Lake (Don't Call it "Lakes") District - Early Planning
 

Since I have our 2020 autumn trip to Portugal (that will no doubt be pushed back to at least 2021) all planned, I desperately need something to do now that I am on my sixth week of driving Tracy, the corgis and our cat crazy.

I have decided to plan a huge 2022 or 2023 trip to the Lake District, York area, drive north to southern Scotland along the east coast, cut across to Glasgow, Loch Lomond area, Oban, Isle of Martin Mull (just seeing if you're paying attention), and then come back through Glen Etive, Killin (by then my group might want to be Killin' me) and end in Edinburgh. Can I do that in two weeks? KIDDING .. this will b a long, long trip because by the time this journey comes to fruition in 2023 most probably, sadly our corgis will likely not be around. Of course, I might not be around either, but, on the plus side, Tracy's new lover will not have to do any planning.

Let's start with the Lake District, since I have nothing but time to plan this lengthy excursion. If any of you Anglophile experts could help me on this part of the planning, it would be appreciated. Looking for most charming towns, villages and walks ... hotels and restaurants (hopefully most will still be around) and area attractions.

If you're tired of talking Covid-19 (I know I am), perhaps some trip planning will pep you up. I know it will me. Although I'll be pushing 70 by this trip, if I'm still alive I will have had both knees replaced and perhaps my rotator cuff repaired so Tracy doesn't have to carry all the luggage. Thanks in advance. Look forward to at least talking travel for a bit.

I sure hope the Corgis are still around (and you too . . . >) ) Just quick now -- I might make a suggestion to do a little less zig zagging (you've laid out a bit of a figure 8-ish route). I'd do a loop (again 'ish') starting/ending at - any of the following will work - EDI, GLA, or MAN. Manchester would actually be my preference but any of the 3 would work great. A sample MAN > MAN itinerary could look like this: MAN, train to York, stay a couple of days car-less to recover, then car through the Dales, Northumberland, Borders, Edinburgh, Trossachs/Killin/Glen Etive, Mull, Dumfries/Galloway, the Lakes, Liverpool if you're interested, MAN

Same sort of thing EDI > EDI: Edinburgh, Trossachs/Glen Etive, Mull, Dumfries/Galloway, the Lakes, Yorkshire, Northumberland, the Borders, EDI

Now - for your actual question - I'll look throygh my files and dig up some of the places I've stayed in the Lake District . . .

later

. . . Oh -- BTW -- Either 'the Lake District' or 'the Lakes' are perfectly fine . . . just not 'the Lakes District'. ;)

Geez, I just realized if we do this in 2023, I'll already be 70. Oh, the humanity! Thanks Janis. I knew you would have good info!

PS - I hope we're around, too. (:

I have been watching Tony Robinson shows on amazon for inspiration. Since we aren't going anywhere next month redoing the trip. I am loving the rural areas now. I think being around fewer people next trip is a good thing. I wish I could hike the coast but waiting to see how husband does after that back surgery. It is tough but at least my husband and you have strong wives.

Janis ... Thanks, your route is much better and includes another area we would not have visited (nothing wrong with a longer trip). I'm sure we'll have lots of Dumfries/Galloway questions.

Macross ... Yes, I married well, and apparently so did your husband.

Is Lincoln in your plans? Cathedral town about an hour from York. Also, Castle Howard is near York. Remember Brideshead Revisited ? oops.... sorry... your probably too young to have seen that one.

"Also, Castle Howard is near York. Remember Brideshead Revisited ? oops.... sorry... your probably too young to have seen that one."

Yes, castle Howard is on my list, although I thought it was he home of Moe and Curly. As for being too young, I remember the Lone Ranger (:

"I think being around fewer people next trip is a good thing."

The Lake District can get a bit crowded especially during school holidays. When are you hoping to travel?

