elizabethG

I would be so grateful for some help.
I am planning a trip to England and Scotland in June July
The trip will be approx 30 days
I could use help with my itinerary - bed and breakfast - castles - etc etc
The major them of this trip is quaint ... Picturesque .. Castles ... Beautiful
Landscapes and historic


I plan to start off with ony 3 days in London
Then my rough outline is
London
Cotswolds
Cornwall ?
York
Lake district
Edinburg
Fort William
Isle Skye

These are just rough regions I have much to fill in

I would like to stay in an area for a few days and tour around then move on to next
Area - like one b&b in Cotswold for 4 days and we can see Bath- Oxford, Avon etc etc - since I am traveling with two boys this has proved a good way for us to travel. So helpful areas and then things to see in that area -

Thank you for all your help in advance

nytraveler

Are you planning on renting a car?

If not, you may find that places that seem "central" are actually too far from one another by train - esp if heading cross country.

And how old are the boys? Do you need to search out playgrounds for them to run around - or are they older?

janisj

30 days probably seems like a long trip . . . but you will eat that up before you know it.

Let me lay out a sample itinerary:

• London 3 days (which means 4 nights) - a little short IMO since you will have jet lag to deal with - but lets go w/ 4 nights. 4 nts

• train to somewhere in Devon or Cornwall and collect your rental car. Exeter or Plymouth would work. 4 nts

• The Cotswolds would need at leas 4 nights since you'll want to include Bath/Oxford/Warwick and Cotswold villages. Or you could stop over one night in Bath and then 3 nights in the Cotswolds. 4 nts total.

• Yorkshire/York. One full day for the city of York and a couple of days to see the Moors/North York Moors steam railway, etc. 3 nts.

• The Lake District 2 or 3 nts<red>**</red> (see below)

• Northumberland for Hadrians Wall, Alnwick etc. 3 nts

• Edinburgh 3 nights.

• 3 nights near Inverness (not IN Inverness) for everything up north (Loch Ness, Fort George, Culloden etc)

• Skye 3 nights . . . and your time is gone.

<red>**</red> If it was me, I'd drop the Lake district and spend those few extra days in Scotland - after Skye, 2 or 3 nights in the Trossachs (for Doune, Inchmahome and Stirling)

Then drop the car and fly home from either GLA or EDI

30 days . . .

janisj

Oh -- I also meant to throw out a different idea based on week or nearly week-long stays in 4 different areas and renting cottages.

3 or 4 days in London, a week in Devon/Cornwall, a couple of days in the Cotswolds, a week in North Yorkshire, a couple of days in Northumberland, a couple of days in Edinburgh and a week split between <i>near</i> Inverness and on Skye, fly home from GLA.

elizabethG

Thank you for all these ideas
I am renting a car so we can see
All the little towns villages castles garden etc

Your idea of dropping Lake District might be a good one

I know there are tons of castles but any must sees --also any really amazing gardens to see ...any quaint bed and breakfast you can reccomend??

I have been to London before but not my kids ... They are 11 and 8 so
My plan was to just hit the highlights in a few days for them ... I think London is a city where you can spend a month and not see it all

castlevisitor

I second the recommendation of renting a car. It sounds like janisj has put together almost the exact trip we did in 2006. Her time recommendations are spot-on. It was our first overseas trip and it was, in a word, heavenly. We've been back twice since and still have more to see.

We used self-catering accommodations exclusively on the first trip and each was unique and well located, although the one in London was not as described in many ways so we did not return there. The second and third times we went (each time beginning in London), we stayed at the London Vicarage Hotel at 10 Vicarage Gate in Kensington, which was close to tube stations on the Circle and District lines, but we usually grabbed a cab. Full breakfast cooked to order included. We rented the car on our way out of London (Hertz Marble Arch) which I believe is just outside the congestion zone.

If you aren't fixed on using b&b's, I'd be happy to pull and provide the information on the other self-catering places we have stayed.

castlevisitor

Oh, I forgot about the castles (how could I?!?) We tend to see 3-4 a day - hectic for some, I know, but seeing castles, history, architecture, the beautiful and unique, "touristy" as well as off-the-beaten-path places - it's what we enjoy. Therefore there are too many to list here, but I'd be happy to share my excel spreadsheet from each trip if you are interested. I plan for must sees and extras, stretching our visiting hours as long as possible, and it starts out as just a guideline - if we want to stay somewhere longer, we do. Then I update it with actual data - so what I'd be sending is what we actually did.

elizabethG

I would be so grateful for all of yor recommendations ... Hotels castles garden anything ...
Every summer I take my boys on a trip and we head out early in the am and return in evening spending our days seeing as much as possible ...

