Questions About Scotland

[kitty9]

I'm cruising to Scotland in late August and hoping to see the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. My problem is accessibility. From where the tour buses drop you off, to the entrance to the arena, is more than a mile walk, on cobblestones. Since I have no movement or feeling in my right lower leg, there's no way I can do this walk. Does anyone know of a company that would deliver a scooter to the ship for one day's use? Anyone familiar with accessibility issues in Scotland?

[beckers]

Why not catch a cab?

[carol louise]

I can’t tell you about scooter rental, but I can say a little about accessibility in Scotland. My husband has emphysema and cannot walk very far without getting breathless. We visited relatives in Glasgow in August, 2002, staying at a hotel. We had the use of a wheelchair borrowed from a cousin. The taxis in Glasgow all had room for a wheelchair inside the car. They are configured with a couple jump seats, you put one down, and we had room for DH, my sister, myself and the wheelchair. The taxi drivers were invariably courteous and helpful. One of them, for example, when we were going to a museum, knew to take us around the corner from the main entrance to access the handicap-access entrance.

 

We took the train from Glasgow to Edinburgh one day during the Festival. There was a special area on the train car for wheelchairs and a train employee helped us find it and board. The mile-long walk you speak of is on an incline and could be a challenge. It’s crowded during the Festival. There are sidewalks, but they narrow at some points. Here’s a photo from my sister’s web album. http://community.webshots.com/photo/49157366/49161216SLtSSG

 

There was a special van to take the handicapped into the castle and we were escorted by an employee to take one of the few elevators they have there.

 

We loved the country and the people. I hope you can enjoy it, too.

 

And have a great cruise.

[Splinter]

I agree a cab would probably be your best bet as I assume you can easily transfer. Are you taking a wheelchair with you? Best to have a lightweight chair for inside the castle.

 

Here is some information on the Castle accessiblity:

 

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/properties_sites_detail?propertyID=PL_121

[kitty9]

The problem is that no motorized vehicles can go closer than 1 1/4 miles to the entrance to the castle, not even a cab, becaue it's now a pedistrian walkway. I have no problem hiring a private car, the problem is finding a way to get from the drop off point to the castle entrance. I'm cruising as a solo, so I can't rely on finding anyone to push me in a wheelchair.

[carol louise]

OK. For the heck of it, I did a little Googling. Didn’t come up with a rental source Edinburgh, but here at least are some sellers in the UK. Perhaps if you ask nicely in a call or e-mail, one of them would refer you to a rental source in Edinburgh.

http://www.michaelsmobility.co.uk/

http://www.mobility-company.co.uk/category_lightweight_scooters.html

http://www.activemobility.co.uk/shop/default.php?cPath=85

 

Another possible source of information would be your cruise line. Most of them have a number that special-needs cruisers are supposed to call to let the line know you are bringing oxygen, wheelchair, or other equipment on board. Maybe they, with the help of their shore excursion people (who surely must have contacts in all the ports of call), can find a supplier in Edinburgh who will deliver a scooter to the ship for you.

 

 

One more idea: you say you have no problem hiring a car. Have you made those arrangements yet? Maybe they can help direct you to a scooter rental source.

[kitty9]

carol louise, thank you for the information. It's a good place to start. I have contacted three companies for hiring a car, and they said they could only drop off at the regular drop off point. And thanks to everyone else for the suggestions.

[Queenie2]

I though I posted this to this thread already, but I guess I probably forgot to hit that magic "submit reply" button <sigh>.

 

Oh well, here is a link to the shopmobility place in Edinburgh where you can rent a scooter.

 

http://www.disabilityuk.com/mobility/e2mobil.htm

 

They are very good to work with.

 

candy

[kitty9]

Candy, thanks so very much for that link. I have one question. When reading the website, it seemed to indicate that the scooters were for shopping purposes only---you know, if I wanted to do some shopping in Edinburgh, then the scooters were available for just that purpose. Is that true? Or can I rent a scooter for two days and use it for the Tattoo?

[Queenie2]

Well they started as a "shopping scooters" but they expanded. The place in Edinburgh says they do long term rentals, and long term to them is usually more than a day:) I had a friend who was traveling in the UK and she broke her ankle so she ended up renting one from them for about a month or so. You can pretty much take them anywhere, well anywhere that is accessible, that is:)

 

They don't have such a great website, but they really are a good org.

 

Candy