The obvious thing to do is fly into Manchester, but rather than getting straight onto a train, have a couple of nights in the city. I'm biased because it's my home town, but there's a lot to see and do in Manchester, as well as great restaurants and lots of hotels across the budget range. The city has strong links with the US going back to Lincoln's time and Lincoln Square has a statue of the President. Don't miss some of the best Victorian architecture in the UK and a cathedral that has its roots back for a thousand years. https://www.manchestercathedral.org/...ut-us/history/

You should see the Town Hall, Chetham's School, John Rylands Library, the site of the Peterloo massacre History of The Peterloo Massacre to name but a few. There's great shopping and food from every corner of the globe.

From Manchester, head to the Lakes staying around Windermere or Bowness on Windermere. Bowness has several lovely hotels facing the lake and you should hire a car to get there and to give you access to walks and other sites. Maybe consider Grizedale forest for its sculptures. You really only need one base in the Lakes to allow you to get more or less anywhere, albeit you might have a long day or two.

From there, I'd head through the Yorkshire Dales to York, maybe stop at Harrogate and then North to Durham, a wonderful historic city. Then again North to Alnwick, Bamburgh for its castle and then on to Edinburgh. Don't forget to take in Hadrian's Wall while you're in the area.

I'll let the Scotland experts take it on from here, but I'd not miss Skye and Mull.

Oh -- I didn't mean to 'dis' Manchester. ;) I definitely would fit in a couple of days there either immediately on arrival . . . Or my actual preference would be take the train from MAN to York, do something like the the loop itinerary I posted, then turn in the car a couple of days before your flight home and finish up with 2 nights in the city.

Re crowds in the Lake District: They get very crowded over the May Bank Holidays (first and last weekends of the month) and in July/August so it would be much better if you can avoid those specific times. Mid May or June will see half or less numbers of visitors.

As in the Dales, travel in the Lakes can be slow so since you seem to be planning an extended trip, I'd maybe stay a couple of days (or more) in two different areas -- say on/near Derwent Water in the north, and on Windermere or Coniston Water to the south.

We would travel from mid to late May through early to mid-June. I sent Kim and Mary my five Google maps I have made of our extended route along with many of the places I want to see on our travels. They just got out of the ER after passing out looking at the itinerary. (:

I definitely second Rubicund's suggestion to visit Harrogate and Fountains Abbey while at the Dales. We spent a week and a half on a choral exchange based in Harrogate. Tons of charming towns and villages. Weather in April was a bit iffy but the flowers were blooming everywhere.

Rubicund, We will visit Manchester at the end, and thanks for all the suggestions.

" . . . We would travel from mid to late May through early to mid-June. "

That works great. If you do a loop anticlockwise (counterclockwise to us Yanks) you'd be into the Lake District in mid June so after the May Bank Holiday hordes. And if you do it clockwise you'd be there between the two holiday rushes.

The May bank holidays don't have the same sort of overwhelming impact in Scotland, but you would want to pre-book well in advance - like months - any accommodations over the holiday weekend (same as our Memorial Day weekend)

Good to hear, you won't be disappointed. Let me know if you need any information on hotels or places to eat.(:

Better idea than mine janisj. The number of times I've recommended that people stay in the city they're flying out of in the day(s) leading up to departure!

This might help (my TR and photos from a couple of years back)

https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...trict-1045705/

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/35479...sts=1&adults=1

Updated link for our boathouse...

Tom, you can do the trip at age 70!!! I know you can. I am 70 and my husband is 73. The 70's really are not that bad, trust me!:) Last September we went to Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro for 2 weeks just months after I had hip replacement surgery, and I came back in one piece! We were maybe a little bit slower than usual, but slow is better than nothing, right?

I, too, remember the Lone Ranger and Tonto, and Roy Rogers and Dale Evans!

Sorry, I haven't been to the Lake District so can't help you with that. Just tired of reading about COVID-19, like we all are!:lol:

I remember their horses.

Lone Ranger- Silver
Tonto- Scout
Roy Rogers- Trigger
Dale Evans- Buttercup

Great memory!

