Family Trip spring 2026 Dunkeld + Lake District (Beatrix Potter) + London (take 2, sorta)

Since the original post it has emerged that Lingholm, at Portinscale near Keswick is yet another significant Beatrix Potter site. Look up their website for further details.

Also the Ees Wyke Country House Hotel at Sawrey turns out to have been another of her pre Hill Top holiday homes.

To avoid luggage wrangling on the Dunkeld day I would stay in Dunkeld that night, or maybe Edinburgh. Then to Windermere next day.

Another conundrum is that by Spring 2026 the proposed new Grand Central trains Stirling to London trains (calling at Carlisle) may have started. Such trains will run direct via Coatbridge, not via Edinburgh or Glasgow.

There is also the chance you may wish to visit Perth Museum to see the collection of her sketches they hold (by prior arrangement).

You've saved me a job of back checking on the Armitt early season opening.

I think it looks like you need 4, even 5 days in the Lake District to achieve what you want, at a sensible pace.

Thank you! I'm definitely willing to have 5 days in the Lake District. I wonder if it'll be enough for us to just go to London after that and sleep there the rest of the trip, with a day trip to Stonehenge. I am trying to balance making the most of our big trip over there vs wearing everyone one. There are just so many great things to see.

Hi! :-)

IMHO, your Edinburgh/Lake District plans sound solid, and you will have enough time.

Just reading your “high priorities” list for London (you say you have one day? or am I misunderstanding?) left me exhausted. And I live in London. :-)

If you have one day in London before flying home I would definitely opt for a “wind-down” day featuring one (or max of 2) main attractions, and then just enjoy a mooch around. Choose a fun neighbourhood - with kids, maybe Camden Town or Covent Garden and environs - and have an ice cream, or go for tea, or visit a good chippie, and then walk along the Thames, enjoy the vibe, etc. I think kids of the ages you list might be struggling with sensory overload by then, and trying to cram jam everything you can think of into your last London day won’t really be much fun.

If you have more than one day, I apologise for misunderstanding!

Also, FWIW, there are a couple of useful maxims for European travel.

One is Rick’s: assume you will be back.

One is mine: see a little less, enjoy a little more.

Of course you know best for your family. Happy travels!

I don't have London all time budgeted out, but we want to stay a max of 15 nights in the UK. So I would say up to 6 or 7 nights in London. And one day would definitely be devoted to a day trip to Stonehenge, because that's been on my one son's list since he was a pre-schooler.

I've seen Cotswolds mentioned on several lists. Would that be worth a couple of days ?

I don't think your children would find the Cotswolds very interesting. There are so many great things for them to enjoy in London that you want to spend as much time there as possible. Have you looked at London Walks to see if any of their walks appeal to your children?

Agree with cala - kids and the Cotswolds are not a natural mix, I don’t think. The Cotswolds are GORGEOUS, but it’s cottages, cute villages, tea rooms, sedate walks, dreamy scenery… not much to “grab” kids.

In London, there are museums galore that would be good for kids, along with walking tours, food adventures, etc. The Museum of London has cool, kid friendly sections on Viking London and the Great Fire. The Natural History and Science museums are always crawling with kids, because they are so awesome. The British Museum’s mummy collection is kid heaven.

Stonehenge? Yes - excellent day trip.

Or consider York for a day, where the Jorvik Viking Center has really gnarly/cool Viking stuff that is perfect for pre-teens and teens. They’ll have fun and learn loads.

A day in Brighton is also a great choice for families with kids, and usually takes under 90 minutes to get to by train. Check out the beach, the Palace Pier, the rides, the decadent treats (ice cream and candy and all sorts of yummy bad-for-you stuff) as well as the Royal Pavilion. It is quintessential British seaside fun.

I also stand by my suggestion of Camden Town and the Stables Market: fun, young vibe, funky, with lots of inexpensive tat, tons of really tasty food options, a canal to stroll along, crazy storefronts, and more. A lot of eye-popping delights for children. Touristy? YES. Fun? Also YES.

