We've been driving for three hours along the Scottish coast outside of Edinburgh looking for a room. We've been stopping in every village and small town looking at bed and breakfast accommodations. They are totally full and I'm getting nervous.
We leave tomorrow on the train back to London and can't overnight in Edinburgh, as there are championship football games in progress and accommodations are nil.
What's really scary is this isn't even the height of the tourist season. It's May.
We head inland to Haddington and stop at the first guesthouse we see.
I jump out of the car and run in. "Sorry no rooms," a young woman informs me. I ask where she recommends given our $100 US per night budget. She points down the street.
It's 6 p.m. and the next place is full too and the one after that. Next stop, a small hotel with four rooms above a noisy bar.
A double runs $125. I take a quick look and it will do, clean sheets and acceptable bathroom. But, that's it. The bed is lumpy, the traffic noise is only bearable, and the next-door neighbor's TV and bar chatter I'm hoping can be blocked out with earplugs.
My husband and I are just completing a three-week road trip in Scotland. As independent travelers, we don't like to book accommodations in advance. We like the flexibility of staying longer if we love a place or bugging out earlier if it's not as advertised. Our "no reservations" policy has turned out to be a major inconvenience on this trip. Unless we find a room by 3 p.m., most places are full.
Scotland is short of tourist's rooms and rooms in B&Bs are the scarcest. Most only offer one or two rooms for rent, plus there are only a handful of B&Bs in small towns and villages.
To help alleviate this problem, the government is offering financial incentives to those who open new B&Bs, but at this point there aren't enough online to eliminate the crisis.
Despite hours spent searching over the past three weeks, we have enjoyed our B&B experience.
In Port Alpin on Scotland's northwestern coast, we stayed in a home built by a retired couple that added an extra bedroom for rent. It truly was like staying in someone's house, as it was their home.
We had our own bathroom, but shared common space like the front door entrance and stairs to the second floor. We ate breakfast in their dining room and overlooked their beautifully tended garden. We discussed family pictures and got to know the names and locations of their grown children. After two days, they felt like family and we exchanged e-mails.
Other B&Bs we found were not so homey. In Aberfoyle, our B&B (fifth choice) had four rooms for rent and a communal dining room where breakfast was served.
The owners were kind and friendly, but we spent more time with the other guests than we did with them. The place was motel-like even though the owners lived on the premises.
My favorite B&B was in Scotland's Borders area in a miniscule village, Hassendean. After an unsuccessful two-hour search in nearby Melrose, we were directed to a newly renovated cottage 10 miles south in the rolling countryside. We were the owner's first guests.
Our room was beautifully appointed complete with a mini frig. The bathroom was large with heated towel racks. The downstairs guest breakfast room was replete with fresh homemade bread and delicious Scottish porridge.
If you plan to visit Scotland and stay in B&Bs be forewarned and do your homework. The Scottish Tourist Board has a great Web site to help in planning your stay. Check out their official Web site at www.visitscotland.com.
The board personally inspects every B&B they list and rates them between one and five stars. Other unlisted B&Bs have their own Web sites.
Once you get to Scotland, most towns and villages have a Tourist Board Office. We found the staffs accommodating and helpful. I doubt we would have survived without them.
They offer a variety of written material that lists accommodations and local attractions in their area.
I do suggest, however, that you book in advance and avoid the frustration we encountered.
Don't even think about going during the high season, June through August, without reservations.
By GLORIA J. MASCHMEYER
Daily News correspondent