We have been hosting our good friends from California this week. They were with us for three full days, and asked if we could show them Scotland and Wales. “No problem” I said. And then I thought about it, and wondered how the hell it would be possible! Having safely dropped our friends at the airport this morning after our marathon journey, I can say that it CAN be done. It’s a rush, every experience is little more than a taster, but it is possible to show some of the highlights of our beautiful country and let visitors know that there is so much to see and experience here that a longer visit should be planned. Here’s how we did it.
Day 1
We set off from home in St Albans at 7am. Travelling on the dull journey along the M1 and M6 I encouraged my passengers to catch some valuable sleep for the day ahead. First stop was Llangollen, just over the border into Wales and our token Welsh stop. It’s a pretty little town, set in a lush green valley and with a pretty riverside to enjoy, as well as numerous shops selling tacky trickets. We even managed a stroll along the famous canal, and a visit to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, recently awarded World Heritage Status and a very impressive sight.
Lunch was taken rather hurriedly in Chester, with a moment to wander along the city walls and the high street, a chance to admire a few of the great buildings Chester has to offer, and a sample of a great local delicacy – the deep fried Mars Bar! (received the thumbs up all round)
Then on to Liverpool, and after a quick glance around the Albert Docks we jumped on the Magical Mystery Tour bus for a 2 hour tour around the sites associated with the Beatles. It was a lot of fun, even for us having lived close to Liverpool for many years and never having taken the tour.
A short walk through the city, and then back in the car for a drive north to the Lake District, and our first night’s rest at the Old Dungeon Ghyll, high up at the foot of the Langdale Pikes. It’s a spectacular setting, and well worth the extra miles even for the weary driver. A beer and a steak and ale pie soon soothed the aches and pains from the day in the driver’s seat.
Day 2
An early start for an hour’s hike before breakfast and a prompt departure back to the main roads in Ambleside. Our path took us north along the shores of Ullswater, and with a stop in Gretna Green to refresh and learn the history of this infamous border town, we motored on to lunch in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh of course deserves a longer visit, but with our tight itinerary we were able to admire the churches and historic buildings of the Royal Mile briefly before heading for the castle and spending a little over an hour looking around the main buildings in this lofty old fortress/palace.
Then it was onwards again, just ahead of the rush hour and out to Falkirk to see the new attraction in Scotland, the Falkirk Wheel. This mechanical marvel carries canal boats between two canals seperated vertically by around 40 metres. We saw two rotations of the wheel, and our friends were quite taken by this clever solution to an old problem.
From Falkirk it was a short and pleasant drive into the Campsie Fells for a stay in Culcreuch Castle; a remote and romantic setting, popular with couples from all over the world looking for that Scottish Castle wedding.
Day 3
This was both a punishing and rewarding day. After a full Scottish breakfast, it was 4 hours of almost constant driving, through the Highlands and along Loch Ness to Inverness. The stunning scenery kept everyone awake and with photo stops we took in much of the spectacular sights that Scotland is so famous for.
A short lunch in Inverness and a stroll along the river, and then the hire car was dropped at the airport, we hopped onto the Easyjet flight back to Luton and we were home before 6pm.
Reflections
It is a tough tour (for the driver yes, but for the passengers too). There was no time to kick off your shoes and relax. However, I never thought I would be able to show so much of our country to visitors, and the level of appreciation and the sense of wonder at the riches of the UK made it all worthwhile. Our friends were amazed that there was so much to Britain. Visit Britain take note; even travel hardened Americans who have been to the UK before didn’t expect that there was much to see north of London.
I don’t necessarily subscribe to breakneck visits at this pace, but this week has challenged my assumptions. If such a trip can show visitors just how diverse, how beautiful, how friendly and how quirky the UK really is, then taster tours like this can be a great way to sell Britain.
And for us there was a lesson that I will consider in our future travels. Finding good food, the off-beat sight or attraction, and the unusual places to stay is like finding a needle in a haystack without a local native to show you around. Our friends left with the myth of awful British food destroyed, thanks to the many places we showed them; places that we had already found at least once before and could recommend. A little local knowledge can go a very long way in making a trip memorable.
