My mom and I took a six day trip to Scotland (The Highlands, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and England (London, Bath and Stonehenge) while she was visiting me in Amsterdam during May of 2019. This itinerary is based on that experience. Want more visual inspiration? Check out the video of the trip!
Night 1: After a late afternoon flight from Amsterdam to Edinburgh, we took the Airlink 100 bus directly to Waverley Station (about a 30 minute ride). You can buy a ticket at the stop (right outside the airport) or you can use their app. We then walked five minutes to our hotel; the Hub by Premier Inn. Compact but comfortable and clean rooms with friendly staff.
We wandered the streets; taking in the beautiful stone buildings and cobblestone streets. Dinner was steak and ale pie at Greyfriars Bobby's Bar. They had seating in the bar area (no reservation needed). Outside there is the The Greyfriars Bobby Fountain; a granite fountain with a bronze, life-size statue of Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye Terrier.
Day 1: After checking out, we grabbed a Scottish Breakfast at the Southern Cross Cafe. With full bellies, we went to the meeting spot for our Highland Experience Tour. While I am all about the DIY driving experience (check out my Ireland Road Trip), it was my mom’s first time in Europe and I wanted it to be as stress-free as possible. We chose the 2-Day Jacobite Experience, and it was an awesome and stress free experience. There were 10 people; we had a small bus and our guide was local so he shared so much information and history as we went along. I highly recommend this experience.
We drove across The Queensferry Crossing, which had a view (to the right) of the world's first major steel bridge (the Forth Railway Bridge). We then stopped in the quaint village of Pitlochry. We walked along the main street of Atholl Road, and grabbed some coffee and scones at Mackenzie’s Coffee House. Next stop was the Clava Cairns; a 4,000 year old cemetery (also a filming location for Outlander). Continuing on was the Culloden Battlefield (site of the 1745 Jacobite Rising); there is a visitor center where we were able to grab lunch as well. This was followed by my favorite part of the day; a boat tour with Loch Ness by Jacobite. We traveled through Loch Ness, and while we did not spot Nessie, we did stop and tour the Urquhart Castle.
Night 2: We spent the night in Fort Augustus at the B&B Loch Ness Guest House. We explored the area, most notable being the Fort Augustus Lighthouse and the Fort Augustus Locks. We had dinner at the Bothy Restaurant & Bar and I discovered Tennent’s beer, a lager out of Glasgow which turned into my go-to beer while in Scotland.
Day 2: After breakfast, we stopped off to see the Commando Memorial; a World War II statue that offers a beautiful view of the mountains. We then headed to Fort Williams to board the Jacobite Steam Train (aka Hogwarts Express); as Harry Potter fans, the reason why we chose this tour. The highlight of the experience was going over the Glenfinnan Viaduct (iconic 1901 railway viaduct). It is probably one of the prettiest views I have ever seen in my life. The end of the line was Mallaig; a cute fishing village. We walked down to the ferry to get views of the boats as well as went into some shops.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, put Haggard Alley on your list; a fun souvenir shop. We had lunch, fish and chips of course, at The Cabin Restaurant & Take Away. Starting the journey back to Edinburgh, we stopped at the Three Sisters of Glencoe lookout point as well as the Kingshouse Hotel to feed carrots to wild deer! This area around Glencoe was extremely beautiful; if I get to explore Scotland again, I would love to go back to this area to hike. We stopped at the Green Welly shop - gas station/souvenir store/restaurant with to-go food and a whiskey/scotch shop. Great all-in-one place if you are near. The final stop was at Trossachs Woollen Mill; a souvenir shop (which was closed) but they have a Scottish cows in the field next to it! This was a highlight, as they are my favorite animal. As we got closer into Edinburgh, we passed by the Kelpies Horse Sculpture.
Night 3: After being dropped off, we caught views of the New College, The University of Edinburgh as the sun was setting. We then checked into the Hub by Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Rose Street) Hotel. Again, compact and clean rooms. As we were exhausted, we went to the grocery store to pick up snacks and drinks before heading to bed.
