Week two of the Great Reidy Road Trip and it was time to venture north into the land of mythical monsters, fairies, lochs, kilts and bagpipes – Scotland!
Leaving the Lake District behind, we made our way to Edinburgh. Arriving late afternoon, our first stop was to Calton Hill which not only gave us beautiful views of this medieval city and castle, but a great first impression of what Scotland is all about.
Wandering towards the old town we stopped to admire the Scots Monument – dedicated to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott, it is the largest monument to a writer in the world.
We made our way into the old town and Market Street for a look around, and ended up in The Last Drop pub (an old execution site) for a hearty meal including a burger for Tom with a side of haggis!
The next morning we made our way back into the old town for a historical walking tour which went through some of the country’s volatile history between Catholic and Protestant leaders, as well as the aggression of the English (they weren’t all cuddly pacifists like our good pommy mate Liam – see earlier USA blog…).
Our guide pointed out historical churches…
A former prison which is now marked by a heart on the pavement (people often mistake it as a romantic place but really, locals spit on it every day as an old tradition)…
He shared some interesting stories about the Edinburgh Castle…
… and pointed out the many places and names that inspired JK Rowling when she sat in The Elephant Cafe in Edinburgh writing Harry Potter; including Victoria Street which brought Diagonal Alley to life…
The Greyfriars Kirkyard where she found character names like Minerva McGonagall, Tom Riddle and Sirius Black…
As well as a prestigious George Heriot’s school in a castle-like building which offers scholarships to orphaned and disadvantaged children (*Hogwarts).
Jess’ inner Harry Potter nerd was in overdrive with all this information and the countless souvineer stores selling “official” merchandise.
Our guide told us a few other quirky tales which inspired many other notable authors, including a gruesome Edinburgh Castle story which formed the idea for George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones Red Wedding.
Finishing the walking tour we made our way back to Edinburgh Castle for a visit, exploring the great hall, original chapel, military prison, the Crown Jewels, war memorial and castle rooms which once housed Mary Queen of Scots.
Another must visit in Edinburgh is the Real Mary Kings Close. This award winning guided tour takes you underground to the old narrow streets of Edinburgh and gives you a good idea on what life was like back then – from the Black Plague to living conditions and literally getting “shit faced” if, wandering around drunk, you missed the call of “GARDYLOO” before chamber pots are emptied onto the street!
The next day we were off to Inverness with a couple of stops along the way.
Our first stop was the 14th Century Doune Castle – also known as Castle Leoch to Outlander fans 😉
We did the audio guide tour of the castle to learn about its interesting and often dark history, but it is a great castle to visit as it is so well preserved.
We also found out Outlander wasn’t the first time this castle had been used for the big screen – it was used to film scenes at Winterfell for GoT and its also where they filmed Monty Python and the Holy Grail! Yes, we were in Camelot with those dancing Knights of the Round Table and the singing son of Swamp Castle.
There was also a special audio guide just for the Outlander fans voiced by Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan *swoon*)
Leaving the Stirling region, we made our way up to Aberfeldy for a tour of the Dewars Aberfeldy Distillery where they distill some fine scotch whisky.
A tour and some Whisky tasting was just what Tom needed after Jess’ Outlander obsessing, and we continued on to Inverness – a picturesque small town in the north of Scotland.
We drove along the Loch Ness to the Falls of Foyer for some stunning views of the Scottish countryside.
We also visited the Culloden Battlefield. This location was the last stand of the defeated Jacobites who fought against the English in a failed attempt to restore a Catholic King on the throne. The cause not only wiped out many clans, but instilled such strict English rule that kilts were outlawed and thousands of Scottish traitors were killed, jailed or sent to the colonies. Very sad history.
The next day we drove to Skye, stopping to see the Urquart Castle on the shores of the Loch Ness and also keeping an eye out for Nessie the Loch Ness monster.
We also stopped at the Eilean Donan Castle – the most photographed castle in the world.
Continuing on across the Skye Bridge, we stopped into Portree for a pub lunch and made our way further north, stopping to enjoy some beautiful coastline views including Kilt Rock.
We eventually made it to our accommodation near the northern tip of Skye – glamping style in a cosy caravan (which had a heater thank goodness).
The next day we planned to pack a lot in. Our first stop was Quiraing. It’s the number one spot to visit in Skye and it’s easy to see why – the views are simply breathtaking.
With a break in the rain we hiked along one of the trails to soak in the scenery, passing a few serious looking photographers along the way.
Our next stop was The Old Man of Storr. The ‘Old Man’ is a large pinnacle of rock that stands high and can be seen for miles around – unless it’s pouring rain…
We then drove south to Glen Brittle to hike to the famous Fairy Pools. Why are they calls the Fairy Pools? Because they’re simply magical…
Our final stop was the Neist Point Lighthouse for some beautiful views as the sun began to set.
We left Skye the next morning and drove to Fort William, detouring to see the famous Glenfinnan Viatuct.
Our road trip continued to Glasgow where we spent out last night exploring the town centre and enjoying the Glasgow Christmas Markets.
It’s here where we left our trusty little Vauxhall behind and flew to Dublin where Part three of The Great Reidy Road trip continues. Stay tuned!
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