Vacation in Britain

[Drac]

Well looks like due to a bit of a scheduling conflict we will be putting off the vacation until next year. The date we were looking at is the last weekend of April, first week of May. Earlier is a bit cold for us, later is the Chelsea Flower Show and to much into the peek season.

Unfortunately that is the weekend of the Royal wedding. Between the wedding and Chelsea it looks like it will be a hopping time in London.

Jim

[Pleater]

Isn't that just the excuse you need to go to Scotland instead?

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[starbkjrus]

Isn't that just the excuse you need to go to Scotland instead?

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

It's the perfect time to go....stay the heck out of London and see the countryside. The whole focus of the nation will be the Royal Wedding so try some of this......

(Shamelessly linking to our 2007 vacation again).....

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-2007-a-29115/

[Jock Scot]

Isn't that just the excuse you need to go to Scotland instead?

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

My thoughts exactly.

[PEEDYC]

Just a note about travel in the UK. From London to Edinburgh by train takes between 4.5 to 5 hours so the best part of a day is taken by travel each way. Even if you fly check in times and travel to and from airports can take just as long. Driving that distance is just not worth it ..... I would concentrate on one country and see what you can in the time you have available.

Being Scottish by birth and having travelled a lot around I would opt for Scotland as it is much smaller and a lot more can be seen within your timescale. The only drawback is the midgies when you get into the countryside in July.

What ever you chose I hope you will enjoy the trip.

[Lime]

I would be inclined to suggest a few days in York and a few days in Edinburgh.

Both are big enough to offer plenty to do, small enough to be able to enjoy adequately in a few days and cosmopolitan enough to wear the kilt!

Both Edinburgh and Scotland have plenty of Tudor connections and places of interest for your wife to see (Holyrood House in Edinburgh which was the home of Mary Queen of Scots and was used, briefly, by the Bonnie Prince as a headquarters during the 45; York is inexorability linked with Tudor history so plenty to see as well - just do the walking tour and pick anywhere that takes your fancy).

There is a plethora of great places to eat and drink in both. Moreover Edinburgh is home of one of the 6 classic malts of Scotland (Glenkinchie) and there is a tour culminating in a tasting.

As a final sweetener: there is plenty of Kilt related paraphernalia in Edinburgh. Geoffrey Tailor, 21st Century Kilts, Kinoch Anderson (in nearby Leith) and the charity shops on the Royal Mile always have a decent selection of second hand kilts. Also Armstrongs (both branches in Edinburgh) are worth a visit as they have a load of vintage kilts, jackets, sporrans etc.

(If you do end up going to London you could nip to Hornets in Kensington who generally have a few good quality vintage kilts).

Both cities are also a bit cheaper than London for accommodation, eating out etc and there is no need to hire a car as the train journey between them is relatively short and pleasant.

[Drac]

We will either planning to go next year (most likely) or choose another destination for this year. Since we aren't going to do this this sort of traveling every year we will probably put it off another year rather than take a second choice. When I got to Scotland I want it to because that is were we want to be not as a backup.

As for seeing the country side, while I can appreciate the beauty of nice scenery my wife and I are city folk. Shopping, shows and restaurants are our thing.

Jim

[Caprimulgus]

The americans and the japanese, MUST be the only people who think they can cover a country in a 3-5 day trip :-)

[Drac]

While it has been covered before why that is the case it keeps coming up and quite frankly I'm getting a little tired about being told how bad we Americans are on our vacations.

I only get so much vacation a year. I can only take a week at a time.

I only normally only get a week spare outside of my military duty and

family visits as both families live hundreds of miles away. I won't be able

to spare much more than week at a time until I retire. I would rather not

wait for 25 years to see some more of the world assuming I will be

healthy enough to travel at 67+ years old, the retirement age for the US.

Now can we leave off.

[Caprimulgus]

Sir, your reaction is way over the top. I'm half american my self. The "tone" was more recognising than mocking. I'm sorry if you took it otherwise. And maybe, you missed the smiley.....