Category: Europe

On the way to Edinburgh, the tour stopped at St. Andrews, the home of golf (considered to have the finest golf courses in the world). Prince William also went to university there, and you can visit the café him and Kate had their first date at. The tour let us spend a few hours there in the town. There are ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral and castle that you can visit. I took a stroll along the main streets, stopping at the small shops. It’s a nice town on the coast that’s worth checking out.

Our tour ended in Edinburgh, and we decided to stay an extra day since there is so much to see there, so I was excited to spend a couple of days exploring. I am grateful to a friend for letting me crash at his place so I didn’t have to pay for a hotel for my extra night. We got into Edinburgh late so we were only able to see a show and have dinner; at least I got to try haggis (not a fan). I did enjoy the bagpiper that serenaded us as we came in. We also got a tour of the city on the bus, which gave us some ideas on where to go when we were on our own.

The next day the tour took us up to Arthur’s Seat, the main peak in Holyrood Park. It was beautiful up there in the morning. It is a popular place to go for a walk, and the panoramic views of the city at the top are amazing! Then we were off to Edinburgh Castle! We got a guided tour, and then we were free to roam the rest of the day.

Where Edinburgh Castle is located, there has been a castle since the 12^th century.  This was the residence of the kings of Scotland until 1633. St. Margaret’s Chapel is considered the oldest building in the city. David I built it, and dedicated it to his mother, Saint Margaret. At the castle, you can also visit the War Memorial and War Museum, along with the great hall and Royal Palace. I enjoyed seeing some of the tapestries Mary Queen of Scots embroidered, and of course there are unicorns on them (I love Scotland’s national animal). Take a look at the Scottish crown jewels as well. The castle is one of the most visited sites in Scotland so there are always tons of people there.  The castle sits at the top of the city so the views are amazing! Walk around and enjoy!

After the castle we walked down the Royal Mile…there are so many sites just to see walking along this magnificent street. I had to stop at St. Giles Cathedral, especially to see the ceiling at Thistle Chapel (amazing). The cathedral is the main place of worship for Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. St. Giles is the patron saint of the city, and it has been a place of worship for 900 years. Thistle Chapel was built in 1911 by the Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s Order of Chivalry. This is great stop since it is free, and full of beautiful things to look at.

As we walked to the opposite end of the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace, my friend wanted to stop by at the Scottish Parliament. Anyone can come watch the government in action, which I think is great. After watching them debate, it was on to the palace. The building is controversial since it was built in a modern style that is unpopular in this old, historic city. You must judge for yourself…

Holyrood is Queen Elizabeth’s royal residence when she is in the city, and has been for the British monarchs since the 17^th century. Your admission includes a headset that helps you with your tour, and gives a brief synopsis about each room. I really enjoyed this palace since there is much on Mary Queen of Scots there. Her apartments are open to the public with her rooms preserved, and you can view some of her personal effects. I know she was a terrible queen but her story intrigues me just as much as her famous cousin’s, Queen Elizabeth I. Mary’s is a tale of everything gone wrong.

The royal portraits are pretty spectacular. There was also a display of photos at the end of the tour that was great. I really like the show the Queen, so I really enjoyed seeing Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh’s personal photos…it really brought the show to life for me. The grounds are beautiful so take a stroll through the gardens, and visit the ruins of the Abbey. Holyrood Palace is s must see site, in my opinion.

I recommend walking down the Royal Mile from the castle to the palace. There are plenty of cute shops, and great places to stop at. I love the independent artists selling trinkets (I couldn’t resist a Harry Potter necklace). You cannot see everything along the mile in a day, but we tried our best. We still decided to come back for a couple of things the next day.

After such a busy day of sightseeing we went out to eat, and then headed out for a ghost tour of underground Edinburgh from Mercat Tours. This was a creepy, fun thing to do. The people that were on the tour with us had great reactions. The guide used some of them to reenact stories, and they were good sports. They were some younger kids that were scared. However, the older children were making fun of their dad since his shoe got untied after the guide told us one of the ghosts is known for doing that. The ghost tour took us to Kirk of the Canongate, where Adam Smith is buried. You can also see his statue on the Royal Mile. So ended an amazing, full day in this city. I did so much I have to write a part two, which will conclude my series on Scotland.

