We will be in the Lake District for a few days the week of August 22nd and we wanted to take a one-day excursion to Edinburgh. We plan to stay only one day and then continue on to York via Durham. I know it will be next to impossible to get a hotel room in Edinburgh because of the festivals. Does anyone have any suggestions for staying outside of Edinburgh or even at a place close to the Scotland/England border? Is it even advisable to go to Edinburgh at all?

Edingburgh is beautiful. You should spend at least a day there. We stayed in a beb and breakfast slightly outside of town (I remember taking the bus to the hotel). I'll have to find the name of it for you. I can picture it perfectly. It was in a lovely neighborhood and the hostess was a wonderful Scot who fed us VERY well.

Yes - if you could find the name, that would be great. I would hate to pass up on a trip to Edinburgh since we will only be a few hours away. We would have stayed longer except that our itinerary is already jam packed at this point.

Any decent place to stay in Edinburgh will usually have a 3 (or even more) night minimum in August. Except for a last minute cancellation, I'd be wary of a hotel/B&B w/i 30 miles of Edinburgh that has rooms available at this late date.

As much as it pains me to say this (it is my very favorite city in the UK) Edinburgh simply does not fit into your itinerary very well. It is a long drive from the Lakes, and then you'd have another long drive to York. All that time in the car for just a few hours in Edinburgh is really not worth it. The city will be VERY crowded - not just the festival venues but all the tourist attractions as well. And driving in the city will be a zoo.

So save Edinburgh for another trip - and if you have a day to kill use it to explore along Hadrian's Wall, spend more time in the Lakes, or visit the Yorkshire Dales or Moors.

Here's the B&B information -

Fairholme Guest House (667-8645, 13 Moston Terrace). We were there in '99 so it's been a while. However, it was a Lonely Planet recommendation.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

~gnr~

Try www.uk.laterooms.com They have some great rates for a variety of hotels.

Hi,
I just got back from Edinburgh. We only had 2 days there..a lot to see and do. We stayed at a wonderful hotel, the Radisson SAS on the Royal Mile. It was central to everything and the people were very nice.

www.turret.clara.net

I have an 80 year old and a 65 year old travelling to Edinburgh. They want a bed and breakfast from Oct 5 - 10 near Princes Street. Can anyone recommend one or price wise, would they be just as well off booking a hotel which offers the full Scottish breakfast?

darleneb, may I suggest that you start a new thread? People may look at the first post here, note that it is old and not look at you question.