U.K.

As long as you can handle driving on the left! Haven't been there recently to recommend any lodging, but there are thousands of great places. It's a terrific, relaxing kind of trip, the British are exemplary hosts.

Your journey seems ambitious. Scotland and Wales. Don't be mislead by the miles, it is drive time that matters. How many days will you be in Wales? I presume you will only get to North Wales if you have less than a week. I would use Criccieth as a base or Conwy. Both are good for touring Snowdonia National Park, the Llyn Peninsula and Anglesey. It would be helpful if you said how much a night you want to pay. Cheap would be £70 a night for two B&B 2**, £90 for 3***, and £120 + for 4****

For me, driving is the ONLY way to see the UK, and since you’ve already driven on the left, you should have no problems (especially if you have a good navigator!).

Unfortunately, we’ve been unable to do driving trips in UK for several years so I have no current B&B recommendations. However, I will mention one in Scotland we especially liked, which seems still to be in business: in Moffat, Hartfell House, which is really a small hotel rather than the traditional B&B in someone’s home, but intimate and charming. Google it and you’ll find pictures and other info. Every town of any size has a tourist information office which is easily located, and which can help you find suitable B&Bs.

Another option is the Premier Inn chain, which now has many properties all over the UK They are conveniently located, often just off the motorways. Breakfast isn’t included but there is usually a restaurant attached and often there are other food options nearby. They don’t provide the personal contact of the usual B&B but are comfortable, convenient and generally reasonably priced. In later years we found ourselves using them almost exclusively.(Caveat: we last stayed in one almost 10 years ago.)

Things to see: endless. Our favorite Scottish castle is Glamis, the girlhood home of the Queen Mother. Traquair House (just off the A72 near Innerleithen in the Borders area) is the oldest continuously occupied house in Scotland, with ties to Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie. (They have– or at least had-- two B&B rooms, not as exciting as we had expected and perhaps not worth the price, but it was fun to actually spend a night in our favorite Scottish manor house.)

I strongly recommend a visit to a Scotch Whisky distillery, whether or not you ike to drink the stuff, as it is such an important part of the Scottish culture. There are plenty to choose from–our favorites are Glengoyne, at Dumgoyne about 12 miles north of Glasgow off the A81, and Strathisla in Keith, near the northern coast. All are interesting, although one tour is enough..

If you’re in Glasgow, don’t miss the Burrell Collection, one man’s mind-boggling aggregation of all kinds of art and collectibles, which he bequeathed to the city. A museum was built by the city to house it all. Glasgow actually has a lot to offer.

Spectacular drives: up along Loch Lomond on the A82 north from Glasgow and continuing A82 over Rannoch Moor and Glencoe to Ballachulish (the Ballachulish Hotel is nice); and Loch Ness, of course; the Road to the Isles (A830) from Fort William to Mallaig, from which ferries go to Skye. . (My maps are out of date so highway numbers may have changed.) No matter where you point your car, you’re likely to find spectacular scenery.

We’ve spent much less time in Wales than in Scotland, but especially like Tintern Abbey in the southeast..

It’s all great! Just pray for good weather but go prepared for rain and cool temperatures, and enjoy it in any event. I’d be happy to provide further details.

I used to take a vacation to Britain every few years and I always drove. For inexpensive guesthouses or B & B's I would go to the tourist information center (the "i")and use their booking service. I don't know if this is still available, but it was a great, very inexpensive method. Maybe someone who has traveled more recently would know if the "i's" still do this.

We were in Wales and Devon/Cornwall last September and made great use of tourist office bookings. Sometimes they were free, sometimes there was a small fee. If you don't have a phone or laptop with you, this is the only way to do it. In larger towns it can be difficult to find the areas where there are a lot of B&Bs. Have a great trip!