October 14-18
“Scotland is a picturesque country where the people are friendly yet completely incomprehensible. Also, the national delicacy is a sheep’s stomach filled with its liver, lungs, and heart.” – Adam Schlesinger
During our Europe travels we decided to road trip around Scotland. We had 5 days to take in this incredible country and that wasn’t nearly enough time.
Edinburgh
We arrived in Edinburgh by flight from Cork, Ireland. We grabbed our rental car and headed to town to find our Airbnb, The Chaumer Abide. We found this gem and loved it. It had all the extra touches to make it special. Our host even left us a taste of local Scottish whisky, now if that doesn’t put hair on your chest I don’t know what will! It was located close to everything. Walking distance to most everything and right across from the Queen Street Park. We got settled in and walked around the corner to Gusto Italian to get some dinner and take in the local vibe. We had only just arrived and we already knew we liked this city a lot.
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, it’s known for its stunning scenery, historical sites, and vibrant culture. There is a hip and lively culture yet you can feel the strong embrace of the Scottish roots. We couldn’t wait to explore more. Before heading back for the night we found our way into Panda & Sons, a dark, vintage, speakeasy-inspired bar offering a robust wine list, inventive cocktails & craft beer. This place was a treat not only for the cocktails but for the people watching!
The next morning we were up and at ‘um. Per usual we had some ground to cover. First on our list was The Royal Yacht, Britannia. The former royal yacht of the British monarchy that was in service from 1954 until 1997. It is now a five-star visitor attraction in Edinburgh, welcoming over 390,000 visitors a year from all over the world. For its time frame it is quite amazing. I can only imagine what a new one for the family would entail and how glamorous it would be!
From there we made our way to the Edinburgh Castle and Castlehill. This historic beautiful castle sits up at the top of Castle Rock over looking 360 degrees, the city below. On a clear day, the castle provides sweeping views of the city, the famous Forth Bridges, the Bass Rock, and even Highland peaks like Ben Lomond. The castle is more than 900 years old, having been built in 1103 AD. As for the surrounding area, the castle is located near the top of the Royal Mile, a historic street that stretches from the castle down to the Palace of Holyrood house. Close by is Princes Street Gardens, a beautiful urban oasis with plenty of interesting statues and memorials. If you go into the Tartan Weaving Mill shop you can search for and buy your family’s tartan or crest. It’s a cool souvenir to bring home and have as a part of your family history.
Once we had wandered through he shops and taken in the street sights, we grabbed lunch at Copper Blossom before beginning our country side Scottish adventure!
