Travel Guide to Scotland & England in Nov./Dec. - Part I
Neist Point Lighthouse on the westernmost part of the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to see England at Christmastime? And wouldn’t it be fabulous to observe a fox hunt? Is that even possible?” I mused to myself. And I’m pretty sure that’s what got the ball rolling for our trip to Scotland and England last November/December. Many of you have requested our 12-day trip itinerary and a travel guide with all the recommendations, and you will find that here. And others have asked how we plan memorable trips like this, and I hope this will be useful to you when you start planning your own trip and making those memories.
First things first, the three of us (my husband, our adult daughter, and myself) decided on when we wanted to travel. We wanted to see England and especially London, at Christmastime, but none of us wanted to travel too close to Christmas. And we wanted to observe a fox hunt, and after researching that, I determined that hunt season starts in November. We opted to travel Nov. 22 - Dec. 3, which meant that we missed the Thanksgiving holiday at home, but it also meant having to take fewer vacation days off work for some of us. We opted to have our Thanksgiving celebration about a week early and headed off to the U.K. on a redye flight on November 22nd.
The iconic British fox hunt was the highlight of the trip for us! The spectacle of horse, rider, and hounds was only enhanced by the beauty of a frosty morning in the Cotswold countryside. Location: Charlton Abbots.
Here is our basic itinerary:
Day 1 - leave Boston (overnight flight)
Day 2 - arrive London and catch flight to Edinburgh, Scotland
Day 3 - Edinburgh to Braemar, Scotland
Day 4 - Braemar to Isle of Skye, Scotland
Day 5 & 6 - Isle of Skye
Day 7 - Isle of Skye, Scotland to Lake District, England
Day 8 - Lake District to Cotswolds, England
Day 9 & 10 - Cotswolds
Day 11 - Cotswolds to London
Day 12 - London
Day 13 - London to home
The basics of traveling involve just a few elements: sleep, eat, sightsee/do things, and repeat. To us, vacationing in a really memorable way involves all of those things, done in the best way we can possibly do them.
Our ultra-modern, spacious rental on the Isle of Skye had sweeping views of the water and countryside.
Eating a hearty, Scottish breakfast at the Fife Arms. Location: Braemar, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland.
SLEEPING:
When it comes to where we sleep, we like to feel like we’ve immersed ourselves in the locale. We spent a lot…and I mean A LOT…of time researching lodgings to find ones that enhanced our experience at each place we stayed. We used a variety of sources to find lodgings: AirBnB, Travelocity, Character Cottages (in the Cotswolds…highly recommend!), and more. And we use Google Maps’ streetview feature to check out the surrounding area to make sure it looks safe. And it’s nice to splurge on someplace really nice for at least one night! Our recommendations from this trip, include:
Fraser Suites in Edinburgh - This hotel is just a hop and a skip from the Royal Mile, which makes it super convenient for sightseeing and shopping. The room and bathroom were nicely spacious, which is not always true in the U.K./Europe. We had a commanding view of the city from our room and of a lit Christmas tree in the distance. Bonus!
The Fife Arms in Braemar, Scotland - This luxury hotel in the Cairngorms National Park was everything you expect Scotland to be…tartan, antiques, antlers, and whisky in your room for a nightcap! Definitely a highlight of our trip! If we had it to do over, we’d stay two nights or more.
Skye Lair in Teangue, Isle of Skye, Scotland - This was an ultra-modern vacation rental on the Isle of Skye. Its sweeping views captivated us. Everything one could need was stocked in the kitchen. The home comes stocked with firewood, and it was a delight to warm up by the fire after a cold day of exploring the island.
Stow Cottage Barn in Churchill (Cotswolds), England - This renovated, 3-story barn made of honey-colored Cotswold stone, gave us more than ample room to stretch out. Being centrally located to places we wanted to visit in the Cotswolds made its location ideal. The large, soaking tub, towel warmer, and heated floors in each of the bathrooms made us want to stay forever!
The Falkland Arms pub in Great Tew is the “ultimate” British pub! The atmosphere and food can’t be beat!
Our appetizer at the Falkland Arms, Baked Camembert infused with honey & rosemary, served with rustic bread.
EATING:
Loving food, as we do in our family, eating well is a priority, and just like our lodgings, we like to dine in a way that enhances our travel experience. Eating foods that Scotland and England are noted for is a culinary adventure…and a tasty one! We would encourage you to take every opportunity to eat and/or drink: tea, scones piled high with cream and jam, mulled wine (a definite perk of traveling at Christmas!), fish and chips, curry (in London!), British beers, haggis, Scottish whiskies. and neeps and tatties. And always, always…Sticky Toffee Pudding! And seize the chance to browse through the local grocery stores and pick up a few items that intrigue you. We fell in love with Chocolate Orange Matchmakers, which seemed to be a Scottish Christmas candy. Eat at lots of pubs, like a local. You order and pay at the bar, and the food is delivered to your table. Dogs are welcome in pubs! Make reservations if you’ll be there at a peak time or want to be assured of a table. And we like to leave no local bakery unexplored! Mince pies at Christmas are THE BEST!
