ApK

Hello,

My fiance and I will be honeymooning in Scotland in May, 2015. My in-progress trip report is detailing my experiences there last May, and we are going to go to two of the places I visited at that time. We have purchased airline tickets and our hotels in Edinburgh and Jedburgh are reserved. Here is the itinerary so far:

May 17: Depart Ottawa
May 18: Arrive Edinburgh
May 19: Edinburgh
May 20: Edinburgh
May 21: Edinburgh -> Jedburgh
May 22: Jedburgh
May 23: Jedburgh -> ?
May 24: ?
May 25: ?
May 26: ?
May 27: ?
May 28: ? -> Edinburgh
May 29: Edinburgh
May 30: Edinburgh -> Ottawa

Obviously, the ?'s need to be filled in.

We have similar travel styles (thankfully), in that we prefer to spend at least two nights at each place. With that said, it looks like we have room for two more places. We'd like to visit Hadrian's Wall, but I don't know where to go for that.

We'd also prefer not to rent a car, so the places need to be reachable by bus or train.

Any suggestions? We like scenery and history, shopping is not high on our priority list.

Thanks in advance!

BigRuss

What's with the carophobia? If it's fear of driving on the wrong side of the road, get over it. Car is going to be far more convenient outside Edinburgh than anything else, especially if you're hauling luggage.

nytraveler

We loved visiting Hadrian's Wall - but you will need a car to really see it - places to visit are spread out - and this is the border -south of Edinburgh. Check out Housesteads.

ApK

If we were to rent a car, where would be a good "home base" to explore the area from?

sandralist

In case in the end you'd still prefer not to rent a car

http://www.heartofhadrianswall.com/e...n/getting-here

There is other info you can find online by googling "hadrian's wall by train bus bike"

and also, just in general

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/discover-scotland

You needn't be bullied into a renting a car if you don't want one for this trip. I don't have any car phobia, but I don't have any car addiction either. I plan my trips to suit the circumstances and mood.

janisj

no one is bullying anyone. If you <i>can</i> drive - then renting a car is <u>by far</u> the best/easiest way to explore the Borders, SW Scotland, Northumberland etc.

If you must use public transport then you'll need to stick to the few railway corridors and/or infrequent local buses.

In your timeframe - first of all I wouldn't break my Edinburgh days into two different stays but try to lump them all together. But if it is already set that you are staying in Edinburgh twice . . . in your time you can use the Jedburgh days to explore the Borders/Abbeys, St Abbs Head, East Loathian coast/Tantalon/Dirlton.

Exploring the Borders is difficult by public transport - though not impossible. You will have a MUCH easier time of it if you can drive.

Then your other days can be spent in someplace like Alnwick. Nice town, amazing gardens, more amazing castle. Then use this as a base to visit Hadrian's Wall one whole day, plus Bamburgh, and Lindesfarne. Alnwick is is a bit over an hour drive (90 minutes tops) from say Hexham - which is near the middle of the Wall.

ESW

Are you walkers? If so, a lot of Hadrian's Wall can be seen on foot. In fact this is the best way to see it! Haltwhistle is a good base - either bus from Newcastle or train. It's about 2km walk to the wall from the centre of the town - a lovely walk up the burn to Cawfields Milecastle and one of the best stretches of wall. You can walk both ways along the wall from here.

If you don't want to walk, the Hadrian's Wall bus will get you to places like Housesteads or Vindolanda.
More details here:
http://www.visithadrianswall.co.uk/e...d122-timetable
B&B in Haltwhislte - we can recommend Hall Meadows.
http://www.accommodationinhaltwhistle.co.uk/

From Haltwhistle you can get bus or train to Carlisle or Hexham, both interesting places to explore.

Between Jedburgh and Hadrian's Wall think about a break in or around Alnwick. Some east coast main line trains stop at Alnmouth and there is a regular bus service to Alnwick. Visit Alnwick Castle, home of the Dukes of Northumberland with its award winning gardens.

Alnwick has a reasonable bus service and it is possible to get to places like Berwick on Tweed, Warkworth (ruined castle) and Bamburgh Castle by bus. The scenery around this part of Northumberland is pretty good too. It's easy to get back to Edinburgh too.

janisj

Do note that the Wall bus ESW mentions operates daily only from late May so you'll have to check the 2015 schedule to be sure it is running by 24 May (in 2014 its first day of daily operation was the 24th and every year is slightly different)

Dickie_Gr

It may be an idea to dip down into England a short trip down the Tweed brings you into Northumberland which is full of incredible beaches and castles.

historytraveler

I'm not in the habit of pushing car rental since in the last several years, I've been mostly using public transportation. However, I agree that the best way to visit the Borders is by car. From Edinburgh, the routes are fairly easy to manage. Much more of a hassle using trains and buses.

