Need suggestions for day trip from Edinburgh
Jun 5th, 2007 | 05:32 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,067
Likes: 0
Need suggestions for day trip from Edinburgh
I'll be in Edinburgh for 5 full days (six nights) in July and want to take a couple of day trips. One will be Sterling. But I need suggestions for another one. I'd like it to be somewhere I can get to in about 2 hours or less by public transportation. I'd be especially interested in a castle ruin on the coast (or a lake). But open to any suggestions. Thanks
Jun 5th, 2007 | 05:59 PM
#2
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 75,057
Likes: 50
FYI - It is Stirling . .
Now, about day trips - A good one would be taking the train to Leuchars and then a local bus (or a taxi) to St Andrews. St Andrews has a ruined castle, the magnificent ruined Cathedral, the west Sands beach (where they filmed the famous scenes in Charriots of Fire), and of course the Old Course.
Or - you could take the train to North Berwick and from there local buses to either Tantallon or Dirleton Castles (or possibly both if the bus timetables work. They are both close to N. Berwick but in opposite directions)
Tantallon is a massive, stark ruin right on the sea. Dirleton is a really interesting castle ruin w/ a beautiful garden in a small village
Now, about day trips - A good one would be taking the train to Leuchars and then a local bus (or a taxi) to St Andrews. St Andrews has a ruined castle, the magnificent ruined Cathedral, the west Sands beach (where they filmed the famous scenes in Charriots of Fire), and of course the Old Course.
Or - you could take the train to North Berwick and from there local buses to either Tantallon or Dirleton Castles (or possibly both if the bus timetables work. They are both close to N. Berwick but in opposite directions)
Tantallon is a massive, stark ruin right on the sea. Dirleton is a really interesting castle ruin w/ a beautiful garden in a small village
Jun 8th, 2007 | 08:23 AM
#3
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,067
Likes: 0
Thanks for those suggestions, they look wonderful. Now instead of thinking I may have too much time, I'm afraid I won't have enough - I want to see all three of those castles. So I have a few more questions you can probably answer.
North Berwick looks to be only about a half hour train ride from Edinburgh. You said you though it might be possible to do both Tantallon and Dirleton in one day. Any idea how frequent the local bus service is? Also, is where to get the local bus fairly obvious from the train station? I couldn't find that info on line.
St Andrews also looks wonderful - I'd always thought it was just somewhere golfers wanted to go but the castle and the town look great. How complicated is the bus from Leuchars to St Andrews?
I had been planing to do several things in greater Edinburgh - like Leith, Dean Village and South Queensferry (to see the bridge). Are all of those fairly easy to accomplish. I'm having trouble figuring how much time to allow - I can't tell if those things take a couple of hours or half a day. Any suggestions?
And finally, have you been to Craigmillar Castle? Now that I know about these other castles that one seems less impressive. Should I just skip that one in favor of doing the others?
Thanks for all your help.
North Berwick looks to be only about a half hour train ride from Edinburgh. You said you though it might be possible to do both Tantallon and Dirleton in one day. Any idea how frequent the local bus service is? Also, is where to get the local bus fairly obvious from the train station? I couldn't find that info on line.
St Andrews also looks wonderful - I'd always thought it was just somewhere golfers wanted to go but the castle and the town look great. How complicated is the bus from Leuchars to St Andrews?
I had been planing to do several things in greater Edinburgh - like Leith, Dean Village and South Queensferry (to see the bridge). Are all of those fairly easy to accomplish. I'm having trouble figuring how much time to allow - I can't tell if those things take a couple of hours or half a day. Any suggestions?
And finally, have you been to Craigmillar Castle? Now that I know about these other castles that one seems less impressive. Should I just skip that one in favor of doing the others?
Thanks for all your help.
Jun 8th, 2007 | 12:36 PM
#4
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,159
Likes: 0
1/ Day trips from Edinburgh on the train….
Perth is a former major route junction for the trains, and you will find lines from there to Edinburgh, Glasgow, via Stirling, Dundee and then Aberdeen, Inverness and all points between.
In Stirling, the only problem is, it's a bit spread out, so you might need to use cabs a lot. Great castle; Wallace
Monument, Bannockburn; good shopping.
1(b) Another thought would be Pitlochry then back to Dunkeld (actually, on checking my guide I see that some (not all, so be careful) trains stop at Blair Atholl. On second thoughts miss out Pitlochry, which is an overrated tourist trap, and go on to Blair Atholl) Blair Atholl is a planned village and is very pretty in a slightly twee Victorian style, and it houses Blair Castle, home of the Dukes of Atholl and the Atholl Highlanders. V. Impressive in the grand style. I have no idea how you get from the station to the castle but it's only a mile.
