My family & I will fly to Glascow and stay overnight then have 4 more nights in Scotland. We would like to rent a car & take day trips and probably stay a couple nights in Edinburgh before taking a train to London. Any suggestions on reasonably priced places to stay and eat are welcome as well as recommendations on day trips and places to see. We want to see some of "real" Scotland & not just tourist attractions.

Well -- you don't want or need a car in Edinburgh. So if you want a driving tour -- I'd probably collect a car when leaving Glasgow (note the spelling) and take 2 days to drive up along the shore of Loch Lomond, over to Oban and then back through the Trossachs, drop the car at EDI, take the airport bus into the Edinburgh for your last 2 days. Then train to London.

Stirling castle may have many tourists, but it has some real history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_Castle

re iris' post -- Stirling would be on your route back to EDI/Edinburgh through the Trossachs

Drop in on the Falkirk Wheel

Thanks for all the replies. On the drive back to Edinburgh, would it be too out of the way to include St. Andrews? Maybe don't go all the way to Oban and instead do Loch Lomond, Stirling, St. Andrews to Edinburgh?

Yes -- that is doable -- either west to Oban or east to St Andrews.

You could take one day night to drive up the west side of Loch Lomond, eastward through the Trossachs, see Inchmahome Priory and Stirling Castle - all doable in one day w/ an early start.

The next morning head over to St Andrews first -- the wander back towards Edinburgh along the Fife coast through all the fishing villages.

What time of year?

We will be in Scotland the last week of July. If we do the drive through Loch Lomond, etc. to Stirling, should we stay overnight in Stirling? Then go through St. Andrews and stay a couple nights in Edinburgh perhaps. Should we do a day trip to N. Berwick/Dunbar?

New Lanark is worth a visit, as is the Falkirk Wheel.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623437796997/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623437796997/

Buy an all day public bus pass and go to Rosslyn Chapel. You see the countryside, travel with locals and visit Rosslyn Chapel, which is amazing. No need to drive

I have a couple of Word docs on this subject, if you want to email me for them.