Day Trip From Edinburgh
Apr 14th, 2004, 04:39 PM
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Day Trip From Edinburgh
We'll be in Edinburgh for a few days in late May, and we would really like to get out of the city and see some of the countryside. We will be relying on public transportation, and we would like to keep our travel time to about an hour each way. I have been thinking about Stirling. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jill
Thanks,
Jill
Apr 14th, 2004, 04:45 PM
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I would like to "piggyback" onto Jill's inquiry. We also would like to do a 1/2 - 1 day trip from Edinburgh. Would it be doable to drive out of Edinburgh by 8 a.m., see some of the Loch Lomond area and the Trossachs National Park, and be back in Edinburgh around 3 p.m.? Thank you.
Apr 14th, 2004, 08:34 PM
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_Jill_ : Limiting your self to public transport Stirling would be a good choice. But it isn't really a "countryside" trip since it is a fairly big town w/ a large castle similar to Edinburgh's. You'll love Stirling Castle - but if you really want to get out into open countryside you might want to think about renting a car for just the day.
Marsha: If you get an early start you could drive over to Loch lomond, through the Trossachs and make it back to Edinburgh by late afternoon. Don't dawdle - but it is certainly doable.
Marsha: If you get an early start you could drive over to Loch lomond, through the Trossachs and make it back to Edinburgh by late afternoon. Don't dawdle - but it is certainly doable.
Apr 15th, 2004, 12:37 AM
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They do have day bus trips to the highlands that leave from the castle. I never took it but plan to next time I am over. It would allow you to see a few places rather than 1 on your own. Maybe Sheila can help with this?
Apr 15th, 2004, 05:01 AM
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I have taken a few escorted day tours out of Edinburgh. Many of the places people want to see, including Stirling, the Trossachs, the Highlands, etc. can be reached in a day with many of these companies.
Try www.rabbies.com or www.timberbush.co.uk (I did the Oban & Highlands tour last year and loved it) or heartofscotlandtours.co.uk. You can book before you leave over the web, or once you get to Edinburgh. Most have offices on or near the Royal Mile.
Try www.rabbies.com or www.timberbush.co.uk (I did the Oban & Highlands tour last year and loved it) or heartofscotlandtours.co.uk. You can book before you leave over the web, or once you get to Edinburgh. Most have offices on or near the Royal Mile.
Apr 19th, 2004, 11:30 AM
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This will depend on your interests.As a former resident of Edinburgh, I would not recommend going to Stirling in the short time you have available. Edinburgh Castle has most of what Stirling Castle has. Here are some suggestions:
1). Go to the Lothian transport office right beside Waverley station and see what day trips they do at that time of year.
2). Take the train from Waverley to North Berwick. A regular service exists and you can see the Bass Rock close up.
3). Take an Edinburgh transport bus to Cramond and walk around this beautiful village and its surroundings. Have lunch at one of the local pubs.
4).If you are golfers or are keen on history, try a bus trip to St. Andrews. It is not all that far away and can be easily done in a day.
5).Try a hike up Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano almost in the centre of Edinburgh. It is slightly strenuous but well worth it for the view at the top.
Most of these suggestions are relatively cheap by U.K. standards. Good luck.
1). Go to the Lothian transport office right beside Waverley station and see what day trips they do at that time of year.
2). Take the train from Waverley to North Berwick. A regular service exists and you can see the Bass Rock close up.
3). Take an Edinburgh transport bus to Cramond and walk around this beautiful village and its surroundings. Have lunch at one of the local pubs.
4).If you are golfers or are keen on history, try a bus trip to St. Andrews. It is not all that far away and can be easily done in a day.
5).Try a hike up Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano almost in the centre of Edinburgh. It is slightly strenuous but well worth it for the view at the top.
Most of these suggestions are relatively cheap by U.K. standards. Good luck.
Apr 19th, 2004, 10:59 PM
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1/ Day trips from Edinburgh on the train?.
Perth is a former major route junction for the trains, and you will find lines from there to Edinburgh, Glasgow, via Stirling, Dundee and then Aberdeen, Inverness and all points between.
1(a) I would suggest a day in Stirling would be a good use of your time. The only problem is, it's a bit spread out, so you might need to use cabs a lot. Great castle; Wallace Monument, Bannockburn; good shopping.
