rbgonegolf

My wife and I have planned a trip this summer and will be spending 5 days in London and then will be flying to Glasgow and then spend 5 days driving through Scotland working our way back to fly out of London. Besides Glasgow and Edinburgh what other places would you recommend we see? The last day we would like to have a reasonable short drive back to Heathrow probably 2 hours or less. Any recommendations? Thanks.

janisj

OK -- your itinerary makes no sense the way you have spelled it out. Flying to Glasgow, on to Edinburgh and back to HR by car . . . in 5 days? Edinburgh nor any other place in Scotland is a reasonable drive from LHR.

You do not need/want a car in either Glasgow OR Edinburgh. And 5 days is not enough time to visit Glasgow and Edinburgh and drive to LHR.

If you want to see Glasgow and Edinburgh, spend 2 days in Glasgow, 2.5 days in Edinburgh and fly to LHR. No car needed at all.

If you want to drive around a teensy bit of rural/scenic Scotland -- fly to GLA, collect a car, drive up into the Trossachs/Perthshire for 2.5 days,turn in the car, visit Edinburgh for 2 days/nights, fly to LHR.

rbgonegolf

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I will be in London for work for a few days then have a short meeting in Glasgow 3 days later so I plan to stay in London until my meeting in Glasgow and visit there. After my meeting in Glasgow I will then have about 5 days to make my way back to London to fly back home. My thought was about a day and half in Glasgow and a day and half in Edinburgh and then the next 2 days driving back towards London and thats where I need help. Where between Edinburgh and London should I visit. Hope this helps.

janisj

Then you don't mean anything like your thread's title. What you are asking is how to spend 2 days driving the length of England.

I still wouldn't. I'd spend my time in Scotland and then fly to LHR.

But if this is what you want -- touch Glasgow, touch Edinburgh, and dash the length of England --you still don't need/want a car in either city. So you'd only need the car for the two days.

If you wanted to travel to LHR from Edinburgh via York, you would have about 10 hours of driving. That would be plus any other detours/stops.

Tomsd

Personally - I would limit my time in Glasgow and spend more tim in/around Edinburgh - and the St. Andrews area - and exploring around there. If you have a car and want to drive it back to London - fine - but the train is only about 4 plus hours, and you don't need a car in Edinburgh or to get over to St. Andrews (via short train ride and a bus meets you at the stop for the 10 minutes or so into town).

sheila

I think you have it about right; it's not what i would do, but it's your break.

I guess, you'd need to be staying somewhere like Stratford, Oxford, Gloucester, the night before your flight.

ESW

I am rather disappointed by some of the replies here which suggest it is not worth driving south to London. In fact you could have a really leisurely drive south exploring some of the best of Northumberland and North Yorkshire scenery.

From Edinburgh, pick up A68 and trickle down through the Borders - there are some superb ruined abbeys at Jedburgh, Melrose or Dryburgh. This takes you over Carter Bar (highest point with amazing views) before dropping down through Northumberland. Just before Corbridge turn right along B6318 which is a roller coaster ride following the line of the Roman Wall. Stop At Housesteads for one of the best forts along the wall. Continue to Haltwhistle where you pick up signs for Alston (unclassified road and then A689), the highest market town in England. From Alston take B6277 down Teesdale, one of the most beautiful dales in North Yorkshire and stop off to do the short walk to High Force waterfall. Barnard Castle is a thriving market town with a ruined castle and would be a good place to stop for the night.

Next morning take the unclassified road over the tops into Arkengarthdale to Reeth, Castle Bolton and Aysgarth in Wensleydale. Now pick up B6160 which takes you over the top of the Yorkshire Dales and drops down through Wharfedale to Bolton Abbey. Have a break here to admire the abbey ruins and go for a short walk along the river.

You are now beginning to hit 'civilisation' and the edge of the Leeds commuter belt. Pick up A59 and head east picking up A661 to join the A1 at Wetherby. Head south on A1 for London. If you want another stop, Stamford is a delightful town with many old stone buildings just off the A1. Burghley House just south of Stamford is one of the great houses of England. Just before you reach the M25, there is Hatfield Palace where Elizabeth 1 spent her childhood.

janisj

ESW: I don't see how the OP can have a 'leisurely' drive when he only has 2 days total. There will be no time for all the lovely places you'd have them stop.

Can he do the drive in 2 days w/ a stop or two. Sure. But there is not enough time for the Border Abbies, Hadrian's wall, the Dales, Stamford and/or Burghley House. That is nearly a week's worth.

Heck -- Houseteads alone takes a minimum of 90 minutes (simply because one can't park near the ruins) not counting driving there and back.

janisj

OOPS - Border <i>Abbeys</i>