Help with UK Itinerary - October 2026

I would rule out a day trip from Edinburgh to Skye. That’s a 10 hour round trip without stops. Loch Ness - I can only say that there are 30000 lochs in Scotland and around 29999 of them are nicer than Loch Ness.

If you are in Penrith why not visit Hadrian’s wall from there? It’s nearer than Edinburgh. None of it is in Scotland.

It’s Stonehenge btw.

If York is not a must-visit for you, I might drop it as you are criss-crossing the country a bit. For visiting Hadrian's Wall, this is much easier from Penrith than Edinburgh so I would do it from there. If you want to visit on public transport you can just get the train up to Carlisle and get the bus from there that basically runs along the wall (there is a new bus that makes the journey easier).

I don't know if Cardiff is worth a whole day trip from Bath personally, unless there's something there you particularly want to see (perhaps St Fagan's living museum?). You could visit somewhere like Tintern Abbey instead which is closer but still in Wales.

I personally wouldn't visit Skye as a day trip from Edinburgh- that is an extremely long day and you'll spend much of it on a bus. But there are plenty of other nice places you can visit that are closer (like Stirling, which you mention, or St Andrews/Fife).

Good luck with your planning!

I, too, suggest adding a night to the Lake District (and losing one from Edinburgh), also swopping Penrith for Carlisle.

At Carlisle stay at the Station Hotel, the County Hotel or the Crown and Mitre.

Get an early start from York, for the 0828 from Newcastle. Dump your bags at your hotel, then get to Carlisle Castle for opening time.

Afterwards take the 1400 #554 bus to Keswick for Castlerigg, arriving at 1523, and the 1800 back.

Next day, for Muncaster, while you can take a train to Ravenglass, it is about 30 minutes walk from there to Ravenglass (one way via the Roman Bath House, the other direct) it is easier to take the train to Whitehaven.
Then the X7 bus direct to Muncaster Castle at 0855 or 1228, arriving at 1002 or 1335 (£3 each way), coming back at 1436 or 1736., then train or the half hourly #300 or the hourly #600 bus back to Carlisle.
Do the morning bus, then go to the Rum Story Museum in Whitehaven (next to the bus stop) to find out about Whitehaven's strong links with the US (even visit the Honorary Consul to the US Navy next door!). Also on the way from Ravenglass you have the ruined Egremont Castle (won't detain you for long).
You could swop out Whitehaven for St Bees Priory (bus #32 every hour or so from Egremont, then on to Whitehaven, or train from St Bees to Carlisle).

The following day take the hourly HW1/HW2 bus from Carlisle to the Roman Army Museum £3 each way), where it connects with the AD122 for Housesteads/Vindolanda. End the day at Hexham Station (off the AD122) and train back to Carlisle.

Looking at the Scotland portion of your trip:

Definitely no 1 day tour to Skye. Skye really needs a minimum of 2 full days not including travel time. If Skye is important, your itinerary needs reworking. And I agree regarding the attraction of Loch Ness.

Option 1, if driving, stop at Inveraray on your way to Oban. You'll need a full day for Glencoe and Glenfinnan. From Oban head to Stirling (maybe overnight) 2½ hr, before dropping car in Edinburgh.

Your Option 1 is totally doable by public transportation with some tweaking. Stay 3 nights in Oban.

• day 1 ferry to Mull and Iona
• day 2 car rental for Inveraray and Kilmartin (ancient Cairns, Stones and Circles)
• day 3 car rental (or trains & buses ) for Glenfinnan, Glencoe (& Rannoch Moor)

There is direct bus service (2¾hr) between Oban and Stirling in addition to train service via Glasgow.

Thank you all for the input so far. I’m trying to take your suggestions (no point asking for advice and then ignoring it).

You all seem to agree that it doesn’t make sense to try to fit in Skye this trip. I feel that if not a day trip (and I will listen to you experts) we would lost too much other things. Also, with the weather, it just doesn’t make sense. I’ll just need to let that go.