We went from Edinburgh to the Lake District a few years ago, using trains. We loved our hotel in Grasmere - it filled up really far in advance, lots of annual repeat visitors. Good location in the area, a smaller town with good restaurants, yet still close to larger towns (Windermere, etc). Grasmere Hotel :: Home

I did a trip report on it, click on my name. We also liked our Edinburgh bed and breakfast, 14 Hart Street. 14 Hart Street. I’d also recommend our Edinburgh walking tour guide, Gareth.

It’s been 25 years since we did our own version of the UK trip, and I have no trip report to share, but we had a fantastic time staying in Lake Buttermere. As it’s been so long ago, I’ve no idea what it’s like now, but we found this area to be delightful and beautiful.

We did a circular trip starting in Bath, to the Cotswolds, northern Wales, the Lake District, explores the Borders on our way to Edinburgh (stayed several days), Glencoe, Skye (loved it!), Haltwhistle, Helmsley, York, then London.

It was an amazing trip, and we loved it. I’m happy to provide more details if you’re interested, though I see your routing is different than what we did. Our trip was about 3+ weeks. I can’t believe it’s 25 years, though!

This sounds wonderful. Signing on to collect ideas.

I saved this article from the Guardian a few years ago. It might be helpful.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...orders-castles

Also, don't miss the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland.

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryM...K/Lindisfarne/

https://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/

Tom -- A long time ago we stayed at the Sharrow Bay Hotel on Ullswater. It was a great country house hotel, with a restaurant to match. If the standards haven't slipped (check around), I highly recommend a stay there. https://www.sharrowbay.co.uk

Some great suggestions. I'm working on Janis's route starting in York with the Lakes near the end, but all suggestions are welcome. I think the trip would take between three to four weeks. There was a post by someone that got deleted where people said planning a future trip was useless. I disagree. I'm having fun researching (I have nothing but time these days anyway), and by 2022 or 2023 I am confident there will be a vaccine. Whether I'm around in 2022 or 2023 is still up for discussion. (:

We should have left for London this evening, though the trip was cancelled of course and I don’t have anything scheduled for this year except maybe a quick dash to see my family. But am most definitely thinking about what I’d like to do next summer, Greece maybe, or Poland. I can dream and plan, can’t I? Covid-19 can’t take that away...😉

It's nice to see a thread that is actually looking for information for a trip!

I highly recommend the Yorkshire Dales. My favorite small towns were Kettlewell and Grassington. The countryside is absolutely beautiful. We rented a lovely cottage from one of the famed Calendar Girls!

"Tom -- A long time ago we stayed at the Sharrow Bay Hotel on Ullswater."

I went on their website, and I must admit they had me at "Sticky Toffee Pudding."

You wouldn't be disappointed!

You can start off your morning with "Black Pudding"
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/gu...-black-pudding

Then there is always "Haggis" (illegal to import to the USA).
You still might be able to get an American version at the Tam O' Shanter on Los Feliz
https://www.berkeleywellness.com/hea...aggis-safe-eat

Dugi: Pretty sure tom et al tried black pudding and haggis when they visited Scotland (and if not shame on them ;) )

BTW Haggis is available at just about every Highland games in the States -- though this year's games season is shot to hell :(

Janis, yes we tried them, and we even enjoyed our Haggis one afternoon at Prestonfield House tea, Yes, I was surprised.

Dale Evans rode ButterMILK didn't she?

Hi
I live in the Yorkshire Dales (Wensleydale) and really hope your holiday manages to include this beautiful area. I can recommend the superb Yorke Arms in Nidderdale, a Michelin star restaurant with rooms. It's our absolute favourite place, where we go to spoil ourselves or celebrate a special occasion. I can't wait for it to reopen!
https://www.theyorkearms.co.uk/
I know Janis has visited, but seem to recall she was a bit poorly that day and couldn't really appreciate the food.
If you get to the North York Moors I can also recommend the Black Swan at Oldstead, another Michelin restaurant with rooms. The bedrooms have 4 poster beds and huge copper baths.
https://www.blackswanoldstead.co.uk/

Morgana, Both of those places look spectacular. I have to give this trip a month.