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Just a warning that I do talk about Outlander a lot in this post since I am a fan of the books and show. I apologize if you aren’t a fan, but maybe this post will peak your interest. Out tour guide even added extra stops for us since he knew most of us watched the show, so a big thank you to Graham from CIE tours!

The next day it was off to Culloden Battlefield, where Prince Charles Edward Staurt and the Jacobites were defeated on April 16, 1746.  The battle only lasted an hour and a half. Around 1500 Jacobites were killed, while only 300 on the loyalist side (Protestants loyal to the British crown). The Jacobites received support from France, and this where Bonnie Prince Charlie fled after his defeat. This will sound familiar to Outlander fans since the main character Claire worked on preventing this from happening, but you can’t fight fate…

The amazing thing was that the tour took us here on the anniversary of the battle so I got to see the people dressed in their traditional clan gear, playing the bagpipes to their ancestors that died on the field at the memorial. UN representatives came to pay tribute. It was so packed, but really amazing to be there for such a moving tribute. I did also get to see the memorial for Clan Fraser where you can leave flowers in honor of Jamie and his fellow clansmen.

There is a museum there with artifacts from the battle: swords, coins, miniatures, portraits, costumes, etc. The history behind the battle is explained along with the key characters involved. I liked the medicine box on display. Culloden Battlefield & Visitor Centre will transport you back to the 18^th century, and is a must see stop for the Outlander fans.

Our guide was great and took us to see the Clava cairns (human made piles of stones that were used for ancient burial chambers) where the split stone is, which inspired the writer of Outlander, Diana Gabaldon. In the books, Claire travels through time through the stone. I tried my best as you can see, but no time travel for me.

Another great Outlander stop was the Highland Folk Museum, which recreated an 18^th century highland township. The Outlander show has filmed scenes there. It’s an open air museum. You can hike along a trail to visit the 18^th century village where you can talk to some of the residents; they will tell you all about life there. It was cold when I went, so the fire felt really nice! There are other buildings from later centuries there. The kids really liked the school which I think was from the early 20^th century. It is free to get in so it’s a great place to spend a couple hours getting lost in the past…

The day ended at another charming town, Pilotchry, known for its shopping area, and was a resort town for the Victorians. I will remeber it for the shopping since I found an amazing green leather jacket at Macnaughton’s…I had to get it since it was half off(plus it was actually made in Europe)! Plus where else can you find a green leather jacket? It was meant to be! The shops were really cute. My friend bought a cute tartan wrap with a nice clasp. It was the perfect place to relax.

We stayed at the Atholl Palace Hotel where you can get different types of spa treatments. The palace hotel was built in 1871 and feels like a trip back in time. The bar looks like a hunting lodge. Sitting by the fireplace drinking tea and reading Sherlock Holmes (The Hound of Baskervilles) was the perfect way to end the day.

The next day started at Blair Castle in Blair Atholl village in Perthshire, the ancestral home of the Clan Murray since 1629. The chief is the Duke of Atholl, who currently lives in South Africa. The castle can trace it origins to the 13^th century. In the castle you can’t take photographs of the interior, except in the ballroom. The ballroom is beautiful, and looks very rustic. There are props for the kids, but of course my friend and I had to put on the crowns. Even though it was raining, I still went for a walk along the grounds, and found Diana’s Grove, and the statue of Hercules.

There was a bagpiper playing outside, which was a nice touch. He even took requests, and kept the Outlander theme going by playing the Skye Boat Song (used in the opening credits). It is a Scottish folk song commemorating the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie to the Isle of Skye before he left for France.

After the castle visit, we went on a tour of Blair Athol Distilery where we got to sample a “wee dram.” The single malt whisky we tried was only available in Scotland. The tour took us through the process of making whisky, and at the end we got to sample. There are tours devoted to whisky lovers, and whisky trails if that is what you desire to do in Scotland. I’m not a fan, but I liked learning about the process, and trying it was fun. After the whisky tour, we got the rest of the day off to relax.