Day 3: Our goal of the morning was to walk the Royal Mile. Many of the stops you can go into/tour, but we decided to only tour the castle. Heading to the East end, we walked by the Floral Clock within the Princes Street Gardens. We then passed by the Scott Monument; a towering gothic structure. The Mile starts with the Palace of Holyroodhouse; the Queen's official residence in Edinburgh. Next is the Scottish Parliament Building; a very striking difference in the building architecture. As we continued on, we passed the Museum of Edinburgh and Canongate Kirk (church).
We then saw the John Knox House and the St Giles' Cathedral. At this point, we were overdue for breakfast, so we couldn’t help but stop at The Elephant House; location where the first and last Harry Potter books were written. Heading back towards the Royal Mile, you will pass Victoria St.; which is said to have been the inspiration for Diagon Alley. Our tour of the mile ended with the Edinburgh Castle; an 11th-century castle and barracks housing the Crown Jewels and National War Museum of Scotland (£15.50). We then checked out of our hotel, and caught a train to Glasgow from Waverley Station. It was simple to get a ticket from the machine at the station.
We had snacks leftover, which ended up being our lunch for the day. Upon arrival into Glasgow, we headed straight to our Airbnb (needing to get our clothes in the washing machine - as all we packed was a backpack). A note as you are exploring Glasgow, watch out for the amazing art/murals; check out this trail.
Heading Northeast, we passed the Ramshorn Theatre, and then to the Provand's Lordship; a museum in the city's oldest house built in 1471. We went in for a few minutes to look around as it is free. We then walked by St. Mungo Museum Of Religious Life & Art before we got to Glasgow Cathedral, also free to enter. I would recommend it as it has beautiful stained glass inside. Behind the Cathedral is the Glasgow Necropolis; Victorian-era cemetery. It is quite beautiful and gives you a nice view of the city. Once we got back into town, we noticed the Glasgow City Chambers; it is a beautiful city building with George Square (small park) and statues out front. We then did a little shopping in the area around Princess Square Shopping Centre for a few souvenirs. How often does one get to see a store full of kilts?
Night 4: We chose Blackfriars Glasgow for an early dinner before walking over to the Glasgow Green area to see the People’s Palace and the fountain in front. It started to rain so we stopped into the Tolbooth Bar (an Irish pub) for a pint. We were in the mood to hear some live music; however, we were oddly two of the three women in the entire bar.
Day 4: With a busy day ahead, we were out the door early. We took the subway from Buchanan Street to Hillhead (simple, got tickets from the machine at the stop). and grabbed coffee and a pastry at Tinderbox; from the outside it looks like an old diner. Next stop was the Cloisters of the University of Glasgow. We had to search a little for an opening but when we did, we were able to walk around the grounds. While we were in the area, we walked around Kelvingrove Park and saw the exterior of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. We then made our way back to our Airbnb (on the subway) to checked out and headed to Glasgow Central Station.
As there was road work on the line, we had to take a 2 hour bus and then transfer to a train (it is about a five hour journey). We bought our tickets from the ticket window. We grabbed food at the M&S Simply Food for the lunch and while we were waiting outside, we saw a parade outside - including bagpipes and kilts. A lovely way to end our time in Scotland. Note: Check out my blog post for information on my first experience in London.
When we got into St. Pancras International, we walked through to King’s Cross Station. While I filled up our oyster cards (I had kept them from my previous trip to London, otherwise you can buy them at the station), my mom went into the Harry Potter Shop at 9 ¾. If you are a fan, check it out; you can even stand in line to get your picture taken. We then took the Underground/Tube (Piccadilly line) to Piccadilly Circus; referred to as London's Time Square. We then headed toward Trafalgar Square: a beautiful fountain and lion statues (across the street is The National Gallery; art museum). Continuing through the Admiralty Arch, which takes you right onto The Mall. We followed this road down to Buckingham Palace: the queen's official London residence and a working royal palace.
