Edinburgh to Bamburgh castle

No, not in such rural parts.

It is a 20 mile journey- this is the latest taxi rate card I can find-https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.northumberland.gov.uk%2FNorthumberlandCountyCouncil%2Fmedia%2FBusiness%2FLicences%2520and%2520permits%2Ftaxi%2FTARIFF-SHEET-MAY-2023.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK

Essentially £5.30 for the first mile, then £2.70 for each subsequent mile- so around £55 then the driver has to be paid for his dead journey in each direction.

Thank you for the quick response. I have to re-think the visit to Bamburgh Castle a bit more. I still would like to go though.

We struggled with this same dilemma for quite a while in planning our upcoming trip. We finally decided to rent a car in Edinburgh for 4 days and return it outside of Newcastle.

If it’s just a castle you want to visit, Alnwick castle might be a suitable substitute. It maybe easier to reach than Bamburgh.

You did not say when you are traveling. Timberbush Tours added a day tour from Edinburgh that includes Bamburgh Castle from October to March. Perhaps contact them to see if they will be offering it during the summer months.

I haven't taken one of their tours, but they have been recommended on the forum.

If it’s just a castle you want to visit, Alnwick castle might be a suitable substitute.

I disagree. I loved Bamburgh Castle and found it incredibly fascinating. The castle itself is huge, but I also really liked touring the inside. I thought it was fascinating, and I really enjoyed my visit there. However, I was disappointed in Alnwick Castle. The grounds were interesting, but I didn't find that much appealing about the inside of the castle. It was very touristy, in my opinion, and I wouldn't recommend it. Obviously everyone's opinion is different, but I definitely found Bamburgh Castle to be superior

One thing I never see mentioned on the forum about Alnwick Castle is that in one of the towers is the Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland. The Northumberland Fusiliers (as they were originally) have a proud and rich military history, between 1674 and 1968, including in the American Revolutionary War.
Admission is included in the Castle ticket price.

It's not just the regiment - also in the Museum is a Roll of Honour from East Chevington- one of the ghost towns of Northumberland, destroyed when it's coal mine closed. That is another little known part of the story of Northumberland - it's one time huge mining industry. So the Roll of Honour in itself may not be hugely interesting, it is more the back story (which the docents should be able to explain, if asked, probably with a lot of local pride).

Personally I think the suggestion of a tour is odd, when the OP's issue is the lack of flexibility of the public bus times. Well you get that the same with a tour- on their set schedule, which is always too little time at any given destination.
Apart from the Castle at Bamburgh there is also the very interesting Church to explore, the Grace Darling Museum and (on a nice day) the glorious beach.
On the public bus it is £5 for a day ticket for the whole of Northumberland down to the Tyne and Wear and Cumberland borders (so including Hadrian's Wall).
So if the choice was a public bus or a tour bus I know exactly which I'm taking for freedom, and it isn't the tour.

And yes, I accept that getting from Berwick to the Wall in a day by public bus would be hard, but the principle is there (you route via Morpeth and Newcastle Airport if required).

Stuart, personally, I think it's odd that you choose to judge others posters for trying to help the OP achieve their goal.

Galavanter, good luck! I hope you get to Bamburgh Castle.

Thank you all to your feedbacks.

We will be in Edinburgh from May 29 to June 1.

Currently my options are:
1. With very careful planning, with trains and busses to Bamburgh from Edinburgh and back in one day.
2. Hire a car for a day.

3. Hire a local tour company for a day trip.

My husband wants to do #1 and I'm leaning toward #3.

I vote for option 2. With a hire car you could also stop at Holy Island and possibly a couple of the border abbeys (Melrose, Jedburgh, Kelso, Dryburgh). On the return you could also stop at Rosslyn Chapel if there was time.

These are details of the Blue Badge Guides for Northumberland- https://northeastenglandtouristguides.co.uk/meet-our-guides/

The Timberbush tour is a winter one because in the summer they go to Lindisfarne instead- but both Lindisfarne Castle and Priory are mostly closed in the winter months.

Rabbies do a private tour (not a public one) to Bamburgh- on the face of it it is a very good one going down the coast via Eyemouth and St Abbs Head to Bamburgh Castle, then Alnwick Castle, and returning via Coldstream and Ad Gefrin.

I can't help but feel that too is going to be somewhat rushed unless it is a long day- it feels like quite a lot in the day, but is certainly that bit different, locations which are often that little bit off the radar- not at all cheap for 2 people at just over £600, but would be better for a larger group- https://www.rabbies.com/en-gb/private-tours/the-last-kingdom-vikings-and-saxons-in-northumberland#itinerary

But as a private tour the timings at each location should be more flexible.

For the Sunday bus service to Bamburgh at 1013 two trains from Edinburgh arrive in time- the 0855, arrive 0935, and the 0908 arrives 0948.
If you are on the first that will allow time to walk down through the park to the river, and see the Royal Border Bridge from that perspective.
The bus arrives at Bamburgh at 1100. While getting the 1323 back is tight, you could instead after visiting everything in Bamburgh maybe have Sunday Lunch there,
You could get the 1500 bus south to Alnmouth Station (arrive 1634) or get off that bus at Seahouses or Craster before getting the evening bus back northbound to Berwick, arrive 1813 (for the 1826, or 1924 train, or time to look around Berwick and take a later train back to Edinburgh- last at 2250
From Alnmouth there is a 1750 train back to Berwick arrive 1905 (also an 1807, arrive 1908) and a 1828 arrive 1930.

So you could even have an hour in Alnwick to see the town and the Castle (from the outside) before the next hourly bus down to Alnmouth Station.