Visit Scotland!

From our first day eating Haggis and touring Edinburgh Castle, to the last day fishing along the Loch Ness, Scotland has proven its worth and showed us how much culture and heritage lies within its lochs, countrysides, and cities. We learned a lot on this trip, all four of us. We learned about the generations past that fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence. We learned about and ate haggis, the meal made by and for Scotland. We learned about the extensive art collection they have that includes the Vulcan, and we also learned about the heritage behind the Highland Games. When visiting the museums and castles, our group learned of the many wars and battles that had taken place throughout the country. However, we also learned about the inspirational places like the Elephant House coffee shop, and the unconfirmed yet possible sightings of Nessie. Good or bad history alike, Scotland is the perfect place to not only learn about the history and culture but to also view the simplistic but stunning scenery and countryside as well. If you’re looking for a vacation place to spend time getting closer to your family, Scotland will provide for you.

Home Sweet Home!

day 14 blog

Today was the last day of our trip, and it was a long and rainy one. Around 6am we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel, because we were too tired to try to find any other place to eat at that hour. Not too long after that, we checked out of our hotel to drive back to the Edinburgh International Airport, where we arrived around 6:50. Our flight wasn’t until 9:15, but we had to return the car, go through security, drop off luggage, go through international customs, etc. Security was extra rough this time around, with our various collections of souvenirs. Oh, the joys of travelling! We bought a few extra snacks for the flight and made our way onto the plane at about 8:30, thank gosh it wasn't delayed. The flight was about 8 hours long, and landed in New York around noon EST. Because of the time difference, however, it felt like 5. There was a three hour layover, so we grabbed  our dinner/lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. There was a mutual agreement that a proper american meal was the best thing to have after coming back into our home country. We just had one more flight to get through before we were done with our trip. It took off around three, and landed at RDU just before 5. It had been a very long and exhausting day, and even though it was still light outside, it felt like it was supposed to be pitch black. We all just wanted to get our bags and go home. This trip was the most fun any of us had ever had, but we were so exhausted nothing else mattered except to get home and sleep in our beautiful, welcoming, and comfortably normal own beds.

The Calm Before the Storm

Day 13

We started the day by heading to the boat rental after breakfast. The weather was nice and we spent the whole morning on the loch. At one point we could swear that we had seen either nessie or a duck. We also tried fishing again, but caught nothing. Even if we didn't see nessie or catch anything that day it was great day to be out on the loch enjoying the weather before the long ride back to Edinburgh, where we would catch our flight back to the United States. After we returned the rented boat, we drove for 3 hours in the seemingly cramped car back to Edinburgh where we checked back into Novotel. We ate at a simple dinner then crashed back at Novotel to just hang and prepare for the rush of the flight tomorrow.

Our view on the way back to Edinburough 

Impromptu Fishing Competition!

day 12

sport-fishing

Starting yet another early day, we woke up around 7 to a light drizzle outside and had breakfast at the Bunillidh Mhor. It was the first hint of rain we saw on our entire trip, but we were all fine with the light rain. We then picked up our boat, a very spacious and cozy Kintail Class, and headed out onto the lake. There was a local sport fishing competition that we decided to join in on after the drizzle had died down. Because we were just visiting the town, we had no idea where the best fishing spots would be and only caught one fish, but it was a 6 pound salmon. This was considered wimpy to our competitors who caught salmon up to 35 pounds, but we were satisfied. At 11 rewards were held, we came in 31st out of 35 competitors, only beating the people who had no luck at all. On our fishing adventure, however we had been given pointers by a group of regular fishermen who had retired to just fishing for sport. They then invited us back to the boathouse for lunch, where they cooked and shared the wonderful variety of fish they had caught. After our delicious meal, we went back out to the lake to just have fun. We started off with just speeding around, having fun, because its not every day you get to go on a luxurious boat ride in Scotland. We took a break and went down to the shore and just hung out, watched the waves, and looked at the shells. There was a bed that was built into our boat, and i definitely didn't want to put that to waste, so while the boys went back out for some fishing for fun, Hallie and I took a nap on the water. Before dinner at the Boathouse Lochside Restaurant, we got washed up in the boat’s bathroom and shower. The options for dinner included variety of local classics and Mediterranean specialties. We ate outside, and we were able to watch the sunset over the loch. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day. 

Nessie!

day 11
We got up this morning and prepared for the two hour drive to loch ness. After the long wait that was the car ride we checked into Bunillidh Mhor B&B, where we would be staying for the night. From there we went over to The Boathouse in fort Augustus where we had fish and chips on the loch side. On the menu there was the option for eating haggis but none of us chose the dish. After lunch we explored the local shops and visited the Caledonian Canal. We also visited the award winning Loch Ness Monster exhibition by the Drumnadrochit hotel, where they showcased all the most significant photographs and told us the most famous stories surrounding the mythical creature. The exhibit showcased a lot of new technology used to look for Nessie and many first-hand accounts of sightings. It was really fun to look at all the pictures and evidence of the Loch Ness Monster even if most of them were hoaxes. \ After this we headed back to the hotel to get some rest in preparation for the long day tomorrow.

caledonian canal

Stirling and Hollyrood

Day 10

Today we woke up at a nice, early eight am. We went right over to the Darnley Coffee House for an absolutely wonderful meal of assorted soups, from potato to some we had never heard of. This restaurant was ranked #10 of 164 restaurants in Stirling and had 4.5 stars, and it was obvious why! The range of soups, sandwiches, and baked potatoes were delicious, all freshly made, piping hot and well presented. The service was warm and friendly and the staff made us feels very welcome. We then walked the short distance to Stirling Castle. The castle was the center for Scottish art and culture in the 16th century and most of that art has remained at the castle till today. We all agreed that the tapestries even with some 600 years old to be amazing. We also all agreed that the The Stirling Heads Gallery was impressive, but that its name was really creepy. After that we headed to Hermann's Restaurant for dinner. There we were welcomed with a great view overlooking the Church of the Holyrood and the river that runs beside it. Once we had finished, we explored the old town of Airth. Although it is small, Airth was once a thriving port on the river forth and a symbol of Scottish pride. Finally we returned to Airth Castle, that overlooks the town, to settle down for the night.

stirling heads

Hollyrood palace

The Highland Games (at last)!

July 9 
festival-highland games

For our 9th day in Scotland, we viewed one of the most emblematic cultures of Scotland, the Highland Games. We started our day at eight, had breakfast, drove to Airth, and arrived around nine. We spent the day watching the highland games. Before lunch, we watched the pipe band contest, the solo piping contest, the highlands dance competition, and the caber toss. For lunch, we all shared some Highland Pasties,(Haggis, potatoes, and turnips in a pastry), and some Fish and Chips. After that, we watched the hammer throw, track and field, cycling, and the smiddy stane carrying contest. We then went back to the food area (our favorite place at the games) and had some some amazing Shepherd's Pie. After dinner we finished up with watching the cycling and the tug-o-war contests. It was a really long day and after we drove back to the hotel, we fell asleep the second we laid down.