We wandered by St. James's Park and headed toward Westminster Abbey: a gothic church. Unfortunately, Big Ben: the 16-story Gothic clock tower, has been covered in scaffolding and under renovation since 2017. It is thought to be done in 2022. If you cross the Westminster Bridge, you will get a nice view of the Palace of Westminster: which encompasses the two houses of the Parliament. Most of the buildings just mentioned (and more) can be toured, but we chose to simply admire the outside. We checked into our hotel; Point A Hotel London - Westminster. Good price for the area, very small rooms but clean and friendly staff.
Night 5: After dinner at The Hercules, Lambeth, we headed towards the London Eye: ferris wheel/observation deck (I have gone on it previously, and I thought it was overpriced and overrated). We wandered by the Jubilee Gardens and walked across the Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges: you get nice views of the Eye, and as it was dark, everything was beautifully lit up. We had dessert at Snog Frozen Yogurt, a funky little food cart/bus.
Day 5: To attempt to see as much as possible, we booked a tour of Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge. We took the bus to the pickup point and grabbed a pastry and coffee while we waited for our tour to start. At Windsor Castle, we toured the grounds and inside the castle. In Bath, we were able to go inside the Roman Baths as well as walk around the town a little bit. At Stonehenge, you walk around the field to get all angles of the stones. Overall, I would say unless you are into the Royal Family, Windsor was probably a site that was missable. However, Bath and Stonehenge were amazing, and I would recommend making the trip to see them.
Night 6: As the tour took up most of the day, we took the bus back to our hotel, and had dinner at The Horse & Stables (for the main reason it was right next to the hotel). It is a hostel as well, but it was good food and a nice vibe.
Day 6: For our final day in London, we took the Tube to London Bridge station and walked around the Borough Market; slightly anticlimactic as it was early so nothing was open - I recommend going around lunch time. We were able to see The Shard from a distance and grabbed coffee and a pastry at the nearby Pret A Manger. We then walked across the Tower Bridge and then by the Tower of London: medieval castle, home to Crown Jewels (£26.00). I have previously toured inside, which I would recommend. We then walked by the London Wall, which is a Roman ruin, and then into the Saint Dunstan in the East Church Garden: a quiet little garden surrounded by church ruins - originally from 1100.
Wanting a view of the city, we went to The Garden at 120; a free lookout point, you just need to get on the elevator. Making our way towards lunch, we walked through the Leadenhall Market (a filming location for Harry Potter), continued by St. Paul's Cathedral and landed at the Old Bell Tavern for our last British fare. We then stopped at my favorite pub in London, the Ye Olde Mitre: from 1547, for a final pint. We walked back to our hotel to get the final views of London. After grabbing our bags, we took the Tube to St. Pancras to take the Eurostar back to Amsterdam. This is by far my preferred way to travel to/from London; minimal security/no need to get there two hours early, no concern with how many liquids you have and we always pick up food and drinks at the M&S simply food.
Foods to try:
National dish of Scotland: haggis (normally served with neeps and tatties).
National dish of England: chicken tikka masala
Others: scones, clotted cream, shortbread, butter tablet, fish and chips, crumpets, meat pies, Scottish/English breakfast, bangers and mash, Tunnocks Tea Cakes, white cheddar Yorkshire pudding, shepherd's or cottage pie.
Drinks: scotch, cask ales, gin and of course tea.
Things I would change:
Honestly, I think I would skip Glasgow and spend an extra day in Edinburgh or in the highlands. If there was another afternoon in Edinburgh, I would have liked to hike to Arthur's Seat at sunset.
General Travel Tips:
Figure out an idea of sites you want to see; this will determine a centralized area for where you should stay.
Utilize Google reviews when looking for something to eat. General rule, stay away from streets with lots of neon signs.
Mark everything on your google maps. Google is also (in my opinion) the best pedestrian and bike navigation app.
Other:
Planning for a trip, especially overseas, can be stressful and overwhelming. Hopefully this gave you a realistic itinerary of things to do for six days in the United Kingdom. I try to do as many quick links as possible, to send you directly to the website so you can get the most accurate and up-to-date information possible (fees and timetables).
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Safe and Happy Wandering.
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