always happy to help answer any questions and discuss all things housesitting.
Thank you for sharing those fab photos! We are looking forward to hearing about your Scottish adventures in the future.
Did you know you can add a link to your sitter profile in your forum username? That way owner members here on the forum can find you directly. I have added below a link to details on how to do this -
Happy housesitting!
Lucy
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There are 150 sits in Scotland at the moment. Loads in the central belt - Edinburgh, Glasgow but I would suggest heading North. Inverness, Dingwall, even a country mansion at Alyth. The one that caught my attention recently was Otters Head, a beautiful wild area which represents everything I love about Scotland.
Good luck and Lang ma yer lum reek.
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Hi @Marissa and welcome to the forum. We are on a housesit in Scotland at the moment, in East Lothian.
@Smiley we drove past the turning for Longniddry today!
We’ve hiked in the hills, been to the beach and walked the clifftop trail in Dunbar, and visited Edinburgh.
Since we arranged this sit I have seen quite a few others in East Lothian. We’d definitely return
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I’m headed to Scotland in June for a couple of sits in Edinburgh and further NE. Would you know if most sitters hire a vehicle while there? I don’t think I will need one in Edinburgh, but as I go further NE to smaller towns, would I?
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Hi there. From my own personals travels, I would say you definitely don’t need a car anywhere near the general Edinburgh area. Public transit is pretty easy. Parking can be really challenging in Edinburgh as well.
My personal choice is to have a car outside of the cities. I like the freedom to drive where I want, when I want. If you are going to be at a sit that is within walking distance to a town center, or on a bus route, you may not need a car. But, if you want to do any exploring, you would probably want a car.
Just a heads up, car rentals are through the rough right now. They are about 3 times what they were in 2019. Crazy high. Going through Turo is a bit less expensive but still not a great price.
What towns will you be going to in the NE area?
It’s a lovely area. But honestly, I haven’t found an area that I didn’t like in Scotland. So many options of geography and scenery. There’s something for everyone!
Ahhh… Lang may yer lum reek… I’m ready to hear that again!
I’ve been watching for sits to pop up in my August/September travel time. So far there are only about 5, I think. I’m hoping that as that time gets closer, more will be posted. Do you live in Scotland or are you a sitter? Or both?
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Thank you! I’ll have to figure that one out.
Awe, he’s a beauty! I spent Hogmany 2019 in Edinburgh… Nothing like it. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend it. Thanks for the welcome!
Hi @anon36831737 ! I usually find myself there in the Fall or winter months. Not as busy and costs are generally lower. However, that’s a good point about when the people wanting sits would be traveling. Thank you for the info!
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Thank you for the tip. That part of Scotland is lovely. The farthest South I’ve been on that side is the Rosslyn Chapel area, just South of Edinburgh. I love the coastal areas though. Thanks for the welcome!
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Very cool! It is a wonderful life. Absolutely love Scotland too. Enjoy and welcome @Marissa
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It all depends if it’s in towns or out in the country. The long distance buses and trains are very responsible priced. The bus services in large towns and cities are good but once you get into the smaller towns, villages or country they are non existent.
We were home for six weeks in February and car hire is very expensive. We ended up buying a car and selling it again when we left. Shop around. Car hire is usually cheaper when booked earlier. Try Green Motion but read the small print very carefully.
I lived in the NE for a long time. It is very beautiful and September is an ideal time to visit. Which part are you going to? There’s lots of castles and walks to do. Don’t forget the Braemar Gathering, a must if you can get tickets. But any Highland Games will give you a feel for it.
Edinburgh in September is perfect. Still warm but not over run with tourists. The Festival is over but there will still be lots to do. One of the highlights is Mary Kings Close, an underground tour of old Edinburgh. When things got too much in old Edinburgh they just built on top of what was there. This is an underground glimpse of what’s underneath the streets of today. Excellent.
I hope you enjoy my home country. I’m a traveller and now live in the south of England but am always drawn to my homeland.
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My heart is in Scotland. I was born and brought up on a farm in the east coast but now travel the world. My residence is on the south coast of England but i visit friends and family regularly up there.
I’m sure there will be sits in the time you want to be there. Edinburgh will be very busy in August because of the festival. September is an ideal time to visit up north. The mighty midgey is not so ferocious then. Good luck.
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THANK you for the info. I fly into Edinburgh and head to Aberargie/Perthshire for a sit , then back to Edinburgh for another sit. I believe I read both Megabus and Citylink have a bus route from Edinburgh to Perthshire. If that is accurate, I will do that so I can look at scenery. Car hires are really expensive (I had also looked at Turo), like you stated. And I’d rather spend $1000 on something other than a vehicle.
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Have a great time!
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