IME driving in Scotland is different from driving in France but, of course, opinions vary, and I'm not going to nitpick the " fundamentally" part. Essentially, the OP's itinerary needs to be seriously downsized.

And,janisj is absolutely correct on the not driving in Oxford part.

I never said they were newbies. But they ARE newbies to the UK. You designed a lovely <u>road trip</u>. Not a sightseeing trip -- they are different animals (I have nothing against road trips/mileage runs I do several every year)

The OP needs to decide. Its simple - do they want to see/explore a few scenic areas . . . or . . . drive through a bunch.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I love fodors forum as we all have has different experiences and ideas. You guys give me lots to consider. I'll have to discusss with my husband and come out with another plan. We did a lot of road trips but certainly wants to drop and do things along the way.
Driving is my husband strength but I agree that its alway taking longer when you aren't familiar with the places. We might consider ending our road trip in Glasglow and catch a train back to London, then a day trip to Oxford and Stonehenge (can't get rid of this one - husband's request)!