Edinburgh and the Highlands in 3 Days - Yikes!

Wrap up in your Tartan wool and grab a wee bit of single malt whiskey to sip while you eat your Scottish shortbread. You are in for some fun in Scotland!

Upon our arrival at Waverly Station in Edinburgh, we were quite impressed by the skyline of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh as seen from Princes Street. The Edinburgh Castle dominates this and appears to be carved right out of the rock that it sits on. Princes Street divides the city into the new town and the old town. All along Princes Street, there is a beautiful park and, given that it is Festival Time in Edinburgh, there are people and entertainers EVERYWHERE. Apparently, the Edinburgh Festival is the largest in the world with over 2,000 venues for the arts, a spectacular Military Tattoo outside the castle and a fringe festival of street performers.

Mom opted for a double-decker bus tour of the city to save her back from walking the hills so Mike and I set off to walk up to the castle and down the Royal Mile to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of the Queen. Along the way, we saw some pretty questionable street performers along with troops of actors and musicians strolling the street singing, dancing and generally promoting their festival venue.

When we arrived at the Palace of Holyrood we were lucky to walk in just as the Queen's husband, Phillip, was walking out the door to get in the car. The rest of the royal family is now at Balmoral but he was in town for some business and an evening event in Edinburgh. They are in Edinburgh during the month of July. As with Windsor Castle, this is a working Palace and the tour was very good. My favorite part is the Abbey ruins connected to the Palace. The beautiful stonework still stands against the sky with beautiful arches, columns, and windows despite the missing roof and partial walls. We strolled through the inside and then approached from the gardens just as the sun came out, setting it off against the blue sky and surrounding mountains.

We had been told that if it was a clear day we should hike to Arthurs Seat at the top of Holyrood Park so we set off with a bottle of water and several layers for the unpredictable weather. The view as you walk through this beautiful park is spectacular and, as you climb, you get a 360-degree view of the city, the ocean, and surrounding countryside. It wouldn't be a proper Scottish hike if it hadn't started raining halfway up. At least the torrential downpours waited until we were most of the way back down! After dinner, Mike hopped the bus to the airport and we got ready for an early start the next morning. We were heading to Glencoe, Loch Ness and the Highlands - Minibus tour lasting 12 hours! What are you going to do if you want to see a lot of territory in such a short time?

Our highlands guide was fantastic and I am sure she is an aspiring actress because she told the old stories of the clans and royal battles with such intensity and emotion that I was captivated. The Scots do have their share of bloody battles throughout history. She gave us the true identity of their Brave Heart. It was not William Wallace, as portrayed by Mel Gibson in the movie. The fight for freedom was, in fact, picked up by Robert the Bruce. He was eventually crowned King of Scotland and known to them as one of their greatest kings and most famous warriors. We also got lots of stories about Mary Queen of Scots as well as a warning never to trust a Campbell - ask me about that sometime! All in all, the scenery along the way was spectacular and the pictures will never do it justice. The mist is almost always clinging to the lush green hills and the lochs are beautiful. I hate to admit that we took a boat ride on Loch Ness and fed the Nessie legend by watching the boat sonar for signs of something large lurking beneath the surface. We did learn that the northern part of Scotland was once part of Canada before breaking off, floating for eons and eventually slamming into the UK creating the incredible terrain and the many lochs. Crazy! Loch Ness is deeper than their Ocean and black as the darkest night from all the peat in the water washing in off the soil.

With one more day to spend in Edinburgh, we set off early on Wednesday and were lucky to beat the crowds into the Castle to view the Crown Jewels and the rest of the Castle exhibits. We particularly liked visiting the prison. It was set up with the cots and hammocks that would have been in there when it was full of prisoners of war. The conditions were crowded and deplorable for the multinational prisoners housed within. We spent more time than we probably needed to in the War Museum because it was pouring rain outside! By the time we worked our way through the streets and buildings of the Edinburgh Castle, the sun was out briefly and we watched street performers on the Royal Mile and did some souvenir shopping. Somewhere along the way we tasted the Whiskey, ate the shortbread and bought items from St. Andrews Golf Course.

It was a quick trip and we covered lots of ground - so fun! If I return to Scotland, the Isle of Skye is at the top of my list. Maybe we can rent one of the charming medieval gatehouses that we saw throughout the highlands now used for that purpose. I have mom here for just two more days so we will stay close to home and hit a couple of our charming towns nearby for shopping and maybe lunch. I am so glad she came to visit. I miss being able to spend that kind of time with her. Safe travels, Mom!