We do a lot of gites or self catering as a rule but I thought that maybe in some areas we would want to do a few days ..

Many thanks for all your help

castlevisitor

Near Bath/Cotwalds, we stayed at Nailey Farms for 5 nights. Saw Stonehenge (book far in advance for "early or late access" to get a close up look with no crowds), Beaulieu, Calshot Castle, Wilton House (highly recommend), Berkeley Castle, Dyrham Park, Cotehele, Bath, Buckland in the Moor and the following Cotswald villages: Chipping Camden, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Stowe in the Wold, Bradford upon Avon (went late in afternoon and avoided all the tour groups.) On our way in from Wales, we saw Cardiff and Caerphilly Castles and we departed Heathrow the morning after our fifth night, so we saw the above in four days.

Second trip we stayed near Salisbury at Waterlake Cottage for three nights and daytripped to:
Petworth House
Arundel Castle
Bath
Salisbury town & Cathedral (magna carta)

Castles/fortified manor houses/palaces/quaint towns/museums to see:

Greater London (because we took day trips from London to see these):
Hampton Court Palace (really interesting)
Town of Rye
Bodiam Castle (picturesque moated ruin)
Hever Castle (one of the best Tudor houses)
Penshurst
Windsor Castle (great castle)
Hatfield House
Westminster Abbey (a must)
British Museum
Buckingham Palace (open to public from early August to late September)
Royal Mews
Tower of London (great for kids and adults)
St. Paul's Cathedral
Parliament
Canterbury Cathedral
Leeds Castle
Dover Castle
Winchester Cathedral and city
Blenheim Palace
Kensington Palace
Jewel Tower
The Inns of Court and Somerset House
Apsley House
Marble Hill House (great longish tour for adults-might bore kids)
Knole House
Ightham Mote (one of the best Elizabethan Houses I've seen)
Upnor Castle
Rochester Castle
Oxford and its many colleges
The Ashmolean museum in Oxford - great
Kenilworth
Warwick (good for kids they say)


Greater York area:
Hardwick Hall
Haddon Hall
Chatsworth (highly recommend)
York city walls
Cliffords Tower
Castle Howard
Pickering Castle
Scarborough Castle (ruin)
Helmsley Castle
Rievaulx abbey
Hadrian's wall and turrets

In Scotland - 1st trip we rented a flat-no charm but clean and well located, 3rd trip we stayed in St. Andrews for 11 nights at "The Scribbles."
Edinburgh Castle
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Georgian House
Balmoral Castle
Scone Palace
Glamis Castle
St. Andrews University quads and churches, town, castle, cathedral (talk about quaint) and the fishing villages nearby are darling too.
Dunfermline Castle
Linlithgow Palace (one of the best ever)
Stirling Castle (amazing since the renovation-interesting take-good for kids I think)
Bothwell Castle
Blackness Castle
Huntly Castle
Kildrummy Castle
Castle Fraser
Crathes Castle
Drum Castle
Carlisle Castle
Hamlets of Rosthwaite and Stonethwaite and Watendlath village - quaint
Castle Campbell
Dirleton Castle
Tantallon Castle (positively massive)
Hailes Castle
Huntingtower Castle
Dunblane Cathedral
Doune Castle (a must-funny commentary-do the audio guide)
Dunnottar Castle
Duff House
Delgatie Castle
Royal Yacht Brittania
Lauriston Castle
Rosslyn Chapel in the Lothians
Bamburgh Castle
Lindisfarne Holy Island and Castle
Bothwell Castle
Craigmillar Castle
Dumbarton Castle
Claypotts Castle (call for appointment)

Many self-catering cottages break the week up with 4 night weekday stays and a 3 night weekend. Hope that helps!

castlevisitor

Also, in York, we stayed in a family room in the hostel. Room had an unpleasant odor so can't recommend. Don't miss Hever - amazing 17th C royal furniture. Book ahead for Buckingham Palace tickets and Parliament tour. Also do a Thames cruise - a great way to see London from the river - we liked the Tower to Parliament stretch.

elizabethG

castlevisitor
I am so grateful for all the time you spent to give me this comprehensive list
THANK YOU

I was wondering a few things
where do you feel is the best base town in the cotswold
I would like to see as much as we can on both of your cotswolds lists...

