Scotland Revisited

This time last year, I was hunting for the Loch Ness, eating the world’s best fish & chips in Glasgow, strolling along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, and partaking in scotch flights in Sterling. Enjoy some of our highlights in our slideshow—set to Scottish music!

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. Get your own taste of Scotland by enjoying our slideshow!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu3SkKYcmvc

Wee Dram of Scotland

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.

http://www.visitscotland.com/en-us

My Nessie Lies Over the Ocean

The Week Magazine: Concern is growing in Scotland over the fate of the fabled Loch Ness monster, which hasn’t been spotted in 18 months—the longest stretch without a sighting in 90 years. 

“It’s very upsetting news,” said accountant and Nessie expert Gary Campbell. Campbell, who has collected 1,036 reports of sightings, including some dating back 1,500 years, thinks the prehistoric creature is still alive. “I’m convinced that Nessie has just taken some time out,” he said, “and will be back with a vengeance this year.”

Me: I’ve got this. I’m off to Scotland today. Spending some time in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, the Highlands, and—yes—Loch Ness. I’ll find Nessie. If you don’t hear from me in the next couple weeks and I don’t show up at the next Lit & Art event, better stark poking around Loch Ness.

www.livescience.com/43230-is-loch-ness-monster-dead.html

Off to the Highlands

I’ve been feeling a wee bit peckish for some tatties and neeps, so I’m off to Scotland.

We’re stopping for a day in London along the way and plan to stroll the Thames, listen to the chimes of Big Ben at Parliament, pay a visit to Buckingham Palace, and peek into the National Gallery, Portrait Gallery, and Tate before taking the tube from Piccadilly Circus back to Heathrow.

In Scotland, we’ll spend most of our time in Edinburgh and Glasgow. We look forward to a stroll along the Royal Mile, visit to Edinburgh Castle and Hollyrood Palace and all of the wonderful museums and sites between the two. We’ll explore the works of Mackintosh in Glasgow and take in the religious relics and modern art.

Sterling Castle and Rosslyn Chapel are also on the list, as well as an exploration of Loch Lomond, the highlands, and Loch Ness. Fingers crossed that we’ll spot Nessie.

Hold the haggis, heavy on the scotch, and let the bagpipes hum.

http://www.visitscotland.com/en-us/