On the way back south plan to stop at Dunkeld- station is Birnam, again about a mile from Dunkeld proper.
The Cathedral is special, but so is the Square with its National Trust houses- the Little Houses. Some very good antique shops (never pay what they are asking)
Birnam is, of course, famous as being the place from which the wood came to Dunsinane in Macbeth. Dunsinane is just north of Perth on the Aberdeen Road.
1(c).Most of Perth's interest lies in its history- ancient capital of Scotland- and in its place in Scottish literature. Just north of Perth, 2 miles or so, is Scone Palace, worth a visit itself, which was the site where the kings and queens of Scotland were crowned, seated on the Stone of Destiny, (a good fake of) which you will no doubt have seen when you visited Edinburgh castle.
The town's 12th century Church, St John's, is worth a visit. It contains the remains of an Earl of Perth who is supposed to have told the town's baillies "If you give me six feet, I'll give you twa Inches"- a reference to the two parks on either side of the old town, the North and South Inches (from the Gaelic Innis meaning meadow). In addition, it is where John Knox preached the destruction of the monasteries at the start of the Scottish reformation
Sir Walter Scott wrote a novel called "the Fair Maid of Perth" and her house and that of Hal o' the Wynd, can both be visited. This will tell you all about Clan Chattan and Clan Kay and the battle they fought (staged?) on the North Inch. Next to Hal o' the Wynd's house is the City Mills which has a restored oatmeal mill and some nice craft shops. The City Mills Hotel, which I think is now called the Stakis, is another converted Mill, done so the lade
can be seen flowing underneath.
If you walk along the Tay, you can see where the houses in the Watergate had their gardens which led down to the river, where Kate Barlass held off the soldiers come to capture and kill the king.
The town has really good shopping centered around the High street and Old High Street. On the north edge of the town is the Caithness Glass factory where you can see the glass
being made and, of course, buy from the factory shop. Caithness has gone into receivership, (like Chapter 11) so you need to keep an eye on the situation before making the trek out
There are a lot of nice walks.. along the river and through the North Inch, through the Norie Millar gardens on the north side of the river, Branklyn gardens on the north side of the river, Kinnoull hill with its folly, and, Buckie Braes and Callerfountain out towards the west.
Places to eat- Let's Eat is without doubt the best place in town, Paco's and the Filling station, are cheap and cheerful.
The Willows tea room in St John's Square is very good for coffee/tea and cakes and things.
1(d) Go up the coast as far as Arbroath, which is a traditional fishing town, famous for its "smokies", and its cathedral, which is where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. "For so long as a hundred of us remain alive, we will yield in no least way to English dominion" and all that.
Stop (if you want) at Carnoustie a couple of miles down the coast.. smaller and more of a 1920s tourist place, but famous for its golf course. The course is owned by the Council
and is remarkably cheap to play..
If you are rash enough to get off the train in Dundee (armpit of the Universe; am I making myself plain?) there's not much of quality to see or do. There is a very good visitor centre (the Discovery Centre) near the station, which interprets Captain Scott's voyages to the Antarctic, and his ship, the Discovery ,is moored alongside, so you can visit. Nearby is the Unicorn, a Dundee Whaler, which is also open to the public. There are people who actually like Dundee but they are few and far between.
If you choose St Andrews, buses leave Leuchars for St Andrews every
half hour (not Sundays)
Perth is a former major route junction for the trains, and you will find lines from there to Edinburgh, Glasgow, via Stirling, Dundee and then Aberdeen, Inverness and all points between.
In Stirling, the only problem is, it's a bit spread out, so you might need to use cabs a lot. Great castle; Wallace
Monument, Bannockburn; good shopping.
1(b) Another thought would be Pitlochry then back to Dunkeld (actually, on checking my guide I see that some (not all, so be careful) trains stop at Blair Atholl. On second thoughts miss out Pitlochry, which is an overrated tourist trap, and go on to Blair Atholl) Blair Atholl is a planned village and is very pretty in a slightly twee Victorian style, and it houses Blair Castle, home of the Dukes of Atholl and the Atholl Highlanders. V. Impressive in the grand style. I have no idea how you get from the station to the castle but it's only a mile.
On the way back south plan to stop at Dunkeld- station is Birnam, again about a mile from Dunkeld proper.
The Cathedral is special, but so is the Square with its National Trust houses- the Little Houses. Some very good antique shops (never pay what they are asking)
Birnam is, of course, famous as being the place from which the wood came to Dunsinane in Macbeth. Dunsinane is just north of Perth on the Aberdeen Road.
1(c).Most of Perth's interest lies in its history- ancient capital of Scotland- and in its place in Scottish literature. Just north of Perth, 2 miles or so, is Scone Palace, worth a visit itself, which was the site where the kings and queens of Scotland were crowned, seated on the Stone of Destiny, (a good fake of) which you will no doubt have seen when you visited Edinburgh castle.
