Our Family’s 8 Day Trip
Day 1: We traveled about 4 hours (230 miles) from Gloucestershire (North Cotswolds) to Penrith which is in the Lake District. If you’re coming from London it would take about 5 hours to get to the Lake District, not including stops. We stayed at the Premier Inn in Penrith. We can often get a family room for around £80 or $100 a night. This hotel was next to a nice grocery store which was very convenient!
Day 2: We enjoyed the majority of the day at Lowther castle, which boasts beautiful gardens, ruins, a pretty cafe, shop, and honestly the most EPIC playground we’ve ever experienced. There’s also a lovely forest area to walk through and a lookout spot for breathtaking views of the Lake District.
That afternoon we headed up in Inveraray—about a 3.5 hour drive and stayed at a bed and breakfast.
Day 3: We left late morning and headed for Inveraray castle which is well with a visit. It was the fictional Duneagle castle in the television show Downton Abbey. We then headed to Fort William as advised by multiple people since there aren’t large grocery stores near Dornie.
After shopping at the Morrison’s in Fort William and being charmed by all the accents and friendly folks, we continued on to Dornie, technically 1.5 hour drive, but took us much longer as we kept pulling over to take photos and bask in the gorgeous views!
We arrived in the evening to our Airbnb in Dornie where we were melt by the kindest lady with a beautiful lilt.
Absolutely recommend this home!
Day 4: It was Sunday and we decided to completely chill. In the afternoon we went to a lookout point to see Eilean Donan castle, and then we drove for a bit and found a pullover spot that appeared to be an old camping spot. With young children (and forgetting the carrier) we knew a major hike to a waterfall wasn’t in the works for us, but we had the most precious time as a family just walking around this area a bit and sitting together.
Another beautiful, nearby spot to explore is a memorial site near a church ruins called Clachan Duich Old Burial Ground.
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Day 5: We explored Eilean Donan castle! This is one of my favorite tourist spots we’ve visited. So well done and such kind employees.
Day 6: We visited a whimsical fairy-themed cafe spot called Manuela’s Wee Bakery. They had a pizza shop, distillery, little trail for children, and a bubble machine! They even gave the children balloons!
After the cafe we got in the car and Eric just wanted to drive, so we went to Isle of Skye, which was only about 30 minutes if memory serves me.
I also got away earlier that morning to write and reflect back at the castle. The Airbnb was close enough to walk!
Day 7: Sadly time to leave—we drove over 6 hours back to the Lake District, but made a fun and serendipitous spot by Loch Ness! The coordinates are here if you want to make a ten minute spot and “search” for Nessie. Please use caution!
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Late evening we made it to our Premier Inn in Kendal, a town in the Lake District. This Premier Inn seemed a bit understaffed. Our room wasn’t fully made up and the cleanliness wasn’t at the level I’d prefer. However, the staff was kind and it was a fine, affordable option for one night.
Day 8: We left our hotel in the morning to visit The World of Beatrix Potter (for the second time)! This is an immersive, sweet experience for little ones and really all fans of Potter’s work. It’s fascinating to discover—beyond the drawing and writing—how she was a pioneer in merchandise, business, and conservation, as well as was a scientist and researcher of fungi!
From there we went to her home, Hill Top house—which is a National Trust site, about a 25 minute drive from The World of Beatrix Potter. My daughter and I spend a few hours enjoying her home and gardens, while also savoring a treat from the little cafe shed there.
There is a playground just down the hill from her home, and we found in a wonderful place to get out extra wiggles before the drive home!
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We left early afternoon and arrived back at our home in the Cotswolds that evening.
Hope this helps and you have a marvelous, peaceful time in the beautiful Highlands.
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