1(b) Another thought would be Pitlochry then back to Dunkeld (Actually on checking my giude I see that some (not all, so be careful) trains stop at Blair Atholl. On second thoughts miss out Pitlochry which is an overrated tourist trap, and go on to Blair Atholl) Blair Atholl is a planned village and is very pretty in a slightly twee Victorian style, and it houses Blair Castle, home of the Dukes of Atholl and the Atholl Highlanders. V Impressive in the grand style. I have no idea how you get from the station to the castle but it's only a mile.
On the way back south plan to stop at Dunkeld- station is Birnam, again about a mile from Dunkeld proper.
The Cathedral is special, but so is the square with its National Trust houses. Good book shop and some very good antique shops ( never pay what they are asking)
Birnam is, of course, famous as being the place from which the wood came to Dunsinane in Macbeth. Dunsinane is just north of Perth on the Aberdeen Road.
1(c).Most of Perth's interest lies in its history- ancient capital of Scotland- and in its place in Scottish literature. Just north of Perth, 2 miles or so, is Scone Palace, worth a visit itself, which was the site where the kings and queens of Scotland were crowned, seated on the Stone of Destiny, (a good fake of) which you will no doubt have seen when you visited Edinburgh castle.
The town's 12th century Church, St John's is worth a visit. It contains the remains of an Earl of Perth who is supposed to have told the town's baillies "If you give me six feet, I'll give you twa Inches"- a reference to the two parks on either side of the Old town, the North and South Inches (from the Gaelic Innis meaning meadow). In addition it is where John Knox preached the destruction of the monasteries at the start of the Scottish reformation
Sir Walter Scott wrote a novel called "the Fair Maid of Perth" and her house and that of Hal o' the Wynd, can both be visited. This will tell you all about Clan Chattan and Clan Kay and the battle they fought (staged?) on the North Inch. Next to Hal o' the Wynd's house is the City Mills which has a restored oatmeal and some nice craft shops. The City Mills Hotel, which I think is now called the Stakis, is another converted Mill, done so the lade can be seen flowing underneath.
If you walk along the Tay, you can see where the houses in the Watergate had their gardens which led down to the river, where Kate Barlass held off the soldiers come to capture and kill the king.
The town has really good shopping centered around the High street and Old High Street. On the north edge of the town is the Caithness Glass factory where you can see the glass being made and, of course, buy from the factory shop.
There are a lot of nice walks.. along the river and through the North Inch, through the Norie Millar gardens on the north side of the river, Branklyn gardens on the North side of the river, Kinnoull hill with its folly, and, near where you are staying, Buckie Braes and Callerfountain.
Places to eat- Let's Eat is without doubt the best place in town, but Timothy's is quite good too. Let?s eat has a slightly down market bistro in George Street, called, inventively, Let?s Eat Again and 1774 behaind the Art gallery can be good. Service can be awful. Patrick?s is a bistro behind the Sherriff Court which is on Tay Street), which is quite good, and Littlejohns, Paco's and and the Filling station, are all cheap and cheerful.
The Willows tea room in St John's Square is very good for coffee/ tea and cakes and things.
11(d) Go up the coast as far as Arbroath, which is a traditional fishing town, famous for its "smokies", and its cathedral which is where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. "For so long as a hundred of us remain alive, we will yield in no least way to English dominion" and all that.
Stop (if you want) at Carnoustie a couple of miles down the coast.. smaller and more of a 1920s tourist place, but famous for its golf, especially this week.
If you are rash enough to get off the train in Dundee (armpit of the Universe; am I making myself plain?) there's not much of quality to see or do. There is a very good visitor centre (the Discovery Centre) near the station which interprets Captain Scott's voyages to the Antartic, and his ship, the Discovery is moored alongside so you can visit. Nearby is the Unicorn, a Dundee Whaler, which is also open to the public. There are people who actually like Dundee but they are few and far between.
As an alternative to going up the coast from Dundee, you could change here and get the train to Leuchars, 6 miles from St Andrews. Buses leave Leuchars for St Andrews every half hour (not Sundays)
Perth is a former major route junction for the trains, and you will find lines from there to Edinburgh, Glasgow, via Stirling, Dundee and then Aberdeen, Inverness and all points between.