You also all seem to agree that Loch Ness isn’t worth it. I’ll discuss with my husband. Is there any Loch in particular that makes sense to go see or is it not really necessary? We will be spending time in the Lakes District and I spend a lot of time at lakes in NH (although we don’t have any lake monsters!) Is there any other particular lake that is really super special that we should plan to see?

Trelawney – Pardon my spelling error! I’ll correct that 😊.

Cat VH – I’d like to keep York. It was one of my parent’s recommendations as they absolutely loved it. Oddly, they also went to Isle of Skye but didn’t talk it up nearly as much as York. On the fence about Cardiff still. Will look into Tintern Abbey.

Isn31c – It doesn’t look like Carlisle is in the lake district. Do you recommend swapping all my nights in Penrith for Carlisle? Would we still be able to get around to the more quaint towns and small hikes/walks (weather permitting)? We weren’t married to Penrith, it just had seemed like a good place with train travel.

Jeanm – We already have 3 nights in Oban, but one is the arrival night. Should I swap that to 4 nights and take away one of the Edinburgh nights? How much do you think it enhances the trip for us to rent a car vs taking the train from the lakes region to Oban? Is it something we should strongly consider even if adds a lot to the cost?

There will likely be more questions to come…

For lochs, if you're visiting Inveraray, you'll get to see beautiful Loch Fyne. You could also easily fit in a visit to Loch Lomond which isn't very far outside Glasgow.

If York is special to you, then you should definitely go see it! It just means a bit more time travelling.

Though Carlisle isn't technically in the Lake District National Park, it is in Cumbria and I always think of it as the Lake District (I have spent a lot of time in the nearby area). It's a very convenient place to be based especially for Hadrian's Wall. The path actually runs through the town tho you won't find the actual wall until several miles more heading east. As Carlisle is more of a city than a quaint Lakeland town I'd say it's less touristy.

Besides the freedom of no time tables, the advantage of the car from the lakes to Oban is you can stop in Inveraray and tour the Castle and Gardens on your way to Oban and keep 3 nights in Oban.

However, I really like public transportation, especially when it's convenient. It allows everyone to enjoy the views and not have to concentrate on the road.

By train you would need 4 nights (not 3, oops) in Oban if you want all your to dos AND if you want to travel by train from Penrith/Carlisle to Oban.

You'll need 1 day for Mull by ferry and bus.

A second day for Glencoe and Glenfinnan. Adding Inveraray to this day, even with a car, would really be pushing it. This day could be self drive or by train and bus.

So a third day for Inveraray by car or private guide. .That is why I mentioned Kilmartin. The Oban - Inveraray - Kilmartin - Oban route would take you along Loch Fyne that CatV mentioned as well as Loch Awe with Kilchurn Castle Ruin.

In Oban you could book a 1 or 2 day car rental from the local company.

Penrith isn't technically in the Lake District National Park either. It's not far outside (the boundary is just past Rheged , on the way to Dalemain and around Eamont Bridge) but outside. The essential problem is that you are visiting two places separated by a mountain range and nothing like enough time to really experience the area.
I'm trying to maximise your limited time and your interests.
Carlisle is a city absolutely chock full of history (both Penrith and Carlisle for instance have significant Jacobite history, Carlisle especially - including hangings of captured men) and the Castle is as authentic as they come.
If you stayed at Penrith it's that much more time to get to Muncaster. But you could add Penrith Castle (won't take you long) and Brougham Castle.
If you drove over from York you could also include Brough Castle and even stay in a Castle at Appleby Castle, 20 minutes off the M6.
Appleby to Castlerigg is 35 to 40 minutes by car, onto Muncaster from Castlerigg I've done it in an hour, but 90 minutes is more sensible.
You also have short days of daylight, dark by 6pm if not sooner.

My other option for you is Keswick. There are a number of guest houses up that end of town, just at the bottom of the road up to Castlerigg, so a few minutes walk.
For a lake I would suggest Ullswater. At that time of the year it is right in the middle of the red deer rutting season over there. A good chance of catching a guided tour to experience that, something few overseas tourists even know about.

If staying at Keswick, especially with a car, no lack of good food options including Armathwaite Hall for a splurge and Bassenthwaite Lake Station for one of the best afternoon teas you will ever have. But many others.

