Week 2 On our third day in Edinburgh, we booked a bus tour to the Scottish Highlands to see Glencoe and Loch Ness in particular. Early that morning we walked from our Airbnb to the designated pickup spot. From Edinburgh, it was a four hour drive up to Loch Ness with a couple stops along the way, one being at Glencoe for pictures. Our bus driver was AMAZING! For most of the ride he was narrating and telling us about Scottish history, fun stories about his experiences visiting the places we were driving by, and interesting movies facts like where Harry Potter, James Bond, and Outlander were filmed. Glencoe It was absolutely STUNNING! Pictures don't do this place justice. All of the scenery we were passing on the bus was beautiful, but it was here that we actually got to get off, walk around, and take pictures (not through the bus windows). The photo on the right was taken on the bus as we were driving up to Glencoe. In Glencoe, there are three peaks called the Three Sisters. You can see part of one peak in the middle photo. If you look closely, in this photo you'll also see a waterfall cascading down. When it rains, there are hundreds of waterfalls along these mountains. This location was used as the backdrop for multiple Harry Potter films and in the Prisoner of Azkaban, it was were Hagrid's Hut was located. Some Scottish terms: Glen - valley Ben - mountain Loch - lake Loch Ness The absolutely picturesque scenery continued as we made our way to Loch Ness. We saw the Loch from the village Fort Augustus. We opted not to do the boat tour on the Loch, but found a great spot right along the shore where we took pictures (photo on the left) and ate the sandwiches we brought for lunch. Even though it was quite chilly, we saw people paddle boarding and kayaking in the Loch. Fort Augustus is also home to the Caledonian Canal (part of it is pictured on the right). This canal runs from Inverness to Fort William. Whiskey Ice Cream
On the drive back to Edinburgh, we made a couple stops. One was to try see the highland cattle, but because the cattle got moved to a different pasture, we only got a quick glimpse. We stopped in Pitlochry for a quick bathroom break, but the driver recommended we try the whiskey ice cream at the Scotch Corner. It was very yummy! This corner shop also sold tablet, a Scottish confection.
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Week 2 During the week between move in and when class starts, myself and three other people from UH decided to take a trip up to Edinburgh. We took a train from King's Cross Station up to Edinburgh Waverly. The ride there was a little over four hours. Keep in mind when traveling, it takes time to get from campus to whatever station or airport you're departing from. It took us about 40 minutes to get from Roehampton to King's Cross Station in Central London by bus and tube. ACCOMMODATIONS Since there were four of us, we decided to stay in an Airbnb right in the middle of Old Town. All the touristy sites were within walking distance from us. To save some money and since there weren't many Scottish dishes we wanted to try, we also decided to go to the grocery store and make most of our meals at the Airbnb. OUR ITINERARY We wanted to make the most of our time in Edinburgh, so we tried to plan our days beforehand while also leaving room for free time in case someone saw something interesting along the way. Edinburgh Castle This is definitely a must see. There is an entrance fee, but I think it was worth it. Make sure to book your ticket in advance online. We went in the late afternoon right after arrived and dropped our stuff off at the Airbnb. If you really want to delve into the history, there is an audio tour you can rent. We decided to just walk around and read the signs. The views of New Town were spectacular. One of buildings is home to a memorial to the Scots who served in the Great War (WWI). In the castle's Crown room is the Stone of Destiny, an ancient symbolic stone that was used for the inauguration of Scottish kings for centuries until 1296 when it was seized by King Edward I of England and built into a throne in Westminster Abbey. Queen Elizabeth II was crowned above this stone. It was returned to Scotland in 1996 but will be brought back to London for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III. St. Giles Cathedral If you watched some of the coverage on the Queen's passing, this place might sound familiar. It was here that the Queen lied in state before returning to London. It is located along the Royal Mile, so we passed by multiple times as we wandered around Edinburgh. Portobello Beach Our second day in Edinburgh was rainy and gloomy, but that didn't stop us from heading down to the beach. Even on this gloomy day, there were people out and dogs running along the shoreline. It was definitely a different scene from back home but beautiful none-the-less. National Museum of Scotland If you're a history buff (or even if you're not), the National Museum of Scotland is a great place to visit. It's also free :) You could spend hours wandering the different floors and exhibits, which is what we did on our rainy day after our trip down to the beach. DIY Harry Potter Tour Edinburgh is known as the birthplace of Harry Potter because that's where JK Rowling originally wrote the books. There are many Harry Potter walking tours you can book (some for free!). I decided to follow one of the walking tours published on GetYourGuide. This included a stop at The Dog House, a quirky pub that serves butterbeer (actually alcoholic here), Victoria Street (aka Diagon Alley), Museum Context on Victoria St., and the Greyfriars Kirkyard which is where Rowling found inspiration for multiple character names. Mary's Milk Bar Hungry for ice cream (even in 50°F weather)? This place was recommended to us by our Airbnb host. It's a cute shop with a unique selection of favors, and from it you have a great view of Edinburgh Castle. The Alchemist I'm not a big drinker, but this bar was very cool. There's a chemistry theme to most of their drinks, making the presentation of them super fun to watch. Whiski Bar and Restaurant Looking to try whiskey while in Scotland? This place was recommended to us by our tour bus driver (more on the tour we went on in my next post). It was also conveniently a 5 min walk from where we were staying. But even if you aren't staying near this place, there are a TON of pubs and bars in Old Town, so you're sure to find a place has good whiskey. Checkout my next blog to see our day trip to the Scottish Highlands!
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Kaylee MikiI'm a college student from Hawai‘i studying abroad in London and looking forward to traveling around Europe and sharing my experiences. Archives
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