Scotland

Far and away my favorite city in Scotland, Edinburgh is a beautiful city with a sprawling university, historical landmarks, and cultural diversity worth exploring.

See & Do

• Edinburgh Castle. An 11th-century castle and barracks housing the Crown Jewels and National War Museum of Scotland.
• Rosslyn Chapel. Intricately carved chapel built in 1446. Featured in The Da Vinci Code.
• Elephant House. Cafe where Harry Potter was born. Serves good tea.
• Edinburgh International Film Festival. Held at the university, films from around the world. Occurs in June.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

Rosslyn Chapel

Beautiful landscapes, castles, lochs (lakes) and the famous Loch Ness Monster, the Scottish Highlands are a blast to road trip through and contain many popular filming locations.

See & Do

• Ben Nevis. Highest mountain in the British Isles. Amazing views.
• Glencoe. Beautiful countryside. Where films like Braveheart and Harry Potter were filmed.
• Loch Ness. Home of the famous Loch Ness Monster. Kind of touristy, but the loch itself is very nice.
• Loch Lomond. Beautiful lake. Take a boat ride. Larger than Loch Ness. Many islands, one of which is a nudist colony, another for practicing sex, and yet another where Rob Roy hid in a cave after stealing cattle.
• St. Andrews. Famous golf course. Along the coast. University.
• Blair Castle. Scottish castle with an impressive collection of art, weapons, etc. Different style than your typical medieval castle. The tour is really interesting. Located just outside Pitlochry. Fun fact: It was thought that ostrich feathers brought vitality, so they were hung over peoples’ beds. Also, when dining, the men would drink these huge goblets of wine, the ladies would then go up to the bedroom to settle in for “bed” while the men continued drinking, then the men would go to their wives’ (or whatever) room and wait outside propping themselves up with a specifically designed standing post of sorts to hold their drunken selves up while they waited for the women to invite them in. How romantic.
• Pitlochry. Small town with fishing, skiing, hiking. Look for Sweeney Todd’s barber shop. Good for a stop.
• Culloden. Famous battleground.

Tips

• Ben Nevis. Take the cable car to the top, takes about 20 minutes. Bring a jacket, it’s cold at the top.

Loch Ness

Battle Of Loch Ness

Glencoe

Ben Nevis

St. Andrews

St. Andrews Golf Course

Pitlochry

Pitlochry Fleet Street

Gretna Green is a village in the south of Scotland famous for runaway weddings where people go to elope. It’s just across the border with England. This is a good stop along the way from England into Scotland to your next destination.

Large industrial city that is pretty modern and known for ship building. In the words our taxi driver from Dublin, Glasgow is a “little rough.” We stopped there on our tour of the UK but were advised to stay close to the hotel. I was excited to visit and explore the city after watching the movie Trainspotting, but was disappointed at the chilling feeling I got walking out into the main square. Not even 5 minutes after arriving we saw a woman get accosted at a bus stop across the street in daylight with a group of people standing right there! My excitement for exploring was killed right there and we made a B-line to a restaurant for dinner and then back to the hotel before dark. While this was one of my first international trips and it’s quite possible Glasgow has some nice parts, it did not feel that way at the time. So I would encourage you to do your own research about this large, well known city.

Tips

• Safety. Be careful, especially at night.