Expert: David Stewart White - 7/14/2011

Question
Hello,
  My wife would like to go for a week to Scotland to see her ancestral home which is Whitburn not far from Edinborough.  We don't have a lot of money but know penny wise, pound foolish.  Can you give us some help in how to get there and what to do as best and economical as we can?

Answer
Hi

Whitburn is a small town along the M4 highway about halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. You can reach nearby Armadale by rail from either of these cities (30 min from E'burg, 45 from Glasgow). So either of the two major Scottish cities will do as a starting point.  

I don't know how you plan to get from the U.S. to the U.K., but most flights go into London. British Airways (and several other carriers) flies direct from Philly to London. From there its a cross town journey by train/subway/taxi and then a 4+ hour train trip north to Edinburgh.

However, you can fly nonstop from Newark NJ to Edinburgh on Continental airlines.

I guess its all about whether to add the connections in the US or the UK and/or if you intend to visit London on your trip.

Unfortunately, I've never stopped in Whitburn, so I have no real information on the town itself. A good starting place would be the Visit Scotland website (www.visitscotland.com).  My sense is that there is precious little in the town itself to attract tourists, but the Midlothian area in which it is located is filled with interesting thing to do and see. Edinburgh is a historic city and you could easily use it as a base.

Rail transport in this area of the country is pretty good, less so as you move up to the Highlands region.

I hope this helps get you started in your plans.

David STEWART White
(aye, a clan Stewart connection back there somewhere!)