Without a doubt, this trip to Edinburgh, Scotland was hands down the best trip of the summer. The weather may have been a bit rainy at points, but I don’t believe that there is a better way to see the Highlands than with a little fog to enhance its mysterious beauty. I hope you feel the same when you see the photos from this weekend.
Day Fifty-Eight
Today was another travel day, but not like any other travel day I’ve had thus far. I took the Eurostar from Paris Gare du Nord to London St. Pancras via the Chunnel. It’s a tunnel that runs under the English Channel (and underwater tunnel, something my civil engineer friends can appreciate). A note of wisdom for those wishing to take the Eurostar: treat it as an airplane, not a train. Otherwise you’ll get there late, miss your check-in time through customs, and miss your train. Not like I know from personal experience or anything…
My cousin, Sara, picked me up and helped me get situated to life in the United Kingdom. Banbury is now my home base from where I will travel to Scotland, London, and Oxford. I am very grateful for her and her family for being extremely hospitable, so thank you!
Day Fifty-Nine
After sorting out my luggage between two suitcases and one backpack, I was packed and ready to travel to Edinburgh, Scotland for a quick holiday. Six hours of train travel brought me to an exceptionally beautiful city with cobblestone streets, bagpipe musicians, and great whiskey. My hostel was right on the Grassmarket Square, which hosts a street market certain days of the week and has several restaurants and pubs. A short walk from Grassmarket Square brought me to the Royal Mile: a historic street that leads right up to the Edinburgh Castle. The castle was closed when I arrived, but I managed to find a great spot for a quick photo.
One thing I wasn’t prepared for was the dinner time rush around 6:00 pm. In France, I was accustomed to eating dinner later in the evening, around 7:30 pm. When I walked up to a restaurant around 6:45 pm, there were wait times running forty-five minutes or longer. After searching high and low for a seat, I found one in a small pub off the Royal Mile. I treated myself to a trio sampler of local beers, a juicy burger and cranachan, a traditional Scottish dessert that consists of whipped cream, oats, raspberries, and whiskey.
Day Sixty
Today was the day that I longed for since the beginning of the summer: a Haggis Adventures tour through the Scottish Highlands. Haggis Adventures is a highly-rated tour company that has one, three, and six-day tours that take tourists throughout Scotland. Due to my time constraints, I signed up for a single-day tour that took us through Stirling, Glencoe, and Loch Ness (complete with a cruise on the loch). To say that I was excited would be an understatement.
Camera at the ready, we set off from Edinburgh into the interior of Scotland. Our first stop was in a small town outside Stirling for restroom use, souvenirs, and food. The town was known as “the gateway to the Highlands,” and the scenery confirmed this easily. There were two hairy coos ready for their close up on site, and as a lover of creatures great and small, I couldn’t resist.
With bladders empty and imaginations full, we set off for Glencoe. “Glen” is a Gaelic word for a valley, and a huge valley it was (the largest in Scotland, I believe). According to the tour guide, Glencoe is the location featured in most films featuring Scotland. Check this off of the list of famous movie and television sites I’ve visited! Aside from its Hollywood history, Glencoe is a breathtaking site by itself. The fog from the rain really added a dramatic feel to the scene.
The heart of Glencoe.
From Glencoe, we headed north through the Great Glen. This area contains four major lochs (lakes), including Loch Ness on the northernmost point. Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest peak (and the highest peak in the United Kingdom), is also located in the Great Glen. They say you can see the top of Ben Nevis only fifty days out of the year. Today was not one of those fifty days, unfortunately. We also stopped and paid our respects at the Commando Memorial. The Commandos were one of the first trained military groups in the world, and their training occurred in the Great Glen of Scotland. Their skills were used during both world wars, and people from all over the world come to see the memorial.
Commando Memorial in the Great Glen.
Now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Loch Ness. This loch is exceptional for a variety of reasons. Firstly, Loch Ness is formed on the fault line that splits Scotland into two halves. Each side of the loch is comprised of a different tectonic plate: you can “see” North America when looking west and Europe when looking east. The loch is twenty-three miles long, a mile wide at its widest point, and deeper than the North Sea. Due to the peat in the soil, the color of the water is dark brown-black. This helps keep Loch Ness at an icy 5°C throughout the year. The dark color also makes it easy for a legendary sea creature to hide from the world…or does it?
There have been recording Nessie sightings dating back as early as the late 500s A.D., when several sailors were reportedly killed by a mythical beast in Loch Ness. A monk even attempted to exorcise the beast away, but sightings continued. In the 1930s, a famous photo was published of a long neck and head, presumably of Nessie. There is a great deal of evidence leaning toward and away from Nessie’s existence, but I leave that for you to research. We know more about the surface of the moon than we do the bottom of our seas and oceans: who knows what’s out there?
Regardless, Loch Ness is exceptionally beautiful. Nessie sightings or not, I was satisfied with my photos.
Out on Loch Ness.
After the river boat cruise, it was time to return to Edinburgh. My time in the Scottish Highlands had come to a close, and I was sad to leave. The Highlands are full of mysteries, some are hiding deep in lochs and others in a different time. I will return someday, and maybe discover something else unexpected.
Upon my return to Edinburgh, I walked around the beautiful city one last time before settling in for dinner. A delicious lamb shank with mashed potatoes in a red-wine and rosemary sauce was on the menu (the meat fell right off the bone). The next day, I grabbed my bags and was on my way back toward Banbury. Time to get some sleep, because I need my energy to take on London!
Photos from Edinburgh and the Highlands can be found HERE.
Wanderlust 