How to Plan the Perfect Day Trip in Scotland

My name is Elliott Bertrand. I'm a Theatre Stage Management major at the University of Central Florida. I went on the Summer in Scotland program in June 2024. I chose CIS Abroad because of the abundance of different programs and the consistent support from staff, both pre-departure and on-site.

When you’re in another country, it can feel both exciting and daunting having so many new things around you to try and see. When the well of sights has run dry in your university’s town, it’s time for a day trip. Leaving the familiarity of your university can feel scary, but with these tips, you’ll be able to plan the perfect day trip and enjoy the sights stress-free.

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Where Are You Going?

When planning your day trip, the first step is to figure out where you want to go. As a rule of thumb, try to limit yourself to 2-3 big attractions or stops in one day. Any more than that may leave you feeling rushed and unable to enjoy each thing to the fullest.

Budget

The most important thing to consider when planning any trip is your budget. How much money will you be spending? Answering this question will give you a foundation for planning your day trip. Be sure to budget in the local currency that you will be spending in to avoid any confusion. Here’s an example of a budget for an Edinburgh day trip: 

Food

• Breakfast at home: £0
• Lunch: £20
• Dinner: £30
• Coffee/Snacks: £20
• TOTAL: £70

For this day trip, I ate breakfast at home and ate lunch and dinner in the city. I also left some wiggle room for any snacks or drinks along the way. 

Transportation

• Train from Stirling to Edinburgh Waverley (Open Return): £12.10
• Edinburgh Bus Day Pass: £5
• UniLink Day Pass: £3.35
• TOTAL: £20.45

Public transportation is a great and cost-efficient way to get around. In the UK, you can get almost anywhere by train. In larger cities like Edinburgh, bus transportation is everywhere, making it your best option for cost-efficient travel. Walking is another great option for getting around.

Tickets to Attractions

• Leith Witchcraft Market: £0
• Royal Botanic Gardens: £0
• TOTAL: £0

As you can see in this example, both of the things I wanted to do in Edinburgh were free admission. If something you want to visit isn’t free, make sure to ask about a student discount when buying your ticket. You’ll be surprised at how much this can save you when adding up your spending.

Shopping

• Leith Witchcraft Market: £150
• Other: £50
• TOTAL: £200

Make sure to account for shopping in your budget as well. In a city like Edinburgh, there are many little shops everywhere that have hidden gems you’ll want to take home with you. 

Planning

Now that you have your budget, it’s time to plan your itinerary. Do some research to find the opening hours and locations of each stop. Be sure to allow enough time to fully experience and appreciate each place—I like to go with an hour minimum for each stop, but you can adjust this to your preferences. 

• 8:30-8:43 – Take UniLink to Stirling
• 9:10-10:05 – Take Train to Edinburgh Waverley
• 10:20-10:45 – Take Bus to Leith Witchcraft Market
• 11:00-12:30 – Leith Witchcraft Market
• 12:30-13:00 – Take Bus to The Orchard Bar
• 13:00-14:30 – Lunch
• 14:30-14:45 – Walk to Royal Botanic Gardens
• 14:45-16:00 – Royal Botanic Gardens
• 16:00-16:30 – Take Bus back to the City Centre
• 16:30-16:45 – Walk to Frankenstein’s 
• 16:45-18:30 – Dinner
• 18:30-18:45 – Walk to Edinburgh Waverley
• 19:00-20:00 – Take Train back to Stirling
• 20:10-20:50 – Take UniLink back to Campus

While this may seem like overplanning, it’s important to have a guide for your day. Otherwise, you may miss out on something you wanted to do. Think of your itinerary as a guide for your day, not the rule. Take your time enjoying each place but be aware of your ideal schedule.

Conclusion

Now you’re well equipped to go off and plan your own successful day trip! No matter what, remember that this is supposed to be fun—if you find yourself getting stressed by the process, take a break and come back to it later. If you return and you find yourself still being stressed by a certain thing, maybe it’s time to take it off the list (at least for that day). Good luck and have fun exploring the abundance of things your host country has to offer!