wilkie

We are 2 active couples in our early 70's, interested in some castles , local food, history etc.
Enjoy walks or easy shortish hikes
driving from Heathrow Apr12
1 night London
3 nights Bourton on the Water - Chester House
3 nights in Keswick - Craigside
1 night in Lake Lamond - Balloch
1 Night Glencoe -Loch Liven
1 night on Skye - Broadford Hotel
2 nights in Inverness - Blackfriars
2 nights in Aberdeen - Mary Cutter
2 nights in Edinburgh -
2 nights in York - Churchill
1 night Heathrow/London
Any suggestions on routes, special sights along the way, places to eat, comments on our accommodations etc. would be most appreciated.
Thank you

janisj

Sorry to be blunt -- but this is a really unfortunate itinerary

For much of the trip you are (quite literally) spending more time in the car than actually being anywhere. You ask for suggestions for special sights along the way, walks, etc. -- you simply won't have time for detours or any special sites/sights/walks.

Everything after the Lake District needs serious reconsideration:

1 night in Lake Lamond Loch Lomond - Balloch. The drive from Keswick to Loch Lomond will take 3.5 to 4 hours on a weekday so about half a day for Loch Lomond and environs (and is the last high speed drive you'll have til over in Yorkshire)

1 Night Glencoe - Loch Liven Leven. Balloch > Glencoe is about a 2 hour drive so you will have part of a day for Glencoe.

1 night on Skye - Broadford Hotel. Not a great use of time -- Skye is huge, the driving is very slow and Broadfoard is on the SE corner of the island. Glencoe to Broadford takes 3-ish hours. But . . . that only get you to Broadford and most of the scenic bits are on the other end of the island. Broadford to say The Quaraing is another 90 minute drive, and to Dunvegan Castle its an hour+. Basically you will have no time for Skye. To see any of Skye you need a minimum of two nights and that is still woefully short. One night on Skye after a 3 hour drive to get there is sort of "Why bother".

2 nights in Inverness - Blackfriars. Broadford to Inverness is a 2.5 hour drive plus stops (like Eilean Donan and Urquhart castles) so in 'real life' its a minimum 5 hour journey, leaving one day for the rest of the Inverness area. There is a LOT to see and do -- Culloden, Ft George, distilleries, Cawdor Castle, Nairn, etc. Way too much to accomplish in one day. Inverness is a fine city but not a great place to stay - no need to stay IN the busy city - Blackfriars is convenient to the train and bus stations but not a particularly nice area.

2 nights in Aberdeen - Mary Cutter Maryculter Inverness to Marryculter House will take a minimum of 3 hours plus stops -- and the will be many stops. All of the Castle Trail will be on the route so it is easily and 8 to 10 hour drive

2 nights in Edinburgh - Aberdeen to Edinburgh will take 3 to 4 hours plus stops (places like Crathes, Dunnottar, St Andrews) so again an all day drive. Which leaves you one day for Edinburgh

2 nights in York - Churchill. Edinburgh to York is a five hour drive plus stops,

Then York to LHR is a 5+ hour drive plus breaks.


All in all - a LOT of togetherness in a car . . .

bilboburgler

Yikes
Please don't drive from Heathrow.
Stay in London one night then go to Bourton
After that it looks tough

janisj

That's one part they are doing fine . . . first stop is London one night then 3 nights in the Cotswolds. ( though I sure hope they don't mean driving in to London)

KayF

Agree your itinerary looks very rushed. We found getting anywhere in Scotland took a lot longer than we expected. Not a good idea to drive on arrival, jetlag makes it dangerous. You could get the tube into London for the rest of your arrival day then collect a car next day at Heathrow. Or maybe stay at a hotel at Heathrow for the arrival night. Depends what time your flight lands.

wilkie

Thanks Janis for your honest & speedy response. We had the same fear that it was too much driving but wanted to see as much as we could. All of our accommodations have free cancellation so we are able to make some changes. Any suggestions on a less hurried route would be appreciated. We are staying over night at LHR when we arrive & picking up the car from there.
Thank you in advance.
wilkie

wilkie

thanks as well to KayF & Bilboburgler

janisj

OK (I was worried I was a bit too 'blunt' . . . but more worried that you were set on this plan )

Assuming the Cotswolds and Lake District portions are firm here are some other ideas I'm just throwing there to think about . . .

First - here is a twelve night itinerary excluding Skye (an options to include Skye to follow) :

• From Keswick drive to Oban (about a 5-ish hour drive but best to get it out of the way). 1 night in Oban.
• Ferry to Mull - 2 nights on Mull in either Fionnphort or Tobermory (a large island but not as large nor as busy as Skye)
• Ferry back to the mainland and on to Glencoe - 2 nights there. Explore Glencoe, Glen Ettve, Killin/Falls of Dochart.
• Drive to Deeside in Aberdeenshire -- Ballter, Bancory or somewhere like that. 2 nights there for the Castle Trail
• Drive through Fife Andrews, the fishing villages, Falkland and on to Edinburgh. Drop car at EDI. (or stay one night in Fife)
• Stay 3 nights in Edinburgh
• Train to York stay one night
• Early evening train to London stay one night, fly out the next day.


. . . something just came up so I will be away for a couple of hours -- Mull this over (no pun - really ) and I'll be back later today to throw out some other ideas.

janisj

Back . . .

If you simply MUST visit Skye I would only do so if I had 3 nights and if the weather didn't cooperate it woud be a pretty much wasted 3 nights/2 full days.

To fit in Skye it would be best to skip York

Cotswolds & Lake District as original

Then 2 nights in Glencoe,
3 nights on Skye - but not in Broadford. Either at Sligachan Hotel (most central) or in Portree, only village of any size on the island.
2 nights near Inverness
3 nights in Aberdeenshire/Deeside
3 nights in Edinburgh
Fly EDI to LHR and stay the last night at an airport hotel, fly home.

wilkie

Thanks Janis, i will get the others in our group to take a look.

janisj

Typo in my post #8:

Should read . . . "• Drive through Fife, for St Andrews, the fishing villages, Falkland, etc. and on to Edinburgh."