Originally Posted by
Michilander
We have a trip coming up to Dublin and Edinburgh. Have rented apartments in both, but left one day between the rentals. Part of the group would like to spend the extra day in the Highlands and I was looking for recommendations for a destination that could be reached easily by train from EDI. Some place where they could see a little history and some scenery while on foot or public transportation. Thanks.
I assume you're talking about spending the night wherever you go, meaning you should have a 24-30 hour window for your excursion. Inverness is 3.5 hours by train from Edinburgh, has its own castle, and is walkable and very pretty along the River Ness. You'll probably catch more scenery on the trip up and back, but if you want to double your train time, I've been told that the train from Inverness to the Kyle of Lochalsh (about two hours each way) is one of the most scenic trips in the British Isles.
Shorter trips could be made to Stirling, Pitlochry/Edradour, Glasgow, St. Andrews, or North Berwick. Stirling is about an hour by train from Edinburgh and also has a Castle, a University, and tons of (bloody--think William Wallace) history. Pitlochry/Edradour is about two hours away, gets you just into the Highlands, has shopping and restaurants, plus a whisky distillery in Edradour. Glasgow has frequent train service from Edinburgh, is about an hour away, and has a number of attractions, shopping, and restaurants but is in no way scenic.
St. Andrews is about an hour away (with a short, easy connection by bus), takes you across the Forth River Bridge, which is spectacular, and is much more than just a place for golfers. The ruins of the Cathedral and Castle there are amazing, a stroll through the University area can be nice, there are a lot of shops and restaurants, and the vibe in and around the Old Course, including the pubs clustered there, can be a lot of fun even if no one in your group plays golf.
I'm somewhat partial to North Berwick, if for no reason other than it's a quick 30-minute trip from Waverley with frequent service. North Berwick is a small, walkable town with some shopping and a decent number of good restaurants. The Seabird Centre there was more than I expected, and if you don't mind a short walk outside town plus a short and relatively easy climb (no rappelling required), Berwick Law is a good use of a couple of hours--the views from the top, about 600 feet up, can be wonderful unless the fog rolls in from off the coast. And even with fog, you'll see wild horses that live and graze up near the summit as well as the synthetic whalebone (replacing the original, real one) that sits atop the Law and that was a landmark for sailors in the days before more reliable maritime aids became available.
All of these towns/cities have plenty of accommodations available.