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Fall 2025, Edinburgh or Northumberland Coast as a base

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I will start with the confession that I want to visit everywhere in England all at once and find it very difficult to choose the next place to go! Every time I read about or see images of this beautiful country, I’m lured into a new option. I’m not really complaining, of course; I recognize and am truly grateful for the ability to even have a choice.

Last year I thought we would go to York, then the Dales. But after really thinking about the time constraints with travel, and plotting out the days, I think it would be best to do that particular trip when we can allocate a longer period to travel. Basically, we have a week, 7-8 days max, including travel days. Fly out on either a Friday or Saturday night, arrive the next day at 10:30 am. Return flight the next Saturday or Sunday. So, after flirting with planning a trip to Norwich and Norfolk, Edinburgh and the Northumberland coast have won out for our next visit in the fall of 2025.

We can fly non-stop into Edinburgh, which is a plus. What I am pondering is whether to stay in Edinburgh for the 5 1/2- 6 1/2 days and take a couple day trips. One to the coast (Timberbush offers one to Holy Island, Alnwick and the Kingdom of Northumbria that looks really great- I am really hoping to see this area) as well as seeing the Highlands (Rabbies day tour).

Or, because after being on two London trips recently the idea of a more natural, landscape experience is very appealing, fly into EDI and immediately take the train to Berwick Upon Tweed and the bus to say, Bamburgh or Seahouses. Other opinions on where definitely open to. This plan and having the base there would make for more of a coastal experience, but I don’t know if it would be worthwhile given we would be reliant on bus service. If we did it this way, we also would sacrifice seeing Highlands by tour, as well as seeing more of Edinburgh itself. However, we may be able to add one more day to this plan to make it work in order to train back to Edinburgh the day before the flight.

I’d love to hear opinions, or maybe other ideas about an itinerary that combines the two from you all. As said, we will not have a car, so would need to use public transportation solely. We love to hike, the coast, and be outdoors, so you can see why I am wondering about the place to settle on. Thanks in advance for your help!

Posted by
3076 posts

I think my trip report from last year might give you some ideas. Scroll down to the Edinburgh part.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-the-uk-my-york-and-edinburgh-trip-report

I had a good mix of seeing the highlands (2 rabbie’s day tours) and the coast, which I fell in love with, with easy train trips to North Berwick and Dunbar.

I’m going back to Edinburgh next Sept. It is such a great location for day trips and tours and lots to see in Edinburgh itself. I planned my trip around this 3-day tour to the lake district:

https://www.rabbies.com/en/england-tours/from-edinburgh/3-5-day-tours/the-lake-district-3-day-tour

I’m also planning a day trip to Berwick Upon Tweed. I’m intrigued by that Timberbush day tour you mentioned. I’ll have to look into that.

Good luck!!

Posted by
7653 posts

I would love to say Seahouses and Bamburgh to you.

But it would be irresponsible of me not to point out that the buses that far north up the coast run every 4 hours.

In the fall that is a long old wait.

Berwick on Tweed would be a good base. North Berwick even better being on the end of a branch line, plus lots of buses into Edinburgh and on the East Lothian Coast.

Posted by
486 posts

Carrie, early September is when we are hoping to go, too. I read your trip report, thank you for sharing such great information, especially about the tours. We’ve not done any tours with groups before; only self - guided, so I hope if we go on one or two day trips we will enjoy them. The biggest thing dissuading me (as you mentioned in your report) is that we will be on one with loud or intrusive fellow travelers and that will ruin the experience. You can move away from folks like that when you’re on your own.

If we were to center in North Berwick or Berwick Upon Tweed and use the buses available, are there any suggestions for reasonable accommodations? I briefly checked one place, Marine North Berwick, and hoo boy, it’s way out of our price range. We’re hoping to keep our room(s) under $200 USD a night if possible.

Would either of those two towns be close enough to Edinburgh and the airport to negate the need to book a separate place the night before our flight home? I think the flight (United) is at 12:30ish.

Posted by
7653 posts

North Berwick has a first train at 0604, arrive Waverley 0642 and buses every 30 minutes from 0530, journey 90 minutes, Monday to Saturday.
On a Sunday 1st bus is at 0610.
From Berwick on Tweed 1st train is 0713, arrive Edinburgh 0805.
Nothing early enough on Sunday.

Posted by
7653 posts

Would you settle for a cottage or a flat?

Looking at this fall, there is Bass Rock Beachside Flat also Callies Cottage, and a house called Whitehaven.
Also Guillemots, Harbourside Cottage and Station Cottage.
At the top of the budget there is also the Nether Abbey Hotel. Also No. 12 Hotel.
I'm looking on Booking.com for the 3rd week in November, if you want to take a look at any of these.

Another nice, and cheaper, seaside town is Dunbar. There is a direct bus to North Berwick from there. And trains and buses every 2 hours to Berwick on Tweed.

First train on Saturday arrives Edinburgh 0805.

Dunbar even has a nightly Megabus from London, calls at Dunbar at 0555, arrive Edinburgh 0640 and Glasgow 0755!
First service bus arrives Edinburgh 0705 Saturday, 0810 Sunday

Posted by
3076 posts

We’re hoping to keep our room(s) under $200 USD a night if possible.

Just a heads up that I found hotels in Edinburgh to be pretty expensive for Sept. I am paying well over $200 a night at the Motel Princess Street.

The biggest thing dissuading me (as you mentioned in your report) is
that we will be on one with loud or intrusive fellow travelers and
that will ruin the experience. You can move away from folks like that
when you’re on your own.

Yes, but the nice thing about the Rabbie’s tours is that you are together on the bus, but then at most stops you are free to go off on your own. So, at least the entire day won’t be filled with annoying people :-) And looking back, even though some of the people annoyed me, I’m still very glad I did the day tours and it has not scared me off future short tours. You have to weigh the pros and cons. For me, getting to some places that I could not see on my own via public transportation greatly outweighs the chance of having some annoying people on the tour.

Posted by
486 posts

Carrie, That’s good to know about the tours. And I went back and re read your report. Your outdoorsy leanings sound so much like mine! :) I’m not a big lover of busy or crowded situations which is why hoping to get to these smaller towns, natural environments is pulling at me.

Our accommodation situation is different with three adults as well. My son, daughter and myself will be traveling together. I have made a reservation at a B & B right outside Edinburgh (on the bus route) for a family style room. That saves quite a bit of money rather than having to do two separate rooms. Maybe this time we should just do our own day trips to say Dunbar and/or North Berwick, do the two private tours - the one to Holy Island and Alnwick for certain- and balance that with Edinburgh, which we haven’t been to.

Stuart, I am not against flats at all, I just thought that a hotel may be closer to the train station or bus stop. I may be wrong on that, though. I will check into those you mentioned.

Ramblin, I remember on previous posts the convenience of Alnmouth and the trains. We would need to go back to Edinburgh for the day before departure with that choice, but as I said, that’s not a deal breaker.

Got some research and thinking to do on this! Thanks for your ideas so far.

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