Scotland the Brave

Scotland. Wow. Just wow.

We spent the past 4 days exploring Scotland and it is just too beautiful for words. The short version of our trip: many, many, many hours spent in a moving vehicle surrounded by gorgeous scenery punctuated by climbing really, really steep inclines in really cold/windy/slightly rainy conditions.

Arthur's Seat aka inactive volcano

The long version:
Day 1: We left London from King's Cross for the almost five hour train ride to Edinburgh (We took the route of the Hogwarts Express!!!). Once we got to Edinburgh, we met our tour guide (little did we know he would be THE most annoying part of our trip) and went on a brief bus tour of the city. Edinburgh is a magnificent city, full of hills. My friend Elise decided we needed to climb the inactive volcano just outside the city.


So, after having lunch at a pub (and being served by a rather attractive waiter) we bundled up and began our trek. And boy, was it a trek. There are sooooo many hills within the city of Edinburgh. You never hear about them, but they are definitely there. Then, we got to climb some more steep inclines (it was a volcano after all). But the view was sooo worth it (as you can see here):

After that, we met up with some friends to have drinks at The Conan Doyle, a pub on the street where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born.

Me in front of the view from the Wallace Monument

Day 2: We got up really early to leave Edinburgh and make our way into the Highlands. Our first stop was the Wallace Monument in Stirling (FREEEEDOM!). Just FYI, he didn't look like Mel Gibson (he probably had red hair and stood at least 6'4) and he didn't wear a kilt. After yet another really steep trek, we reached the top to be rewarded by really picturesque views (and really bracing winds).

Hamish taking a break

On our way to our next stop, we got diverted by a tree in the road. Part of our detour to us past Hamish the Hairy Coo and his girlfriend Heather. Hamish was befriended and saved from slaughter by local school children. He's now 17 years old.

Armed and dangerous :)

After lunch, we went to Fort Augustus on the banks of Loch Ness to the Clansmen Centre for a demonstration of "authentic" Highland life (pre-1745). My friend John and I were dressed in semi-authentic Highland garb (we looked a wee bit ridiculous, but I told myself it was good research). Life in the Highlands was not nearly as romantic and appealing as its made out to be in romance novels :(

Susan and me by the Loch

Loch Ness was quite pretty, but there was no sign of Nessie, although according Chatty McChatterson (our tour guide who would not stop telling stories- very badly I might add- with the bus's microphone up WAY too loud), there is sonar and pictoral evidence enough to hold up in court that she does exist.
We spent the night in Inverness, the only city in the Highlands, in a hostel that could only be described as being in possession of character. Inverness is a very charming little city, although most of us were too tired to fully enjoy it.

Kristi and me in front of the memorial Cairn,
set up by the Victorian to honor the clansmen
who died here.

Day 3: After a quick breakfast at the hostel, we drove just outside of Inverness to Culloden Battlefield, where the Jacobite Rebellion of 1746 made its last stand. I'd only ever really heard the English version of most events in Scottish history, so it was very interesting to hear Chatty McChatterson's Scottish Nationalism POV. I had a few issues with his presentation of facts, but it was still interesting to hear.

After Culloden, we drove to Blair Castle, the hereditary seat of the Dukes of Atholl (the only man legally allowed to have a private army in the world). The castle was very pretty and had a lot of interesting pictures, but it was a bit weird wandering around someone else's house and looking at their family pictures.
When we left the castle, we drove down to the Blair Atholl whisky distillery and learned how they make whisky. I enjoyed hearing about the process of making whisky (and our cute tour guide there- much better than Chatty McChatterson), but I did NOT enjoy the taste (blech!).

Elephant House 

We drove back to Edinburgh that night and my friends and I went to eat at Elephant House, a little cafe overlooking Edinburgh Castle where J.K. Rowling wrote most of the first Harry Potter book. It was very cute and had a great atmosphere. The walls in the Loo (bathroom) were covered with notes to Rowling and quotes from Harry Potter.

Elise and me just outside the castle gates

Day 4: This morning we got to get up and leave the hotel. We went and toured Edinburgh Castle, which is still a working garrison. It reminded me a lot of the Tower of London, except they had a way cooler exhibit for their crown jewels. After that, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and took a really, really, really long train ride back to London.





Overall, it was a very fun trip and one of the most aesthetically pleasing places I've ever been in my life. In a lot of ways (attitude, pride, etc), Scotland reminded me of Texas. Cowboys were really just displaced Highlanders.

Anywho, it is now time for me to go to bed. This is a non-stop, action packed week, so I'll try to update more towards the end of it.

Cheers!