With a car then I can give you a lovely place for a meal at Santon Bridge, for dinner at Seascale (or at Bigrigg) and a couple of farm shops only the locals know of. If you are over west with a car Eskdale or Wasdale (the latter for its lake, totally the LDNP, prime walking country) would do you nicely to stay at. Just not where very many people think off as the Lake District.

If you want a good Loch in Scotland, with a car and within this time frame then Loch Katrine is hard to beat, an awful lot closer to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Would it make sense to break it up and go York to Windermere (2 nights) then Windermere to Carlisle (2 nights) to Oban? Or Keswick rather than Windemere?

Would you say Inverary is a don’t miss?

Sounds like definitely get a car for Oban days but not really needed for lakes region or do you think we should really rent for full week from York to Edinburgh?

Windermere to Muncaster is an awkward journey by public transport - via Barrow by train (1 to 3 changes) or via Keswick by bus (3 changes), coming back by bus you would have to route through Barrow.
Driving its via Keswick, Greenodd/Grizebeck or over the Wrynose and Hardknott passes- the latter is the shortest and a spectacular drive not for the faint hearted, but includes the Hardknott Roman Fort. So Keswick would work better than Windermere.
On the train Muncaster to Windermere is a journey which I do without thinking about (in fact I've been known to add the Lake steamer from Lakeside to Bowness to spice it up) but it's more awkward to visitors.

I champion public transport use, especially in the Lake District (and want to encourage use of the new bus to Muncaster, use it or loose it) but in your case driving is just going to work more smoothly from York onwards, unfortunately.

Here is where we are so far. Did I miss anything?
I think we will rent a car from York to Edinburgh based on recommendations. Do we need that many nights in Edinburgh?

Still on the fence about our day trip to Wales. If we decide to drop that, where would you add the extra day? Anyplace you feel we don’t have enough time?

Still confused about our lakes region portion.
Love the convenience of Carlisle but was hoping for a pretty stop out of the city (coming from Bath & York city stays and will have Edinburgh as well). Would it make sense to break those days into 2 stops - 2 nights in Carlisle and 2 around Keswick or does that just make it more complicated? Need to fit in Hadrians wall (Carlisle) & muncaster (Carlisle or split stay) here.

10/13 Fly to London, train to Bath (1.5hr)
10/14 Bath
10/15 Bath (Mad Maxx Stonehenge/Avebury/Costwolds)
10/16 Bath (Cardiff)
10/17 Bath to York (4.5hr)
10/18 York
10/19 York to Carlisle/Keswick/or someplace
10/20 Carlisle/lakes
10/21 Carlisle/lakes
10/22 ??? to Oban - Inveraray on way
10/23 Oban
10/24 Oban (Isle of Mull & Iona)
10/25 Oban to Edinburgh (3.5hr) Stirling on way
10/26 Edinburgh
10/27 Edinburgh
10/28 Edinburgh
10/29 Edinburgh
10/30 Edinburgh, fly to Barcelona

I know I can buy advanced tickets for the train (hopefully inexpensive around 90 days). When would you recommend we need to make our hotel, car hire, and tour reservations? I would think October should be a little less crowded so didn’t know if I need to start making some more set decisions or if I still have plenty of time.

Also, once the itinerary itself is narrowed down, should I start a new thread for that type of planning/questions or continue this one?

Thanks again!

Cardiff to York would be two easy train journeys- a better train journey all round than Bath to York.

Take the morning Transport for Wales Premier Train from Cardiff to Manchester Piccadilly through the Welsh Borders (a pretty nice ride) at 0853 or 1053 then a Trans Pennine train from Manchester Pic to York.
Book that a few weeks out and First Class Cardiff to Manchester is less than £10 more- which gives you a chef cooked meal at your seat at extra cost. Even Standard Class passengers get chef cooked snacks as well at extra cost.
Last time I did that trip I got first class for less than standard class by chance and sleight of hand.

The 0853 arrives Man Pic at 1213.
The next hourly connection is at 1258, arrive York 1437.

