Day 10–12: Edinburgh
After a scenic ride up the East Coast with views of the North Sea, we arrived in Edinburgh, which immediately felt dramatic thanks to the castle and the train station’s position underneath it.
The Johnnie Walker Experience was a surprisingly fun and polished way to learn about whisky. It was interactive, well done, and had just the right balance of storytelling and tasting to keep it engaging without feeling gimmicky.
Edinburgh Castle was everything you hope it will be: dramatic, historic, and sitting high above the city with views that make you stop and take it all in.
One of our favorite experiences was the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour. It was a great mix of storytelling, theater, and pub-hopping through the Old Town. I
We also explored the Water of Leith, which offered a much quieter, greener side of the city. It was a nice contrast to the busier Old Town and gave us a slower pace.
Day 13–14: Glasgow
A short hop from Edinburgh brought us to Glasgow, which felt grounded and authentic in a way that’s hard to put into words. Instead of chasing landmarks, we focused more on atmosphere and everyday life.
A standout experience was a Glasgow Food Tour. It was one of the best ways to understand the city—moving through different neighborhoods, sampling local food, and learning how deeply food culture reflects the city’s working-class and immigrant history. We were thrilled to learn that our favorite Chicken Tikka Masala was invented here!
We also visited:
Tenement House Museum
A preserved early 20th-century apartment that felt incredibly personal and real, like stepping directly into someone’s life.
Glasgow Necropolis
Hauntingly beautiful, with sweeping views over the city, intricate monuments, and a quiet atmosphere that is also famed for being featured in Spider-Man.
Day 15–17: Lake District
Took the train straight from Glasgow down to Penrith, which was a great jumping off point for The Lake District, which was our grand finale and where everything naturally slowed. Between walks and lakes, we also explored some smaller heritage sites that added context to the landscape.
We visited:
Derwent Pencil Museum
Much more interesting than it sounds, a quirky and surprisingly engaging look at a major local industry.
Stott Park Bobbin Mill
A small but fascinating reminder of how closely industry and landscape are connected in this region.
We enjoyed time in Hawkshead and Lake Buttermere, but found Bowness on Windermere and Ambleside a bit too crowded for our taste.
One of the absolute highlights of the entire trip was climbing Cat Bells in the long evening light. The soft sunset glow made the entire landscape feel almost unreal (loved the fact that it stayed light out intul 10 in May)
The mix of forum suggestions, walking tours, and small, thoughtful experiences gave the trip real depth. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!
Now for some awards:
Best Fish & Chips - Salt & Malt Bristol / Runners-up: Poppie’s London and Miller’s in York
Best Pub - Ye Olde Mitre in London / Runners-up - Sheep Heid Inn in Edinburgh and The Pot Still in Glasgow (thousands of whiskies!)
Best Cheap Food on the Go: Gregg’s and any pasty from any bakery.
Best Beer - Timothy Taylor Landlord / Runners-up: London Black Porter and Innis & Gunn Lager
Best Tour - Look Up London / Runners-up: Street Art Tour Bristol and the Quirky Pubs & Crooked Streets of York
Best Hike - Arthur’s Seat hands down / Runners-up - Dales Way from Grassington to Appletreewick and Cat Bells in the Lake District
Best Overall Tip - BritRail Pass is worth it, becausee we had to change plans at the last minute many times and we would have been screw