Travel to Manchester England

The 9-day route took us from Edinburgh up to the Orkney Islands and down to Glasgow. Skye and Orkney stood out for their open landscapes. Most days included breakfast and dinner, which saved us the hassle of finding restaurants.

We stayed in a different city almost every night, so packing up and getting on the coach each morning got tiring. But the night in York was fine, and a morning walk along the old city walls made it feel worthwhile.

The nine days took me from Edinburgh up to Skye and back to Glasgow, with something different every day. My favorite stretch was the Orkney Islands—Skara Brae's 5,000-year-old village and the Ring of Brodgar were both worth the ferry ride.

We had to meet at King's Cross at 6:30am, then the train took about four hours. After arriving, we did a bus loop past the Royal Mile and Holyrood Palace. Edinburgh Castle entrance was already included in the tour price, which I found convenient.

We covered over 500 km in one day, heading north from Edinburgh. Glen Coe was the scenic highlight, and after a lunch stop near Fort William, I added the Loch Ness cruise at Fort Augustus. The water was calm and peaceful.