You must be vaccinated to attend our wedding to ensure the safety of our guests & vendors, as well as avoid unnecessary Covid testing costs.Most mask requirements will be lifted on 3/21/22, but should be worn on public transit and in stores, bars/restaurants, and if required by owners. If you plan to travel to another country before or after our wedding please make sure you keep up to date with the latest Covid information for both countries. More information can be found on Gov.uk You will still need to book & pay for a Covid test to return to the US, 24hrs before your return flight. You can find testing sites here. https://uk.usembassy.gov/covidtestingproviders/ or here https://www.expresstest.co.uk There are also at home tests that are approved by the CDC for travel, but they require an internet connection. https://www.afar.com/magazine/cdc-approves-at-home-covid-tests-for-international-travel/amp
Scotland uses the GBP- Great British Pound. You can get cash via your bank, a currency exchange at the airport, or from an ATM in Scotland. A lot of places in the UK, especially locally owned places, prefer cash so make sure you have some on hand. Tipping your drivers, tour guides, and wait staff is expected. Please make sure you have cash for these instances. Public toilets will require coins to use, which means they're always clean. This is another very important reason as to why you should always have cash.
As I mentioned above, yes! Tipping (10-15%) IS expected for wait staff and other service providers. Tipping is not expected for bar service.
It all depends on what type of card you have. MasterCard and Visa are the most accepted credit cards in the UK. Most places do not accept Discover or Amex though there are the exceptions. Make sure your credit card and/or debit card does not have a foreign transaction fee. You should also make your bank aware of your travel plans in advance.
We hope you’ll use this trip as an excuse to explore the U.K. or another European country, so come as early or stay as long as you want! But, if you choose to only come for our wedding we suggest arriving Thursday, May 26th and departing Monday, May 30th. It would be really risky to try to fly back to the US on Sunday, May 29th.
The UK is very strict about traveling with liquids in your carryon. Much like the US you must use 1, quart sized ziplock filled with liquids no larger than 3.4oz. Unlike the US it is strongly enforced and if you forget the airport usually offers free bags for your use before security.
Don’t get overwhelmed. Just email us spenceandteneille@gmail.com and we’ll help answer your questions.
Yes, purchasing travel insurance is highly recommended. You can research many travel insurances online, but they help cover the cost of health issues, lost items, delayed travel, etc. Please be mindful that most insurance plans will NOT cover Covid related issues because it is a recognized pandemic via The WHO. World Nomad has decent Covid coverage, but fear of travel is not covered. https://www.worldnomads.com/usa/travel-insurance/whats-covered
Besides your passport it is smart to bring scanned copies of your insurance/travel insurance, credit cards, drivers license, and passport in the event that your physical documents would become lost, damaged, and/or stolen. You will also need your Covid vaccines card.
Whatever you do, don’t go to sleep if it’s not time! Drink lots of water, stay in well lit places and drink caffeine. If possible, try to adjust your sleep schedule a week before travel by getting up and going to bed earlier. Scotland is 5 hrs ahead.
The weather on the Isle of Skye in May averages a high of 55 degrees F and a low of 46 degrees F. Scotland is known for experiencing all 4 seasons in 1 day so make sure you bring layers, an umbrella, and water proof shoes if you plan to explore the outdoors.
Maybe! If it’s not raining we will be outside with standing room only.
You will need a universal adaptor/converter in order to use the UK outlets. You also want to check any appliances, such as hair straighteners, for their wattage to see if they’re dual voltage. If you're unsure you should purchase a voltage converter so you don't burn off your hair...Just ask my cousin Emma. ;)
Check with your provider. Some providers do have simple International plans that allow texting and data for free, but it will be slow. You can simply purchase an international plan specifically for the trip. There is wifi at most places, but if you plan on doing other travel purchasing a phone plan would be smart. A tip I always advise is to download the offline versions of the maps for the areas you'll be visiting on Google Maps. You'll be able to use the maps without service or wifi.
Yes! Dinner on Friday and Saturday will be provided by Spencer and me. Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday are part of your stay at the hotel. You will be responsible for your lunches both days. If you aren’t staying at the hotel on dinner on Friday & Saturday will be included.
Take the train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh. From there you can 1. Get a taxi (I suggest arranging this as soon as you know the train time you will be taking from Inverness) 2. If for some reason you have issues getting a taxi you can take the public bus for about £7, but it will take about 1.5hrs. You can buy your tickets in advance. 3. Rent a car. We don’t advise this for everyone seeing that it will be a bit pricy & the driving on the opposite side of the road & car is strange. If you are flying into Inverness you can arrange for a car to take you to Skye. This will probably be a bit pricy, but you can definitely look into it. Just Google it. More info about the train, taxi & bus can be found on the travel page.
The spirit tasting is $40 per person and must be paid to us by March 30, 2022. The tasting will include whiskey, rum & gin. It will take place at the hotel on May 27, 2022 at 4PM.