Ralpe's Blog

Welcome to my latest blog post where I share details from our recent vacation to North England and Scotland. This trip took us 3200 km (about 2000 miles) through varied landscapes and historical sites of both countries. From exploring the English countryside to venturing into the Scottish highlands, each location offered unique sights and experiences. In this post, I will show pictures of the major highlights and some lesser-known spots in England and Scotland that made this journey memorable. Whether you’re planning a similar trip or just interested in reading about these places, I hope you find this account informative. Let’s dive into the journey together.

Getting there

Ferry from Hook of Holland to Harwich

Accommodation: Cambridge (July 20 -21)

July 21

Cambridge

• Eucharist Service at St Mary’s
• King’s College
• Downtown Cambridge

Accommodation: Kegworth (Derby) (July 21-23)

July 22

Nottingham

• Nottingham Caves
• National Justice Museum
• Nottingham Castle
• Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem (oldest pub in Britain)

July 23

Haworth

• Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth

Carlisle

• Cathedral (Evensong)

Accommodation: Glasgow (23-25 July)

July 24

Glasgow

• Tea at “The Willow Tearooms”
• Sightseeing Bus Tour
• Glasgow Cathedral
• Glasgow Necropolis

July 25

• Riverside Museum / Transport Museum

Stirling

• Stirling Castle
• Church of the Holy Rude

Accommodation: Coylumbridge (near Aviemore) (July 25-29)

July 26

Highlands

• Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore
• Loch Morlich

July 27

• Loch Ness
• Urquhart Castle
• Inverness
• Uilebheist Distillery in Inverness

July 28

• Church of Scotland Serice in Aviemore
• Tour with Strathspey Railway (Museum Railway, steam engine)

July 29

• Blair Castle in Atholl
• Scottish-English Border

Accommodation: Durham (29 July 29 – August 1)

Durham

July 30

• Durham Cathedral
• Boat Tour
• Evensong at Durham Cathedral

July 31

• Durham Castle
• Evensong at Durham Cathedral

August 1

Holy Island

• Holy Island

Accommodation: Wooler (August 1-2)

• Hotel: Black Bull Inn – cooked English breakfast à la carte. Typical pub and inn with a lot of history.

August 2

Berwick

• Berwick City Wall

Accommodation: Edinburgh (August 2-5)

Edinburgh

August 2

• Princes Street Gardens
• Scott Monument

August 3

• Edinburgh Castle
• Edinburgh Tattoo

August 4

• 11 am Service at St Giles’ Cathedral
• John Knox statue
• John Knox House – Scottish Storytelling Centre
• Writers’ Museum
• High Street: Street Artists
• Fringe Festival: Street Artists

Rosslyn Chapel

5 August

• Rosslyn Chapel

Craigmillar Castle

• Craigmillar Castle

Accommodation: Dundee (August 5-8)

Dundee

August 6

• Verdant Museum (Scotland’s Jute Museum)
• RSS Discovery
• HMS Unicorn

St Andrew

August 7

• Cathedral
• Castle
• University

Perth

August 8

• Scone Palace

Falkirk

• The Kelpies

Accommodation: Doncaster (August 8-9)

• Hotel: Earl of Doncaster (art deco hotel with excellent breakfast)

Ault Hucknall (Derbyshire)

• Hardwick Hall

Accommodation: Colchester (August 9-10)

Gettig home

Distance covered in the UK: 3200 km.

Here is the link to my Flickr Album with all photos. A selection of the photos is below:

Scotland and North England (Selection)

739 photos