excessively_diverted

Hi! So we are starting to plan a trip to England (London) and Scotland in June 2022 and I wanted to get feedback on the first draft of our itinerary. It will be me, my husband and our (will be) 7 year old son. We want to spend a few days in London then take a train to Scotland and spend the majority of our time exploring castles, lochs, and outdoor scenery and activities. Light to moderate hiking welcome, but the kid doesn't have much stamina for super long or vigorous hikes.

Day 1- Dallas to London and spend majority of day outside exploring, adjusting to time change.
Day 2- London
Day 3- London
Day 4- London (possible day trip somewhere?)
Day 5- London
Day 6- London to Edinburgh by train. Hopefully in Edinburgh by afternoon to be able to explore
Day 7- Edinburgh
Day 8- Edinburg in AM and leave for Loch Lomond after lunch and explore and stay in Inveraray/Trossachs for the night
Day 9- Leave for Fort William and stay for the night, exploring Glencoe area on the way
Day 10- Leave Fort William, visit Glenfinnan area and drive to Isle of Skye, staying in Portree
Day 11- Isle of Skye
Day 12- Isle of Skye
Day 13- Leave Skye for Inverness and stay there for the night
Day 14- Inverness/Loch Ness/Culloden?
Day 15- Inverness to Edinburgh for the night, possibly stopping to see some of the Cairngorns?
Day 16- Edinburg back to Dallas

Must sees for us in Scotland are Glencoe, Skye (Fairy Glen, Fairy Pools, Kilt Rock,Old Man of Storr), Eilean Donan Castle, Glenfinnan Viaduct, Drummond Castle and Gardens, Inveraray Castle. We of course want to see everything but know it's not possible, so I'm trying to make the best loop to make the most out of the amount of time we have. And I'm not really sure how long some of the stops will take. I'm also considering stealing a day from the London portion and adding it to the Scotland road trip portion to give us more room to see things. Is this plan too crowded with stops? Is it realistic?

Thanks in advance! I would greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions from people who have experience with these locations!!

janisj

Welcome to Fodors

Just some random initial comments:

"Day 6- London to Edinburgh by train. Hopefully in Edinburgh by afternoon to be able to explore"

Very easy since the train ride is just over 4 hours with a morning train you can be in Edinburgh before lunchtime.

I'd definitely work on days 8, 9 and 10. Loch Lomond, Inveraray and anything in the Trossachs . . . and with an afternoon start from Edinburgh . . . is a non-starter. Plus there is no reason on Earth to stay in Ft William. Just for example - Edinburgh to Stirling to Inchmahome, to Luss (on Loch Lomond) to Inveraray is a 3 to 3.5 hour drive without a single stop. I'd consider something like dropping Inveraray and staying the night of June 8 in/near Callander, the 9th IN Glencoe and the 10th head to Skye as you planned.

(That is only because Skye is a 'must' for you)

I'll give you some more specific suggestions later this afternoon - and others will have ideas for you.

janisj

Oh -- meant to add -- Drummond Caste gardens are magnificent (I'll try to post photos later) but if you want to squeeze them in you definitely need to drop Inveraray and maybe consider staying 2 nights near Callander - that could be a base for Stirling, Inchmahome, Drummond, Doune etc etc. Then you could drive in one leg from Callander through Glencoe , Glenfinnan and on to Skye without staying over night en route.

excessively_diverted

Thank you! This was just the sort of feedback I was looking for. I will definitely look into Callander and things to do in that area and take your other suggestions into account! Would you suggest that I go ahead a drop a London day and tack it on to Scotland?

janisj

I would not drop a day from London and I'd maybe even add a day (and drop the day trip). As it is you really only have four usable days in London (three if you take a day trip). Day one will likely be a jet lagged fog for at least some of you and with logistics of probably not being able to check in to you hotel or apartment until mid afternoon at the earliest . . . Well, it is mostly just a day of semi-acclimating, dinner and an early night.

