[LoLar]

Hi guys,

What could you advise to a french enthusiat pilot : Ireland or Scotland ?
What are the main differences ?

For each, what's the trip to do and the places/airfield to visit ?

Regards
LoLar

[The Wombat]

It has to be Ireland.

The Wombat

[poetpilot]

Unless you are working for Ryanair.

In which case it will be the Isle Of Man. (sorry, couldnt resist a joke).

To my mind they both are great places to see from the air and to visit. But I particularly love Ireland for the wonderful, relaxed pace of life, the great little pubs and the "get away from it all" feeling.

But I'm biased. I have not yet visited the Islands around Scotland, and the stories we hear of flying around those make them sound a good place to go.

[Hillerbee]

Ireland, it's beautiful and probably the weather is a bit better. Flying is very relaxed and it's definitely not busy.

[LoLar]

Thank you very much (I've lived in Ireland during 1 year, but I've never been to Scotland). I'm going to forward your reply to my friend.

LoLar

[Lefty]

LoLar,

i would also suggest Ireland. I am slghtly biased since I was born and grew up in Ireland. However I've flown to both Scotland and Ireland many times, and although I love Scotland, I think that Ireland gives a much better welcome to foreign visitors. In general, the scenery is very similar in Scotland and Ireland - but Ireland is the better experience.

I have organised many flying tours of Ireland - and if you email me at ; tom-at-tmccormack.co.uk I will send you some of the planning material that I have on file.

Tom

[poetpilot]

Lefty, I don't want to double your workload but if you can send me what you send him by PM, mucho appreciated. We go each year (by ground/sea) but I usually visit an airfield or 3 whilst there.

[BlueRobin]

It rains a lot in Scotland and Ireland. Stay in France

[KNT754G]

Lots of very beautiful airfields in Scotland, how long have you got.

There are a lot more airfields in Scotland than Ireland, just depends how long you can spend visiting them all!

[Obiwonkeyblokey]

Hi Lefty,

I will also drop you a line as I visit about 4/5 times a year and intend to do more flying over there soon.

Many Thanks

Owen

[Steve H]

Good for you! We don't seem to see many French pilots in the UK (certainly nothing to rival the annual British invasion of French airspace) .

Speaking as someone who has only used the northerm map of the UK once in anger (although planning for Scotland later in the year), it seems to me that you could do a bit of both Scotland and Ireland.

There are some lovely places on the west coast of Scotland and it is a very short hop from SW Scotland to N.Ireland, maybe down the coast into Eire to Weston (for Dublin), then along the coast to SE Ireland, then hop across to Haverfordwest (or Swansea for the Gower) etc. in Wales, then home from there?

[2Donkeys]

Both places are lovely to fly to and around.

Two comments:

1) There are far fewer airports in Ireland than in Scotland, and even fewer when you subtract those that are either GA-unfriendly, or totally inaccessible.

2) The weather in both places can be changeable, but Ireland is undoubtedly the wetter and more unreliable of the two if you need to be VFR.

For my money, given a choice, I would tour the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, with side-trips to the Orkneys and Shetlands.

[JimC]

The northeast and north coast of Northern Ireland make a lovely one day daytrip, starting from Belfast, and including Castle Carrickfergus, the glens of Antrim (particularly the waterfalls of Glenariff ), Rathlin Island, Carric-a-rede, Dunluce Castle, the Giant's causeway, and the beach at Portrush.

[Adam]

You could of course do both!

[skyjock200]

Lived in Scotland for 8 years. fantastic place. Perthshire definitly worth a visit. Aberdeen too if you don't mind the cold.

Did a trip to Ireland back in february. Over to Galway then up to Newtonards and back. Fanatstic scenery. Good food, friendly peolple and Good Guiness!