Booked as separate journeys the fare should be around £62 on Advance Tickets before the 1/3 reduction with your railcard, so about £40- under £50 if you do 1st class on the Cardiff train. The railcard isn't valid on the 0853 but is on the 1053.

There is also a 0945 Cross Country train from Cardiff direct to York, arrive 1432- looking on 13 May the railcard fare is just £22.95 each- not half as scenic a route via Birmingham.

If you have the car then splitting the Lake District into two parts is fine, as that avoids the issue of handling luggage. It would also make it easier to stay in one of the 'splurge' hotels in the Lake District if that was what you wanted to.
Have you thought about staying at the Pennington in Ravenglass for instance- a hotel whose history is intertwined with Muncaster Castle- https://www.penningtonhotels.com/thepennington

Or the Coachman's quarters at the Castle.

Nearby Irton Hall is another fantastic place to stay- https://www.irtonhall.co.uk/

From Ravenglass/irton to the Roman Army Museum should be just over a 2 hour drive.

You have 5 nights in Edinburgh. With the luxury of having a rental car, I would consider 1 or 2 nights between Oban and Edinburgh to see more of the beautiful Scottish countryside with its lochs, waterfalls and more.

You could choose to base in a city (Stirling), a town (Aberfeldy, Dunkeld) or a village (Killin)

Would you say Inverary is a don’t miss?

Inveraray is a nice town in a beautiful setting on Loch Fyne. Inveraray castle with its lovely gardens is actually the home of the Duke of Argyll and makes for a worthwhile visit.

As an alternative to Cardiff you could consider a day trip from Bath to Bristol. It’s much nearer (15 minutes on the train) and has much to interest the visitor as well as being a contrast to Bath.

I'm still stuck in two places. Would love opinions. We don' want to be cheap, but we will have just retired and this will be a 5 week trip which is the longest we have ever taken. Plus, the US dollar isn't doing too well. That being said, we don't want to save money foolishly and not end up with our best itinerary options. Trying to balance that.

This is why I'm still stuck on the stay in Bath. Using points at the Hotel Indigo, it is the same amount of points for 3 nights as 4. However, I'm not sure we need 4 nights. If we stay 4 nights, we can add a day trip to Cardiff or Bristol. If we stay 3 nights, we can add a night in Cardiff or a 3rd night in York. It honestly isn't a major increase, but it will eat into our budget someplace else. What would you guys do???

Here is the remainder of the itinerary after York... Does this make sense? I tried to take many of the suggestions.
Would the overnight in Glasgow be enough? I figure we could spend most of the day there before heading to Edinburgh as we should have plenty of time there. Or, would you stay 2 nights in Glasgow? Or stay in Stirling (1 nt or 2) and skip Glasgow?

Finally, when do we realistically need to start making hotel reservations for October? This has been much harder planning than I anticipated. This is good, though. There is just so much to see!

Thanks.

10/19 York to Keswick (pick up rental car; 2hr20)
10/20 Keswick
10/21 Keswick
10/22 Keswick to Oban - Inveraray & Kilmartin on way
10/23 Oban (Isle of Mull & Iona)
10/24 Oban (Glencoe, Ft William, Glenfinnan)
10/25 Oban to Glasgow - Stirling on way
10/26 Glasgow to Edinburgh
10/27 Edinburgh
10/28 Edinburgh
10/29 Edinburgh
10/30 Edinburgh, fly to Barcelona

For Keswick there is no rush, as it is the shoulder season before school half term the following week.

There is a Visit Keswick website-https://www.keswick.org/ which gives all the options, including being able to book direct which saves places paying commission to third parties.

Generally the Scottish half term is the week before you arrive, so it is also low season there. By that time of year I'm generally getting special offers in my in-box from my preferred Oban hotel as they try to fill rooms. Everything is open in Oban , it's just blissfully devoid of the summer tourists- a halcyon time of year to be there.

I would opt for 4 nights in Bath given your circumstances. It’s always good to stay for a reasonable time in one place and in your case you save some money if you do so. Either Cardiff or Bristol would be different to Bath and everywhere else you’re going and both have merits, but Bristol is just a lot closer. You’re looking at saving a couple of hours or more travelling time on Cardiff.

