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Two Weeks in England & Scotland

Hello everyone,

After nearly nine months of quietly reading and researching these forums, I figured I would make my first post. I wanted to begin by saying a genuine thank you to everyone who contributes here. Your advice has been so helpful in planning this trip.

After 25 years, my husband and I are very much looking forward to returning to Europe this May for a month of travel through England, France, and Italy. For the first leg, we’ll be spending 17 nights in England and Scotland. Our itinerary currently includes London, Bristol, York and the Yorkshire Dales, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Lake District. It will be a fairly hustle-bustle schedule, but we’re hoping to make good use of the train journeys to rest along the way.

We’ve already arranged tickets for some of the main attractions (Tower of London, Sky Garden), and have a few pub walks and food tours booked as well. I’ve also noted a few parks where we might enjoy a picnic if the weather cooperates.

But, I wanted to ask if anyone had any suggestions for “off the beaten path” sights or experiences in any of these locations. The quirkier and more unusual the better! Or, better yet, places where you can just be a "temporary local" as Rick says!

TIA!

Posted by
2092 posts

Hi Deb

Obviously, I know Bristol the best of these places. Bristol is not really a tourist destination so anywhere you go you will be among the locals. I don’t know how long you have but, on top of the obvious attractions, I recommend checking out the North Street/Southville area if you have time for its street art and independent shops and restaurants.

Posted by
684 posts

Two things I often recommend:

London - Ben Franklin's house https://benjaminfranklinhouse.org/ He lived there 17 years between 1757 and 1775. It's centrally located near Charing Cross Station. There are a couple of different guided tours in the house and a self guided tour. And they appear to have some special events including walking tours of English/American history celebrating our 250 years.

Glasgow - Tenement House museum https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/the-tenement-house A woman lived in this typical Glassgow apartment from 1911 to 1965 and it is preserved like a time capsule of what it was like.

Enjoy the planning!

Posted by
216 posts

FWIW I have just booked for two things I have never done before in 40 years of living in and visiting London: Denis Sever’s House and Chelsea Physic Garden.

Posted by
11914 posts

Hi Deb, you will have such a fantastic trip! I spent a little under six weeks in England in 2024, and it was one of the best trips of my life.

I have not been to Bristol (yet), but you might want to check out a series called Down Cemetery Road, starring Emma Thompson on Apple+. The series is technically set in Oxford and Scotland, but they shot almost all of it in Bristol, so it might be fun to watch. And the show itself is very good in its own right. Then check out any places that look interesting while you're there. Here's an article that gives more details about some of the settings: https://www.cntraveller.com/article/where-was-down-cemetery-road-filmed.

One place I went to in the Dales was Bolton Castle, near Leyburn, which was where Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned for a time by Queen Elizabeth in 1568. I loved the castle and spent some time exploring that, but I especially enjoyed a really interesting event called "Bird of Prey". This is where a falconer comes out and basically demonstrates how they train and use falcons there. They had a number of animals or birds of prey there also that you could see, like owls and so on. It was really fascinating to watch. You can see some photos of it on my online travel journal if you like. https://mostlytraveled.wordpress.com/2024/04/14/day-23-castles-castles-everywhere-and-only-beer-to-drink/

I also agree with the recommendation for the Tenement House Museum in Glasgow. I went there and really enjoyed it.