Day 28 - 05/28/17
King's Cross
From Lightfoot Hall in Chelsea, I took an Uber to King's Cross. My luggage and the early morning made taking the buses and tube a more difficult option, so spending 13 pounds on an Uber was a much better option. I left Lightfoot at 6:30 a.m. (after waking up at 5:50 a.m.) and got there around 6:50 a.m.
King's Cross is a very nice station. It was pretty empty for this hour of the morning and the people you do encounter are pretty strange so make sure that you're in the eyes of the others and take the proper safety precautions. My train platform wasn't announced until 9 a.m. so I was able to go to Pret A Manger and watch some Netflix. Once my platform was announced it was like the Hunger Games rush to get to the train. At the time I didn't realize that unclaimed first class seats were up to grabs for the people that just had a regular ticket. It also didn't help that British Airways networking system had been shut down so all flights were cancelled the day before, making the train to Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-bur-ough) Waverley very crowded. It was a very hectic atmosphere, but once I was seated on the train everything went with ease.
Train Ride to Edinburgh
I traveled through Virgin Trains and bought my ticket on Trainline for around £120. I bought a first class ticket and after this experience, I would do the same thing again in the future. The train was very comfortable for a four hour ride. There were many free snacks (such as sandwiches, water, chips, etc.) and wi-fi was also available. The average speed was around 100 mph and it was lovely to just be able to sit back and relax for a little bit. There was an abundance of greenery and open fields to enjoy as well as we made our way from London to Edinburgh.
Once I arrived at the train station, my mom and some friends of hers met up with me so we could get to the cottage we were staying in. Mr. Stuart, a friend of my mom's from college, and his son, Ross, accompanied her to pick me up from the train station. Edinburgh was very lively and full of culture. There were many bagpipers along the streets and they were dressed in the traditional Scottish attire.
Lunch at Paco's
For lunch, we went to a tex-mex place known as Paco's. It was similar to a Cracker Barrel, at least on the interior, because of the old knick-knacks and wooden textures. I got the Pork Medallions with Fried Potatoes (not to be mistaken for French Fries) in a honey mustard-type dressing. It tasted amazing!
Casual Afternoon and Evening at Stuart's
For the rest of the day my mom, her friends and I took it easy and relaxed at the cottage. After four weeks of going non-stop it was nice to relax and settle down for a little bit. Mr. Stuart lives in a simple cottage in Kirriemuir (a small burgh just 45 minutes outside of Perth). He has cows in his backyard and uses a fireplace instead of an A/C unit to control the temperature. We ended up watching Big Bang Theory because it's one of Ross's favorite TV shows.
Some random facts about Scotland:
-People get "taxed" on their CO2 emissions for their vehicles, which is why smaller sedans are more popular than large SUVs.
-There is a point system for drivers in Europe and every driving infraction is three points. If you obtain 12 points in five years (your points reset every five years) then you lose your license.
-Average speed cameras are very popular in Scotland.
From Lightfoot Hall in Chelsea, I took an Uber to King's Cross. My luggage and the early morning made taking the buses and tube a more difficult option, so spending 13 pounds on an Uber was a much better option. I left Lightfoot at 6:30 a.m. (after waking up at 5:50 a.m.) and got there around 6:50 a.m.
King's Cross is a very nice station. It was pretty empty for this hour of the morning and the people you do encounter are pretty strange so make sure that you're in the eyes of the others and take the proper safety precautions. My train platform wasn't announced until 9 a.m. so I was able to go to Pret A Manger and watch some Netflix. Once my platform was announced it was like the Hunger Games rush to get to the train. At the time I didn't realize that unclaimed first class seats were up to grabs for the people that just had a regular ticket. It also didn't help that British Airways networking system had been shut down so all flights were cancelled the day before, making the train to Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-bur-ough) Waverley very crowded. It was a very hectic atmosphere, but once I was seated on the train everything went with ease.
Train Ride to Edinburgh
I traveled through Virgin Trains and bought my ticket on Trainline for around £120. I bought a first class ticket and after this experience, I would do the same thing again in the future. The train was very comfortable for a four hour ride. There were many free snacks (such as sandwiches, water, chips, etc.) and wi-fi was also available. The average speed was around 100 mph and it was lovely to just be able to sit back and relax for a little bit. There was an abundance of greenery and open fields to enjoy as well as we made our way from London to Edinburgh.
Once I arrived at the train station, my mom and some friends of hers met up with me so we could get to the cottage we were staying in. Mr. Stuart, a friend of my mom's from college, and his son, Ross, accompanied her to pick me up from the train station. Edinburgh was very lively and full of culture. There were many bagpipers along the streets and they were dressed in the traditional Scottish attire.
Lunch at Paco's
For lunch, we went to a tex-mex place known as Paco's. It was similar to a Cracker Barrel, at least on the interior, because of the old knick-knacks and wooden textures. I got the Pork Medallions with Fried Potatoes (not to be mistaken for French Fries) in a honey mustard-type dressing. It tasted amazing!
Casual Afternoon and Evening at Stuart's
For the rest of the day my mom, her friends and I took it easy and relaxed at the cottage. After four weeks of going non-stop it was nice to relax and settle down for a little bit. Mr. Stuart lives in a simple cottage in Kirriemuir (a small burgh just 45 minutes outside of Perth). He has cows in his backyard and uses a fireplace instead of an A/C unit to control the temperature. We ended up watching Big Bang Theory because it's one of Ross's favorite TV shows.
Some random facts about Scotland:
-People get "taxed" on their CO2 emissions for their vehicles, which is why smaller sedans are more popular than large SUVs.
-There is a point system for drivers in Europe and every driving infraction is three points. If you obtain 12 points in five years (your points reset every five years) then you lose your license.
-Average speed cameras are very popular in Scotland.