After that is was lunch and tea at Hettie’s , which was an adorable tea house in Pilotchry. I love the pink and blue color scheme. The earl grey was amazing. My chicken and sun dried tomato sandwich was good too. My friend tried blue tea, which I had never heard of before this trip. All we did was shop the rest of the day, and then go back to the hotel for R&R.

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The next day the tour went to Fort William, and made a stop at Neptune’s Staircase, which is a staircase lock on the Caledonia canal. Then we ventured on to Glenfinnan Monument, which the Outlander fans should know is a monument to Bonnie Prince Charlie. Charles Edward Stuart led a Jacobite rebellion in Scotland in 1745 to wrest control from the British, in order to restore the throne to the Stuarts and Catholicism. The Stuarts believed in absolute monarchy, which led to their downfall. The uprising culminated at the Battle of Culloden, where the prince’s forces were defeated by the British army. The failed rebellion led to the death of highland culture, which was destroyed by the British in retaliation for the uprising.

Near the monument is the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is featured in the Harry Potter movies, since the Hogwarts Express takes this route on the way to the famous school. Since I went in the spring it wasn’t quite as green as it would be in the summer, but it was definitely amazing to see the monument. You can walk along a path to get a higher view of Glenfinnan, and then the Viaduct is right behind.

After that it was on to the Isle of Skye! Getting to the Isle (which means island) of Skye required us to take a ferry. Once we arrived, we went to visit Armadale Castle, which was owned by the MacDonald Clan, but is in ruins for w while. The castle was built for looks, not defense.

The grounds are beautiful, you can hike along different paths. There are even ruins of the old laundry. The Clan Donald Centre maintains the grounds, and is working on restoring the castle. I walked along the blue trail to get a higher view of the land…I hiked through the mud for the view since it rained that day. It was definitely worth it…I felt like I was in a fairy tale walking through the wooded parts…

The Centre had a café so I was able to snack on a scone with clotted cream…one of the things I love about being in the UK is how readily available scones are. The rose lemonade was really good too.

After that we drove past Dunscaith Castle ruins before leaving Skye. The castle is also known as the Fortress of Shadows (great name), and was named after a warrior maiden Scathach, from Irish mythology. It belonged to the Clan Macdonald of Sleat., and by the 17^th century the family had abandoned the castle.

I really was sad to leave Skye, and wished we could have stayed longer. There just wasn’t enough time. Next time I go to Scotland, I want to spend more time in Skye, and see the Orkney Islands. I suggest finding a tour that spends more time there. CIE does have a longer two week called Castles and Glens that looks amazing. A week just isn’t enough time in Scotland…

We couldn’t leave the western highlands without visiting Eilean Donan Castle. I was incredibly grateful to our tour guide for taking us there since the tour only stops at a place where you can see it from afar.  I begged him to let us get a closer look, and he took us to the gates since it wasn’t crowded. This is one of the most photographed spots in Scotland, and you can’t leave the country without visiting it. For the Highlander fans, it is the castle in the beginning flashback scene.

Eilean Donan is on a small island where three lochs meet, and the closest village is Dornie. It is named after Donnan of Eigg, a martyred saint from the 7^th century. The castle was built by the Mackenzies in the 13^th century, but it was later destroyed as punishment for the clan’s involvement in the Jacobite rebellion of 1719. The castle was rebuilt by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap between 1919 and 1932. Even though it was raining when I got there, I still had a great time there, as you can see from my photo. One of my favorite pictures I have ever taken was shot there, and you can see it on my Instagram. Too bad it was a grey day…the sun stayed away.

I did get to stop at another castle on the famous Loch Ness, Urquhart, which goes back to the 13^th century. The castle was destroyed in 1692 to prevent it being taken by Jacobite forces…this is a common theme in the area… It is now taken care of by the state, and a popular tourist spot. We continued our drive along Loch Ness and even took a picture with Nessie…be careful, she bites! I found Nessie earnings…sadly they were a gift so I didn’t get to keep them. The gift shop has many kitschy items you won’t find anywhere else.

