I'm planning a trip and looking for recommendations

[cessna152towser]

The south of Scotland has a lot going for it. Turn left at Gretna for the Solway Coast and the Galloway forests. The train will take you as far as Dumfries where one of our members, Pour1Malt, is co-owner of Ferintosh Guest House along with his wife. Bus will take you from Dumfries to many of the coastal resorts or start points for forest walks or the train will take you the long way round via Kilmarnock and Ayr and then back south to Stranraer.
Or continue north to Glasgow, my favourite city, renowned for its friendly people who will attempt to make conversation with you if you can understand the local dialect. In summer season there are river boats from Glasgow to the Clyde Coast.
I'm on the tourist road, A7 between Carlisle and Edinburgh. An interesting route if you are into history due to the many historic tower houses, which were basically small castles or fortified farm houses, built in the days of Anglo-Scottish border feuds. No trains on this route but there are buses from Carlisle to Hawick and Galashiels from where you can catch a train to horrible Edinburgh, I recommend you give it a miss. If you do have the misfortune to land in Edinburgh, catch a train from there for a scenic ride across the Forth and Tay bridges to the vibrant city of Dundee where you can climb the Dundee Law in the middle of the city, enjoy good shopping, some interesting museums including the new Victoria and Albert and a fine waterfront promenade along the shoreline of the Firth of Tay.