Day 29 - 05/29/17
Blair Castle
That morning we were slow to get up and moving. I was recovering from a hectic four weeks, and mom was recovering from her new pink eye infection. Adding on to my discomfort, I started feeling a pounding sensation in my head and getting chills at random times. I love the cold, but it was like I couldn’t get warm enough. I ended up sleeping most of the car ride to Blair Castle, but mom woke me up about 30 minutes before we arrived to show me another cool find in Scotland – J.K. Rowling’s house (Killiechasssie). Her house looked beautiful from outside the gate and from what we could tell, it wasn’t huge or outlandish. Stuart also told us she plans on building a small hut on the grounds for people to rent out and theme it along the lines of Hagrid’s hut from Harry Potter. Stuart also shared a fun story about his niece writing a letter to Rowling saying she saw her at a local festival, but was too scared to approach her. Rowling wrote her back with a handwritten letter and enclosed a gift – one of Hermione’s time turner necklace used throughout filming.
When we arrived at Blair Castle, I was shocked at the nature surrounding the castle. You could see deer in the distance, there was gardens nearby, the trees were larger than the castle itself – I was truly amazed. Ross, Stuart, my mom and I all enjoyed the castle, but we all agreed it would’ve been better with a tour guide. The fact that we could only take photos in the gallery at the end of the tour was also disappointing since there were so many beautiful aspects to the castle. After our tour in the castle, we went downstairs to the restaurant to enjoy some tea and scones before we headed out to Pitlochry Village.
Pitlochry Village
The village was very quaint and cute. Luckily, we were able to find a pharmacy to get mom some medicine for her pink eye. It was an interesting experience because the pharmacists are actually trained doctors/nurses, so they can diagnose people at the pharmacy instead of sending people to a doctor, like they do in the States. We ate at Victoria’s Restaurant for lunch since we didn’t have much of a breakfast. I chose the pork ciabatta sandwich with chips. Despite how good the sandwich actually tasted, I started feeling nauseous again very quickly. After lunch, we walked around the village a bit more and found the Christmas Shop that is apparently one of Ross’s favorite places. We went inside and they had a variety of Scottish ornaments and knick-knacks. After our visit, we found an ice cream shop around the corner so we stopped for a sweet treat. I chose the Mocha soft-served ice cream and it was definitely coffee-like, but with a sweeter aftertaste. After we finished our ice cream we walked towards the local power plant and saw the river/dam. We walked around the plant and actually saw a salmon in the water tank. As we walked away from the power plant, we found a suspension “love lock” bridge. Ross, knowing my fear of suspension bridges, had a field day with jumping on the bridge as we were walking across and teased me about it the rest of the day.
Casual Evening
Driving home, we saw some amazing views of the Scotland countryside. The sunset peeking out over the rolling hills, covered lush green grass and spotted with bright colors from various flowers was beautiful. We also drove through some countryside that designated sheep as being the priority, despite it being a traffic-heavy area. We also found some highland coos, which made my mom very happy. There was only three and they looked pretty young and skittish, but nevertheless, they were super cute and we were pretty excited to see such an important Scottish token.
That morning we were slow to get up and moving. I was recovering from a hectic four weeks, and mom was recovering from her new pink eye infection. Adding on to my discomfort, I started feeling a pounding sensation in my head and getting chills at random times. I love the cold, but it was like I couldn’t get warm enough. I ended up sleeping most of the car ride to Blair Castle, but mom woke me up about 30 minutes before we arrived to show me another cool find in Scotland – J.K. Rowling’s house (Killiechasssie). Her house looked beautiful from outside the gate and from what we could tell, it wasn’t huge or outlandish. Stuart also told us she plans on building a small hut on the grounds for people to rent out and theme it along the lines of Hagrid’s hut from Harry Potter. Stuart also shared a fun story about his niece writing a letter to Rowling saying she saw her at a local festival, but was too scared to approach her. Rowling wrote her back with a handwritten letter and enclosed a gift – one of Hermione’s time turner necklace used throughout filming.
When we arrived at Blair Castle, I was shocked at the nature surrounding the castle. You could see deer in the distance, there was gardens nearby, the trees were larger than the castle itself – I was truly amazed. Ross, Stuart, my mom and I all enjoyed the castle, but we all agreed it would’ve been better with a tour guide. The fact that we could only take photos in the gallery at the end of the tour was also disappointing since there were so many beautiful aspects to the castle. After our tour in the castle, we went downstairs to the restaurant to enjoy some tea and scones before we headed out to Pitlochry Village.
Pitlochry Village
The village was very quaint and cute. Luckily, we were able to find a pharmacy to get mom some medicine for her pink eye. It was an interesting experience because the pharmacists are actually trained doctors/nurses, so they can diagnose people at the pharmacy instead of sending people to a doctor, like they do in the States. We ate at Victoria’s Restaurant for lunch since we didn’t have much of a breakfast. I chose the pork ciabatta sandwich with chips. Despite how good the sandwich actually tasted, I started feeling nauseous again very quickly. After lunch, we walked around the village a bit more and found the Christmas Shop that is apparently one of Ross’s favorite places. We went inside and they had a variety of Scottish ornaments and knick-knacks. After our visit, we found an ice cream shop around the corner so we stopped for a sweet treat. I chose the Mocha soft-served ice cream and it was definitely coffee-like, but with a sweeter aftertaste. After we finished our ice cream we walked towards the local power plant and saw the river/dam. We walked around the plant and actually saw a salmon in the water tank. As we walked away from the power plant, we found a suspension “love lock” bridge. Ross, knowing my fear of suspension bridges, had a field day with jumping on the bridge as we were walking across and teased me about it the rest of the day.
Casual Evening
Driving home, we saw some amazing views of the Scotland countryside. The sunset peeking out over the rolling hills, covered lush green grass and spotted with bright colors from various flowers was beautiful. We also drove through some countryside that designated sheep as being the priority, despite it being a traffic-heavy area. We also found some highland coos, which made my mom very happy. There was only three and they looked pretty young and skittish, but nevertheless, they were super cute and we were pretty excited to see such an important Scottish token.