The favorite places we ate on this trip were:
Printing Press Bar & Kitchen in Edinburgh - Lovely atmosphere and great food! We ate here on a previous trip and couldn’t wait to go back!
Dunvegan Bakery & Coffee Shop in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye - This is also known as “Skye’s Oldest Bakery” or “The Oldest Bakery on Skye”, as it was established in 1870. It had incredible take-away (Brit-speak for “to-go” or “carry-out”) scones and chocolate cake. Seriously good!
Falkland Arms in Great Tew (Cotswolds area) - This can’t be beat for a quintessential British pub — cozy fire, low-hanging beams, dogs, Barbour-clad locals, and great food!
The Chequers in Churchill (Cotswolds) - This super-cozy pub was walking distance from our Cotswold rental property. We ate here two nights in a row. Their Twice Baked Cheddar Souffle and their French Dip Sandwich (with jalapenos!) were THE BEST comfort foods for the cold, winter nights.
What a thrill to handle this magnificent hawk on the Isle of Skye.
The Old Man of Storr rock formation on the Isle of Skye.
SIGHTSEEING/EXPERIENCES:
This might be the easiest part of a trip to plan, because the whole idea for the trip probably started with an “I’d like to see ___________” thought. By all means plan to see the major highlights of an area when you plan a trip. This being our second trip to England and Scotland, we saw different highlights this time, especially in London because our emphasis there was on seeing London at Christmas.
Our London at Christmas highlights included: ice skating at Somerset House, marveling at the window displays at Fortnum & Mason, attending a candlelit advent service at Westminster Abbey (get in line early), walking down Regent Street and seeing all the angels (made of Christmas lights) whose wings spanned the street, Christmas shopping and browsing at Fortnum & Mason, Liberty, and the Covent Garden area.
The Christmas decorations in London, like these giant mistletoe in Covent Garden, were spectacular!
Crowds at the Christmas Market in Bath. It is located around the beautiful Bath Abbey.
Other Christmas in England travel highlights were the Christmas markets in Edinburgh, Scotland and Bath, England. (These seem to begin about the same time as our American Thanksgiving holiday.) These are traditional, European Christmas markets with small, cabin-style booths selling local wares (everything from woolens to candles) and food and beverages (sticky toffee pudding, mulled wine). There are street performers, choirs singing carols, and a general atmosphere of Christmas merriment that truly feels like jolly, old England at its Christmas best!
Our favorite, non-Christmasy places we visited and experiences we planned on this trip were:
Dunnottar Castle in Scotland - Set on a point overlooking the North Sea, we toured this castle ruin, utterly captivated, for two hours in a steady rain. Worth it!
Neist Point Lighthouse on the Isle of Skye, Scotland - (Pictured at the top of this post.) We never actually walked down to the lighthouse, because the better view of it is to be found if you veer right from the car park (Brit-speak for parking lot). Just breathtaking views!
Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye, Scotland - This iconic rock formation is notorious for hiding in the clouds, but we were fortunate enough and patient enough to wait for the clouds to lift for a view. Go prepared! It is not a stroll. It is a hike. In late-November, it was COLD there, even though it was the warmest day of our trip. Take a snack, water, hiking shoes, layers, etc.
Hawk Walk with Skye Bird of Prey Experience on the Isle of Skye, Scotland - We took a one-hour, guided walk and were able to have the hawk take off and land on our arms. Very knowledgeable guide!
Cooking class at Daylesford Organic Farm in the Cotswolds - My daughter and I took a 3-hr. class on cooking a traditional, British Christmas dinner.
The most memorable moments from our trip were at the fox hunt.
Glasses of port were passed up to the riders.
Fox Hunt in the Cotswolds with Cotswold Horse Tours - This was, hands-down, all of our favorite experience of the trip! I cannot say enough good things about it! *Please note: this is a “dry hunt”, meaning the dogs and riders/horses are only following a fox scent that has been placed on the route ahead of time. No foxes are hunted. Fox hunting is illegal in the U.K.) We met our guide, who led us to a field with a sweeping view of the English countryside, where all the horses, riders, and hounds gathered. We mingled with the riders, outfitted in their tailored equestrian attire, petted the foxhounds, and nibbled on warm sausages and drank glasses of port offered to us. With the sound of the hunting horn, the whole assembled group moved off into the hazy sunshine for their “hunt” and a more magnificent English scene can scarcely be imagined! Absolutely, the high point of our trip!
Got to love the spots on that dog!
Hot sausages on a cold morning…nothing could’ve tasted better!
This post will be continued in Part II, where I will address the questions, “What should I pack?”, “What were your favorite shops?”, and “Do you have any budgeting tips?” Click here to read.
To see a visual history of our trip memories, visit my archived stories on my Instagram account. They are labeled: Scotland 2019, England 2019, and Trip Q & A.
Happy trip planning, my friends! Traveling creates the greatest memories!