One thing I'd maybe consider is eliminate the double stay in Edinburgh -- just an extra hotel stay for no reason. After 5 or 6 days in London you could take the train or fly from London up to Inverness. Rent a car there, do the 'northern bits', then on to Skye, the Trossachs and finish up with all your Edinburgh nights together before flying home.

janisj

. . . ps: I personally wouldn't even consider a day trip out of London unless I had a minimum of 6 nights there. By that I mean a 'real' day trip like Oxford, or Bath or Stonehenge, etc. But there are lots of 'local' day trips which can be accomplished in about half a day and still leave some 'London time' - places like Hampton Court Palace, Greenwich, Windsor, . . .

excessively_diverted

You've really given me some great info! And yeah, I've pretty much decided to nix the possibility of a day trip with such a short amount of time. So much to do in London already without having to spend a day traveling to and fro. Loving the idea of ending the trip in Edinburgh. I hadn't really considered it but it would definitely make things easier.

Sberg

As an adult, that many days in London would be great. As a 7 year old I'm not so sure. He might enjoy Windsor Castle and that is a short trip from London. If I had a child I would steal a day from London and add it to Scotland but I LOVE being outside and Scotland is the place to do it. Your son will absolutely love Fairy Glen. It is an amazing place for little legs to explore. Be sure to get to the Quiraing the same day you go to Fairy Glen. It is amazing! If you start early you can do a loop and do Fairy Glen, then the Quiraing, Kilt Rock and Old Man of Storr in one day (depending how much you hike in the Quairang or if you just drive through). My husband hiked up Old Man of Storr at the end of our day but I stayed at the bottom. Bring a lunch as there aren't many places to stop. Make sure you bring rain clothes (including rain pants). Midges were really bad at Fairy Pools when we were there so be prepared. It is really the only place we had an issue with them.

I like the idea Janis gave you about going straight to Inverness and starting your northern portion from there. After you leave Skye and go to Glencoe try to spend 2 nights there if you can. It is an amazing area and it will give you more flexibility if the weather is bad. I liked that area better than Callander (Janis and I disagree on that but that's what opinions are for and she has been to Scotland many more times than I have).

excessively_diverted

Thank you for your response and suggestions! I didn't have Quiraing on my radar, but now I've added it!

Also, kind of silly thing, but I was wondering how green the highlands are in early-mid June. I've read some places it can still be a bit brown if it hasn't rained enough/winter sticks around longer, but other places say it's blooming and green. Have either of you been during that time? I'm really eager to get some great shots of moody skies and green landscapes but I really want to avoid going in July/August!

janisj

" . . . As a 7 year old I'm not so sure. He might enjoy Windsor Castle and that is a short trip from London."

I love LOVE totally adore Scotland too (my very favorite place on earth other than perhaps Yosemite) . . . But London (to steal a phrase from another Fodorite) is catnip for kids. Sooooo much for children - the London Transport Museum, HorseGuards, Natural History Museum, River boats, Science Museum, the Cutty Sark, British Museum (Mummies and lots more) double decker buses, Hampton Court Palace and the wonderful Tudor kitchens, the Lion King or Matilda, The TOWER of LONDON (an absolute must and the Beefeaters are fabulous) And really Windsoror Castle is not that great for little kids. Hampton Court is better IMO or for something completey different - LegoLand is in Windsor.

"Also, kind of silly thing, but I was wondering how green the highlands are in early-mid June. I've read some places it can still be a bit brown if it hasn't rained enough/winter sticks around longer,"

I have no idea where you read/heard that. The entire country(s) is green most of the year but absolutely 100% between March and October. Winter does not stick around til June . . . though you can have a winter-like day any month of the year. Pack/wear layers/layers/layers . . . and some rain gear anywhere in the UK. The biggest problem you'll have is the child getting enough sleep since in June it will be daylight from about 4 AM to 11 PM