Day 30 - 05/30/17
Glamis Castle
That morning I woke up feeling very sick. I didn’t sleep well, my throat was very sore, and it hurt to swallow and talk. Not the best condition for exploring Scotland, but anything was better than staying at home. Mom, Stuart and I decided to visit Glamis Castle. Mom and Stuart had already visited this castle before I arrived, but it was one of mom’s favorites so she didn’t mind going again. When we arrived (about an hour-long drive later), I immediately picked up on how beautiful and intricate the outside designs were on the castle. As we went through (with our tour guide and group), I noticed a lot of white throughout the rooms. No pictures were allowed throughout our tour, but there are many rooms I vividly remember. The chapel, dining room and game room were probably my most favorite rooms from Glamis. Everything was just so detailed and ornate. The chapel was the only room in the castle that did not display the lion, which was an integral part of the family crest. They said that the family believed that putting a lion inside the chapel was a way of disrespecting the Lord because it would be putting the lion higher than God Himself. After our tour, we ventured downstairs into the kitchen and enjoyed some scones and tea. The rainy and gloomy weather made our mid-morning snack more comfortable.
St. Andrews
After our visit to Glamis, we traveled south to visit St. Andrews. I noticed how similar St. Andrews was to St. Augustine, a historical town on the east coast of Florida. There is a lot of history behind St. Andrews and the structural architecture of the famous sites and town shows it. The castle and cathedral ruins were very cool. We climbed St. Rule’s Tower to get a breathtaking view of St. Andrews from the land to the coast. The 160 stairs on a very narrow spiral staircase couldn’t stop us. Overall, it was a very pretty and calm afternoon.
Anstruther Fish Bar
After spending the afternoon at St. Andrews, we went to Anstruther Fish Bar. This particular restaurant is famous for its renowned Fish & Chips. It’s also known for serving the best Fish & Chips in Scotland. I can say with all sincerity that it’s very true. If you know anything about me, you know that one of the foods I detest the most is fish. I can handle shrimp, lobster and even crab, but fish is not my thing. Mom and Stuart ordered the Fish & Chips while I stuck to my traditional Mac N’ Cheese, which was also very good. When mom gave me a bite of her fish, I was shocked at how it didn’t taste like fish at all. The batter was super light and the meat almost had a chicken-type flavor to it. After our meal, we walked along the pier. We were enraptured by the kids that were jumping off the dock into the ocean. It was freezing outside and the wind wasn’t helping matters. It was peaceful walking along the pier with the only sounds coming from the seagulls chirping and the ships rocking in the choppy waters.
That morning I woke up feeling very sick. I didn’t sleep well, my throat was very sore, and it hurt to swallow and talk. Not the best condition for exploring Scotland, but anything was better than staying at home. Mom, Stuart and I decided to visit Glamis Castle. Mom and Stuart had already visited this castle before I arrived, but it was one of mom’s favorites so she didn’t mind going again. When we arrived (about an hour-long drive later), I immediately picked up on how beautiful and intricate the outside designs were on the castle. As we went through (with our tour guide and group), I noticed a lot of white throughout the rooms. No pictures were allowed throughout our tour, but there are many rooms I vividly remember. The chapel, dining room and game room were probably my most favorite rooms from Glamis. Everything was just so detailed and ornate. The chapel was the only room in the castle that did not display the lion, which was an integral part of the family crest. They said that the family believed that putting a lion inside the chapel was a way of disrespecting the Lord because it would be putting the lion higher than God Himself. After our tour, we ventured downstairs into the kitchen and enjoyed some scones and tea. The rainy and gloomy weather made our mid-morning snack more comfortable.
St. Andrews
After our visit to Glamis, we traveled south to visit St. Andrews. I noticed how similar St. Andrews was to St. Augustine, a historical town on the east coast of Florida. There is a lot of history behind St. Andrews and the structural architecture of the famous sites and town shows it. The castle and cathedral ruins were very cool. We climbed St. Rule’s Tower to get a breathtaking view of St. Andrews from the land to the coast. The 160 stairs on a very narrow spiral staircase couldn’t stop us. Overall, it was a very pretty and calm afternoon.
Anstruther Fish Bar
After spending the afternoon at St. Andrews, we went to Anstruther Fish Bar. This particular restaurant is famous for its renowned Fish & Chips. It’s also known for serving the best Fish & Chips in Scotland. I can say with all sincerity that it’s very true. If you know anything about me, you know that one of the foods I detest the most is fish. I can handle shrimp, lobster and even crab, but fish is not my thing. Mom and Stuart ordered the Fish & Chips while I stuck to my traditional Mac N’ Cheese, which was also very good. When mom gave me a bite of her fish, I was shocked at how it didn’t taste like fish at all. The batter was super light and the meat almost had a chicken-type flavor to it. After our meal, we walked along the pier. We were enraptured by the kids that were jumping off the dock into the ocean. It was freezing outside and the wind wasn’t helping matters. It was peaceful walking along the pier with the only sounds coming from the seagulls chirping and the ships rocking in the choppy waters.
Day 31 - 05/31/17
Morning & Rental Car Pick-Up
Mom and I started packing up our suitcases early in the morning. We would be moving our hospitality to a hotel in Falkirk. We had a lot packed up in Mr. Stuart’s tiny car, but it wasn’t too bad. After loading up the car, we drove to Perth to pick up our new rental vehicle we’d be using for the next few days since Stuart would be heading back home after he dropped us off at our hotel. Luckily, Stuart knew the desk clerk at the rental place. They used to work together a while back and Stuart works on the police force in Scotland. They joked around and even teased mom for being an American auto-claims adjuster. They gave us a Toyota Yarus (a very small red car). I was a little scared to drive around with mom since she’d never driven on the opposite side of the road and operated a vehicle on the right side of the car. It was interesting to say the least, but all in all, she did a great job.