Thank you cala and Volva. I looked at a Walking tour of Westminster Abbey, and I know someone here posted a Churchill walk (he's my oldest's favorite historian/author of her favorite history books. I honestly don't know how he found time to do all he did).
I looked at my notebook and here's what I have written for London

London wall
Westminster Abbey - Verger tour for Edward the Coffesor
Thames river cruise
National Gallery
Victoria and Albert Museum
Tower Bridge
Winston Churchill and London in WWII tour
Science Museum
Windsor
If there's anything Charles Dickens related we could catch, I believe that would be of interest to us all
Or, JRR Tolkein

I will look into Brighton and the other suggestions, thank you!

This post is fast becoming a primer for all things Beatrix Potter. I have just been told (by another member of this forum) about Gaddums tearoom at Brockhole. Being local it's not the sort of place I would go to. But apparently they do a pretty good afternoon tea,

Apparently the Gaddums (German immigrants via Trieste) built Brockhole (from money made in the Manchester cotton industry) and were related, as cousins, to Beatrix Potter. https://www.cumbrianlives.org.uk/lives/william-h-a-gaddum.html

So maybe another place to add to your burgeoning list.

I am planning a Lake District trip for myself so am quite interested in your post! I don't know if any of my research "tidbits" are useful, but I'll share what I'm finding.

I'm wondering what month your family trip is and your connecting airport from OMA? I had hoped for a United non-stop to Edinburgh from Chicago, but those flights are seasonal, May - September so won't help me.

I've been searching hotels in Windermere with easy access to the station as I don't plan to rent a car. I'm finding primarily small inns and guesthouses. With a large family group, I'm wondering if a quick search of the Lake District area for lodging possibilities might help determine where to stay or to base yourselves. Of course, if you rent a car, you've eliminated my problem of proximity. Edit - my personal preferences are showing. It just occurred to me that many like to rent Air BnBs or self-catering places - you may not be thinking of "hotel" which is what I search for, so my thought may be irrelevant to your needs and travel preferences.

There is a tour group that has a Bronte specific tours - English Lake Tours. I have not taken their tour, but had scheduled this tour that was then canceled due to Covid lockdowns. Very professional company, no problem getting my refund, they reached out to me. This company and others also have bespoke tours - for myself and companion booking a scheduled tour is cheaper, but I wonder about your family group if a personally designed tour might be a possible money saver?

Wordsworth I will do on the public transport out of Windermere. I'm also thinking 5 nights so I can have time to get around the region to my favored sites.

I am adding your castle research to my planning research! Thank you for the websites!!

London is going to be easy for you after all the other planning and transport!!! Personally, unless very very important to someone in the family group, I would forgo the Stonehenge visit. Lots to see in London and Stonehenge is so touristy popular that it can be disappointing. (not everyone agrees with that assessment!) You've got a great list in your "high priorities" above of London sights (in my opinion). You almost can't go wrong there.

edit - adding - there is a Dickens House in London https://dickensmuseum.com . I visited it (finally) last year on my umpteenth stay in London. I would say it isn't really a must-see, that the other sites you've identified are more interesting. But, you can make that decision based on your interests!

Thanks for sharing your planning thoughts - I hope something in my research notes might help you!

Thank you for the additional Beatrix Potter idea!

Stonehenge is not getting cut out. It's been on my one son's list since he was a preschooler, maybe 4 years old? We have a sort of funny Nebraska version of it in Alliance, call Carhenge , which are cars stacked up like stonehenge and we had to stop there on another family trip for this son and it's on #1 on his list of things he wants to see (why, I don't know, but it is what it is, even if it's not my #1 thing).

Dates are not set in stone but likely early April/late March/home before Easter.

Oh, thank you for the Dickens idea! We all love him. I will look at all these more carefully. I don't know where layover would be. I am not tied to any specific airline. We used American to get to Rome this year and it was OK. Layover in Chicago on the way there and Dallas Fort Worth on the way home. We don't plan on renting a car.

Definitely keep Stonehenge with that kind of enthusiasm! There are many day trips from London so that won't take the planning angst of some of the other areas. It is one of those sights that is nice to have experienced personally.

The discoveries about Beatrix Potter keep on coming. I am learning as much about you.

In a totally unconnected and random facebook post tonight I see that she is also connected with the Isle of Ulva (which is off the Isle of Mull), in Scotland.

