How to get a painting up to Edinburgh

[Minitoots]

I need to get a painting up to Edinburgh before 29th December to a local art courier who will then store it for delivery to the Royal Scottish Academy building on 29/12/16

The painting is quite large - 89cm x 71cm including the frame and is a box frame with glass so it quite fragile.

Art couriers are proving very expensive in their quotes (not surprisingly given the distance)

I'm trying to think of alternative but safe ways of getting it there - has anyone got any ideas?

Or.... is anyone driving to anywhere in or near Edinburgh this month who would be interested in quoting to take it up and in their car for a fee? The local art couriers up there said they can pick up from in or near the city but it would probably need to be earlier in the month rather than later to be on the safe side...

http://studio-se22.com/dress-paintings/estellas-dress-pre-selected-for-rsw-winter-exhibition/

[lavender27]

BA - With an air hostess, and a note on it reading " please look after this painting".

[Applespider]

Airlines aren't quite as helpful as they used to be as the airports are stricter about what you can get through. I have managed to bring a couple of 50x50 frames through but I'm not sure their 'wardrobes' now would really have room for anything bigger.

My other suggestion would be anyone going up by train (if not on a rush-hour one) if you can 'string' the frame and bubble wrap so it can take a little bit of handling. If the carriage is quiet, someone could keep it alongside or you could chat up the guard to put it somewhere out of the way in the guard's van (I've done this with 50cm frames). My sis has just left on a more or less empty train to Edinburgh unfortunately.

[Minitoots]

Maybe a train could work for bringing it back if it's not sold in January when trains would be quieter...

I can't get there up myself in December and trains would be impossible to try and take something of that size in the run up to the festive season, so I'm only considering road based forms of transport....

[red devil]

I've used Shiply for furniture, including fragile ornaments, after seeing a rec on here. Once you fill out your details you receive quotes from courier firms. What tends to happen is that your item will be part of lorry/van full of other items being couriered, which means the quotes are a lot cheaper than a single courier delivery... http://www.shiply.com/

Whatever method you use, make sure you use plenty of bubble wrap, especially to the corners...

[ocharsley]

http://m.packsend.co.uk/ - they will collect from your house, package and ship the piece.