Going to Scotland in March for my cousin's wedding. I think the initial plan is to fly into London and take the train up. Plan to stay another 7-10 days after the wedding, so what would make the most sense to get as much in as possible without overdoing it?

Most likely wouldn't do any additional flying, so would rely on trains/taxis/Ubers for transportation. Would it be worth going over to Ireland for a few days? Are there places worth stopping for a night or two along the way back from Scotland to London? I think Germany is probably too much for this trip, but have considered Amsterdam. Also, I guess I don't necessarily have to fly back out of London. I'm open to any suggestions/recommendations. Thanks in advance!

In which town is the wedding being held?

I traveled throughout Scotland for 12 days a few years ago and may have some suggestions. Just curious where you will be starting. As stated above, I would suggest flying in to Edinburgh, but I don't know the entire scope.

Edit to add: what do you want to get out of Scotland? Visit castles, visit historic sites, etc.

this is exactly what i did this year fly to london and train to edinbough scotland is awesome

you can easily spend 10-12 days in Scotland. Break it up by the highlands and the lowlands (near south and major cities)

Fins Up! said:

---

Learn to use their public transportation: trains, subways, light rail and busses. There should be an app for your location.

I'd just fly to Scotland if that's where you are going.

---

There are no direct flights into Scotland, so by the time you did a layover somewhere, the train seemed just as easy.

Danger Mouse said:

---

I suggest spending that time to travel through Scotland. Absorbing as much as you can. That will save you a lot of time and money traveling to other countries. You will come away better for it.

I hope you enjoy the experience.

---

I'm not opposed to that. Do you have any recommendations on must-see places and the route you would take?

Fuzzy Dunlop said:

---

In which town is the wedding being held?

I traveled throughout Scotland for 12 days a few years ago and may have some suggestions. Just curious where you will be starting. As stated above, I would suggest flying in to Edinburgh, but I don't know the entire scope.

Edit to add: what do you want to get out of Scotland? Visit castles, visit historic sites, etc.

---

The wedding is at some sort of a castle in a town called Moffat. I believe it's about an hour south of Glasgow/Edinburgh. I honestly haven't thought a lot about what to do in Scotland other than the wedding. Did you do your 12 days by train or car or both?

Matsui said:

---

this is exactly what i did this year fly to london and train to edinbough scotland is awesome

---

I've heard it's supposed to be a really nice train ride from London, so that was another reason I was leaning that way.

Matsui said:

---

you can easily spend 10-12 days in Scotland. Break it up by the highlands and the lowlands (near south and major cities)

---

It's my understanding that March will still be rainy and cold, would that affect anything? Do you have suggestions on how to tackle the highlands and lowlands?

reedsterg said:

---

Fuzzy Dunlop said:

---

In which town is the wedding being held?

I traveled throughout Scotland for 12 days a few years ago and may have some suggestions. Just curious where you will be starting. As stated above, I would suggest flying in to Edinburgh, but I don't know the entire scope.

Edit to add: what do you want to get out of Scotland? Visit castles, visit historic sites, etc.

---

The wedding is at some sort of a castle in a town called Moffat. I believe it's about an hour south of Glasgow/Edinburgh. I honestly haven't thought a lot about what to do in Scotland other than the wedding. Did you do your 12 days by train or car or both?

---

We rented a car and drove it. It takes a little time to get used to driving there because it is opposite of what we are used to. But once I got the hang of it, it was a breeze.

Visit this website (https://members.historic-scotland.gov.uk/places) to get ideas, plot them on a map, and then make your route based on that.

We bought some travel guides from Amazon to get recommendations as well.

We flew into Edinburgh and rented a car. We took a counter-clockwise route through the country from Edinburgh to Inverness to Skyy, back down through Glencoe, Oban, and Glasgow. Again, we had it plotted out and used the Historic Scotland guide and travel guides to make our plans. We stuck pretty close to our original plan.

We had a great time and wish we had more time to spend there. We didn't get to see any of the part of Scotland that you'll be visiting first. We want to go back sometime to see the things we didn't get to see/do.