If going to Jedburgh, I'd also think about stopping at either Dryburgh Abbey or Melrose. Note janisj's suggestions for the area.

ESW

Dryburgh and Melrose Abbeys are lovely. Close to them is Kelso. There isn't as much left of the abbey, but it is a pleasant small town.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...lso/index.html


The Borders are stuffed with stately homes. Manderstein, Mellerstein, Lennoxlove, Paxton House and Floors Castle are all worth a visit, but you will need a car for these. For information and pictures see here:
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/statel...ian/index.html

The ruined castles of Dirleton
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/castle...ton/index.html
and Tantallon
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/castle...lon/index.html
suggested by janisj are on the coast and further to drive, but again are both good.

Peebles is a nice small town too.

If you haven't already found it, the Undiscovered Scotland web site is marvellous. Start with the map pages and follow the links for ideas of things to do and see. I use it to plan all our Scottish holidays.
http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/

ApK

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

The reason we prefer not to rent a car are quite simple: I have very little experience driving standard, and learning on the go on the opposite side of narrow, unfamiliar roads does not appeal to me. My fiance will not yet be 25, and so will not be allowed to drive a rental car. If we could be guaranteed an automatic, it might sway me in that direction.

We both love to walk, so that isn't an issue.

We chose to split our Edinburgh stay so that we wouldn't feel rushed on the last two days of the trip.

Thanks again

ESW

If you like walking then Northumberland is the place to go.

There is lots of information about walking along Hadrian's Wall and the south Tyne here. (Some of the links no longer work.)
http://www.silvertravelforum.com/for...hp?f=193&t=435
Alternatively you could head up the North Tyne to Keider Forest and Keilder Water
http://www.silvertravelforum.com/for...hp?f=193&t=418

If on the coast, there is a super short walk along th coast from Craster to the dramatic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/castle...rgh/index.html

Mimar

If you reserve an automatic rental car at some busy place like Edinburgh Airport, you increase your chances of actually getting one. Also pick the car up midday, when many have been returned and not a lot have been picked up.

But a car is not absolutely necessary.

janisj

Drive -- honest. You can easily get an automatic at the major sites like EDI (the best/easiest place to collect a car near Edinburgh).

Use autoeurope.com -- they are a broker based in Maine USA and deal w/ all the majors. You can definitely reserve an automatic. And if it is a small-ish car an automatic won't be overly expensive. The chances of EDI being out of automatics when you arrive are very VERY small.

Dickie_Gr

ApK

I know you may think that driving on the opposite side of the road is strange and impossible but it tis something that Brits experience almost every time we land in another country.

After around half an hour your brain totally adjusts and it isn't an issue, particularly if you are driving an automatic.

historytraveler

Just to add to an already extensive list of places to visit, I'll suggest Smailholm Tower,a 15th century tower house, between Melrose and Kelso. It's just something unique although in the Middle Ages such tower houses were very popular in this area. Another favorite is Hermitage Castle reached by a lovely ride along the A7, then a back road to get to the castle. Hermitage Castle sitting isolated on the moors still retains it's bleak atmosphere. It has a reputation ( well deserved ) for doom and gloom.

You should be able to rent an automatic. Just remember to keep the steering wheel to the center line or middle of the road.

janisj

My last visit to Smailholm Tower was during my >>Saddest, weirdest, 'funnest'<< trip. Love it -- especially since the refurbishment a few years ago.

No way one could visit it by public transport. It is 7+ miles from Kelso and probably 5.5 miles from St Boswells (over single tract roads)

nagging font off . . . again

Dickie_Gr

Hermitage castle is one of the most atmospheric places on earth.

You can smell the blood.

Reiver times were terrible times.

ESW

We were disappointed by our last visit to Smailholm Tower. It is a dramatic situation set on top of a rocky outcrop. It is a typical C15th Border's tower house built to defend the inhabitant's by raids from England.

Walter Scott's grandparents lived in the later farm next to it, and Scott spent time here when he was young listening to the tales of his grandmother. These gave him ideas for his novels.

Smailholme Tower is capitalising on this Scott link and most of the rooms contain small scenes from the different Scott novels and dressed dolls. The audio tape seems to spend all its time talking about these. There is virtually nothing about the history of Border raids. We felt they were missing out on a whole section of Scottish history.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/castle...wer/index.html