I'd love to get some feedback on the feasibility of my plans for our trip. If my travel times will work, if there are good places to eat or buy groceries, good places to stay, or any other tips...I've got my plane tickets, and a couple hotels but those are still flexible. Our group consists of my husband and I and our three kids (4, 8, and 11). The kids are all good road trippers, but we'd rather make 3+ hours in the car the exception rather than the rule.
Day 1 Arrive in Edinburgh in the afternoon:
Eat a meal, if we feel up to it Prince's Street Garden, National Gallery, Writer's Museum. Go grocery shopping, probably fall asleep very early.
Day 2: Edinburgh Castle, RS Royal Mile walk with stops at St Giles, Museum of Childhood, and a hike up Arthur's seat. Take an evening walk in Dean Village after dinner
Day 3: Edinburgh: Farmer’s Market, National Museum of Scotland, Greyfriars Kirkyard, Victoria Street, in the evening Scot Monument, Caulton Hill
Day 4: Edinburgh-Stirling: Pick up a rental car, Falkirk Wheel, Kelpies, Stirling Castle (not necessarily in that order) stay the night near Stirling
Day 5: Stirling: day trip to the Scottish Crannog Centre, stop at Doune Castle on the way back if there's time.
Day 6: Stirling-Aberdeen: start driving in the morning with a stop at Dunnottar Castle, walk around Dunnottar Woods, this would be something of a rest day, sleeping near Aberdeen.
Day 7: Aberdeen: Crathes Castle and maybe Tolquhon Castle and Loanhead Stone Circle.
Day 8: Aberdeen–Inverness: head out in the morning making stops at Huntly Castle, Elgin Cathedral, and maybe get to one of the possible stops for the next day of there's time or just walk around Inverness.
Day 9: Inverness: possibly Sheep dog demonstration, Culloden, Clava Cairns, stop at Urquhart Castle in the evening.
Day 10: Inverness–Kinlochleven: drive to Fort William and we try to book the afternoon Jacobite Express, of so we'd head out early a drive straight there with minimal stopping.
Day 11: Kinlochleven: Glencoe Hiking, waterfalls, Glen Etive?
Day 12: Kinlochleven–Kilmun: Scenic drive through Glen coe, Falls of Falloch, maybe Ardkinglas Woodland Garden.
Day 13: Kilmun: Puck’s Glen, and maybe Benmore Botanic Garden. This would be mostly a rest day.
Day 14: Kilmun-Glasgow: Scenic drive through Loch Lomond Trossach national Park, ditch rental car in or near Glasgow, do one of the R.S. City Walks in the evening
Day 15: Glasgow: Kelvin Grove Museum, walk through the University of Glasgow campus, Botanical Garden
Day 16: Glasgow-London: Breakfast at the Willow Tea Rooms, Riverside Museum and Tall Ship,
Sleeper train to London
Day 17: London: I haven't settled on what we'll do as I hadn't initially planned to visit London, but I've been twice before so I'm sure I can figure it out.
Day 18: Fly home from London