One of the most friendly countries I have ever visited is Scotland! Not only do you feel like you’ve never met a stranger, but the country itself is absolutely beautiful as well! I could share 100+ pictures, but nobody loves them as much as I do, so I’ll tell you about six highlights from my April trip.
The Kelpies! About an hour out of Edinburgh, you can visit the Kelpies. These massive sculptures were made to respresent the mythical shapeshifter creature that takes the shape of a horse on land.
Sir Walter Scott Monument, Edinburgh! The largest monument dedicated to a writer, this one dates back almost 200 years. The detail is phenomenal. You may climb to the top if you like. Notice the black on the monument. Many buildings in UK cities have black from soot. Washing them is not an option, as it destroys the shale exterior.
Loch Ness! One of some 30,000 lochs (lakes), no visit to Scotland would be complete without a visit to Loch Ness! There have been no Nessie sightings…yet. What do you think? Is she real? The loch is over 700 feet deep, so who knows what lurks out there! There are stunning views from every angle.
Castles! At one point, there were over 3,000 castles that were home to royalty in Scotland. The most famous, of course, is Edinburgh Castle. Sitting at the top of the Royal Mile, this 11th Century castle houses the Crown Jewels of Scotland, as well as the Stone of Destiny. You may have noticed a large, gray stone under the Coronatino Chair recently. I had the privilege of seeing the Stone itself at Edinburgh Castle, and the chair at Westminster Abbey.
Whisky! Although I am not much of a drinker, when in Scotland, you definitely have to take a tour of one of Scotland’s 140 distilleries! We visited The Clydeside Distillery on this last visit and I found it to be smoother than others I have tried. (My favorite way to drink whisky is in an Irish Coffee!) I haven’t found a whisky I like yet, but maybe when Rod Stewart’s new Wolfies Whisky comes out I’ll give it a taste!
I saved the best for last! Spring is lambing season everywhere and Scotland is no different! After seeing hundreds of mamas and babies in the fields, we finally had our chance to visit a sheep farm and learn about the process of sheep herding. This included helping shear a sheep! Then they let out the baby lambs and handed us baby bottles. Once the lambs were settled, the Border Collie puppies were let out and we got to play with puppies! The farm owner showed how the dogs are trained – puppies are trained to their own whistle by the time they are 2-3 weeks old. It’s a day I’ll never forget!
I saw so much more during my time in Scotland and will share more soon. For this trip, I took an escorted coach tour. Scotland can be challenging to get around without transportation and I have not yet gotten brave enough to drive in the UK. A coach tour simplifies a lot. You are told what time to be ready to depart; breakfasts and a few other meals are included; additional activities/excursions are available at a very fair price; someone else handles all the details. Although I escort clients from time to time, I have to admit it’s a treat to sit back and let someone else do the thinking and hard work! However it makes sense for you to visit, let’s talk about it and get you to this beautiful land.
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