Traveling to UK first week of August, most of the stay will be in London, but we all (family of 4, incl.two teens)want a taste of Scotland.
Edinburgh booked up and crowded for the festivals, but we still want a taste. Thinking of taking a train from London to the Borders, and lodging overnight in Jedburgh (at maybe the Hundalee House, if they'll have us). Would like to be able to rent a car around there, and travel up to Edinburgh to see the city, get a glimpse of the festivals (crowds not really our thing)and see some of the beautiful countryside, sleep overnight in Jedburgh and head back the next day back to London.
Is this insane? I'm afraid one night in Scotland is all we'll have if we really do London justice and surrounding Bath, Windsor, Stonehenge, Cambridge,on our 9-day holiday. I'd be so grateful for some advice, as maps say one thing, but experience says more.

1) There is no train to Jedburgh
2) driving in Edinburgh is a real pain and MUCH worse at festival time.
3) there is no rental car agency that I know of in Jedburgh
4) Jedburgh is quite a distance from Edinburgh so you wouldn't have much time in the city

If you want to spend a day in Edinburgh - you could fly up and back on the same day - OR - take the sleeper train up late one night, arrive in Edinburgh early in the AM, and then take the regular train back to London early that evening arriving back in London around 11 PM-ish.

A LOT of travel for one day in Edinburgh - heck you could do Paris easier than that. But that is how it could be done . . . .

But honestly, tacking on a day to Edinburgh isn't very practical - sort of like saying "We are visiting NYC and want to spend one day in Atlanta - we just want to experience the South"

Enjoy England/London and save Scotland for another trip.

If you take the overnight train from London to Edinburgh up and back you could have an entire day for the city. That would give you a little taste of Scotland without the need for renting a car.

Well if you did this trip you could do it without a car by using train and bus. Just curious, how are you getting around to the area's outside of London? You could spend a night in, say North Berwick and pass through Edinburgh on the from London and back. However, most people will most likely suggest that you restrict yourselves to London and near by attractions.

Yes, I think it's insane.

You don't want a car in Edinburgh and you don't want the crowds in Edinburgh. Steer clear.

You only have 9 days, so stick to the areas you've outlined in England. You'll have plenty to see and do there...

I agree.

I take it days 1 and 9 will be arrival and departure days. The remaining 7 days is hardly enough to do London, Bath, Stonehenge, Windsor and Cambridge (you'll need a holiday to recover) without adding Scotland into the bargain.

5 responses in as many minutes! I am glad I asked the question. Thanks to all for answering.I guess it is insane.
I thought of the Borders because it's certainly beautiful and less crowded than Glasgow and Edinburgh during first week of August - lodging cheaper, etc.
Actually, July 31 is our arrival in London and August 10 is our departure back to Miami, so we are left truly with 9 days to see and do things. Does that make any bit of a difference in terms of squeezing Scotland in? Maybe not.

Roger asked how we are getting to the sights around London.. we thought of renting a car for Bath and Stonehenge, and then public transport for the rest. Good idea? Terrible idea? I'll look into North Berwick as you suggested.

You culd easily spend all 9 daysin Londond and stil have tons of things you want to do. With multiple days trips you are risking losing key sites.

And Edinburgh is worth so much more than a day - never mind the surrounding countryside. (I coulnd;t live with myself if we hand;t spent a day just at Hadrian's Wall.) Save it for another trip.

I have done a day trip to Edinburgh a couple of times. The first time there, by myself, I spent 3 days. But the 2nd & 3rd time, first with my wife, & then with wife & 11 yr old son, were basically day trips from London. Take the overnight train from London, spend most of the day in Edinburg & take the train back leaving Edinburgh about 5pm - 6pm. For me, if I had a choice of seeing Edinburgh for a day or not at all, as you can tell, I would go for the day. But I am somewhat a nut for castles & we had Britrail passes & British Heritage passes, which we could use for the trip, & purchased the overnight sleeper as an extra. What we did during that day, besides eat, was climb to the top of Calton Hill in the early morning before the bus crowds got there, for a magnificent view. Went thru Holyrood Palace, Walked the royal mile, went thru the John Knox House, & visited St. Giles. Then went thru Edinburgh Castle, which for me was alone worth the trip. Then we had a bit of time to do some shopping on Princes street & back to the train station. Also wanted my son to get an experience of what a sleeper train would be like. But we did not go during festival, so do not know what that would be like, or what the expense would be like if didn't have a rail pass & British Heritage pass.
What we did is during the morning befor going to Edinburgh we would do something like go to Windsor castle for half of the day, then back to London & the overnight train to Edinburgh. Then the day after back from Edinburgh, would sleep in a bit late & then maybe go up to Greenwich by boat.

Just an add on to my previous post. Our next trip was always going to be just to Scotland. But as of yet, for 1 reason or another, that next trip has not happened. It may be another 10 yrs or more before it happens or maybe not even at all. But atleast I had the chance to go to Edinburgh a couple of times, & go thru the castle & walk the Royal Mile.

For your trips in and around London you might want to check out the London Plus rail pass. It will get you to the places you mentioned (not Long haul trips) with the exception of Stonehenge. You can get the information from Rick Steves site.