London, Scottish Highlands, Edinburgh Itinerary, please review, thank you!

On Saturday, will you have time to go back to your hotel and take a short "power nap" before the 7:30 show? Because if you don't, I'm willing to bet you'll be nodding off during the show. Jetlag lasts several days and your all-day walking tour will get you nice and loosened up and tired.

I understand the wish to tick off driving on the left, but you're paying for a rental car and then paying for tours on the subsequent days to go places you could easily drive yourself at your own pace. Fine if you don't mind the extra expense, and of course tours can be fun and more informative than just finding one's own way from one destination to the next.

A drive from Inverness that doesn't duplicate what you'll see on your Wed & Thurs day tours could be south into the Cairngorms, or east out to the North Sea beyond Elgin, or (as you suggest) west to Glencoe. If your Wednesday tour doesn't include Cawdor Castle, that would be a convenient destination for part of your day. Or, you could go north to Sutherland and Dunrobin Castle though that's a fairly long drive. Personally I would not waste the rental car day toodling around Inverness.

You do realize that Chicken Tikka Masala is not an authentic Indian dish? It was created in the UK. You can find it everywhere.

And, I'm exhuasted after reading your itinerary. I have a feeling you will be too.

Squeezing in a power nap before the show is a great suggestion, thanks. Yes, we should have time. And also good point about the rental car in Inverness. We decided to rent it for just one one day, and drive to Glencoe. We really shouldn't need the car after the first day since the meeting spot for the tours is only a 15 minute walk from our guest house.

Thank you for explaining the origins of chicken tikka masala. That was the point, though, we wanted to try it in the UK since that is where it was invented.

Here are my thoughts, and they may not matter if you’ve already paid for your tours.

Friday- If you haven’t paid for this tour I’d re-think. Besides, British Museum on top of jet lag would not work for me. I do better being outside.

Saturday- If these are all viewed from the outside, I’d do it on my own and pick 2 big things to see.

Monday - you may wind up striking off V&A. If you do decide to go, I’d take a good look at their website and choose one area for focus, then do a precision strike so to speak. For Westminster Abbey, download the audio guide to your smartphone ahead of time.

Hi, blueskies8792,
We were in Edinburgh for a week in November 2017 and had a marvelous time. I can't speak to your London itinerary, since we were only there tor transfer Heathrow to the train. We were amazed at how quickly we managed to get off the plane, meet our friends, and get to the train.

We also took an overnight tour through the Highlands and loved it! Can't wait to go back and hike.

Are you set on visiting the Britannia? It is out quite a way, probably farther than you want to walk. And as an Outlander fan myself, I found Holyrood Palace much more interesting than the yacht. (Though I did enjoy the it!) When we were there, we could amble around at will, but the guides told us that in the spring and summer months it can be packed. Of course, it's likely there will be crowds everywhere.

After a several hour train ride, I think we'd be inclined to walk down the Royal Mile in the afternoon to Holyrood and the Scottish Parliament Building (a really interesting contrast to one another.), them mosey back up to find dinner along the way .There are lots of great pubs along the Royal Mile with hearty and relatively inexpensive fare. You can check them out on this site: http://www.bestofedinburgh.com/Page.asp?Section=70&Page=3&Title=Pubs We did notice that on the weekends, places tended to fill around dinnertime and without reservations we found ourselves 'exploring' more than we wished on empty stomachs. So start your dinner hunt early or plan to eat late.

Also, head over to Grassmarket via Victoria Street. Charming and more pubs!

If It rains, I'd head to the National Museum for a couple hours. It's HUGE and very well done. There's a great Culloden display, as I recall, and it was light and airy even on a gray and rainy November day.

Hope this is helpful. Have a great trip!
Polly

Thanks for all the great info and recommendations! Got it..recalibrating...

Glad to see you are going inside Westminster Abbey. I recommend buying your ticket online before you go to avoid the long lines.
Not sure where you are staying in Leicester Square, but Punjab is an 8 minute walk from the square and is supposed to have good
Chicken Tikka Masala. If I am wrong, I'm sure someone will let you know as I haven't actually eaten there.

The Botanical Garden in Edinburgh is lovely as is Dean Village and the walk along the Water of Leith. Some restaurants I enjoyed in Edinburgh were Deacon Brodies Tavern, The Bon Vivant, Dishoom, and the café inside Scottish National Gallery.

Have a great trip!

We love Punjab! Eat there every trip. Very reasonable prices, but you might want to book a table.