Scotland for a weekend - 2 days travelling. WWYD/AIBU

[Passthedamnhamplease]

Boyfriend of 7 months has an annual BBQ at his mum's place in scotland for all his mates in august. He will go up for a week. He wants me and 22 month DD to go, however due to work, I could only go for 2 nights. I am not sure I can be arsed to go all the way from london to scotland for 2 nights - means 2 whole days of travelling for 1 day there. Plus the BBQ is for his mates and none of them have kids. I think it will be pretty boozy - DD will be fine, but not exactly totally child friendly. I obviously haven't met any of them

Should I make the effort to go? I was single for 5 years before this and am very independent and set in my ways. Sometimes I have to check that I am not being too independent and I am letting him in enough! He is very easygoing and always very happy to fit in with my life and doesn't make many demands or requests of me. Am I being churlish not going?

Typing it out, I feel like I am BU - so would welcome your thoughts. thanks!

Edinburgh? My favorite city in the world. And very easy to get around in once you are there. No brainer, OP. And the boyfriend part sounds good too.

I would go but bear in mind it's festival time during August in Edinburgh so it will be heaving with people.

I don't think there's much to do in Dundee Janet, from what locals tell me, and apparently it isn't that nice these days. :(

The furthest I've driven by car is to the Borders, although my idea of a long car journey is probably a fairly short one to others. I don't mind doing long journeys as a passenger on any mode of transport, but when there are lots of roundabouts, confusing directions, etc. involved, it seems like a loooong journey to me!

I think there are probably some places in England that are closer to me, by car, than in, say, the north of Scotland. Maybe I'll venture south of the Border for a drive someday.

Sorry Op, I see you get the point, but I do find it interesting that some English people are quite happy to differentiate the towns and regions in England, but refer to Scotland as a whole, as if it were one place.

Just for clarity for those people, Scotland is a whole country, with Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western people. We have a several large cities and lots of towns, villages and rural areas. The people have a couple of different spoken languages and a variety of 'looks' to them. Accents vary across the country, as do customs and cultural references. In a very similar way to England, Wales and Northern Ireland actually.

Come up and visit Edinburgh Op, you'll like it, it's a beautiful, vibrant and cosmopolitan city - maybe you'll return in the future and see some of the rest of Scotland too.

No - the Edinburgh Festival is great though! I'd forgotten about it, picked up the brochure a few weeks ago so might have a look through it later.

Sleeper would be ace, but not on my own with 22 month old DD.

Sleeper is absolutely fine so long as you get a cabin. Can be hard to actually sleep in the cabin if you're a light sleeper like me but don't imagine this caveat applies to a young child.

Taking a seat overnight, I grant you, would be hell.

Virgin Pendalinos make me puke so I definitely recommend the sleeper. If you have any balance issues/travel sickness issues, I would avoid the Pendalinos like the plague.

I don't think there's much to do in Dundee Janet, from what locals tell me, and apparently it isn't that nice these days.

The shopping centre and the theatre are nice.

Er...

Oh no doubt about it, it's great here during festival time.

Also, the sleeper train departs pretty late like maybe 9.30? You just need a cabin, as has been said.

Pumpkin, what is it about the pendalino that makes you sick?

Train London Edinburgh is about 4.5/5 hours, assuming you are going for the weekend you can leave London 6pm get there for half ten, leave on the Sunday at 6pm as well giving you a good day and a half. Not easy with DD but doable. Will she sleep in her buggy on the train?

It's about £130 return depending on dates and days

And it's east coast trains, not Virgin

Pumpkin, what is it about the pendalino that makes you sick?

The tilting.

It's propensity to break down every time on the approach to Preston/Wigan/anywhere really and having to sit in an over/under heated cabin for hours.

The overheating.

The overcrowding.

But mostly the tilting.

Forward facing doesn't help.

Wecan do scotland to london area in 7 hours its fine could you fly its under an hour

I don't understand, is it not a normal train? How does it tilt?

Central Scotland I mean

I don't understand, is it not a normal train? How does it tilt?

I don't know. It just does. It's horrible.

I always wind up spread eagled over two seats, dizzy, sweating, head in a sick bag (nice) carrying on like a dying duck swan.

They sort of 'lean into' the corners so they can go faster

Well, pendolino does mean pendulum in Italian. That would be my first concern although I have not been on one.

Impossible to get accommodation in Edinburgh in August, so if you have the option of a house to stay in sounds good to me - plus I imagine meeting his friends is a sign of commitment from him.
East Coast will get you there in no time - look now and see if you could manage a first class ticket! I thought you must be going somewhere remote.
Dundee has a great park for dcs (camperdown park) and the Discovery boat is a famous attraction - not sure what is with the dissing of Dundee!

I have got the pendolino to manchester a few times - they most definitely tilt. I am not prone to motion sickness but I can see how it would make you queasy if you were. Virgin go to edinburgh slithytove. I just checked the website.

It is indeed an easy journey, and we take the train to wales a lot - DD will sleep in pram - but flight a bit quicker plus more bits to the journey which will make it more interesting for DD. Same price as well. If things work out with scottish boyfriend, I shall request we go on sleeper train for a holiday in the highlands at some point.

Timeisawastin - I grew up in wales yet still just say I am going to wales when I go back to visit (see above) so it's not personal! I accept it was a crucial bit of info missed from the OP though.

Actually, as I already have a busy weekend the bank holiday weekend before, DD will be visiting wales, northern ireland, england and scotland in the space of a week, via planes, trains and automobiles - which makes it even moreimportant that I do this as if I am happy to travel with DD to see my family and friends, I definitely should for his. Anyway, I am, so it is sorted with the help of mumsnet.

Thanks for all the input.

Won't it be easier to fly? Your DD will be freeeeeee

Train to Edinburgh, unless you live really near an airport. 4hrs 20 mins if you pick a limited stop train on the East Coast line. But however you intend to travel book seats now. Trains and planes to/from Edinburgh are stupidly busy during the festival. Also the Edinburgh flights from Heathrow on a Friday pm can be delayed and security could take ages with the new checks.

Flying is expensive but its just you really I think yoh can sit the baby on your knee and it probably work out the same as petrol

East Coast and Virgin, for the sake of clarity!

Yes, we are going to fly. Just booked easyjet flight.
DD obsessed with planes and last time she flew she was only 15 months so not quite at current obsessive level. Am sure she will love it.