Wallace Monument
After picking up our rental vehicle, we drove up to the National Wallace Monument. It was very pretty and very old, but we enjoyed it immensely. The monument is dedicated to Sir William Wallace, commonly known as a patriot, martyr and Guardian of Scotland. There are three exhibitions as you climb up the tower. The exhibitions include a lot of information and memorabilia including the Wallace Sword, the Battle of Stirling Bridge, etc. The spiral staircase is very narrow and you have to climb 246 steps to reach the top of the tower. The view from the top of the tower is breathtaking. After we climbed down from the tour we enjoyed some tea and scones in the café below. We decided our next stop would be the Kelpies.
Kelpies
When I heard that mom wanted to visit the Kelpies I had no idea what to expect. However, when I got there I was awe-stuck at the beauty of these works of art. Despite the maintenance crew surrounding one of the Kelpies, we really enjoyed our visit. The park area was very relaxing and the large crowds were spread out around the area. The Kelpies are 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures located in the Falkirk area. They were completed back in late 2013, but they serve as a monument to the heavy horse-influenced history across Scotland. Each one of the heads weighs 300 tons each and construction was completed within 90 days on site.
Macdonald Inchyra Hotel
After visiting the Kelpies, we made our way to our hotel in Falkirk. Our hotel was very nice and even came with free w-ifi. After saying goodbye to Stuart, we decided to keep it low-key and eat at a local pub. It wasn’t as great as the reviews on trip advisor made it out to be, but we were just happy to be spending time together. When we got back to the room, we watched P.S. I Love You together before getting an early start to a much needed good night’s rest.
Mom and I started packing up our suitcases early in the morning. We would be moving our hospitality to a hotel in Falkirk. We had a lot packed up in Mr. Stuart’s tiny car, but it wasn’t too bad. After loading up the car, we drove to Perth to pick up our new rental vehicle we’d be using for the next few days since Stuart would be heading back home after he dropped us off at our hotel. Luckily, Stuart knew the desk clerk at the rental place. They used to work together a while back and Stuart works on the police force in Scotland. They joked around and even teased mom for being an American auto-claims adjuster. They gave us a Toyota Yarus (a very small red car). I was a little scared to drive around with mom since she’d never driven on the opposite side of the road and operated a vehicle on the right side of the car. It was interesting to say the least, but all in all, she did a great job.
Wallace Monument
After picking up our rental vehicle, we drove up to the National Wallace Monument. It was very pretty and very old, but we enjoyed it immensely. The monument is dedicated to Sir William Wallace, commonly known as a patriot, martyr and Guardian of Scotland. There are three exhibitions as you climb up the tower. The exhibitions include a lot of information and memorabilia including the Wallace Sword, the Battle of Stirling Bridge, etc. The spiral staircase is very narrow and you have to climb 246 steps to reach the top of the tower. The view from the top of the tower is breathtaking. After we climbed down from the tour we enjoyed some tea and scones in the café below. We decided our next stop would be the Kelpies.
Kelpies
When I heard that mom wanted to visit the Kelpies I had no idea what to expect. However, when I got there I was awe-stuck at the beauty of these works of art. Despite the maintenance crew surrounding one of the Kelpies, we really enjoyed our visit. The park area was very relaxing and the large crowds were spread out around the area. The Kelpies are 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures located in the Falkirk area. They were completed back in late 2013, but they serve as a monument to the heavy horse-influenced history across Scotland. Each one of the heads weighs 300 tons each and construction was completed within 90 days on site.
Macdonald Inchyra Hotel
After visiting the Kelpies, we made our way to our hotel in Falkirk. Our hotel was very nice and even came with free w-ifi. After saying goodbye to Stuart, we decided to keep it low-key and eat at a local pub. It wasn’t as great as the reviews on trip advisor made it out to be, but we were just happy to be spending time together. When we got back to the room, we watched P.S. I Love You together before getting an early start to a much needed good night’s rest.
Day 32 - 06/01/17
Stirling Castle
Mom and I started off our morning with a tour of Stirling Castle. We were able to learn more about the castle by going on the group tour that was included in our admission price. The castle’s history dates back about 900 years and it’s most famously known for housing the largest banquet hall in Scotland (even bigger than Edinburgh Castle’s). The banquet hall has five fireplaces and it’s restored ceiling is made up of 650 tons of wood. The castle’s chapel was built in 1594. Mom and I enjoyed hearing about the castle’s history, but as for the castle itself, we were not as impressed. Our favorite was still Glamis Castle back in Angus.
Doune Castle
Up next on our list of castles was Doune. This castle was located in the Stirling district, but next to Doune Village. When we received our admission tickets, we were given headsets and tape recorder for our audio tour. The first room we went through was the Great Hall, also known as the heart of the castle. Dinner was normally served between 10 a.m. and noon. They only used knives because forks had not been invented yet. The next room we went through was the servery room, also used as Mrs. Fitz’s kitchen in Outlander. Although film producers decided not to actually film the scenes inside the castle, fearing it would cause potential damage to the structure because of the equipment, they used this room to model a recreation of the setting outside the castle. The next room was the Kitchen. Accompanied with a 17-foot long fireplace and deep groves found in the stone walls (showing evidence of sharpening cutlery), this particular room was very impressive. Mary Queen of Scots Room was next on the list. It was a comforting room for visiting knights amongst others accompanied with a fireplace and a privy with an in-suite toilet. Toilet paper was not of the norm back in those days so the bathroom had a hole in the wall that hold linens or moss for wiping purposes. One of the drawbacks to the room was that it was located above the kitchen, so it was potentially very noisy. After visiting the bedroom, we wandered out into the castle courtyard. The courtyard was intriguing for multiple reasons. There was a Victorian-reconstruction of the well next to the original. There is evidence of four more rooms that were planned to be completed because of four windows in one of the walls, showing the castle was incomplete. The kitchen tower is also seen from the courtyard featuring drains at the top near the roof for rain and melted snow. Our next stop was the duke’s chamber. This bedroom featured the original fireplace in a 6-sided room. The duke died in 1420 at the age of 80. In the duchess’s bedchamber, no fireplace or privy could be found. It was common practice for wives to not sleep with their husbands, but instead sleep close to the maids and servants. Reading was considered antisocial so they would read aloud to themselves and each other. It’s believed that this was just a temporary room for the duchess until more comfortable quarters were built. The duchess’s hall was used to entertain guests and play with children. It also featured an oratory and a private chapel room for Albany and his wife. There was a square hole in the wall that would allow servants to listen to the service from the room next door. Another hole would operate as more of a shelf for holding consecrated vessels such as water and wine. The octagon-like bowl would’ve been used for washing. Daily mass was not unusual during these times so this room was always in use. It may have been the most important room in the castle since it provided a direct connection to God. Doune Castle was particularly special because it was used as a filming location for Game of Thrones, Outlander, and Monty Python, which I find to be very cool. I am a huge fan of Game of Thrones and Outlander so it was really cool seeing where a couple of my favorite shows came to life. The castle was used as the home of House Stark of Winterfell in the first few episodes of Game of Thrones. In Outlander, the castle was used to represent “Castle Leoch.” Doune Castle quickly became my favorite castle we had visited in Scotland.