Instead of the train to Bath, which means going into London or transferring elsewhere, try the coach bus from Heathrow, which is direct.

Thank you all so much!

It’s still called Stonehenge.

If it was me, I would stick with the 4 nights in Bath. Its the start of your journey, you'll be jet-lagged, it gives you time to relax a bit. Also, as noted above, look at the bus/coach options from Heathrow that mean you don't have to backtrack to Paddington.

Yes. We decided to stick with 4 nights in Bath. Will definitely look at the bus as an option over the train.

Not sure the best way to get from Bath to York. Looks like we can backtrack through London or get a train via Bristol. Any suggestions on better options? Would like to get to York sooner than later as our time there is somewhat limited…

Trelawney - That’s what I get for cutting & pasting! Fixed again and I had to come back to edit the spelling of your name!

There is a through train from Bristol- Bath depart 0930, Bristol 0950/1033 York 1432, weekday timings.
On average it takes about 45 minutes longer via Bristol than via London.

Finally, when do we realistically need to start making hotel reservations for October?

Now; especially in Scotland, which is one of those countries that has a housing shortage with regards to visitors. So if you want to make the most of your dollar when booking lodging, I would start the process as soon as possible; especially in the Highlands.

You're probably okay holding off a bit in places like Edinburgh, Glasgow, and England, and of course it's not high season when you're there, either, but I would at least start looking. In many cases, you'll be able to book refundable lodging, so if you found something better, it's not a big deal. Many folks here do that.

Also, I'm not saying you should do this, but I did want to mention that you can get to Stirling just as easily from Glasgow by train (it's a little quicker from Glasgow). But that's only if you wanted to spend more time seeing other places while you are in Edinburgh. I notice you already have one long day trip to Hadrian's Wall with Rabbie's, so you may appreciate having some time just to hang out in the city and see all the interesting sights there. But it's not a must-do by any means—the day trip works just as well from either city.

Here is what we came up with. It is all cancelable. In addition to the free night in Bath, I got a free night in Edinburgh. This allowed me to book almost half our rooms on points. Figured we could take a day from Edinburgh for Glasgow and maybe another for Roslyn Chapel or N. Berwick. Can still make small adjustments if something doesn’t seem to work. Certainly open to suggestions. Thanks.

Ps. No Rabbie tour to Hadrians wall. Figured we would do that in Carlisle during one of our Keswick days.

10/13 Fly to London, bus to Bath (1.5hr)

10/14 Bath
10/15 Bath (Mad Maxx Stonehenge/Avebury/Costwolds)
10/16 Bath (Cardiff or Bristol)
10/17 Bath to York (4.5hr)
10/18 York
10/19 York to Keswick via Yorkshire Dales
10/20 Keswick
10/21 Keswick
10/22 Keswick to Oban via Inveraray&Kilmartin
10/23 Oban (Isle of Mull & Iona)
10/24 Oban (Glencoe, Ft William, Glenfinnan)
10/25 Oban to Edinburgh- via Stirling
10/26 Edinburgh
10/27 Edinburgh (Rosslyn Chapel? N Berwick?)
10/28 Edinburgh (Glasgow)
10/29 Edinburgh
10/30 Edinburgh, fly to Barcelona
10/31 Barcelona
11/1 Barcelona
11/2 Barcelona, board ship

This looks like a nice itinerary! I will just say you don't need a whole day for Rosslyn Chapel- it's easy to get to (about 45 minutes from central Edinburgh on a city bus) and the chapel itself is very small. If you do that you can definitely fit in something else in the same day.

North Berwick from Edinburgh is fastest by train.

But the most scenic route but slower route is the 3 times an hour Lothian Country bus from Edinburgh. That's included in the daily and weekly contactless cap on the buses.
If the weather allows there are castles at Dirleton and Tantallon to see. Tantallon is by connecting bus from North Berwick.

From Carlisle to Hadrians Wall the tempting and fastest driving route is A66/M6/A69.
But the much more scenic route one way is A66/A686 route via Alston. The other way the scenic route is the A69 then the Carlisle Southern Relief road then the A595/A591 via Bothel and Bassenthwaite.