Now in york did you stay in the city and t ravel out to those places ...? or stay outside of york and travle into York? Same goes for EDiburgh ??

have you visited scotland Skye ??

Have you been to Cornwall ??? I was wondering if that was too much to ask to add to my trip this time -- since I am driving .. its 4 hrs down and then back up 4 hours to cotswolds and then upwards ..... any thoughts on that ...???

many many thanks
liz

janisj

I'm sorry -- but in your month you won't be able to see half of castlevisitor's extensive list. And almost none of the ones s/he lists i Scotland. Not at least if you want to go to Skye since fully 2/3 of them are on the opposite side of the country.

As for the Cotswold<B>s</B> (note the 's') - many towns or villages would make a great base. My first recommendation would be Burford. Well situated w/ lots of places yo eat and a wonderful 'Wool church'. But Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Campden, Btroadway or any number of others would be fine.

We can give you a realistic list of main sites . . . Once you set out at least a framework/basic itinerary.

ESW

COTSWOLDS:
Misarden Park Gardens are a bit off the tourist beat but are delightful.
http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/R...pProductReview

Minster Lovell Hall isn't really a castle but is decidedly atmospheric. Go and see if the ghosts are there.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/castle...ell/index.html

We've always used Burford as our base for the Cotswolds and stop at the Travelodge just to the south of the town. Rooms are large and it has recently been refurbished and is one of the better Travelodges. Book early and you can often pick up very cheap rates.
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/8...FQPHtAodoX0AcQ
There is a Little Chef next to it for meals and there are plenty of pubs in Burford for an evening meal.


NORTH YORKS MOORS
Rievaulx Abbey is one of the great Yorkshire ruined abbeys and our all time favourite. It also has a very good tea room and we can recommend the cakes.
http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/R...ProductReviews
Tie it in with visits to the ruined castles in Helmsley and Pickering.
Lastingham Church has a beautiful old crypt
http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/R...pProductReview
and St Gregory's Minster, Kirkdale is a delightful tiny church set in a hidden valley tiny church with a sundial that is over 1000 years old.
http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/R...pProductReview

If you are wanting a base outside York for doing the North York Moors, we can recommend High Farm in Cropton.
http://www.highfarmcropton.co.uk/


NORTHUMBERLAND
One of the best castles is Dunstanburgh reached by a 2km walk along the shore. This is the castle that features in all the tourist literature.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/castle...rgh/index.html
Warkworth Castle is good too.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/castle...rth/index.html
Alnwick Castle is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland (and also Harry Potter fame)
http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/R...ProductReviews
and has an award winning garden designed by the Duchess.
http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/R...ProductReviews

If you are wanting B&B along the Roman Wall, we can recommend Hall Meadows in Haltwhistle.
http://www.accommodationinhaltwhistle.co.uk/


SCOTLAND is the place for castles. If you haven't already found it, the Undiscovered Scotland website is marvellous. I use it to plan all our holidays in Scotland. Start with the map pages and follow the links to pages with information and lots of photos.
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/

One of the most stunning gardens in Scotland is Drummond Castle Gardens. It is even better than the pictures.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/garden...tle/index.html
Plan to visit on your way between Edinburgh and Inverness.


We spent ten days based in near Aberdeen, Elgin and Inverness last autumn. I wrote a detailed rip report covering all the places we visited. This includes ruined castles and stately homes and you may find some ideas here.
http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=2088.

Corgaff castle looks superb from a distance but is a bit disappointing when you actually get there. Similarly Ruthven Barracks, seen on the skyline from the A9.

We spent a morning at Fort George and this was one of the highlights of the trip. It was built after the battle of Culloden to control the highlands and is an incredible structure of ditches and defensive banks. It is still used by the army today.
http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/R...ProductReviews

We also love Clava Cairns a few miles east of Inverness. Set among trees, these cairns are 3000-4000 years old. First thing in the morning or late afternoon they are a magical site with the low sun streaming through the trees.
http://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/R...pProductReview

For more pictures off all these places, go to the relevant sections of my website.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/index.html

30 days seems a lot of time, but it will fly by as there is so much to see and do, especially when you take out time travelling between the different places.

annhig

elizabeth, I live in cornwall, and though it pains me to say it. I don't think that it offers you what you are really looking for and it's quite a way off your route.

