Vacation in Britain

[MacRobert's Reply]

Inverness is over a hundred miles further north Jim. That is very close in US terms but much further in UK terms. However, the rail journey from Glasgow to Inverness will take you through some beautiful scenery.

[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.

[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.

[robbiethepiper]

From personal experience: If you wear a kilt in London it will attract little comment, in Scotland, not much until people hear your accent, then no-one will talk to you unless they have a financial interest. In the less savoury parts of Glasgow you could be endangering your life.....

[cessna152towser]

Be sure to visit the rolling hills of the Scottish southern uplands between the English Border and the Glasgow/Edinburgh central belt.
You might even want to stay at Ferintosh Guest House in Dumfries which is run by xmarks member Pour1Malt.
Oh and by the way congratulations on being married to a Lady of Lochaber. There are two or three Lairds of Lochaber and at least one other Lady of Lochaber already on xmarks.
Be sure to wear the kilt throughout your visit to England and Scotland!

[BoldHighlander]

You might even want to stay at Ferintosh Guest House in Dumfries which is run by xmarks member Pour1Malt.

Where's he been hiding Alex?
I miss his photo threads.

Okay, off-topic....I return you to the thread in progress

[Pleater]

London in July - not my idea of fun.

You could just get on a train and go to Portsmouth - there is the castle and the walls and forts - both on the sea front and further inland. There is the dockyard and the Victory and other tourist attractions - Dickens' house for instance.

From there you could visit Winchester, Beaulieu and the New Forest if you hired a car for a couple of days.

Fly from Southampton airport to Edinburgh maybe, then spend a few days traveling around in Scotland. If it fits your timetable there are sleeper berths on trains to London for the return trip.

Five days is really not enough time.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Drac]

London in July - not my idea of fun.

Too cold?

Jim

[Richard]

London in July - not my idea of fun

Coming to the UK at anytime is not my idea of fun and I live here !!!

[MacBean]

Five days is too little, and the airfare you list is too much. Get a cheaper flight, perhaps at a different time, and stay longer. You'll regret doing the fast, racing tour, that so many Americans seem prone to doing.

England has so many lovely spots, but one close to London, within reach of the airport, is the Cottswolds. I'm partial to fishing villages from Cornwall to Kerry, to Donegal, to the western highlands, and all around. It really depends what you like to do. We like to walk the public right-of-way paths, and Stately Homes bore me. For you it may be the opposite. Give us some clues!