1(a) I would suggest a day in Stirling would be a good use of your time. The only problem is, it's a bit spread out, so you might need to use cabs a lot. Great castle; Wallace Monument, Bannockburn; good shopping.
1(b) Another thought would be Pitlochry then back to Dunkeld (Actually on checking my giude I see that some (not all, so be careful) trains stop at Blair Atholl. On second thoughts miss out Pitlochry which is an overrated tourist trap, and go on to Blair Atholl) Blair Atholl is a planned village and is very pretty in a slightly twee Victorian style, and it houses Blair Castle, home of the Dukes of Atholl and the Atholl Highlanders. V Impressive in the grand style. I have no idea how you get from the station to the castle but it's only a mile.
On the way back south plan to stop at Dunkeld- station is Birnam, again about a mile from Dunkeld proper.
The Cathedral is special, but so is the square with its National Trust houses. Good book shop and some very good antique shops ( never pay what they are asking)
Birnam is, of course, famous as being the place from which the wood came to Dunsinane in Macbeth. Dunsinane is just north of Perth on the Aberdeen Road.
1(c).Most of Perth's interest lies in its history- ancient capital of Scotland- and in its place in Scottish literature. Just north of Perth, 2 miles or so, is Scone Palace, worth a visit itself, which was the site where the kings and queens of Scotland were crowned, seated on the Stone of Destiny, (a good fake of) which you will no doubt have seen when you visited Edinburgh castle.
The town's 12th century Church, St John's is worth a visit. It contains the remains of an Earl of Perth who is supposed to have told the town's baillies "If you give me six feet, I'll give you twa Inches"- a reference to the two parks on either side of the Old town, the North and South Inches (from the Gaelic Innis meaning meadow). In addition it is where John Knox preached the destruction of the monasteries at the start of the Scottish reformation
Sir Walter Scott wrote a novel called "the Fair Maid of Perth" and her house and that of Hal o' the Wynd, can both be visited. This will tell you all about Clan Chattan and Clan Kay and the battle they fought (staged?) on the North Inch. Next to Hal o' the Wynd's house is the City Mills which has a restored oatmeal and some nice craft shops. The City Mills Hotel, which I think is now called the Stakis, is another converted Mill, done so the lade can be seen flowing underneath.
If you walk along the Tay, you can see where the houses in the Watergate had their gardens which led down to the river, where Kate Barlass held off the soldiers come to capture and kill the king.
The town has really good shopping centered around the High street and Old High Street. On the north edge of the town is the Caithness Glass factory where you can see the glass being made and, of course, buy from the factory shop.
There are a lot of nice walks.. along the river and through the North Inch, through the Norie Millar gardens on the north side of the river, Branklyn gardens on the North side of the river, Kinnoull hill with its folly, and, near where you are staying, Buckie Braes and Callerfountain.
Places to eat- Let's Eat is without doubt the best place in town, but Timothy's is quite good too. Let?s eat has a slightly down market bistro in George Street, called, inventively, Let?s Eat Again and 1774 behaind the Art gallery can be good. Service can be awful. Patrick?s is a bistro behind the Sherriff Court which is on Tay Street), which is quite good, and Littlejohns, Paco's and and the Filling station, are all cheap and cheerful.
The Willows tea room in St John's Square is very good for coffee/ tea and cakes and things.
11(d) Go up the coast as far as Arbroath, which is a traditional fishing town, famous for its "smokies", and its cathedral which is where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. "For so long as a hundred of us remain alive, we will yield in no least way to English dominion" and all that.
Stop (if you want) at Carnoustie a couple of miles down the coast.. smaller and more of a 1920s tourist place, but famous for its golf, especially this week.
If you are rash enough to get off the train in Dundee (armpit of the Universe; am I making myself plain?) there's not much of quality to see or do. There is a very good visitor centre (the Discovery Centre) near the station which interprets Captain Scott's voyages to the Antartic, and his ship, the Discovery is moored alongside so you can visit. Nearby is the Unicorn, a Dundee Whaler, which is also open to the public. There are people who actually like Dundee but they are few and far between.
As an alternative to going up the coast from Dundee, you could change here and get the train to Leuchars, 6 miles from St Andrews. Buses leave Leuchars for St Andrews every half hour (not Sundays)