Dinner at Bean’s Cross
For dinner, mom and I kept it simple and went to a restaurant Mr. Stuart recommended to us earlier. Bean’s Crossing was okay overall. I ended up ordering the Cajun Chicken, which ended up just being a dry rub over the chicken breast. That night, we ended up stopping at Tesco (sort of like a Wal-Mart) for some snacks before heading back to our room to watch a movie.
Mom and I started off our morning with a tour of Stirling Castle. We were able to learn more about the castle by going on the group tour that was included in our admission price. The castle’s history dates back about 900 years and it’s most famously known for housing the largest banquet hall in Scotland (even bigger than Edinburgh Castle’s). The banquet hall has five fireplaces and it’s restored ceiling is made up of 650 tons of wood. The castle’s chapel was built in 1594. Mom and I enjoyed hearing about the castle’s history, but as for the castle itself, we were not as impressed. Our favorite was still Glamis Castle back in Angus.
Doune Castle
Up next on our list of castles was Doune. This castle was located in the Stirling district, but next to Doune Village. When we received our admission tickets, we were given headsets and tape recorder for our audio tour. The first room we went through was the Great Hall, also known as the heart of the castle. Dinner was normally served between 10 a.m. and noon. They only used knives because forks had not been invented yet. The next room we went through was the servery room, also used as Mrs. Fitz’s kitchen in Outlander. Although film producers decided not to actually film the scenes inside the castle, fearing it would cause potential damage to the structure because of the equipment, they used this room to model a recreation of the setting outside the castle. The next room was the Kitchen. Accompanied with a 17-foot long fireplace and deep groves found in the stone walls (showing evidence of sharpening cutlery), this particular room was very impressive. Mary Queen of Scots Room was next on the list. It was a comforting room for visiting knights amongst others accompanied with a fireplace and a privy with an in-suite toilet. Toilet paper was not of the norm back in those days so the bathroom had a hole in the wall that hold linens or moss for wiping purposes. One of the drawbacks to the room was that it was located above the kitchen, so it was potentially very noisy. After visiting the bedroom, we wandered out into the castle courtyard. The courtyard was intriguing for multiple reasons. There was a Victorian-reconstruction of the well next to the original. There is evidence of four more rooms that were planned to be completed because of four windows in one of the walls, showing the castle was incomplete. The kitchen tower is also seen from the courtyard featuring drains at the top near the roof for rain and melted snow. Our next stop was the duke’s chamber. This bedroom featured the original fireplace in a 6-sided room. The duke died in 1420 at the age of 80. In the duchess’s bedchamber, no fireplace or privy could be found. It was common practice for wives to not sleep with their husbands, but instead sleep close to the maids and servants. Reading was considered antisocial so they would read aloud to themselves and each other. It’s believed that this was just a temporary room for the duchess until more comfortable quarters were built. The duchess’s hall was used to entertain guests and play with children. It also featured an oratory and a private chapel room for Albany and his wife. There was a square hole in the wall that would allow servants to listen to the service from the room next door. Another hole would operate as more of a shelf for holding consecrated vessels such as water and wine. The octagon-like bowl would’ve been used for washing. Daily mass was not unusual during these times so this room was always in use. It may have been the most important room in the castle since it provided a direct connection to God. Doune Castle was particularly special because it was used as a filming location for Game of Thrones, Outlander, and Monty Python, which I find to be very cool. I am a huge fan of Game of Thrones and Outlander so it was really cool seeing where a couple of my favorite shows came to life. The castle was used as the home of House Stark of Winterfell in the first few episodes of Game of Thrones. In Outlander, the castle was used to represent “Castle Leoch.” Doune Castle quickly became my favorite castle we had visited in Scotland.
Dinner at Bean’s Cross
For dinner, mom and I kept it simple and went to a restaurant Mr. Stuart recommended to us earlier. Bean’s Crossing was okay overall. I ended up ordering the Cajun Chicken, which ended up just being a dry rub over the chicken breast. That night, we ended up stopping at Tesco (sort of like a Wal-Mart) for some snacks before heading back to our room to watch a movie.
Day 33 - 06/02/17
Dakota Hotel
Mom and I were moving hotels so that we could spend out our final days in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh. We chose to stay at the Dakota Hotel because it was fairly close to the tram we would take to get into town and it wasn’t too expensive either. It was a very nice hotel and there were apparently a lot of weddings going on at the hotel that weekend too. Our room was quite impressive. Our bathroom had a heating towel rack, 100 ml soap bottles, a waterfall-like showerhead. Our bedroom had a large TV and a very comfy bed.
Edinburgh
After we checked into our hotel, we had to return our little red car at the rental place near the airport. After returning the car, we took a shuttle bus to the tram station that would take us into the city. Mom and I were starving by the time we arrived in Edinburgh so we decided to stop at Ryan’s Café and Bar. The café was a cute atmosphere and very enjoyable for the middle of the afternoon. We ordered a bruschetta appetizer that tasted delicious. For lunch, I ordered a baked potato with cheese, butter and bacon. Since I still wasn’t feeling well, the warm food and Earl Gray tea was very comforting.