I would be glad to give any recommendations/ideas and help with planning. At the end of the day, this is your trip and you need to go see what you want to see. Get a good idea of that and start there.

where are you flying from?

There is a direct flight from Houston to Manchester on Singapore Air. Grab a car from there to Scotland.

But if you haven't been to London then you might want a day or two there if you are flying into Heathrow to see the main sights then train to Scotland.

Moffat is very south - so you would probably focus more on the lowlands - Edinburgh, St Andrews, Stirling, etc. etc.

reedsterg said:

---

Going to Scotland in March for my cousin's wedding. I think the initial plan is to fly into London and take the train up. Plan to stay another 7-10 days after the wedding, so what would make the most sense to get as much in as possible without overdoing it?

Most likely wouldn't do any additional flying, so would rely on trains/taxis/Ubers for transportation. Would it be worth going over to Ireland for a few days? Are there places worth stopping for a night or two along the way back from Scotland to London? I think Germany is probably too much for this trip, but have considered Amsterdam. Also, I guess I don't necessarily have to fly back out of London. I'm open to any suggestions/recommendations. Thanks in advance!

---

If you've never been to Europe before, I think I would keep it simple.

You are probably going to want to drive the final leg to Moffat, the question would be, where to pick up your rental car. If you take a train to Edinburgh, I think you'd want to go to the airport to pick up your rental car. If you've never driven on the "wrong" side of the road, I would want an automatic and an easy place to start, and starting from the airport would be easier than in an urban area. Once you get going, it's not that difficult, but starting at EDI is a lot easier than at Waverly train station.

March isn't exactly the best time of year for seeing the countryside. I think I would get back to Edinburgh, spend a couple of nights there, then head back to London. You could stop in York along the way if you like. Cities are the best place to be when the weather is sketchy. Of course, if you don't mind cold weather (and it can be cold in Scotland any time of year, but rarely frigid), you can brave the weather and see a lot driving through the Scottish Highlands, or you could head south and see the Lake District in England, and there are castles and such in the Lowlands (southern Scotland).

Forget Ireland or any other country on a short trip, unless you are heading there straight from the wedding.

It is very nice 4 hours or so. get the first class seat

I'd rent a car and drive around. The beauty of Ireland is the countryside. Pick some spots to visit and make a big loop.

https://www.secret-scotland.com/blog/6-8-days-in-scotland

Something like this

Since you've never been, I would divide my time between Scotland and the London area. Since you're there, there is so much to see and do in London that many enjoy. It's one of the greatest capitols of the world and so rich in history of Western Civilization and the English-speaking peoples.

If you can do it, I would go and tour London first, before going on to the wedding in Scotland.

If you can afford to hire a guide in Scotland, you'll get much more out of it. Ireland is awesome, but you should do London first.

It's cheaper if you can avoid departing from Heathrow to come back home.

Spent 12 days in Scotland this past October. As mentioned, March will be cold and damp.

I flew to Edinburgh from Houston via Frankfurt on Lufthansa. High recommend that route, or, via Amsterdam on KLM.

Driving is challenging, but doable. Spent the first 7 days in the Highlands in a small town called Aviemore. Then went back and spent 4 days in Edinburgh.

Even with 12 days I probably saw 70% of what was one my "things to see" list.

Biggest challenge is travel time. Here, 100 miles is 90 minutes. In Scotland, 100 miles will take minimum 2 hours, probably 3.

Fuzzy Dunlop said:

---

reedsterg said:

---

Fuzzy Dunlop said:

---

In which town is the wedding being held?

I traveled throughout Scotland for 12 days a few years ago and may have some suggestions. Just curious where you will be starting. As stated above, I would suggest flying in to Edinburgh, but I don't know the entire scope.

Edit to add: what do you want to get out of Scotland? Visit castles, visit historic sites, etc.

---

The wedding is at some sort of a castle in a town called Moffat. I believe it's about an hour south of Glasgow/Edinburgh. I honestly haven't thought a lot about what to do in Scotland other than the wedding. Did you do your 12 days by train or car or both?

---

We rented a car and drove it. It takes a little time to get used to driving there because it is opposite of what we are used to. But once I got the hang of it, it was a breeze.