The town's 12th century Church, St John's, is worth a visit. It contains the remains of an Earl of Perth who is supposed to have told the town's baillies "If you give me six feet, I'll give you twa Inches"- a reference to the two parks on either side of the old town, the North and South Inches (from the Gaelic Innis meaning meadow). In addition, it is where John Knox preached the destruction of the monasteries at the start of the Scottish reformation
Sir Walter Scott wrote a novel called "the Fair Maid of Perth" and her house and that of Hal o' the Wynd, can both be visited. This will tell you all about Clan Chattan and Clan Kay and the battle they fought (staged?) on the North Inch. Next to Hal o' the Wynd's house is the City Mills which has a restored oatmeal mill and some nice craft shops. The City Mills Hotel, which I think is now called the Stakis, is another converted Mill, done so the lade
can be seen flowing underneath.
If you walk along the Tay, you can see where the houses in the Watergate had their gardens which led down to the river, where Kate Barlass held off the soldiers come to capture and kill the king.
The town has really good shopping centered around the High street and Old High Street. On the north edge of the town is the Caithness Glass factory where you can see the glass
being made and, of course, buy from the factory shop. Caithness has gone into receivership, (like Chapter 11) so you need to keep an eye on the situation before making the trek out
There are a lot of nice walks.. along the river and through the North Inch, through the Norie Millar gardens on the north side of the river, Branklyn gardens on the north side of the river, Kinnoull hill with its folly, and, Buckie Braes and Callerfountain out towards the west.
Places to eat- Let's Eat is without doubt the best place in town, Paco's and the Filling station, are cheap and cheerful.
The Willows tea room in St John's Square is very good for coffee/tea and cakes and things.
1(d) Go up the coast as far as Arbroath, which is a traditional fishing town, famous for its "smokies", and its cathedral, which is where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. "For so long as a hundred of us remain alive, we will yield in no least way to English dominion" and all that.
Stop (if you want) at Carnoustie a couple of miles down the coast.. smaller and more of a 1920s tourist place, but famous for its golf course. The course is owned by the Council
and is remarkably cheap to play..
If you are rash enough to get off the train in Dundee (armpit of the Universe; am I making myself plain?) there's not much of quality to see or do. There is a very good visitor centre (the Discovery Centre) near the station, which interprets Captain Scott's voyages to the Antarctic, and his ship, the Discovery ,is moored alongside, so you can visit. Nearby is the Unicorn, a Dundee Whaler, which is also open to the public. There are people who actually like Dundee but they are few and far between.
If you choose St Andrews, buses leave Leuchars for St Andrews every
half hour (not Sundays)
Jun 8th, 2007 | 01:09 PM
#5
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 750
Likes: 0
How about Rosslyn Chapel....
You can get to Rosslyn Chapel using local buses. Take Bus 15. It is located about 6 miles south of Edinburgh
https://www.rosslynchapel.com/
You can get to Rosslyn Chapel using local buses. Take Bus 15. It is located about 6 miles south of Edinburgh
https://www.rosslynchapel.com/
Jun 8th, 2007 | 03:07 PM
#6
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 75,057
Likes: 50
isabel: To answer your new questions (and not add even MORE suggestions 
) . . . .
Leuchars to St Andrews could not be easier. Since there is no rail service to St Andrews, Leuchars is THE connecting point for public transit. Most of the people getting off at Leuchars will be heading to St Andrews.
As for Tantallon/Dirleton - I personally haven't taken the bus since I usually drive - but each castle is only about 2 miles from N Berwick.
From the Historic Scotland website:
For Tantallon >>Public Transport - From Edinburgh Waverley Train Station, take the train to North Berwick (30 min). Walk from North Berwick train station to High Street at Quality Street (15 min). Take Eve Bus no 120 (Dunbar) to Tantallon Castle (6 mins).<<
For Dirleton it doesn''t mention a bus but being only a couple of miles it is walkable or a short cab ride.
Craigmillar is interesting - but on a short visit I think other sites would be more worthwhile.
In Edinburgh - I recommend you try to squeeze in the hop-on-hop-off bus tour that will take you to some of the places you want to see.
) . . . .Leuchars to St Andrews could not be easier. Since there is no rail service to St Andrews, Leuchars is THE connecting point for public transit. Most of the people getting off at Leuchars will be heading to St Andrews.
As for Tantallon/Dirleton - I personally haven't taken the bus since I usually drive - but each castle is only about 2 miles from N Berwick.
