Scotland!

Angela and I had a great time in Scotland! In fact, we saw so many things and took so many pictures that when I finally sat down to write about it I didn't really know where to begin. Even though we were only there a week, I think I would have to put Scotland onto my list of favorite places. One of the reasons I liked this trip so much is that we were able to get out into the country. Usually when we are traveling abroad, we spend most of our time in cities. They are easier to get to and once you are there you can use public transportation to get around. Cities are great, but the Highlands were one of the things that drew us to Scotland, so I knew that I would have to find a way for us to get there. I'm very glad I did.

I'm going to let my pictures tell most of the story this time, giving you a little break from my history lessons.

Despite what I just said about wanting to get into the country, all the guide books say that every visit to Scotland should include a visit to Edinburgh, the capital. I'm glad that we started there. Edinburgh's Old Town is very walkable, and most of the tourist sites are along the "Royal Mile" between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace at Holyroodhouse. 

Edinburgh Castle is right in the center of the city. If you've been following the blog, you know I love castles, and this was a great one. Construction on it began in twelfth century and it's still being used, so it has many layers of history. I didn't take this picture myself. It's a great perspective that I only had from a moving bus.

I love how the castle is built right into the mountain, which is an extinct volcano.

The Castle offers great views of Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth, which leads to the North Sea.

Walking from west to east along the Royal Mile, most of the businesses are tourist oriented. Usually that would be a turn off, but I was impressed by how authentic most of them were. It is clear that the Scottish people are very proud of their history and heritage and they are eager to share it. If you visit, don't be afraid to stop in the Tartan Weaving Mill or the Scotch Whisky Experience.  I also recommend  dinner at The Witchery, but make a reservation and bring your credit card!

St. Giles Cathedral, a 14th century church named after the patron saint of Edinburgh, is the next major site along the Royal Mile.

The Scottish Parliament building, completed in 2004, is a huge contrast to the Medieval buildings that can be seen along the Royal Mile. The complex is pretty amazing and it's impossible to do it justice with just a couple of pictures. Click here to see more.

Along one wall of Parliament are quotes from famous Scots. This was one of my favorites.

At the end of the Royal Mile, opposite the castle, is the Palace at Holyroodhouse, the official Royal Residence in Edinburgh. 

Adjacent to the palace are the ruins of Holyrood Abbey, built in 1128, about the same time that construction began on Edinburgh Castle. 

If you have time to see something other than the Royal Mile while you're in Edinburgh, I'd recommend Grassmarket Street. It's where all the historic pubs are. Our favorite was the White Heart. Get a pint of Belhaven 80 Shilling Ale, you won't be disappointed.

After a couple of days in Edinburgh, we left on a three day tour of the Highlands. We went with a tour group called The Highland Experience. They made all the arrangements for our overnight stops and the driver served as our tour guide. I was a little reluctant to travel with a tour group, but I was even more reluctant to rent a car.

Despite my initial reluctance, I think that these tours are the best way to see the Highlands, short of renting a car and setting off on your own

Our three-day tour of the Highlands with overnight stops on the Isle of Skye and in Drumnadrochit, on Loch Ness.

Stirling, where this photo was taken, is sometimes called the "gateway to the highlands." This is a monument to 13th century Scottish hero Mel Gibson . . . I mean William Wallace, aka "Braveheart."

Eilean Donan Castle. Originally built in the 13th century, it was destroyed in the 18th century, and then rebuilt in the 20th century. An amazing sight.

A short distance from Eilean Donan Castle, we crossed over a bridge and onto the Isle of Skye. I don't think that I had heard of Skye before I started looking into tours of the Highlands, but I remember that when we first talked about Scotland, Angela said that she would like to go to one of the islands. I'm glad she did because this turned out to be the highlight of the trip. As we were leaving she said: "Thank you for taking me to the Inner Hebrides." That's not something you hear every day!

This is Kilt Rock waterfall, near the northernmost point on the Isle of Skye

This view is in the other direction from the photo above. It's one of those places where your brain doesn't want to believe what your eyes are seeing. I had that feeling several times in the Highlands.

After the Isle of Skye, our next stop was Loch ness. I remember reading about the Loch Ness Monster when I was a kid. At the time, Loch Ness seemed like one of those far away places that isn't quite real. Even with all the traveling that I've been fortunate enough to do, it wasn't a place that I ever thought I'd end up, so I was pretty excited when I saw it on the itinerary of our tour. I can't say that it looked like I had imagined it when I was a kid, but I was definitely not disappointed. In fact, taking an hour boat ride on the loch was one of the highlights of the trip for me. If you ever find yourself in Drumnadrochit, on the banks of Loch Ness, be sure to eat at Fiddler's. The grilled loch salmon and haddock stew that I had there was the best meal I've had in the UK.

Believe it or not, we spent Halloween on Loch Ness. No monster sightings on our boat trip, but it's not hard to understand why such legends have persisted. Its deepest point is 755 feet. (I saw Angela look around for the life preservers when the Captain said that!) 

I wasn't sure where to put this photo, but Highland cows are cool and this guy needed to be in my blog.

After returning from the Highlands, we had one more night in Edinburgh before returning to London. This gave us time for another evening trip to Grassmarket Street and another morning walk around the city. Although we had traveled to Edinburgh by train, we decided to fly back. The train ride there had been broken up by our stop in Northumberland, but the trip home would have taken ten hours! With Angela's visit coming to an end, we didn't want to spend that much time on a train. Flying time was only about two hours.

I love Scotland!

In re-reading my entry I realized that without planning to, I wrote it as if it were a travel guide for a week in Scotland. I thought about a rewrite, but I decided to leave it that way, hoping that maybe it would convince some of you to make the trip yourselves someday. Even if you never make it to Scotland yourself, I hope that you've enjoyed reading about our trip!

See you next week back in London!
Cheers!