Visit this website (https://members.historic-scotland.gov.uk/places) to get ideas, plot them on a map, and then make your route based on that.

We bought some travel guides from Amazon to get recommendations as well.

We flew into Edinburgh and rented a car. We took a counter-clockwise route through the country from Edinburgh to Inverness to Skyy, back down through Glencoe, Oban, and Glasgow. Again, we had it plotted out and used the Historic Scotland guide and travel guides to make our plans. We stuck pretty close to our original plan.

We had a great time and wish we had more time to spend there. We didn't get to see any of the part of Scotland that you'll be visiting first. We want to go back sometime to see the things we didn't get to see/do.

I would be glad to give any recommendations/ideas and help with planning. At the end of the day, this is your trip and you need to go see what you want to see. Get a good idea of that and start there.

---

Someone mentioned that Scotland has some of the strictest alcohol laws with a zero tolerance when driving and just a single sip could get you arrested. Assuming that's true, how could you ever visit a distillery or check out a pub? Is it really that much different than it would be here?

MAROON said:

---

where are you flying from?

There is a direct flight from Houston to Manchester on Singapore Air. Grab a car from there to Scotland.

But if you haven't been to London then you might want a day or two there if you are flying into Heathrow to see the main sights then train to Scotland.

Moffat is very south - so you would probably focus more on the lowlands - Edinburgh, St Andrews, Stirling, etc. etc.

---

Flying from Houston. I didn't know Manchester was a direct option, I'll have to look into that. Would driving be better than taking the train? It was my understanding that the train was way faster travel.

twk said:

---

reedsterg said:

---

Going to Scotland in March for my cousin's wedding. I think the initial plan is to fly into London and take the train up. Plan to stay another 7-10 days after the wedding, so what would make the most sense to get as much in as possible without overdoing it?

Most likely wouldn't do any additional flying, so would rely on trains/taxis/Ubers for transportation. Would it be worth going over to Ireland for a few days? Are there places worth stopping for a night or two along the way back from Scotland to London? I think Germany is probably too much for this trip, but have considered Amsterdam. Also, I guess I don't necessarily have to fly back out of London. I'm open to any suggestions/recommendations. Thanks in advance!

---

If you've never been to Europe before, I think I would keep it simple.

You are probably going to want to drive the final leg to Moffat, the question would be, where to pick up your rental car. If you take a train to Edinburgh, I think you'd want to go to the airport to pick up your rental car. If you've never driven on the "wrong" side of the road, I would want an automatic and an easy place to start, and starting from the airport would be easier than in an urban area. Once you get going, it's not that difficult, but starting at EDI is a lot easier than at Waverly train station.

March isn't exactly the best time of year for seeing the countryside. I think I would get back to Edinburgh, spend a couple of nights there, then head back to London. You could stop in York along the way if you like. Cities are the best place to be when the weather is sketchy. Of course, if you don't mind cold weather (and it can be cold in Scotland any time of year, but rarely frigid), you can brave the weather and see a lot driving through the Scottish Highlands, or you could head south and see the Lake District in England, and there are castles and such in the Lowlands (southern Scotland).

Forget Ireland or any other country on a short trip, unless you are heading there straight from the wedding.

---

So I think I'm actually going to be there around 17 days. Travel and hanging with family leading up to the wedding and then I was planning on staying another 10 days afterwards. Not sure if that makes any difference in the recommendations. Would you spend more time in Edinburgh over Glasgow?

Matsui said:

---

It is very nice 4 hours or so. get the first class seat

---

What are your thoughts on the train from London vs the train from Manchester as someone mentioned above? Looks to me like it's only about an hour difference, but seems like it would be more.

mefoghorn said:

---

Since you've never been, I would divide my time between Scotland and the London area. Since you're there, there is so much to see and do in London that many enjoy. It's one of the greatest capitols of the world and so rich in history of Western Civilization and the English-speaking peoples.

If you can do it, I would go and tour London first, before going on to the wedding in Scotland.

If you can afford to hire a guide in Scotland, you'll get much more out of it. Ireland is awesome, but you should do London first.

