Vacation in Britain

[Drac]

Good day all,

It's just in the "Wouldn't it be nice to go to Europe for vacation?" stage but it is on the table.

We are concidering heading over to there for the first week of July. Right now most of the tickets would be $3K US for 2 round trip.

Part of what we have to do is balance. Now both England and Scotland can take up the 5 full days we should have. My wife's degree is on the Tudor riegn so England has the most to offer her but she also has the plot of land up in Lochaber she would like to vist (she wants to see he estates, all 100 square feet) it.

Now I would like to visit the Lamont and Gordon areas plus several sites that some of my books have used and a Scotch distillary or two (or three, four, hic) but I am also a Dickens fan and have at least a passing interest in English history.

So what recommondations would you folks give for doing this?

Also what recommondations would you give to first time visitors to the Isles? Last time I was there was in the Navy and one, that was 22 years ago and two I hope I've mutured a little since I was a 19 year old Squid.

I would assume that unless I want to scream tuorist, leave the kilt at home?

Thx,
Jim

[caig]

Firstly, the word, "Briton" refers to a British person. You will be visiting "Britain".

My only suggestion is to wear the kilt in both Scotland and England. Apart from the fact that you will enjoy wearing it, it will be accepted whether you look "touristy" or not.

[Schiehallion]

For the England part of your trip. For the he Tudor aspect you must visit :-

First and foremost Hampton Court Palace... and if you get time time, The Tower of London. (The Tower has very long tourist queues in July.) Your wife should know all about them and it will bring to life their history by being there.

Outside of London, although Jacobean... Hatfield House in Hertfordshire 30minutes by train from London. which has portraits of Queen Elizabeth of England. Elizabeth was here when she was declared Queen and held her first council of State in the Old Palace.

I will leave the Scottish part to those with more knowledge north of the border.

[Drac]

Firstly, the word, "Briton" refers to a British person. You will be visiting "Britain".

My pardon.

Correct inside but doesn't reflect on the list.

[Lallans]

...... My only suggestion is to wear the kilt in both Scotland and England. Apart from the fact that you will enjoy wearing it, it will be accepted whether you look "touristy" or not.

Just don't wear it to play golf in Scotland...

[Woot22]

As someone who has been fortunate enough to visit Scotland on multiple occasions I would stick with visiting England or Scotland but try and do both. The 5 days will go by faster than you think and you dont want to spend any unnecessary time traveling around on trains and what not. It has been quite along time since I road the train from Mildenhall to Edinburgh but I remember it pretty much taking up the better part of a day. So if you have to come back to fly out like I did, that was 2 days out of trip spent mostly on a train. You dont want to do that. Fly in and out of London and spend your time around London and its surrounding areas. Or fly into Edinburgh and do the same there. Plenty of short train rides to surrounding areas that will mean more time site seeing and less time traveling around. Just my opinion on getting the most out of a 5 day trip.

[Tobus]

As to the kilt, better that than to be dressed like you are on safari in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world....as some of our countrymen were wont to do....maybe they thought there were lions and tigers in Piccadilly circus...

So one should leave the pith helmet at home, then? ith:

[McClef]

Have taken the liberty of correcting the spelling of the thread title.

[MacRobert's Reply]

If you want to visit the part of Scotland associated with the Lamonts, then the Cowal Peninsula in southern Argyll is where you need to be. You could stay in Dunoon or Inverary, or in a wooden lodge in the Argyll Forest Park. A hire car is desirable in this area as public transport is very limited. There are great drives through the Arrochar Alps, around many of the lochs and the the Kyles of Bute. There are also may picturesque walks, such as Puck's Glenn, if you have stout footwear. The Campbell's Inverary Castle is well worth a visit.

The Cowall is about two and a half hours drive from Edinburgh (faster if you use the motorway but not so interesting), and about half an hour from Glasgow along the shore of Loch Lomond.

This is an area I know well. PM me if you decide to include it in you trip and I will provide you with further information. Whatever you decide, enjoy the trip.

[Drac]

Have taken the liberty of correcting the spelling of the thread title.

Thank you. My American is bad. My English, way worse.

If you want to visit the part of Scotland associated with the Lamonts, then the Cowal Peninsula in southern Argyll is where you need to be. You could stay in Dunoon or Inverary, or in a wooden lodge in the Argyll Forest Park. A hire car is desirable in this area as public transport is very limited. There are great drives through the Arrochar Alps, around many of the lochs and the the Kyles of Bute. There are also may picturesque walks, such as Puck's Glenn, if you have stout footwear. The Campbell's Inverary Castle is well worth a visit.

The Cowall is about two and a half hours drive from Edinburgh (faster if you use the motorway but not so interesting), and about half an hour from Glasgow along the shore of Loch Lomond.

This is an area I know well. PM me if you decide to include it in you trip and I will provide you with further information. Whatever you decide, enjoy the trip.

Thank you for the offer. One of the sites I want to see is the Old Manse in Inverness. I donated a couple of my knives for fund raising.

Jim