By Ursula Maxwell-Lewis
“Edinburgh’s got the bills, and Glasgow’s got the cash!” Clearly I’d struck a nerve by asking the elderly Scot his opinion of Edinburgh City Council’s decision to re-introduce trams to the ancient city centre. From the original £375million estimate taxpayers fear the project will exceed £1billion by 2014. Standing on the grand Missoni Hotel steps the unvarnished, no-holds-barred, local opinion of civic politics was refreshing…and colourful.
Regretfully tearing myself away from my informant, I clambered aboard the idling Insight Vacations coach. Dreaded road works aside, Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and other charms of the great city, remained intact and beckoning.
“Scenic Britain”, the new Insight Vacations seven-day whirlwind glimpse of England, Scotland, and Wales, was to be my introduction to a new senior experience – touring by coach.
Edinburgh was the only two-night stop on the itinerary, and I was taking full advantage of all that was offered.
A kilted city guide conducted a well-versed tour of Edinburgh Castle. The tiny St.Margaret’s Chapel tucked into the battlements, Mons Meg (the strictly business canon), and the 15th century Honours of Scotland (the Scottish regalia and Scottish Crown Jewels) intrigued our group of Australians, Canadians, Asians and Americans. Insight is noted for small groups, large coaches with extra leg room, and well-appointed, centrally located, hotels. Edinburgh’s Missoni is within easy walking distance of the castle, and that intriguing plethora of stolid stone historic buildings and cashmere and kilt shops, the Royal Mile.
Earlier in the week, we had left central London and explored Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon Avon home flanked by gardens dotted with poppies, and spent a brilliantly sunny afternoon exploring The Shambles, a rabbit warren of shops in the shadow of York Cathedral. Here, the importance of noting coach number and departure time and location were demonstrated when a fellow traveler vanished. Our worried Tour Director,`John Brackenridge, delayed as long as possible before enlisting the aid of the local constabulary. During dinner at the Majestic (a rambling Victorian hotel with a delightfully informative local receptionist), our missing mate was, to John’s relief, returned none the worse for wear.
I’d like to have explored more of North Yorkshire, but Durham with its UNESCO World Heritage cathedral and castle was next on our list. Well worth exploring, Durham is hilly, and rambling. Since 1832 the castle has housed Durham University.
Gretna Green (less touristy during my parent’s honeymoon there in 1940), was included in our swing through Scotland, plus all-too-brief samples of Wales via Conwy and Carnarvon, we wheeled back south through the Lake District to Liverpool. Investing £13 to join local tour guide and big time Beatles fan, Sylvia O’Malley, for a visit to the Cavern Club was worth every penny.
Stonehenge, plus a brief visit to the spa town of Bath, rounded out our tour.
Although a good introduction to coach travel, we covered a lot of ground with a worthwhile selection of highlights. Interesting to note, my travelling companions were all doing back-to-back coach trips either to Europe, or over to Ireland.
Ursula Maxwell-Lewis was a guest of Insight Vacations and Visit Britain. She can be reached at utravel@shaw.ca or on Twitter @YouTravel. “My Little Welsh Home” video http://goo.gl/05yDI