It's cheaper if you can avoid departing from Heathrow to come back home.

---

I plan on using Hilton where I can and it seems like there are plenty in London. Is there a particular area or side of town you would recommend staying? What's the next best option to flying out of Heathrow?

malenurse said:

---

Spent 12 days in Scotland this past October. As mentioned, March will be cold and damp.

I flew to Edinburgh from Houston via Frankfurt on Lufthansa. High recommend that route, or, via Amsterdam on KLM.

Driving is challenging, but doable. Spent the first 7 days in the Highlands in a small town called Aviemore. Then went back and spent 4 days in Edinburgh.

Even with 12 days I probably saw 70% of what was one my "things to see" list.

Biggest challenge is travel time. Here, 100 miles is 90 minutes. In Scotland, 100 miles will take minimum 2 hours, probably 3.

---

I always hear about the extensive train system in Europe, but everyone keeps mentioning driving. Is the train not as easy/fast as I'm thinking it is? Guessing you're limited to the train stops and can't see the countryside outside of that?

reedsterg said:

---

Fuzzy Dunlop said:

---

reedsterg said:

---

Fuzzy Dunlop said:

---

In which town is the wedding being held?

I traveled throughout Scotland for 12 days a few years ago and may have some suggestions. Just curious where you will be starting. As stated above, I would suggest flying in to Edinburgh, but I don't know the entire scope.

Edit to add: what do you want to get out of Scotland? Visit castles, visit historic sites, etc.

---

The wedding is at some sort of a castle in a town called Moffat. I believe it's about an hour south of Glasgow/Edinburgh. I honestly haven't thought a lot about what to do in Scotland other than the wedding. Did you do your 12 days by train or car or both?

---

We rented a car and drove it. It takes a little time to get used to driving there because it is opposite of what we are used to. But once I got the hang of it, it was a breeze.

Visit this website (https://members.historic-scotland.gov.uk/places) to get ideas, plot them on a map, and then make your route based on that.

We bought some travel guides from Amazon to get recommendations as well.

We flew into Edinburgh and rented a car. We took a counter-clockwise route through the country from Edinburgh to Inverness to Skyy, back down through Glencoe, Oban, and Glasgow. Again, we had it plotted out and used the Historic Scotland guide and travel guides to make our plans. We stuck pretty close to our original plan.

We had a great time and wish we had more time to spend there. We didn't get to see any of the part of Scotland that you'll be visiting first. We want to go back sometime to see the things we didn't get to see/do.

I would be glad to give any recommendations/ideas and help with planning. At the end of the day, this is your trip and you need to go see what you want to see. Get a good idea of that and start there.

---

Someone mentioned that Scotland has some of the strictest alcohol laws with a zero tolerance when driving and just a single sip could get you arrested. Assuming that's true, how could you ever visit a distillery or check out a pub? Is it really that much different than it would be here?

---

I didn't drive after drinking. We didn't plan any distillery visits while there, although we did visit one, I stayed away from the sample. I don't drink and drive stateside either.

We walked to all the pubs that we visited. We spent three days in Edinburgh and didn't drive at all except from the airport to the hotel and then when we were leaving the city.

I know you didn't ask me but I'll respond to one of your questions: The only time we spent in Glasgow was the night before we flew out. We had a great time in Edinburgh though. Glasgow seems to be more artsy and Edinburgh has a lot of history, moreso I think, than Glasgow. I could me mistaken though.

Again, if you stay near Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh is very walkable. We probably missed a few things there but I couldn't tell you what they were.

We didn't even think of using the train system because we had 10 or so days fully planned and we're able to do what we wanted because we chose to drive. It may be a good choice, I really can't speak to that. I will say, I don't remember seeing a train station or depot at all, but I also wasn't looking.

reedsterg said:

---

malenurse said:

---

Spent 12 days in Scotland this past October. As mentioned, March will be cold and damp.

I flew to Edinburgh from Houston via Frankfurt on Lufthansa. High recommend that route, or, via Amsterdam on KLM.

Driving is challenging, but doable. Spent the first 7 days in the Highlands in a small town called Aviemore. Then went back and spent 4 days in Edinburgh.