Prince’s Street/Royal Park
We were walking up and down Prince’s Street when we stumbled upon Royal Park. The park was full of life – kids playing on the jungle gym nearby and adults sharing lunch on the green grass around the park. The park was very pretty, despite the nearby construction. It sat at the bottom of the hill, below Edinburgh Castle. The patches of daisies added to the sunshine-like feeling in the park.
Spinning Blowfish Band & Scottish National Gallery
As Mom and I were walking towards the National Scottish Gallery, we saw a few local Scots playing some really good music outside the gallery. They drew a pretty large crowd too and were selling CDs of their music for five pounds. They used bagpipes, drums and the electric guitar during their performance. After listening to them for a little bit, mom and I wandered inside the gallery. While there were many beautiful works of art, some of my favorites included The Sacrament of Marriage by Nicolas Poussin, South-Western View and North-Western View from Ben Lomond by John Knox, Niagara Falls, from the American Side 1867 by Frederic Edwin Church and Towards the Storm by William McTaggart.
Giles Cathedral
After the Scottish National Gallery, mom and I went deeper into the city and found Giles Cathedral. It was definitely one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. There were so many intricate designs throughout the entire cathedral and many people were paying their respects by donating money towards the upkeep of the chapel. It was funny walking by the collection box and seeing all types of currencies inside the box. It really touched me thinking all of these people from all different nationalities and backgrounds were donating money towards the cathedral. One of my favorite parts of the church was the angel blowing bagpipes statue that was hidden inside the chapel. It was a little difficult to find on my own, but once the worker flashed a light towards the general direction of the angel, it was very easy to spot. Inside the church was also a huge organ, alter and many life-sized Celtic crosses.
Victoria Street/Royal Street
Mom and I left the cathedral and spent some time wandering around Victoria Street and Royal Street. There were so many shops and boutiques. It was also very busy and crowded so it was more difficult to move around. It also had a unique vibe, which made it all the more interesting. One of my favorite shops was one that sold authentic replicas of the cups used in the Game of Thrones series. The cups could be purchased for 25 to 40 pounds depending on the size. Since we had been walking around so much, we decided to stop at McDonald’s for a drink while we figured out what we wanted to do next. After getting our drinks, we went up to the second floor to sit down. They played classical music and it was a completely different atmosphere from the McDonalds’ we have in the States.
Frank & Benny’s for Dinner
After Starbucks, mom and I decided to go back to the hotel and just relax the rest of the night. Between the both of us not feeling well and having a somewhat early start to our day, we decided to eat dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel called Frankie & Benny’s. We were pretty impressed with the quality of Italian food for such a good price. We both ended up getting the gnocchi with prosciutto. To top it off, we also got ice cream sundaes. After dinner, we went back to our room and watched You’ve Got Mail, our all-time favorite movie.
Mom and I were moving hotels so that we could spend out our final days in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh. We chose to stay at the Dakota Hotel because it was fairly close to the tram we would take to get into town and it wasn’t too expensive either. It was a very nice hotel and there were apparently a lot of weddings going on at the hotel that weekend too. Our room was quite impressive. Our bathroom had a heating towel rack, 100 ml soap bottles, a waterfall-like showerhead. Our bedroom had a large TV and a very comfy bed.
Edinburgh
After we checked into our hotel, we had to return our little red car at the rental place near the airport. After returning the car, we took a shuttle bus to the tram station that would take us into the city. Mom and I were starving by the time we arrived in Edinburgh so we decided to stop at Ryan’s Café and Bar. The café was a cute atmosphere and very enjoyable for the middle of the afternoon. We ordered a bruschetta appetizer that tasted delicious. For lunch, I ordered a baked potato with cheese, butter and bacon. Since I still wasn’t feeling well, the warm food and Earl Gray tea was very comforting.
Prince’s Street/Royal Park
We were walking up and down Prince’s Street when we stumbled upon Royal Park. The park was full of life – kids playing on the jungle gym nearby and adults sharing lunch on the green grass around the park. The park was very pretty, despite the nearby construction. It sat at the bottom of the hill, below Edinburgh Castle. The patches of daisies added to the sunshine-like feeling in the park.
Spinning Blowfish Band & Scottish National Gallery
As Mom and I were walking towards the National Scottish Gallery, we saw a few local Scots playing some really good music outside the gallery. They drew a pretty large crowd too and were selling CDs of their music for five pounds. They used bagpipes, drums and the electric guitar during their performance. After listening to them for a little bit, mom and I wandered inside the gallery. While there were many beautiful works of art, some of my favorites included The Sacrament of Marriage by Nicolas Poussin, South-Western View and North-Western View from Ben Lomond by John Knox, Niagara Falls, from the American Side 1867 by Frederic Edwin Church and Towards the Storm by William McTaggart.
Giles Cathedral
After the Scottish National Gallery, mom and I went deeper into the city and found Giles Cathedral. It was definitely one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. There were so many intricate designs throughout the entire cathedral and many people were paying their respects by donating money towards the upkeep of the chapel. It was funny walking by the collection box and seeing all types of currencies inside the box. It really touched me thinking all of these people from all different nationalities and backgrounds were donating money towards the cathedral. One of my favorite parts of the church was the angel blowing bagpipes statue that was hidden inside the chapel. It was a little difficult to find on my own, but once the worker flashed a light towards the general direction of the angel, it was very easy to spot. Inside the church was also a huge organ, alter and many life-sized Celtic crosses.
