quesQuestion concerning timing of Scotland/Wales trip
 

We are a party of 8 hoping to travel from Houston to Scotland and Wales via London and Edinburgh. In the US, our Independence day (7/4) and labor Day (9/5) holidays will both fall on Mondays in 2016, so we can engineer a trip that will go from a Saturday 2 weeks prior, through the holiday day, allowing 17 days of travel with only 10 days taken off work. So our choices are essentially traveling late June or late August. Cost, conflict with waves of other tourists, and ease of bookings are considerations. I assume airfares would be a bit less around Labor day, but I also assume the British High tourist season in August would make bookings problematic. Is this true? Or does the British tourist season wear out by late August? Would it be reasonable to assume that if we travel in Scotland during the last week of June/1st week in July we may just get ahead of the worst of the tourist season? Any considerations would be most appreciated.

>>I assume airfares would be a bit less around Labor day, <<

Not IME. August and very early Sept are the highest of high season for leisure travel.

Late June/early July is the perfect time to visit Scotland. The day are VERY long and you miss the massive August crowds in Edinburgh for the festivals/Tattoo.

agree with Janis

June

I'll explain a bit more about why August/early Sept are so busy. Three main reasons -
The school holidays take place in general from mid July until the very beginning of September although the dates can vary from area to area.
Secondly there is a late summer Bank Holiday at the end of August every year (long weekend which many people use to take as a full week as they know autumn is around the corner!!)
Thirdly many people who no longer have school age children go off on holiday from the beginning of September when the weather might well still be nice and the days reasonably long.
So, another vote for June!

Although Scottish school have earlier summer breaks than the rest of the UK, so they end at the beginning of July and go back mid August, I too would vote for June. The weather is often better then too, both for Scotland and Wales. Perhaps do the Scotland part first then the Welsh part to avoid the Scottish school holiday completely.

Wow! I expected some help with this decision, but had no idea the replies would be so emphatic. Most helpful, and I appreciate the fine feedback everyone has offered.

Ok, second question if you don't mind; We have had previously poor experiences with Hop-on/hop-off bus services in other cities, but then had an excellent experience in Hong Kong. (See my recent trip report)

Question: Is the HOHO service in Edinburgh good? If yes, which operator? Or is just strolling ad lib, better? suggestions would be most appreciated.

strolling ad lib, Edinburgh is full of cut throughs and staircases, more fun to find your way through the labyrinth.

OK -- Edinburgh is a walking city -- however it will seem <i>everything</i> is uphill (funny how that works)

The H-o-H-o in Edinburgh is useful for two things 1) getting you up that darn hill to the Castle/old town where you can hop off and walk down the Royal Mile and through the wynds/staircases, St Giles etc and then at the bottom you can get back on a H-o-H-o near Holyrood), and 2) getting out to the waterside/Britannia if you aren't going to have another chance. Otherwise save yourself the ££

So noted, thanks

First, I'd go in June/July and NOT August for the reasons Janis noted above. Edinburgh swells to three times its normal size in August because there are more festivals than the bloody Scots can count and some of them draw huge crowds.

<<Question: Is the HOHO service in Edinburgh good? If yes, which operator? Or is just strolling ad lib, better? suggestions would be most appreciated.>>

Edinburgh was a mess to navigate before they put in the light rail. Now, matters are worse. Buses can only go at the speed of traffic, your feet may be quicker.

Do realize that Edinburgh has no downhills, despite the laws of gravity and physics. No one knows why that is, especially considering the advanced science of the Scottish Enlightenment of the 1700s, but ALL HILLS GO UP. Many of them also lead directly to whisky-selling shops, thereby decreasing the negative aspect of climbing the bloody hills all day.

LOL!!

(I've always thought it was useful to take the whole HOHO route in any city once without getting off, to get an overview. Otherwise walk/take the bus/tram)