Even with 12 days I probably saw 70% of what was one my "things to see" list.

Biggest challenge is travel time. Here, 100 miles is 90 minutes. In Scotland, 100 miles will take minimum 2 hours, probably 3.

---

I always hear about the extensive train system in Europe, but everyone keeps mentioning driving. Is the train not as easy/fast as I'm thinking it is? Guessing you're limited to the train stops and can't see the countryside outside of that?

---

It depends on where you want to go. In Switzerland, the train goes literally everywhere, but in the UK and most other countries, if you want to get into certain rural areas, you will need to do that by car.

I did a quick check of the rail routes (maybe too quick) and it seemed to me that although the West coast line (running to Glasgow) runs close to Moffat, there wasn't a stop anywhere close. The UK doesn't seem to have as many regional trains (that stop at every little town) as opposed to intercity trains (which bypass all but a few large towns).

I haven't done the West Coast line, but when we did London to Edinburgh on the East Coast, there were maybe five or six stops along the way (a 4.5 hour trip), and the last one was Berwick, at the Scottish border. So, if you were looking to go to the Lowlands towards the East coast, your options would be to get off at the border (Berwick isn't a big town and probably wouldn't have much in the way of rental cars) or Edinburgh. Rail service in the Highlands is limited as well--it can take you to Inverness or to the mainland opposite Skye, and a few points in between, but that's about it. And, when you stop in one of those little towns, picking up a rental car (outside Inverness) is probably a no go (and choices would be limited in Inverness).

Quote:

---

Someone mentioned that Scotland has some of the strictest alcohol laws with a zero tolerance when driving and just a single sip could get you arrested. Assuming that's true, how could you ever visit a distillery or check out a pub? Is it really that much different than it would be here?

---

If you are intent on doing a distillery tour, you can go places like Islay (where there are a couple of distilleries close enough to walk between them) and Speyside (Glenlivet, Macallan, and others) where you can hire a driver to take you to several in a day.

reedsterg said:

---

Matsui said:

---

It is very nice 4 hours or so. get the first class seat

---

What are your thoughts on the train from London vs the train from Manchester as someone mentioned above? Looks to me like it's only about an hour difference, but seems like it would be more.

---

The first question here is are you going to try to take the train on the day of your arrival? Consider the possibility that your flight is delayed, and know that if you buy train tickets in advance (recommended on these busy routes), you will probably be out of luck if you miss your train. I also would not drive at all on arrival day, particularly since it will be your first time driving on the wrong side of the road. Driving while jet lagged isn't fun.

If it were me, I think I'd fly into London, spend the night (and hopefully get over your jet lag) before heading on the Edinburgh. Alternatively, you could fly into Edinburgh then spend the night there before picking up your rental car the next day.

To be closest for touring on foot (which makes everything easier/faster) you should try to be somewhere near Piccadilly Lane, such as Hyde Park Corner, Piccadilly Circus, Mayfair or Green Park. This puts you right in the center of things. These are not cheap, but if you have the points this is the best location for experiencing the city and the prime sites.

The most common alternative to Heathrow is London's Gatwick airport. Heathrow charges a nasty departure tax for passengers included in your ticket price. Different airlines fly from the different airports. If you finish your journey in Scotland, then flying from Edinburgh or possibly Glasgow, to the US might be possible. You may even depart Scotland connecting through Dublin to the US.

For your train travel, look at seat61.com. If you've never experienced European train travel, its a cool thrill. Zooming along at maybe 120 mph (express train), watching the countryside go by while enjoying a nice lunch. Need to try it at least once.

I recommend the travel books by Rick Steves.

Just fyi, the Houston-> Manchester flight is going away sometime this spring. Can't remember exactly when but I think sometime before May (wife is going over a wedding in Liverpool in May and is having to connect).

Shame. That flight was great if you're going to the north of england.

Quote:

---

I always hear about the extensive train system in Europe, but everyone keeps mentioning driving. Is the train not as easy/fast as I'm thinking it is? Guessing you're limited to the train stops and can't see the countryside outside of that?

