On a summer 2017 trip to see family in London, we added on a few days to get a taste of Scotland. Basing ourselves in Edinburgh, we took some day trips to Glencoe, Loch Ness and Alnwick Castle in Northern England.
Without renting a car, we took two day trips with small touring companies. The first tour was via Rabbie's and we enjoyed stops at picturesque villages, Glencoe and lunch at Loch Ness. It was an enjoyable day but as is often the case, there was a lot of traveling to get to places. This equates to a lot of staring at scenery from the mini-van. It felt like we only had 30 minutes to 1 hour for stops where we could eat, get a comfort break and take in the scenery. I guess we got a preview of the Scottish Highlands and an understanding that a more calming vacation would have been to base ourselves in a countryside resort where we could do some hiking.
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| Obligatory photo by the shores of Loch Ness |
The second tour via The Wee Red Bus Company took us down to Northern England - notably Lindisfarne, Alnwick Castle and Bamburgh Castle. The itinerary seemed a little less rushed (perhaps the distances were not so far) and we enjoyed a good 3 hours at Alnwick castle. This was fortunate as we were able to meet friends there (traveling from Durham) for a serendipitous rendezvous. Lots to see at Alnwick castle as it was a filming location for both Harry Potter and Downton Abbey. The state rooms were suitably grand and there was plenty of activity on the castle grounds. It was also a treat to see Bamburgh Castle at the end of the trip. There were very few crowds and the coastal views were expansive.
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| Alnwick Castle |
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| Bamburgh Castle |
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| Northumberland scenery |
The rest of the time was just spent walking around Edinburgh which included the obligatory visit to Edinburgh Castle. As we had rented an apartment, there was a lot of walking up and down the High Street to get food supplies from M&S. Paul discovered the tablet - a sinfully sugary treat which we had never seen elsewhere. It was our first visit to Scotland and basing ourselves in Edinburgh was certainly convenient. However, I was I had been braver and scheduled a couple of days at a countryside resort in the Highlands. Next time!
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Entrance to Edinburgh Castle
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