We returned from our week in Scotland just in time to attend the most recent Lit & Art event. The week gave us just a wee taste of Scotland, and a few drams of scotch as well.
Our trip started with a nice day revisiting some of our favorite places in London: Westminster, the Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, and a taste of Fish and Chips.
We flew into Scotland early in the morning and didn’t waste any time, stowing our bags at the train station and exploring Edinburgh’s Royal Mile—filled with medieval stone buildings that decent for a mile from Edinburgh Castle (on an extinct volcano) and Holyrood Palace (the Queen’s Scottish residence). The Royal Mile ended up being our go-to place during our time in Edinburgh, where we visited a number of museums, galleries, and pubs. Meat and ale pies and fish and chips were favorites.
In Glasgow, we enjoyed touring the campus of University of Glasgow, Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Museum, and Park, the Mackintosh House, Hunterian Museum and Gallery, George Square, St. Mungro Museum, and Glasgow Cathedral. Neeps and Tatties were good in Glasgow, and so was the fish and chips.
Stirling’s medieval old-town was refreshing, not quite as crowded as the larger cities. The castle and medieval church were interesting, as were the pubs and restaurants. We enjoyed a deluxe Scotch flight (about 20 of them) at the Curly Coo—voted best whisky bar in the world two years in a row. In Stirling, we tried haggis, and fish and chips.
Our voyage through the highlands brought us some of the most diverse and dramatic scenery we’ve seen in one day’s time. Mountains and valleys, mist and sun, green moss and desert wastelands. Highlights included Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Rannoch Moor, Ben Nevis, and Loch Ness.
When we took our voyage into Loch Ness, it began raining. The water was choppy and the horizon was misty. We think we spotted Nessie, but it was hard to tell in the rain and mist. We debated our findings over fish and chips.
We searched Rosslyn Chapel outside Edinburgh, but didn’t find anything not already uncovered in Da Vinci Code.
We ended our Scottish adventures where they began, along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, where we had one last pub meal of meat pies, fish and chips, and ale and scotch.
People have already asked: which city had the best fish and chips and which was our favorite scotch?
We may need to return for another taste test.
Labels: scotch, scotland, travel
