week in edinburgh

[frazzled74]

have just found that me and dh can get whole week off together in summer hols, so have cancelled our short break to brighton and booked a week in edinburgh,self catering.We will have ds 17, dd 6 and ds 4, .what are the must sees, and how easy would it be for us to see a little more of scotland, maybe beach/ mountains etc. We are travelling by train. we have never been to scotland so want to cram in as much as possible.

Our Dynamic Earth is good, galleries good. castle is expensive but we thought it was worth it (and I am normally v mean about things like that!).

Fab modern art gallery in Glasgow.
Stirling castle v good too.

Go for a walk up Athurs' Seat,

Cramond Village - (Cramond beach and island accessible by tidal causeway, plus icecream van) on outskirts of Edin, get here by bus along Queensferry Rd.

Art Galleries on the Mound,

Dean Gallery,

Gallery of Mod Art (good cafe too)

Chamber Street Museum (National Museum of Scotland on Chamber Street) Fantastic!

You can book a tour of the submerged disused streets now, I understand.

If you see the working cuckoo clock in the flower display at the south end of the Prices St gardens, my dad made it!

sounds great, keep the ideas coming.We will be there last week in july so will miss the festival.

No car makes seeing the highlands a bit difficult, I could suggest the train up the east to Aviemore but you just have to head to the west coast where the mountains meet the sea!

Take the train to Glasgow (trains run every 15 mins through the day, 45 min journey) and then travel up to Oban (3hrs) or Fort William. Oban is the nicest town (old fishing port and loads of ferries for the islands leave from there) although the route to Fort Bill is the most scenic. Fort William although below Ben Nevis is no looker as a place.

www.scotrail.co.uk/content/scenic-routes.html

www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/areaoban/index.html

From Oban you could consider a boat trip out or even just taking one of the regular ferries to Mull and do it as a there and back trip. Or there are wildlife trips out etc.

www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/mull/obanferry/index.html

www.boatwildlifeoban.co.uk/cruises.html

Would be most relaxing to stay overnight but you can do it in a day and rail journey is v scenic