Apparently, and I am quoting here- "She was a relative of the Clark family, and The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912) is dedicated to F.W. Clark (III - grandson of the man who bought the island). The dedication says rather cryptically: "FOR FRANCIS WILLIAM OF ULVA — SOMEDAY!" Curiously, although the main characters of the book are a fox (tod) and a badger (brock), neither species can be found on Ulva. She also visited Ulva from time to time."

[Francis William Clarke , a lawyer from Stirling, bought the island in 1835 from the Clan MacQuarrie. According to the Isle of Mull website, Ulva was booming in 1837, with a population of 604 people. He was a laird who led one of the more notorious Highland Clearances, by 1848 the population was just 150 and continued to fall until the family sold the Island in 1945. The ultimate low, just before the Community buyout in 2018 was just 9]. So not the best of stories to be associated with Beatrix. William Wordsworth (the poet) is also said to have been another visitor to the Island.

Thank you! Bumping this since there's been a question about Lake District in the last few days.

We're still plugging along with planning.

A tip for the V&A Museum: If you want to see the gems-and-jewelry collection, I highly recommend being at the museum just before opening time so you can go immediately to that section. Doing that will give you probably 20 minutes or so of peace, during which you can move at will from one showcase to another. Beyond that point, more and more people will drift in, and you won't be able to move around as quickly. The V&A is very popular, but the jewelry area is the only section where I've felt somewhat held up by other visitors. Jewelry is small, so if you want to see it, you really need to belly up to the showcase.

The British Museum--especially the ground floor where the Egyptian collection is displayed--tends to be absolutely packed. Museum staff have told me it's worst on weekends, holidays, Fridays and rainy days. In my experience on summer trips, if you show up shortly after opening time, you'll be in the security line for at least 30 minutes. I don't know whether being there 5 or 10 minutes early would help. I believe you can now book an entry time, which I assume would speed things up.

I think allowing time to wander around is a fine idea. I'm 73 and a museum lover, but I spend a huge amount of time just walking around, looking at buildings and shop windows. After you decide where you'll be staying, folks here can probably suggest convenient streets to wander in your neighborhood.

I don't know whether anyone has suggested a boat ride on the Thames, but that would make a nice change from hoofing it. That's actually something I haven't done, so I don't have a specific suggestion for you.

You may wish to sign up for the British Museum's Young Friends:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/membership/young-friends

Firstly I would suggest doing Dunkeld as a day trip from Edinburgh. I think it's too much rush to do Dunkeld and then travel down to the Lakes on the same day. If you do a day trip you won't have any luggage issues, you avoid a one night stop and on the following day the train to the Lakes will be much more straightforward.
There really is not much point in trying to add the Cotswolds in having already spent plenty of time in the Lakes. It's chocolate box pretty in parts but in terms of landscape it's second division in the UK. We have a series of national parks across the country and then places designated as National Landscapes (used to be AONBs - Areas of Outstanding National Beauty). And really there is precious little to interest your kids.

Re Stonehenge, if you have someone who really wants to go then you should. But are your other kids as interested? Assuming your party has two adults consider splitting up for a day. That way maybe more of you can see your top spots without boring others in your group.

Finally no Tower of London? It's probably THE spot that most visitors would have at the top of their list and is very family friendly.

I think Stonehenge will be a good visit for the whole family, and you will be there at a less crowded time.

We visited Stonehenge earlier this month. My daughter and her partner wanted to visit. My husband and I had both visited ('72 & '77, respectively) and did not to plan to revisit. We figured we had seen the stones when it was much less commercialized, less crowded, etc. and thought we would spend the time in a nearby village.

However, we ended up stopping off at Stonehenge on our way from Heathrow car rental rather than as part of a day out from Bath. After daughter had paid and gone into the site, we looked at the English Heritage info and decided to join and go into the site instead of waiting in the cafe or reading in the car. I enjoyed the information provided in the little museum and we got exercise and fresh air walking out to the stones (we did take the bus back to the center). It was later on a cloudy afternoon and the site was not overrun, so we were able to get some good late afternoon sun photos with few or no other people. True, it did not hold the starkness of our visits in the '70s, but we were glad we went after all. I would not want to go on a busy summer day.

If possible, include a visit to Avebury the same day. We really liked stomping around amidst the sheep and stones even though we were late on another day, passing through, and did not have time for the museum.