Ahhhh Scotland you are indeed a treasure to behold. No wonder the late Queen Elizabeth II loved this country and spent her last days here. We had the privilege to be in a country where we walked where kings, queens, princes, princesses, knights and kingsmen walked. Follow me as I cover the second leg of our recent European summer trip.
Day 1: Stepping into Edinburgh is like stepping into medieval times with its castles, palaces, watch towers, cobblestone walkways, arches, doorways, alleys, and more. Arriving from Dublin, we explored the city right away. We walked to the Princess Street Gardens from our hotel. Entering on the west side showcases the floral clock commemorating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (she was still alive when we were there). Walking further, we found more statues signifying partnerships with other countries and historical milestones. The sprawling green lawns are a haven to those just relaxing and having picnics together. Find the Ross Fountain for a good photo opportunity with the majestic Edinburgh castle and the fountain as your background. We walked further to the Grass Market and Royal Mile. This is a happening area with good restaurants all around. We had our dinner at a fish and chips place. I mustered the courage to try Haggis. This is a Scottish dish containing sheep's innards (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, and encased in the sheep’s stomach. It is banned in Canada and US because of the use of sheep’s lungs which is found to pose some health risks. I would say that good thing, I opted for a fried one and paired it with a neat Johnnie Walker Black scotch. I find Haggis a bit strong for me, even its aroma. Oh well at least I’ve tried it. Walking off the food we ate, we see more lovely sights along the Royal Mile including buskers who play the bag pipes in their traditional Scottish attire. We see the St. Giles Cathedral (where the body of the late Queen Elizabeth was temporarily laid before taken to London). As it was early evening, there are ghost tours where we saw the actors in costumes playing their part, captivating tourists with their stories of the city. Day 2: Hop on hop off buses are always a good way to orient oneself on the landscape of the city. There are plenty to choose from and we opted for a basic one with 12 stops with some perks that we discovered later. St. Andrew Square is the starting point. We bought tickets online but you can avail from there too. Going from our hotel to the square, we took the public bus. Cool fact is that on these public buses, you can easily tap your credit card to pay. No need to avail of transportation cards like Presto here in Toronto. What a great technology and very convenient if you don’t have cash handy. Edinburgh Castle is our first stop. Situated on top of Castle Rock which is a volcanic plug, makes the castle formidable and strategic as it has the advantage of seeing any enemy attacks/activities below. Also in here, the One O’Clock Gun is still fired every day at 1pm (as the name states), except on Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day. This practice dates back to 1861 and ships in the Firth of Forth once set their maritime clocks based on this. In some exhibits, you will see the armoury of knights/kingsmen/soldiers with their metal armour, spears, swords - my oh my carrying these requires great strength already. Oh and of course Scottish Crown Jewels are on display and securely locked up and no photos/videos allowed. Next stop is the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This is the royal residence of the former Queen Elizabeth II and now her successor King Charles III. We see where the royal family hold private events while in town. After our tour in this grandiose place, we enjoyed some tea at the palace’s cafe (we got free shortbread as perks of the hop off/hop on tour, tea is on us though lol). It is surreal seeing video footages of the royal family and related interviews in this palace covering the Queen’s funeral once we were back in Canada. We saw in the news as well the procession of the queen’s coffin along the Royal Mile from the palace to the Giles Cathedral. Grateful to have been there and relate to the news coverage of the queen’s funeral in Scotland. We further explored the city as there are just so many things to see. Think of the scenes in the Harry Potter movies/books where he wandered around Diagon Alley. Author J. K. Rowling got her inspiration from this city where she moved. The Elephant House cafe (now closed) is said to be the birthplace of Harry Potter novels as she wrote it here. Further down the road, we find Greyfriars Bobby statue. It is a dog known for guarding his owner’s grave for 14 years. There’s a cemetery behind it that has become a tourist attraction. We wrapped the day with an Italian dinner at the Grassmarket area. Day 3: Highlands and Loch Ness Tour. We always rely on Viator and pick tours to our liking with the highest reviews. Going to Scotland, visiting the Highlands is a must! It’s no wonder that Balmoral Castle at Scottish Highlands was one of the favourite residences of the late Queen Elizabeth II and other royal family members. As some news outlets would remark, this is where she “chose” to spend her last days and this allowed Scotland to feel the inclusion within the United Kingdom. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, endless sights of rolling hills/mountains and green pastures, lakes, cattle including the adorable highland cow - all these make a picturesque scenery. Loch Ness is the next stop of the tour. I’ve always been fascinated about the Loch Ness monster since I was a kid and to see this lake where the supposedly “sighting” happened is spectacular. I’ve viewed the creature if ever it existed as somewhat scary but here it’s the beloved Nessie. Great to stroll in one of the towns nearby and appreciate the stone houses/buildings. Fun fact: on our way back to Edinburgh, our “rebel” tour guide/driver, secretly pass by JK Rowling’s neighbourhood for us to see her estate where she currently resides in. Opppssss hush hush … To top off our Highlands and Loch Ness day trip, we chanced upon Jollibee in Edinburgh (Filipino fast food chain … this store just opened last February). Can’t resist to have dinner here of course. All in all, a memorable day of adventure. Day 4: We continued our Edinburgh tour, this time at the north side of the city. We visited the Royal Yacht Britannia, former yacht of the British Monarchy and in service from 1954 to 1997. We opted to view it from afar (parking area upper level of the Ocean Terminal mall). Next stop is the Royal Botanical Garden which is a vast garden with rich flora display/collection. Most of all it is free for all. We enjoyed our afternoon tea/coffee and cake was complimentary from our hop on/hop off ticket. Refreshing sight and another good workout for all of us. We proceeded to Dean’s Village, quaint village with picturesque buildings situated along the river. Our last stop is hiking our way up to Calton Hill. This is more manageable hike compared to Arthur’s Seat. This gave us a good view of the city. Check out the National Monument inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. Day 5: On our last day at Edinburgh, we checked out of our hotel and rented a storage space for our luggage so we can still go around conveniently before our flight back to Dublin. We went to National Museum of Scotland then Scottish National Gallery - both free and so huge, you can spend a day on each site. Great to learn about Scotland’s history and contributions plus appreciate beautiful paintings/artworks. All in all, good closure to our trip. By the way, we did not explore the hidden side of Edinburgh - the underground vaults and tunnels. This city experienced dire poverty at one point in their history that there was a community in these underground areas. Maybe next time when we can muster enough courage as it would be a creepy and scary experience, we think… We highly encourage you to consider Scotland in your travel list especially the city of Edinburgh. Until the next destination…
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