We passed through Inverness on the way to Nairn, which is such a charming seaside town on the coast. A walk along the beach there was the best way to relax that evening. It was a really long day, filled with many amazing places and spaces. It was probably one of my favorite days on the trip. It was a day filled with history, beautiful scenery, and castles, which is just what I wanted.

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My trip to Scotland began in Glasgow. I flew from Dublin to Glasgow, and only had time for a quick lunch before our tour of the city started. There were some really interesting murals by our hotel, then we went on a bus tour, and saw George Square, Tolbooth Tower, St. Andrews, and Glasgow Cathedral before stopping at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. I enjoyed the Scottish exhibit which included Mary Queen of Scots, the history of tartans, and the importance of Robert Burns (which you must learn about if visiting Scotland).

There was some fashion from the centuries on display, along with many paintings of aristocrats. The museum is beautiful, especially the hallway. When I went there were while floating heads hanging from the ceiling, which created by artist Sophie Cave. You could spend hours wandering through the various rooms where you will discover works by Caravaggio, marble busts, or art created with stained glass.

The best part was the exhibit on Scottish comic book writers and artists like Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, and Mark Millar. If you read comics, you know that these are some talented gentlemen. There were original sketches and story boards on display, plus the background art on the walls was awesome (Quitely’s art was blown up)!

At the end of the exhibit you could draw your own comic book. The gift shops there were awesome, and I recommend getting some souvenirs if you go since the items are much more unique. This museum is amazing, and I’m thrilled that I got to go! The comic book was exhibit was one of my favorite things to see on the tour.

After returning to the hotel, we had a welcome drink, and got to meet the people on the tour. It was nice because it was group of sixteen. Our guide wore a kilt during the entire tour, and he was very friendly from the get go. We had a driver that also a great guy too. I also had the best beer on the tour at the hotel there: Innis & Gunn, which had a hint of vanilla, and was delicious.

We didn’t have much time in Glasgow and some people came a day earlier to explore. I couldn’t since my tour ended the same day this one started, plus our flight was delayed from Dublin. I would have liked more time there, but I’m glad we chose an extra day in Edinburgh instead.

The next day we set off for Loch Lomond National Park, and stopped at Tarbet for a cruise around the lake. The sun came out for a little then it rained, then it stopped. This was the pattern for our entire time in Scotland: it rained every day, but not continuously. The cruise was nice since we got to see some lovely landscape. After the cruise we stopped at some scenic look outs like the Rest and Be Thankful one. Then it was off to my favorite part: Inveraray Castle.

Inveraray is a small, charming town where we stopped for lunch, and I got to try a cappuccino royale (just has Cadbury chocolate in it). Shopping was fun there since the prices were pretty reasonable. I bought some handmade scarves there. After lunch, it was off to the castle. The tour of the castle was really great. The Duke of Argyll, from the Campbell clan, owns the castle and much of the land in the area. The guide explained who the people in the many painting were, along with a brief history. The weapons on display were fantastic. The clothes on display were beautiful.

Downton Abbey even filmed a Christmas Special at the castle; this is where Cousin Rose’s family lived. They allowed photography which was great. The view from the many windows was beautiful. We even heard some spooky tales like the one about the haunted bed. The gardens are also worth taking a look at, and you can get some great shots of the castle. Definitely a great place to visit and spend a couple hours in…

We ended the day driving to Glencoe which is also has some spectacular landscape. I couldn’t even sleep on the coach since the scenery was so beautiful; I didn’t want to miss anything. We spent the night at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel Ballachulish. The grounds were really pretty, and I went for a walk to take a look at the cemetery that was on one of the islands. I couldn’t go to the island, but I could see it since it was pretty close. There’s also some standing stones on the grounds were you can make a wish to travel back in time to find Jamie Fraser. Even though it was muddy and damp, it was a nice walk. So far my first two days in Scotland were everything and more than what I thought it would be!

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