Our plane laid over in Germany, so how could we not have a beer and a pretzel? It is never too early for a beer in Germany...
Our mid-day arrival necessitated a stop from the airport until our apartment was ready. We hit up the Edinburgh Zoo, and saw many cool animals, walking though many of the enclosures and seeing the penguin parade. The pandas, lions, and tigers were a no-show.
Our first morning, full of jet lag, had us up before 5am. An amazing run around the hill of King Arthur's Seat started us off. Loving what we saw, we took the kids for a hike up and over the mountain. They persevered, pushing up the crags and to the summit which took a couple of hours round trip. We headed to Dynamic Earth, learning lots about the creation of the universe. Our stroll down the Royal Mile took us to Edinburgh Castle where we grabbed spears and learned how to battle like Scottish warriors. Then we took a ride in whisky barrels to learn about scotch in the Scotch Whisky Experience. The girls enjoyed their 2nd ice cream of the day and we ordered pizza in and watched a movie to cap off the day. 30,000 steps. Exhausted.
The rain started on our drive to Stirling Castle. This castle is more fun and interactive than the one in Edinburgh, and with far less people. With great views we got to see some key pieces of Scottish history. Across the way was the Wallace Monument, which I had skipped when I visited in college, so we went in. Built as a tribute to the man, we learned lots about this piece of history, which was a lot considering my previous reference point was Braveheart. The girls climb the tower and we enjoyed a hike on the trail in a rare break from the rain.
It was raining again as we drove the long road to Inverness the next morning. Sarah was eager to see Castle Inverness, a supposed locale in Macbeth, but when we arrived there was no parking or info. It turns out the building is now a judicial center. We opted for a picture while eating soup and having a beer and a pub across the street. Finally we arrived at our stop for the night, Mansfield Castle in Tain. We chose the Tower Suite and spent the night in our own castle! The girls had a great time pretending, and Sarah read a book with a blanket in one of the sitting rooms. It was quite a place.
Departing in spitting rain, we made our way south to Loch Ness. The weather cleared just as we reached the lake and not wanting to miss the opportunity, we pulled over at a dock for a boat ride. IT was a mystical tour of the loch, keeping an eye out for the fabled Nessie, and we cruised over to Urquhart Castle, a beautiful ruin on the lake shore. There were spectacular views. Back on shore, our trip continued as we meandered through the highlands, soaking in some sun and spectacular scenery. After a long way, we pulled alongside Elian Donan Castle, one of the most picturesque sights in all of the United Kingdom. Back out through the highlands again and we ended up in Inverness for the night in a lovely B&B.
Our last full day took us south again to resume our Macbeth pilgrimage. Our first stop was to the Birnam Wood. A walk along the river trail took us into the trees and brought us to a historic tree, reminiscent of the trees that once dominated the landscape. Moving on, we ended up at Dunsinane Hill, the alleged site of Macbeth’s demise. Our final stop was Glamis Castle, the beset castle on our trip. This was the seat of Earls going back many centuries. Mary Queen of Scots stayed here. It was the childhood home of the Queen Mother. If fact, in one of the rooms, Sarah was invited to play the Queen Mum’s piano! It really was the best place we visited, and we saw the room where Macbeth plotted Duncan’s demise (in Shakespeare’s mind, anyway). Our night ended at BrewDog for the obligatory beer.
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On another trip a few months later I was able to hit up Scotland again for a conference. This time I drove up to play golf at St. Andrews, the home of golf. It was cold and windy, but still, amazing to hit a round on the oldest golf course in the world.
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| St. Andrews Golf |
