To Scotland: 3 day trip from London
 

My wife and I will be in London the second week of July. We can leave London on a Thursday evening/nite but have to back in London on Sunday night or Monday morning.

Any suggested itinerary? I dont mind driving if I have to. I would like to rent a Porsche Carerra (any suggested car rentals).

Open to all suggestions including overnite train and taking local tours in Scotland.

Looking for a taste of Scotland ...

I wouldn't mind renting a Porsche, either.

How much experience do you have driving on the left side of the road?

IIRC, there is a late night train from Edinburgh that you gets you into London about 06:00.

We had a beautiful ride across the moonlit, mist-enshrouded moors.

((I))

The Porsche sounds like fun but if you are planning to travel at great speed on Scottish roads you will be a bit disappointed.

There are a hundred ways of doing this - depends on what you want to see. Here's an idea -

Thursday - train or fly to Edinburgh.

Friday - rent car and drive to Stirling. See castle. Lunch. Drive to Oban.

Saturday - Ferry to Mull, drive / ferry to Iona, back to Oban.

Sunday - drive back to Edinburgh along a different route, maybe stop at Inverary. Drop off car. Late train or flight home.

You could check out the sleeper trains, to maximise the time you have in Scotland. Otherwise, you're taking a large lump out of a day travelling in each direction (and all of it if you want to try driving all the way there).

It might also save some time (though not money) if you were to fly from London City Airport:
http://www.londoncityairport.com/tra...metableFor/EDI

About the sleeper trains:
http://www.seat61.com/CaledonianSleepers.htm

Thanks for the responses so far. If I were to drop the car from my intentions would it make sense to stay all 3 nights in Ediiburgh but make day trips if necessary including to Glasgow. This way I can spend some time in Ediburgh as well.

Any recommended hotels like the Hilton or Marriott to stay while in Edinburgh?

Sorry for confusing everyone about the Porsche making it sound like as though that was a must. I am thinking of buying one here in the US and I thought what better to test drive than this opportunity .....

Train to Edinburgh - tour Edinburgh - via bus - hop on/hop off
http://www.edinburgh-flats.com/edinburgh-visitor-gu
St Andrews Day trip -
there is much to see in Edinburgh and fishing villages near by
look in this forum - there are several reports on 2-3 days in Edinburgh.

Take the sleeper up and down to Edinburgh maximise your time (actually, the express is only about 4 hours, so it's not that big a deal) or fly into Inverness.

These guys rent Porsches. Avis has a prestige range. Don't drive in Edinburgh; but you must spend at least a day there. You could spend the whole time.

In Edinburgh, I recommend Hotel du Vin, the Scotsman, or the George. Or Missoni, or the Glasshouse. I've stayed in all of them and they are all central and fine. Slightly more budget is the Apex range.

Out of town, it depends where you want to go.