Blogs from Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe - page 2

Even though I’m sure I could find a cheaper breakfast somewhere I paid ahead of time to have the hotel breakfast. I like to eat and be able to go back to the room to brush my teeth and gear up for the day. I will say the porridge here is pretty good! One lady asked the guy how they made it and he said they use Jersey Cream. She replied they cannot make it as creamy in Germany. Besides porridge there is a selection of bread and small pastries, granola, yogurt, mixed fruits and tea and coffee. The porridge I had in Ireland in 2007 is still the best ever but I cannot express how excited I am to be eating something similar again😊 My castle ticket was pre-booked for 9:30 so I headed out ... read more

Crossing another country off my bucket list! Technically I have been to the UK before when I was one and a half but I have never been to Scotland. Castle ruins, abbey ruins, amazing scenery and the Scottish accent are the reasons I have long wanted to visit. SAS had a great sale where I was actually able to fly into Edinburgh for not a lot of money. I booked the flight back in August and finally the day arrived to leave! Original flight plan was O'Hare to Stockholm, 11 hour layover which would allow me to get out and explore a little bit and then on to Edinburgh. However SAS changed the itinerary and here is how my travel day went. I worked until 2, did some last minute stuff at the house and then ... read more

Picture perfect Plockton, a beautiful village we decided to stop at on our way to the Isle of Skye. We’d found Plockton by chance a few years ago, it sits on the banks of Loch Carron and I can’t imagine a more perfect view. Unsurprisingly it has been the setting for the series Hamish Macbeth, and some scenes in the film The Wicker Man. On the far side of the bay sits Duncraig Castle, having an unusual history told in part in by a BBC documentary in 2002 when 17 family members moved in together and set about renovating it, apparently there were lots of disputes! Currently the castle is in private ownership, but it still has its own train station! Heading on around the coast we arrive at the Kyle of Lochalsh, and the bridge ... read more

We’re on the NC500! a route we’ve been wanting to take for some time, the glorious coast of the wild Highlands. Launched in 2015 by North Highland Tourism, it was intended to be Scotland’s route 66, bringing much needed income to businesses in the remote Highlands. A circular route, north of Inverness. All seemed to be well until ‘lockdown’ and staycations of 2020/21, causing a huge increase in campervans and motorhomes driving the route. We were aware there had been some bad press about motorhomes undertaking the NC500, poor thoughtless driving and camping, making for some really fed-up locals. However, we only found fabulous scenery and friendly people. Its quite a challenge heading into the Highlands at the end of October, most of the campsites are shut so it was a matter of negotiating some ‘off ... read more

Finally arrived in Edinburgh, a couple of weeks later than planned, just ahead of Storm Babet. Expecting the worst, we donned our macs and headed into the city. What a great city to explore, transport was plentiful, and I loved walking the Royal mile in old town. Its no wonder JK Rowling drew inspiration for Hogwarts here, with the turreted, dark stone architecture. It was a race to the castle as we were informed it would be closed tomorrow (due to the storm), we arrived just in time for the 1pm gun salute. The crowds gathered to see a man in uniform light an old WW2 Field gun, which was a little disappointing as I was expecting a cannon! We queued to see the Honours of Scotland (crown jewels) which were impressive, but most atmospheric was ... read more