Taking the Low Road

Do we really know how to travel the UK on the cheap?

Oh, baby. Do we ever. Scots who claim they have shallow sporrans have nothing on us.

Though our Scottish ancestors came to the New World seven, eight, and nine generations ago and we’re thoroughly American by now, the thrift gene is still very deeply encoded in our DNA. And apparently, it’s there to stay. The Scots who claim “shallow sporrans”? Rank amateurs.

My husband paints Scottish subject matter, and I manage the business end of our Scottish art website. We had to find a way to get our own photos (for reference, once back in the States) and collect our own research information without emptying our sporrans – and we did.

To date, we’ve traveled in the British Isles for a total of 17 weeks. During all that time, we relied on hotels or B&Bs and public transportation only a handful of days. The rest of the time, we stayed in private homes and drove ourselves around. And lived to write about it, I’d just like to point out.

Our goal when visiting the British Isles (beside shooting a bazillion photos) is to get the most we can – of the culture, history, and art of our ancestors – for the least amount of money. We don’t go to shop; we live in the U.S. – one gigantic shopping mall – for Pete’s sake. If we can’t buy it here, we’re just not trying hard enough. We also don’t travel abroad with the intent of eating our way through a country; we’re watching our svelte figures.

If shopping and eating are your main reasons for touring Scotland – or any other country – stop right here and go do something else. You don’t want to hear what I have to say. If doing things – anything – on the cheap is an affront to your sensibilities and basic nature, you, too, need to find something else to read.

But if you’re dying to see “the Mother Land” and are wanting (or needing) to do it as inexpensively as possible, read on. I’ll tell you what we’ve done to shave costs and get the most from our trips abroad. Who knows? You might just decide that if we can do it, you can too, meaning you can take that trip you’ve dreamed about but never thought you could afford.

It’d be a nice little bonus for us if someone else could profit from our hard-learned knowledge. Let us know how you fare.