7 day car trip from London to Inverness and back

You've sketched all this out, right? Twelve or thirteen hundred miles, maybe, with a couple of eight-hour legs and the rest fives. That's a gut-shot of driving time. Somewhere along the way you've got to buy gas, eat, use the facilities, and take a hike. This would also assume that you can zip right in and out of London. You can't get off the beaten path, you've got to stay on the freeways just to cover the ground. If you want to actually see anything, you're going to have to drive at night. Knocking off Scotland and ducking into Wales would make it almost manageable, but it's still be a mean experience.

Several years ago we drove to Blackpool one night - Edinburgh two nights and back to London - with a baby and a seven year old -
We drive from Texas to Alabama in one day frequently - It looks do-able - but maybe it isn't.....

I personally think this is too much, but that is just me. Are you going to take a tour to Stonehenge or driving there prior to the 7th as Wales is so close to Stonehenge and Bath. Are you going to Stonehenge and then back to London and then back to Wales? Is it possible to fly into London and then fly home from Scotland? Just some options. I think Edinburgh is well worth more than one day as well.

I am looking into modifying this a little - We are doing a side trip from London earlier as a day trip for windsor bath and stonehenge - I am thinking of ditching our car in Edinburgh and taking the train back to London - am wondering -
Can you take a train from Edinburgh to London and stop in York for a few hours on the way - so that it is all in one day - we have done this type of thing frequently in Italy - but not sure how it works with UK trains/towns....

Heather,
I have done this route several times and I think if you leave out of Heathrow early and drive up the M40 and stop at Blenheim about 930ish you should be out of there by 12ish and on the road to the Lake District which is about a 4 hour drive maybe. On the motorway you can safely do 80mph without worry of being pulled over. We stayed in a B & B in Far Sawrey just across Lake Windermere by Ferry. The nearby village of Hawkshead is nearby and very charming. Beatrix Potters home is just down the road also, although the name of the B&B escapes me. It is about a 6 hour drive to Inverness from there and then 3 hours back to Edinburgh. Unless there is something really pressing in Inverness I would skip it and do Edinburgh and then drive down to York 4 hours away and then the final 4 hours to London. We did do a side road A68 from Edinburgh to Durham ( which is a fantastic town ) which took us through Crowbridge which had Roman ruins and the foundation of a Roman bridge next the the river. Hadrians Wall is in the area too. If you skip Inverness you could stop in Conwy North Wales on the way to Windermere and stay the night there while visiting nearby Caernafaen Castle. Just a thought. hope this helps, inbox me any questions. Darren

Heather, it will depend on the type of ticket you get. The cheapest tickets have the most restrictions, and with an "Advance" ticket you can only travel on the specific train at the specific time on the specific date. If, for example, your ticket is the return portion of a Saver ticket, you stop an unlimited number of times over a month as long as you keep going in a straight line - no back tracking or zig zagging.

Im exhausted just reading your itinerary! I agree that there is just too much to see and do. I think you are aware that the motorways are the only sane way to cover ground. Here's the thing, there are two philosophies at play here. One, looking at sights and two, seeing life surround by the sights. I mean no disrespect at all, just observing the different philosophies of travel. If your family decides on # 1, fine. You've picked some great things to see....although I agree with skipping Inverness as it's a bit much. Lovely country but leave that for another time. If your family decides on #2, you will have to sacrifice in order to observe and smell the roses. Might you consider staying on a farm for a couple of nights and getting to talk to the farmers about their sheep? You can research this by googling farm stays in the Lake District but I probably don't need to tell you that! We live on a horse farm in Virginia and always find that staying in one place and connecting to the people through a mutual interest is wonderful. Good luck in your decisions and I look forward to reading the helpline and your final plans! Traveling is so much fun.

I agree that there is just too much on the agenda here, but since you say you've had experience (in Italy) with such a breakneck pace and you've been to the UK before (and therefore know what you are getting into), I'd take a shot at suggestions. Frankly, I believe one full day in Edinburgh isn't worth the time and effort to travel. Three is good, four is better. I advise skipping Scotland entirely on this trip. Aug 7: pick up car, depart London, visit Blenheim and environs. Aug 8: leisurely drive to Lake District. Full day Aug 9 in the Lake District? (Never been, so can't advise). Aug 10 By car, along Hadrian's Wall. Make a couple stops, thence to York for late afternoon. Drop the car, sleep in York. Aug 11-12 York, well worthwhile. If you must, do one day York, train to Edinburgh and one day there instead. Aug 13 train from York (or Edinburgh) direct to London.

Making Edinburgh the top end is doable, skip Inverness. I think that you actually might have more sheep in Wales. We stayed at a lovely farmhouse on Anglessy that had Jacob's sheep. You have the wonderful Edward castles there too. I vote for breezing through the Cotswolds, stopping at Blenheim and Woodstock and go fast to North Wales...more off the beaten path then the Lake District and actually closer to London. Unless you are a Druid..you can't really get close to Stonehedge...so I would skip it unless you need to check it off your list. At Avebury you can walk thru a circle. I found York pretty touristy, the Minster windows are worth it tho.

thanks for all the replies - it is helpful - we are going to Stonehenge bc it is on our daughter's list of things to see - along with Blenheim - she picked these from a guidebook - and Edinburgh - if up to me I'd spend all my time in Scotland! But this is her special trip (we took our oldest to Italy in 2006 and our next to Egypt in 2009) - now it is her turn - we are really there for the Olympics (GO USA TRAMPOLINE!) and will be in London for 2 weeks taking side trips a few times (Stonehenge, Windsor, Bath). The last week we want to whirlwind as much of the country as possible. I am thinking of skipping Inverness now... and doing the following: train to York spend night - train to Edinburgh spend TWO nights - rent car - drive to Lake District night drive to N Wales night drive to Cotswolds night last day drive from Cotswolds to London stopping at Blenheim on the way.... Any places to stay that anyone can recommend on that route appreciated! Or any other tips.
I REALLY want to see Northern Scotland - but think we might just need to return another time (just my husband and I!)

Just got back last night from Scotland With your information -- 1) YES --- skip Inverness this time around. 2) Edinburgh --- Basic, clean, reasonably priced B&B with easy bus connections to city center; I recommend Kenvie Guest House by Dorothy and Richard Vidler. Just Stayed there for almost one week. Good "full Scottish" breakfast. Friendly, prompt service. Vidlers give good travel recommendations. 3) Edinburgh Bus service is 1.40 GBP per adult each way on bus. Less for child (70 pence). 3.50 GBP for day pass.
4) You can buy a pass for Edinburgh Castle, Britannia, Holyrood Palace at a discount. Flyers in B&B. Just make sure the Queen is not at Holyrood or you can't get in.

Just a suggestion.. We did something similar in 9 days, except we did a one way car rental from London to Inverness. We then flew on Flybe back to London. Removing the return trip by car freed up a lot of time. We did have 2 more days that you have planned, but we were not rushed at all. The plane tickets were cheap. I bought them online well in advance. They fly I to Gatwick. Just a thought.