Entertaining teens in the north

If you're looking for outdoors activities, why not go to the Yorkshire Dales or to the Lake District and do some walks. Are they at all interested in history? Bolton Castle in the Dales is where Mary Queen of Scots was held for many years. Also, of course this is the land of the James Heriot stories, All Creatures Great and Small. In the Lake District you there is a small stone circle, Castlerigg. Durham is interesting too. It's got a fantastic Cathedral and an interesting location. Again near York are Rievaulx Abbey and the Fountains Abbey. I went to the former because I'd read a book that was placed there. Also near York, Castle Howard which is where Brideshead Revisited was filmed. I want to second the suggestion of the Borders. This area was fought over for years. Carlisle Castle was the headquarters for England. Hermitage Castle is really dramatic for the Scottish side. Fraser has written a book on this Steel Bonnets across the Border which is full of tales of the Debatable Lands and the rest of the Borders. Take them walking along Hadrian's Wall and explore some of the forts. Of course, if they are as Monty Python would say "ready for something completely different," there is always Blackpool. The Top Gear Gents raced there one year from France to see who would get to turn on the Blackpool Lights. ; ) Pam

Once in Scotland there is a lot to entertain them. Edinburgh has the castle, Holyrood House, and Arthur's Seat as mentioned earlier. The Royal Yacht is great. Also, if you have an indoor day and are done with history, Dynamic Earth is really good. It's like the science museums in the US, but of course they look at glaciation of Scotland and not Wisconsin or upstate NY. ; ) Of course, the Royal Museum itself is fantastic. Also, they might enjoy the Camera Obscura. I did. And, if you need to go on a short walk, check out Leith Water. The Royal Botanic Gardens are good. And the zoo now has pandas. Also, if you want to see a very cool castle, take a day trip to Stirling. This is the castle that was critical to many of the battles for Scotland. If you go up the Wallace Monument you'll see some great views. (Watch out for them though, as the railing were low when I was there.) Or if they are Monty Python fans go to Doune Castle which is just past Stirling. Or if you have time, a visit to Glasgow might be interested to visit the Riverside Museum of Transport. Adults will find the architecture fascinating and kids will love the trains, trams, boats and cars. Pam

I am not sure of your route. However, we just took a trip to Scotland and cruised the Scottish Border region. Alnwick Castle in England is near the border. It's open to visitors for a fee. Beautiful gardens, state rooms, and there is a dungeon. We did not go into the dungeon because the sign stated age 13 and older and our child is quite young. You can look-up Alnwick Castle online and see if it fits your bill. It's in a lovely location.
In Edinburgh, I recommend the Castle and Britannia. A hike up Arthur's Seat on a nonrainy day may be helpful as well.

York. Oh how we loved York. Daughter and son were 18 and 13 at the time -- total history nuts, though they prefer different periods ;) You have great outdoor stuff like walking on the medieval city walls, wandering the abbey ruins at the Museum Garden, and (I have to say it...) rambling the Shambles. History-wise, you've got your choice of Romans, Vikings and all of the medieval "stuff" you can manage. While Rick is somewhat dismissive of Jorvik in his books, favoring the more "sophisticated" Yorkshire Museum, our family enjoyed both experiences. The Minster is gorgeous and the climb up the tower was worth the exertion. In the evening, we got an unexpected bonus as the sound of bell practice drifted in our open windows. Beautiful.

I forgot to add: The hike up Arthur's Seat is fun even in the drizzle. :)

My son will be 14 and is a history and military buff; my daughter will be 12 and will be interested in the castles and outdoors. Thanks for the suggestions so far! They are terrific.

Warwick Castle should work for both of them. It's called Britian's Ultimate Castle and offers a lovely and large castle, jousting tournaments, hands-on experiences etc. Warwick is an attractive town as well and would be a good place to stay. It's not far from Stratford-upon-Avon where the Royal Shakespeare Theatre there offers behind the scenes tours....advanced bookings strongly recommended.