ITINERARY - 3 weeks
Scotland – Edinburgh > Pitlochry > Isle of Skye > Loch Lomond/Stirling > England – Yorkshire Dales/York > London > Wales – Hay-on-Wye > Newport > England – Oxford > Shilton > Woodstock
Edinburgh
EAT The Gardener’s Cottage [simple but inventive menu; great spot for lunch] The Timberyard [creative menu & with a carefully designed space with a cleaned-up industrial look]
SEE Edinburgh Castle [historic fortress with a very prominent position in the City] Hop-on Hop-off bus [normally I refuse to take the red tourist bus, but since we only had 1 ½ days in Edinburgh and did not have a car, this was a good way to get an overview of the city. It was actually fun!]
STAY we stayed at a friend’s place so I don’t have a recommendation for a hotel
Pitlochry beautiful drive from Edinburgh to Pitlochry with great stops along the way: Taymouth Castle & Grounds; Queen’s View that overlooks Loch Tummel
STAY Atholl Palace Hotel [pretty old school hotel but comfortable and with beautiful grounds and views]
EAT Watermill Bookshop [on the way to Pitlochry stop at this bookshop & café in Aberfeldy – very charming spot] Moulin Inn [historic inn for dinner] Blair Atholl Watermill [after leaving Pitlochry stop at this bakery for breakfast or to buy some snacks for the road]
Isle of Skye stunning island with picturesque fishing villages, very narrow roads crisscrossing a rugged landscape and sheep everywhere. Loved this place!
STAY Bosville Hotel [in Portree, a convenient location to get around the island; very simple inn] The Spoons B&B [we did not stay here, but it is highly recommended by a friend who goes to Isle of Skye frequently]
EAT Sea Breezes [very casual; awesome seafood] The Three Chimneys [more formal upscale meal; also a B&B] Red Roof Café & Gallery [cute spot for lunch]
SEE Eilean Donan Castle [in Loch Duich on the way to Skye; we did not go inside, but we could not stop photographing the outside and setting of this castle] Dunvegan Castle [worth a visit inside] Nest Point Lighthouse [the walk down is relatively easy and from the path you will see stunning views of the high cliffs and the lighthouse itself – it is spectacular!]
HIKE The Storr and Old Man of Storr [Loof of 3-4 hrs RT, 1880’ vertical climb] The Quiraing [absolutely spectacular hike, not very long but with some good climbs; loop of 4.2 miles RT/3 hrs, 960’vertical climb] The Fairy Glen [short hike near Uig; you can do this while touring the island]
Yorkshire Dales a conglomeration of stone-built villages amongst traditional farming landscapes crisscrossed by low drystone walls and hay meadows. This as beautiful a countryside as it gets!
STAY Low Mill Guesthouse [stone-built corn mill in the beautiful village of Bainbridge; super charming B&B]
EAT Low Mill Guesthouse [they will cook a beautiful dinner upon request] Wensleydale Heifer [old pub atmosphere, seafood dinner]
SEE/DO Bolton Castle [14th century medieval castle, don’t miss the birds of prey display – the owls are beautiful] North Yorshire Moors Railway [18 miles of preserved steam railway running through spectacular scenery – if we had time, we would have done this] Walk [there are innumerous walking trails crisscrossing all the farmlands, that even though they are private properties, they sit within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, so visitors have access to these trails. These are wonderful walks through fields full of wildflowers, sheep and old barns. Not to be missed!] Aysgarth Falls [near the village of Aysgarth, these shallow falls over a series of broad limestone steps make up a famous spot. Take the short riverside walk]
London
STAY We rented a house through Onefinestay but it was pretty disappointing. However we enjoyed staying at the Notting Hill neighborhood. Plenty of shops, restaurants & bars, as well as easy access to the subway to get to other parts of the City.
SEE/DO Maltby Street Market [only open on the weekends, this lively market is funky, fun with a combination of stalls, under-arch shops, pop-up bars and eateries] Regent’s Park [beautiful park to walk around] Tate Modern [there are so many museums in London to choose from, it can be overwhelming. If you’re into modern art this is a good place to start] Saatchi Gallery [another great option for viewing contemporary art] Thames River Tour [typically avoid very touristic tours like the plague, however on a very hot day, this seemed like a nice thing to do and indeed it was. It gave us a different perspective of the city seen from the river]
EAT Granger & Co [great for breakfast or lunch in Notting Hill] Dishoom [Indian food in a sexy spot in Shoreditch] Pizza East [either the location in Shoreditch or Notting Hill] Ottolenghi [delicious healthy Israeli-inspired food; various locations; not to be missed] La Fromagerie [amazing cheese shop in Marylebone, with great sandwiches & snacks]
Wales we started our visit on the east part of Wales nearby the town of Hay-on-Wye. It is famous as the town of books! It’s a great base to explore the Brecon Beacons National Park and the Black Mountains. Then we continued on to the west coast, to Pembrokeshire National Park.
STAY The Peren [restored barn in Clifford, near Hay-on-Wye, that has been converted into a 2-bedroom contemporary home – beautiful spot; the river Wye is a short walk (about 5mins) if you like to go for a swim] Llys Meddyg [stone-built Townhouse Inn in a small town called Newport]
EAT Felin Fach Griffin [rural gastropub for dinner, also a charming inn] The Stagg Inn [another beautiful gastropub for dinner and an inn as well] Richard Booth’s Bookshop & Café [good spot for lunch while you explore the quaint little town of Hay-on-Wye] Llys Meddyg [has a few options from an indoor restaurant, a cellar bar and a kitchen garden that is more casual]
SEE /DO Hike Brecon Beacons National Park and the Black Mountains [we did a spectacular hike with amazing views but I unfortunately do not remember the name. It was a relatively short drive from The Peren and the information on this hike was on the owner’s recommendations list] Carreg Cenen Castle [this castle, in a ruinous state, is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, and it has a spectacular setting above a limestone precipice] Tintern Abbey [close to the border with England this is a beautiful monastic ruin, worth a visit] Coastal Path [a continuous trail contours the west coast of Wales. A couple of days walking along this trail is a must. Don’t miss St. David’s head, the Blue Lagoon nearby and Strumble Head and it’s lighthouse] St. David’s Cathedral [a majestic building beautifully situated]
Shilton
Shilton House is the lovely home of our friends Nicola & Tom. It is located in the most quaint little hamlet in the Costwolds. Nicola is an incredible host and cook, and she uses fresh produce from her prolific vegetable garden. Tom pilots the grill and is an enthusiastic DJ. All this sums up to lovely dinners with dancing afterwards.
Woodstock we had a day to kill in the area before flying home so we decided to remain in the Costwolds and visit the historic town of Woodstock.
STAY The Feathers [in the centre of town, walking distance to Blenheim Palace]
EAT Woodstock Arms [village pub &restaurant with a courtyard garden]
SEE Blenheim Palace [monumental country house in a large estate. It was the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Incredibly opulent and absolutely beautiful]