Victoria Street/Royal Street
Mom and I left the cathedral and spent some time wandering around Victoria Street and Royal Street. There were so many shops and boutiques. It was also very busy and crowded so it was more difficult to move around. It also had a unique vibe, which made it all the more interesting. One of my favorite shops was one that sold authentic replicas of the cups used in the Game of Thrones series. The cups could be purchased for 25 to 40 pounds depending on the size. Since we had been walking around so much, we decided to stop at McDonald’s for a drink while we figured out what we wanted to do next. After getting our drinks, we went up to the second floor to sit down. They played classical music and it was a completely different atmosphere from the McDonalds’ we have in the States.
Frank & Benny’s for Dinner
After Starbucks, mom and I decided to go back to the hotel and just relax the rest of the night. Between the both of us not feeling well and having a somewhat early start to our day, we decided to eat dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel called Frankie & Benny’s. We were pretty impressed with the quality of Italian food for such a good price. We both ended up getting the gnocchi with prosciutto. To top it off, we also got ice cream sundaes. After dinner, we went back to our room and watched You’ve Got Mail, our all-time favorite movie.
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Day 34 - 06/03/17
Elephant House
Mom and I had a late start to our morning, but that didn’t deter us from trying to have an awesome final day in Scotland. Being a huge Harry Potter fan, one of my goals was to visit The Elephant House in Edinburgh. For those who don’t know much about the history of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling started writing the Harry Potter series in The Elephant House. It’s known as the birthplace for Harry Potter. The restaurant was a really cute atmosphere and had a really pretty view overlooking Edinburgh Castle from below. Mom and I were seated within 30 minutes and then ordered our respective meals. It was close to lunch so mom got soup and tea while I got a scone and tea.
Edinburgh Castle
Our next stop was Edinburgh Castle. Mom and I joked about how crowded the Castle was compared to a lot of the other sites we had visited throughout our trip. We both agreed it was just as busy as Disney during on a nice summer day. The castle itself was very large and almost overwhelming because there was so much to see. Many of the rooms were converted into museums. The chapel is the oldest building on the castle grounds. We were also able to see the Scottish Crown Jewels, which are very heavily guarded much like London’s. After spending about two and a half hours walking around and seeing everything we thought we could, we decided to head back into the city.
Royal Street & Starbucks
Mom and I decided to walk down Royal Street and check out the shops around the area. We found a Starbucks for us to hang out in for a bit as well. We were finally able to get in touch with Emily and her family (they were in Edinburgh too), so we decided to meet at the Starbucks and walk to a restaurant together from there.
Usquabae
We decided to go to Ryan’s since mom and I really enjoyed it yesterday, but it was very crowded, so they directed us to their restaurant below called Usquabae. Although the food looked very good, I was still feeling a bit queasy, so I decided not to eat. It wasn’t until the group ordered some dessert that I realized I was actually kind of hungry. Luckily, mom was nice enough to share her crème brulee with me. It tasted amazing! After dinner, we took an Uber back to the hotel and started packing up our things. We would have to wake up at 4 a.m. for our flight tomorrow and the more sleep we got, the better we’d be off.
Mom and I had a late start to our morning, but that didn’t deter us from trying to have an awesome final day in Scotland. Being a huge Harry Potter fan, one of my goals was to visit The Elephant House in Edinburgh. For those who don’t know much about the history of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling started writing the Harry Potter series in The Elephant House. It’s known as the birthplace for Harry Potter. The restaurant was a really cute atmosphere and had a really pretty view overlooking Edinburgh Castle from below. Mom and I were seated within 30 minutes and then ordered our respective meals. It was close to lunch so mom got soup and tea while I got a scone and tea.
Edinburgh Castle
Our next stop was Edinburgh Castle. Mom and I joked about how crowded the Castle was compared to a lot of the other sites we had visited throughout our trip. We both agreed it was just as busy as Disney during on a nice summer day. The castle itself was very large and almost overwhelming because there was so much to see. Many of the rooms were converted into museums. The chapel is the oldest building on the castle grounds. We were also able to see the Scottish Crown Jewels, which are very heavily guarded much like London’s. After spending about two and a half hours walking around and seeing everything we thought we could, we decided to head back into the city.
Royal Street & Starbucks
Mom and I decided to walk down Royal Street and check out the shops around the area. We found a Starbucks for us to hang out in for a bit as well. We were finally able to get in touch with Emily and her family (they were in Edinburgh too), so we decided to meet at the Starbucks and walk to a restaurant together from there.
Usquabae
We decided to go to Ryan’s since mom and I really enjoyed it yesterday, but it was very crowded, so they directed us to their restaurant below called Usquabae. Although the food looked very good, I was still feeling a bit queasy, so I decided not to eat. It wasn’t until the group ordered some dessert that I realized I was actually kind of hungry. Luckily, mom was nice enough to share her crème brulee with me. It tasted amazing! After dinner, we took an Uber back to the hotel and started packing up our things. We would have to wake up at 4 a.m. for our flight tomorrow and the more sleep we got, the better we’d be off.
Day 35 - 06/04/17
Edinburgh Airport
Mom and I woke up at 4 a.m. to get to our 8:30 a.m. flight at the Edinburgh Airport. We wanted to make sure we had enough time to go through customs and security. We also had to plan more time because of the terrorist attack that happened in London the previous night. Attacks happened at Borough Market, Tower Bridge and some local pubs and restaurants. We would be flying through Gatwick (in London) to get to Orlando (in Florida). It took us 20 minutes to get from our hotel to the airport. Once we arrived, we checked in our bags and made our way towards security. Going through security was pretty painless and we only had about 45 minutes before they started boarding our flight. Our flight from Edinburgh to Gatwick was only an hour.
Gatwick Airport
Once we debarked our flight in London, we immediately noticed a stronger security presence in the Gatwick Airport. We actually saw an argument ensuing between an African-American male and some officers arguing at security. The man barged through some doors that didn’t look like was “open” to the general public which started the commotion. The group of officers was predominantly white, but there were some people of ethnic backgrounds that were present as well. One of the officers had his passport and the man tried reaching for it while arguing with the officers. It was about that time that the man started screaming “black white issue” repeatedly. I quickly grabbed my mom’s arm and we hustled out of the area before anything could go further. We waited about an hour at our gate before our flight started boarding.