From the Historic Scotland website:
For Tantallon >>Public Transport - From Edinburgh Waverley Train Station, take the train to North Berwick (30 min). Walk from North Berwick train station to High Street at Quality Street (15 min). Take Eve Bus no 120 (Dunbar) to Tantallon Castle (6 mins).<<
For Dirleton it doesn''t mention a bus but being only a couple of miles it is walkable or a short cab ride.
Craigmillar is interesting - but on a short visit I think other sites would be more worthwhile.
In Edinburgh - I recommend you try to squeeze in the hop-on-hop-off bus tour that will take you to some of the places you want to see.
Jun 8th, 2007 | 03:24 PM
#7
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Hi Isabel
Another short train ride from Edinburgh is Linlithgow, a very historic town which has lots of beautiful old buildings and Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and her father James V.
The palace is on the shore of Linlithgow Loch and is quite spectacular.
We visited Linlithgow by boat on the Union Canal and the moorings were right beside the railway station. Everything in town is walking distance from there.
Rosemary
Another short train ride from Edinburgh is Linlithgow, a very historic town which has lots of beautiful old buildings and Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and her father James V.
The palace is on the shore of Linlithgow Loch and is quite spectacular.
We visited Linlithgow by boat on the Union Canal and the moorings were right beside the railway station. Everything in town is walking distance from there.
Rosemary
Trending Topics
Jun 8th, 2007 | 03:38 PM
#8
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,874
Likes: 79
Well, let me throw out a quite different idea, just so you can be well and truly confused...
From Waverley Station you can be in Durham in 1h45m. As in England.
Durham Cathedral is (IMO anyway) one of the most, if not <i>the</i> most impressive structures in Britain. It's a lovely town for walking, shopping, and I can assure you that the Cathedral (and adjacent Durham Castle - now part of the University) will leave you gobsmacked. Strongly recommended.
From Waverley Station you can be in Durham in 1h45m. As in England.
Durham Cathedral is (IMO anyway) one of the most, if not <i>the</i> most impressive structures in Britain. It's a lovely town for walking, shopping, and I can assure you that the Cathedral (and adjacent Durham Castle - now part of the University) will leave you gobsmacked. Strongly recommended.
Jun 10th, 2007 | 03:42 AM
#11
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 7,067
Likes: 0
Thanks so much for ALL of your help and suggestions. It seems I could use alot more than 5 days, but that's all I've got. So my plan now is to spend the first full day in Edinburgh, then on days 2, 3, and 4 do day trips - hopefully getting back into Edinburgh early enough to do a little more sightseeing. Then on day 5 if I feel I've seen enough of Edinburgh I could do one more day trip, otherwise stay in Edinburgh.
Given that my interests are more architectural than scenic (though I do want some sea coast), I've put them in this order: North Berwich with both Dirleton and Tantallon Castles, St Andrews, and then Stirling. Linlithgow Palace would be the one for the last day. This seems like it would give me a nice variety of towns, castle ruins and scenery without spending a huge amount of time on a train.
Two more questions. I read that there is a bus service, called Stagecoach Buses that goes between St Andrews and Edinburgh in one hour. But I can't find it online. Anyone hear of it, and if so should I be considering that over the train? All the posts here about going to St Andrews talk about the train so I'm guessing it's not a good option but I thought I'd ask.
Last question - one thing I really want to see is the Firth of Forth Rail Bridge, especially at sunset. My research turned up this: "Take train to Dalmeny from Waverley (20 min) or bus #42 to South Queensferry from the bus station or Princes St." Can you confirm this, and is one better than the other - or is there a better option.
Thanks again.
Given that my interests are more architectural than scenic (though I do want some sea coast), I've put them in this order: North Berwich with both Dirleton and Tantallon Castles, St Andrews, and then Stirling. Linlithgow Palace would be the one for the last day. This seems like it would give me a nice variety of towns, castle ruins and scenery without spending a huge amount of time on a train.
Two more questions. I read that there is a bus service, called Stagecoach Buses that goes between St Andrews and Edinburgh in one hour. But I can't find it online. Anyone hear of it, and if so should I be considering that over the train? All the posts here about going to St Andrews talk about the train so I'm guessing it's not a good option but I thought I'd ask.
Last question - one thing I really want to see is the Firth of Forth Rail Bridge, especially at sunset. My research turned up this: "Take train to Dalmeny from Waverley (20 min) or bus #42 to South Queensferry from the bus station or Princes St." Can you confirm this, and is one better than the other - or is there a better option.
Thanks again.
Jun 10th, 2007 | 05:37 AM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
IMO there i so much to see and do in Edin.,you may find it enough just to visit Dean Village ( easy walk) and its wonderful galleries, Leith is half an hour walk or an easy bus ride, and with visits to Roslyn and Stirling , would give you more than enough to do in 5 days.