I would be tempted, were I you, spend a little longer in London [you could day trip out to Hever for example] then go to the Cotswolds, Northumberland, [possibly via York] and Scotland. We spent many hols with our kids, and they always preferred longer stays in fewer places which sounds like what your kids like too.

elizabethG

This is an amazing amount if information I am so grateful

I think upon suggestion I will cut out Cornwall .... Sob sob
Its a lot of driving etc

I feel I have the Cotswolds down ... Any very quaint self let or bed and bed suggestions would be appreciated

I am still a bit confused about York ?? York moors ??? Is the suggestion to stay in the town of
York and then travel and stay in York moors??

Also if I was to stay a few days in Edinburgh
Then pick two or three other locations in Scotland to base myself out of where would that be????

I have been planning these summer vacations with me and my two boys for a while now but
This trip overwhelms me ....

Many thanks for all the help this forum is the best

elizabethG

Another question to add to my last post ... Would it b madcap to skip London all together ..??!!
I have been several times my children have not but thecchances of us getting to London are way better than spending time in remote Scotland ??? I wasn't sure if that would free up my month I hate to lose any places .

historytraveler

I think it would be a mistake to skip London, in fact, I would probably add a day or two to your original itinerary. There is far more to do in London for your two boys than in the Cotswolds. London also offers a good many options for day trips. I love the Cotswolds but for young boys, London is likely to be much more interesting. Now if you plan to do a lot of walking which is, arguably, the best way to see the Cotswolds and assuming you plan to travel further afield that just the Cotswolds...Bath, Stratford- Upon Avon etc. a stay there for several days would be fine. I've either lived close by or have rented a cottage, but there are some nice B& B's in Burford which would be my first choice for location.

I would also plan to stay in York and do day trips from there for the same reason. Plenty to see and do in York itself.

Kinloch

Hello eG, I am certainly not as expert as many of those who have already answered but I do love this part of the planet. I would suggest a few places on the Yorkshire moors to look in to.

Parcevall Hall - this is a lovely garden. It is a little off the beaten path. It has a beautiful wild woodland walk with a wonderful wondering babbling brook plus a beautiful walled and formal garden.

Fountains Abbey - This is a vey well maintained ruins. It is lot of walking but fun things to see and a really neat little museum included which explains a lot of the history of the area during a relatively short visit.

Malham Cove - If hiking is a part of your plans at all this is a great circular walk with a very varied scenery. We loved this hike

York - The city of York was not on our original itinerary and I am so glad events led us here. It is a great town to visit but plan to stay someplace close and then walk into the walled city as driving a nightmare.

Kinloch

eG - As your plans progress please let us know what parts of Scotland you decide to focus on and then more suggestions could follow. I feel like I may be the only person to visit Scotland who doesn't love Skye. Dunvegan Castle is a nice castle and garden but by no means my fav in Scotland. My two favourite Scottish castles are Stirling and Cluzean. The gardens at Culzean are lovely and if you budget extends that far you can even stay at the castle. Stirling castle is very easy to access from both Edinburgh and Glasgow and has sections built in so many different centuries you can really appreciate the passage of time.

Plockton is a great town to use as a base. You can easily drive from here to Ardunie and Inverewe gardens. You can do the drive across Applecross. If I understand your posts you will be travelling with 2 pre teen children. The national trust offers day or half day kayak trips around Plockton harbour where you can see cool wild life and visit some little islands. It is well protected so trips hardly ever cancelled due to weather.

janisj

I love LOVE the Cotswolds . . . (I'm a Californian who lived a few miles from the Cotswolds for nearly 5 years) . . . but I agree w/ histoytraveler. There is a hundred times more things for kids in London than in/around the Cotswolds. How old are the boys?

Yorkshire is a HUGE county (well several counties actually). When we talk about Yorkshire, most mean North Yorkshire. The main things for tourists in North Yorkshire are the city of York, The Dales, the Moors, and Whitby/the coastal villages.

In general terms (and a bit of simplification)

• York is sort of like Bath - gorgeous small city. Medieval bldgs, Yorkminster (a fabulous cathedral), a terrific Railway museum, an entire city wall, etc.

• The Moors are like parts of Scotland. Rural/remote/steam railway etc

• The Dales can 'sort of' be compared to the Cotswolds. An area of beautiful villages spread over a very scenic area. Travel through the Dales is slower than in the Cotswolds but the scenery is much more dramatic.

• The coast has really pretty fishing villages and seaside resorts.

I think you need to get a couple of guidebooks and engage the boys in what they want to see/do.