---

Correct. Train systems vary by country but are best for travel between major or medium size cities. If you want to explore the country you will usually need a car, bus, or driver.

Moffat has no train service. Looks like closest station is Lockerbie (16 miles away).

For London the tube and busses are great for travel around the city if the walk looks too long. We always stay near St James Square - basically Piccadilly.

reedsterg said:

---

Matsui said:

---

It is very nice 4 hours or so. get the first class seat

---

What are your thoughts on the train from London vs the train from Manchester as someone mentioned above? Looks to me like it's only about an hour difference, but seems like it would be more.

---

I strongly suggest getting the Trainline mobile app., which will provide you with all the necessary rail information/options you need when taking the train from Point A to Point B.

Also recommend getting 1st class when traveling long distance. Will have wifi and usually more room than traveling coach.

twk said:

---

reedsterg said:

---

Going to Scotland in March for my cousin's wedding. I think the initial plan is to fly into London and take the train up. Plan to stay another 7-10 days after the wedding, so what would make the most sense to get as much in as possible without overdoing it?

Most likely wouldn't do any additional flying, so would rely on trains/taxis/Ubers for transportation. Would it be worth going over to Ireland for a few days? Are there places worth stopping for a night or two along the way back from Scotland to London? I think Germany is probably too much for this trip, but have considered Amsterdam. Also, I guess I don't necessarily have to fly back out of London. I'm open to any suggestions/recommendations. Thanks in advance!

---

If you've never been to Europe before, I think I would keep it simple.

You are probably going to want to drive the final leg to Moffat, the question would be, where to pick up your rental car. If you take a train to Edinburgh, I think you'd want to go to the airport to pick up your rental car. If you've never driven on the "wrong" side of the road, I would want an automatic and an easy place to start, and starting from the airport would be easier than in an urban area. Once you get going, it's not that difficult, but starting at EDI is a lot easier than at Waverly train station.

March isn't exactly the best time of year for seeing the countryside. I think I would get back to Edinburgh, spend a couple of nights there, then head back to London. You could stop in York along the way if you like. Cities are the best place to be when the weather is sketchy. Of course, if you don't mind cold weather (and it can be cold in Scotland any time of year, but rarely frigid), you can brave the weather and see a lot driving through the Scottish Highlands, or you could head south and see the Lake District in England, and there are castles and such in the Lowlands (southern Scotland).

Forget Ireland or any other country on a short trip, unless you are heading there straight from the wedding.

---

100% spot on.....if you rent from the city centre you're going to pull out of the garage and have to deal with trollies and a zillion pedestrians immediately. The Edinburgh airport is a little outside of town so it is a little better "training ground" to get quasi-used to being on the wrong side of the car and road

ChipFTAC01 said:

---

Just fyi, the Houston-> Manchester flight is going away sometime this spring. Can't remember exactly when but I think sometime before May (wife is going over a wedding in Liverpool in May and is having to connect).

Shame. That flight was great if you're going to the north of england.

---

I checked my dates and it looks like the direct Manchester flight is available going there, but not coming back. But I prob wouldn't fly back from there anyway.

twk said:

---

reedsterg said:

---

Matsui said:

---

It is very nice 4 hours or so. get the first class seat

---

What are your thoughts on the train from London vs the train from Manchester as someone mentioned above? Looks to me like it's only about an hour difference, but seems like it would be more.

---

The first question here is are you going to try to take the train on the day of your arrival? Consider the possibility that your flight is delayed, and know that if you buy train tickets in advance (recommended on these busy routes), you will probably be out of luck if you miss your train. I also would not drive at all on arrival day, particularly since it will be your first time driving on the wrong side of the road. Driving while jet lagged isn't fun.

If it were me, I think I'd fly into London, spend the night (and hopefully get over your jet lag) before heading on the Edinburgh. Alternatively, you could fly into Edinburgh then spend the night there before picking up your rental car the next day.

---

Would definitely stay the night in either place and take the train the next day. We are arriving about 5 days early so we have plenty of time to work our way to the wedding. Was planning on spending a couple days in Edinburgh before heading to Moffat and then venture out afterwards.