It's easily walkable distance into town (15mins at a very slow pace...)
If you do a search for "Edinburgh" and my name you will find really good answers when I asked what to do there
Right - I know that there are a fair few Scotsmen on this forum, so I thought I'd ask a simple question...
I will be visiting my brother in September - he lives close to Inverness airport - and on the way back we would like to visit Edinburgh. Ideally, we
would arrive in some place towards the end of the day, stop overnight, then get on a train (or use park-and-ride) into Edinburgh for a day's
visit - I don't want to drive in! We would do the tour, go back to our base for a second overnight stop, then drive off south.
So - where would be a good place to stop - decent hotel, safe parking, easy access to Edinburgh? We don't mind an hour or so's train ride to
and from the city.
Falkirk Grahamston or High, Polmont or Linlithgow stations would all be within around a half hour of Edinburgh on the train.
We stopped at the Premier Inn, Haymarket.
It's easily walkable distance into town (15mins at a very slow pace...)
If you do a search for "Edinburgh" and my name you will find really good answers when I asked what to do there
Inverness to Edinburgh is a straightforward drive, so no point in stopping anywhere north of the city.
Similarly, it seems a bit daft to drive past the city and then get a train to re-trace steps you've already taken.
You'll be coming over the bridge, so you're not all that far from the city centre. I'd just drive into town and stop at the likes of
the Premier Inn at Morrison Link. They have parking (you have to pay) and you're right in the thick of things.
Alternatively, if you really don't want to stay in town, then stop at Crazy Dave Coulthards place at South Queensferry (Dakota). You'll
pass it's doorstep just after you've come over the bridge.
[Edited on 28/7/11 by scootz]
South Queensferry, 15 mins on train from city centre, plenty hotels, pubs, restraunts and a big rusty looking bridge
The aim is to leave Inverness mid-morning, pootle down south visiting the sights, then off to somewhere near to 'burg.
In an ideal world we'd come out of our hotel, stroll down to a nearby train station, and take a scenic ride into Edinburgh. Wander around, do
the tourist thing, eat a bit, drink a bit, then do the reverse journey.
And all the while our car will be safely parked in the hotel car park!
Hence my desire to stay well away from Edinburgh itself... last time we went there it took me an hour to find the way off the inner ring road...
South Queensferry sounds good... en route too...
[Edited on 28/7/11 by David Jenkins]
Glasgow's only 1 hour from Edinburgh by train, and MUCH nicer
Actually - I was surprised by Glasgow! As a sassenach (sp?) I always thought of it as a seedy grotty town, but in fact it is a fine and attractive business city. The only problem I had was finding a city pub! (loads of hotel bars, but very few pubs as we know them in the south).
Stayed here last Christmas - http://www.tenhillplacehoteledinburgh.com/home.html
Walking distance into the middle is about 5 minutes. Parking is crap, but you can park multi storey near to the hotel which is secure...
Top floor rooms have lovely views.
[Edited on 28/7/11 by T66]
I second the Dakota, spent an evening in there and it is great. Good parking and easy and short commute into the town by bus or train for a bit of night life.
Never stayed in the Dakota at South Queensferry however South Queensferry is a really nice small town with a couple of very nice restaurants over
looking the bridges.
Davie
I should add that I've never stayed at the Dakota so can't actually vouch for it. I did stop there for a poo once though and can vouch for
the disabled toilet near the reception! Spacious and clean!
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Inverness to Edinburgh is a straightforward drive, so no point in stopping anywhere north of the city.
Wow! I've just looked at the cost of rooms at the Dakota... 
Special offer -> £79 per person B&B (with a voucher for the grill). Goodness knows what the regular price is...
Will have to think about that...
Poo stops are free though!
quote:
Originally posted by norfolkluego
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
Inverness to Edinburgh is a straightforward drive, so no point in stopping anywhere north of the city.
Be a shame to zoom straight past and not call in at St Andrews and there's some lovely villages on the coast up there, Pittenweem, Anstruther, Crail etc. Outlaws are from that neck of the woods, Lower Largo.
That's the cunning plan - leave Inverness some time in the morning, tour through the notable bits and stop in a hotel in the evening. Our niece is in uni at St Andrews so I'm sure we'll nose around there at least (although she probably won't be there in early September).
make sure you do the coastal path on the way home , its much more interesting than the A1 .
weve always stayed in the premier inn /ibis near grasmarket and also in leith .
so anyway , if you jump on any of the wright bodied B7 RLEs from the lothian bus company , have a look under the back and see if the exhaust is still
on will ya ????
my god , i sound like a bus spotter ........
Worth making a detour to the Falkirk wheel if you haven't been- it is easy to find from the motorways so a quick get in and out.
I've got to say that I'm completely underwhelmed by the Falkirk wheel. It's a pretty grim drive to and from it too!
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
I've got to say that I'm completely underwhelmed by the Falkirk wheel. It's a pretty grim drive to and from it too!
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
I've got to say that I'm completely underwhelmed by the Falkirk wheel. It's a pretty grim drive to and from it too!