Flight to Orlando
Mom and I were lucky enough to sit in the middle section and on the end, so it was really easy to get in and out. Our flight was nine hours, and I probably only slept for an hour (at most). In the meantime, I watched Logan, Beauty and the Beast, two episodes of Big Bang Theory, two episodes of Friends and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Drinking lots of tea and water helped with the comfort level since I couldn’t relax, and unfortunately my appetite still hadn’t come back so I didn’t eat any of the provided meals. Our flight overall went very well and we actually landed about 30 minutes early.
Customs in Orlando
I wasn’t expecting customs to take as long as it did when we arrived. We went through the first part very quickly, partly because it was self-automated. We had to scan our passports, take a photo, answer some yes/no questions and printed us our receipts that we would need as we exited customs. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes for our luggage and the “no cellphone” policy was strictly enforced as we waited. The luggage waiting area started getting very crowded as other flights started moving into the area too. Once we were able to retrieve our luggage (after waiting an additional 10 minutes), we got through the second part of customs fairly quickly.
Family Greeting
Our family was waiting for us downstairs by some of the unused luggage carousels. My Aunt Debbie, grandma and cousin, Drew, were anxiously waiting for the both of us. As we approached them I noticed a reporter with a cameraman in the background and little did I know they were waiting for us to come downstairs to ask if we could be interviewed. The reporter told us we were one of the first flights from London since the attack and she wanted to get a perspective of what things were like over there. Being a journalism student, I was sympathetic towards her project and the fact it is sometimes very difficult to find sources that are willing to talk to you, especially on-camera. She asked some really good questions during the interview and was appreciative of our time. After the interview, our family took us to the parking garage so that we could pack up the luggage and head home. They also informed us of the possibility that the car had a flat tire because of a nail they ran over in the garage. Low and behold when we got outside, the back-left tire was completely flat. Thankfully, Drew was able to change the tire for us within 30 minutes and we were on the road to get to a Wal-Mart. An hour later, a plugged tire and $11 poorer, we were on the road headed towards home. We ended up making one final stop at one of our favorite restaurants – Texas Roadhouse. It tasted like the best steak dinner I had eaten in my life, but maybe that was just because it had been such a long time since I had a dinner like that. It was fun sharing some stories with the family and laughing at some memories, while also hearing about things on the home front. Despite the fact that I missed Europe terribly, it felt good to be home.
Mom and I woke up at 4 a.m. to get to our 8:30 a.m. flight at the Edinburgh Airport. We wanted to make sure we had enough time to go through customs and security. We also had to plan more time because of the terrorist attack that happened in London the previous night. Attacks happened at Borough Market, Tower Bridge and some local pubs and restaurants. We would be flying through Gatwick (in London) to get to Orlando (in Florida). It took us 20 minutes to get from our hotel to the airport. Once we arrived, we checked in our bags and made our way towards security. Going through security was pretty painless and we only had about 45 minutes before they started boarding our flight. Our flight from Edinburgh to Gatwick was only an hour.
Gatwick Airport
Once we debarked our flight in London, we immediately noticed a stronger security presence in the Gatwick Airport. We actually saw an argument ensuing between an African-American male and some officers arguing at security. The man barged through some doors that didn’t look like was “open” to the general public which started the commotion. The group of officers was predominantly white, but there were some people of ethnic backgrounds that were present as well. One of the officers had his passport and the man tried reaching for it while arguing with the officers. It was about that time that the man started screaming “black white issue” repeatedly. I quickly grabbed my mom’s arm and we hustled out of the area before anything could go further. We waited about an hour at our gate before our flight started boarding.
Flight to Orlando
Mom and I were lucky enough to sit in the middle section and on the end, so it was really easy to get in and out. Our flight was nine hours, and I probably only slept for an hour (at most). In the meantime, I watched Logan, Beauty and the Beast, two episodes of Big Bang Theory, two episodes of Friends and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Drinking lots of tea and water helped with the comfort level since I couldn’t relax, and unfortunately my appetite still hadn’t come back so I didn’t eat any of the provided meals. Our flight overall went very well and we actually landed about 30 minutes early.
Customs in Orlando
I wasn’t expecting customs to take as long as it did when we arrived. We went through the first part very quickly, partly because it was self-automated. We had to scan our passports, take a photo, answer some yes/no questions and printed us our receipts that we would need as we exited customs. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes for our luggage and the “no cellphone” policy was strictly enforced as we waited. The luggage waiting area started getting very crowded as other flights started moving into the area too. Once we were able to retrieve our luggage (after waiting an additional 10 minutes), we got through the second part of customs fairly quickly.
Family Greeting
Our family was waiting for us downstairs by some of the unused luggage carousels. My Aunt Debbie, grandma and cousin, Drew, were anxiously waiting for the both of us. As we approached them I noticed a reporter with a cameraman in the background and little did I know they were waiting for us to come downstairs to ask if we could be interviewed. The reporter told us we were one of the first flights from London since the attack and she wanted to get a perspective of what things were like over there. Being a journalism student, I was sympathetic towards her project and the fact it is sometimes very difficult to find sources that are willing to talk to you, especially on-camera. She asked some really good questions during the interview and was appreciative of our time. After the interview, our family took us to the parking garage so that we could pack up the luggage and head home. They also informed us of the possibility that the car had a flat tire because of a nail they ran over in the garage. Low and behold when we got outside, the back-left tire was completely flat. Thankfully, Drew was able to change the tire for us within 30 minutes and we were on the road to get to a Wal-Mart. An hour later, a plugged tire and $11 poorer, we were on the road headed towards home. We ended up making one final stop at one of our favorite restaurants – Texas Roadhouse. It tasted like the best steak dinner I had eaten in my life, but maybe that was just because it had been such a long time since I had a dinner like that. It was fun sharing some stories with the family and laughing at some memories, while also hearing about things on the home front. Despite the fact that I missed Europe terribly, it felt good to be home.