Sapphire

stevelyon Thank you, Stow Lodge also looks lovely! They only have one room available for our dates. And we now have a tentative reservation (as in we could cancel if need be) at a hotel near Burford. They had two rooms with queen size beds and good reviews so we'll give them a try.

Thanks again!

janisj

Which place near Burford? In town or nearby?


Only asking because I know the area very well and have stayed in Burford, Minster Lovell, other nearby villages plus random farmhouse B&Bs etc. I've likely stayed there or know the property . . .

Sapphire

janisj Thank you, it would be great to hear whether you have stayed there. It is the Maytime in Asthall. Initially, I thought it was closer to Burford but gather it is a few miles away.

janisj

Oh -- not very far at all, its about 3 miles from Burford. I haven't stayed there but have eaten once or twice. The restaurant/bar is sort of old-ey world-ey. A very old building but furnished with period looking reproductions. Food was quite good and there is outdoor dining in the garden courtyard.

Ashtall is a tiny place -- can't be more than 200 or 300 population if the cows are counted

It is quite close to the A40 (main east/west road) so good access to other places and easy to get to Oxford. The village is less than a mile, definitely walking distance, from Swinbrook (an even smaller village) where there is another lovely inn -- the Swan -- with excellent food.

Sapphire

@janisj That's great to hear! Looking forward to getting back to the Cotswolds and will write a trip report when we are back.

On another topic, I am interested in some "gentle" walks that I can do with my sister. By gentle, I mean avoiding steep climbs, traversing slopes covered in gravel (scree) and rock climbing. My athletic sister relishes her walks (and cycling, kayaking, running, etc.). She would have no difficulty with more demanding hikes but my (9 year old) knee replacement keeps me somewhat cautious. I do have a Leki walking stick/cane (the height of cane) that I use when hiking just in case I want/need the extra stability. We will both have our cameras with us, and a beautiful landscape entices one to continue on.

I would welcome input from folks on their favorite walks in the Cotswolds and the Isle of Skye. (I am pretty familiar with walks in the Lake District as that is a place we have revisited several times.) One option is to walk part way together and then have her continue further if she wishes, but we may find some perfectly lovely walks that are fine for both of us. (My husband usually opts to wait by the car.)

Thanks in advance!

bilboburgler

Cotswolds are are very hilly, but no scree or mountain tops, that doesn't mean the path will not be muddy. There are paths everywhere.

Sapphire

bilboburgler Yes, one of the things I love about the UK is that there are paths everywhere and beautiful hills! It is just that we have a short time in both the Cotswolds and the Isle of Skye, so I was curious whether anyone had specific recommendations. Think I'll lean into the AllTrails website to help me assess the altitude gain, etc. for the paths in their system. Thanks.

bilboburgler

I tend to use this https://footpathmap.co.uk/

Sapphire

bilboburgler Thank you for the very helpful answer to the question I should have asked!

Sapphire

We just returned from our two week trip to the UK, visiting Stirling, Glencoe, the Isle of Skye, the Lake District, the Cotswolds and Windsor. We had a wonderful trip, amazing weather, great food. lovely accommodations, and met many friendly people. I will write a trip report later. But I want to thank Gardyloo for encouraging folks to go to Glencoe and drive to Glen Etive - it was an amazing part of our trip! And thank you Janisj for your input as well. We had a lovely stay in Doune on our first night in Scotland, and we stopped at The Swan Inn in Swinbrook for a great meal on the second to last night of our journey! Grateful that we were able to make the trip finally (originally plannned for July 2020) and that everything went so well! More later...