England in September

We did a similar trip a few years back, but in May, flying into and out of Manchester, renting a car. We didn't take any tours so I can't help you there. From your itinerary it looks like you're giving the Lake District one full day, Oban/Iona one full day, Edinburgh/Stirling/highlands three full days, and York just a late afternoon and early morning. That's a fast pace. We took three weeks to cover similar ground, with 3-4 nights in each place.

In the Lake District we stayed at Badger's Wood Guest House in Keswick, on a hillside a few blocks from the center of town, with views of some of the fells, very nice breakfast, friendly hosts, easy street parking.

In Edinburgh we stayed at Priestville Guest House in the Dalkeith Road area a couple of miles south of the Old Town with an easy local bus connection so you don't have to drive or park in the city. That area has a lot of B&Bs, but you may find a more central location more convenient depending on budget and parking. With four nights in Edinburgh and wanting to see various city sights, your "tour the highlands" time will be limited.

In York we stayed at Abbey Guest House, on the riverbank a short walk from the center. They have a small parking lot, best to let them know ahead if you want to use it, but there are big public lots close by. From their website it looks like new owners since we were there, but the place was fine and the location excellent.

Thanks for your recommendations. We are hoping that a couple of local tours will be beneficial with our timeline. Wish we had more time. Does anyone have a recommendation for a tour of the Lake District? We are still waiting to hear back from the Cumbria tours but would like a group tour which would be more affordable than a private tour. We also are looking at b & b in Penrith and Pooleys Bridge - has anyone stayed there?

My husband and I are doing a similar trip but going from Manchester directly to Edinburgh by train. We are arriving from US in Manchester at 7 AM local time. Any one out there with experience clearing immigration/customs at Manchester. I am trying to figure out how much time to allow between landing and catching the train.

I stayed at Abbey Guest House in York last year. It was a very good experience. As noted above a very central location so I could walk everywhere. The room I had was in the back overlooking the carpark but was spacious....Very nice people.

Had you thought of staying on Mull? Granted I had three nights, but I stayed in Tobermory and explored the island on one day and did the tour of Staff and Iona the second. Mull is a wonderful island and that would give you a good feel for the western Isles of Scotland.

When you drive back to Edinburgh from Mull/Oban, be sure to take one of the many "scenic routes." I find viamichelin lets me explore options. I enter the starting point and ending point and then put in different mid points to see what my detour costs me in time. For example, here's one that takes you through Killin and Stirling and is 3.5 hours (you need to add time to any viamichelin estimate as you are a tourist. Think about 15-25%). In Killin for example, you might stop and admire the river rapids. Here's another that routes you north through Glencoe which adds a half hour. But, add a bit more as you'll want to stop and check out the visitor center and then there are more rapids. And here's another that takes you up Loch Tay to Aberfeldy and down the A9. It's 4 hours and you might add more time by wandering out Glen Lyon. It's a great tool. It works for England too. :)

Pam

Thank you for the viamichelin aide - looks like a great way to plan our car drives so we don't repeat anything.
How is the one day tour to Iona?

We have booked Abbey Guest House in York for our one night. Wish we had more time. The hostess and host have been very responsive through email. Thanks for affirming Rick's recommendation.