Sightseeing in Scotland

From Edinburgh we took at day trip to see Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and a Whisky distillery. We chose Heart of Scotland Tours for the trip.

The first stop was Stirling Castle.

A Stewart family castle, it was a favored residence by many kings and queens. This castle is where Mary Queen of Scots spent her childhood. It sits on top of a hill that helps with its fortification.

I really like the tapestries in this castle. So much display of unicorn-ry!

This lighting fixture was quite interesting as well.

And look at this dude….scary.

Because the tour was so packed of activities we were only give a little over an hour to tour both the castle and the town where the castle resides. I would have liked to schedule at least 1/2 day here.

Hamish the hairy highland Coo

After our visit to Stirling castle we drove through the Trossachs and visited Hamish the Hairy Coo.

And look at these views….

Aberfoyle

We stopped in the small town of Aberfoyle for fish and chips.

We also saw these furry guys.

Loch Lomond

So ye’ll tak the high road, and I’ll tak the laigh road,
An’ I’ll be in Scotland before ye:
But me and my true love will never meet again,
By the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond.

Andrew Lang

The visit to Loch Lomond proved to be the highlight of the day. It was a perfect and clear day. The views were amazing. I felt at peace walking the banks of Loch Lomond.

Scotch Whisky Tasting at Glengoyne Distillery

We finished out the day with a whisky distillery tour and tasting. The distillery was Glengoyne and we couldn’t wait for our samples. No cameras were allowed on the tour due to fears the cameras would spark flames due to the all the alcohol in the air. It was an interesting tour. We got to see the process that goes into making scotch whisky. At the end we got to taste some single malts – 15 Y ear Old and 18 Year Old. Until this trip I never thought I liked whisky. Now I realize I enjoy high end single malts. We had fun trying out scotches after we returned home from this vacation!!!

The tour was a long day but very enjoyable. I recommend it but you may want to spend extra time at Stirling like I did so perhaps a tour that is more castle centric might be for you. Cheers!

Another day in Edinburgh

For my visit to Edinburgh last year I only scheduled a couple of days dedicated to sightseeing. I wish we would have scheduled more. The beginning of our trip is documented in this post.
I think we would have been able to see more if the weather was slightly warmer. I think the frigid temperatures kept us snuggled at our B & B longer than we normally would have.

Our B & B was wonderful. After reading many reviews, we chose the 94DR. The facilities were at a luxury level but at a 3 star hotel price. Each room is charmingly named after scotch whiskies. We happened to stay in the Macallan. The owners and the others who run the B & B were extremely friendly and welcoming. They gave us great sightseeing advice and the breakfasts were amazing.

Honor Bar

One of the popular things to do while in Edinburgh is climb Arthur’s Seat. Arthur’s seat was in walking distance from our B & B and one day we decided to make the climb.

Later in the day we decided it was a good idea to do some more climbing. We ascended up to Calton Hill to see all the monuments and views from there.

Cemetery on the way

As I said earlier, we should have scheduled more time in Edinburgh. We didn’t even get to explore the new town. I guess we have another excuse to go back. See you again someday Edinburgh.

UK Pubs : Camden

One of our last stops was the borough of Camden Town, in northwest London. It is an interesting and eclectic part of London. We visited because my cousin now lives close to this area. Originally I wanted to make it out to the famous Camden Lock Market but we never seemed make it during opening hours. Instead we wandered around town and visited a couple of pubs.

The Worlds End

The Worlds End pub is sort of a landmark in Camden. It was a nice meeting place across from the Camden tube station. The Worlds End pub is a large establishment and its history boasts famous past visitors (like many other London pubs). While we were in here I saw a belligerent drunk old man spill his beer all over the hallway and a yuppy girl break a red wine bottle all over the floor (I guess she was going to a party afterwards). It seemed to be a mix of different types of patrons. The music was heavy alternative.

The Camden Eye

Another pub close to the Camden tube station is The Camden Eye. The pub was busy on arrival but we chose to eat in the empty dining area upstairs. The upstairs was much quieter and provided us a view of Camden Town. We experienced our last fish and chips here but they had an interesting pizza selection (the names too).

The Earl of Camden

Our final pub visit was to the Earl of Camden. We happened upon trivia night. We tried to play along but the topics were more international and British in nature. It proved to be challenging for our group. An adorable large dog was calmly hanging out in the pub while his owner had a few drinks.

UK Pubs: London

Here is another round of London Pubs to visit.

The Punch Tavern

The Punch Tavern was a good place to get some traditional British grub. It was also a fantastic place to get sticky toffee pudding – our obsession while vacationing in the UK.

The Red Lion Pub

The Red Lion Pub is another one of those historic pubs that is now corporate owned. We did not eat at this pub but we were able to sample some beers that we have never tried before.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

One of the most unique pubs we visited was Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. It was a multi-story historic pub with lots of character. Dining there proved very confusing. We tried to eat at the room on the main floor only to be told it was closed (no information of its opening). We were told to try upstairs. Upstairs again we were told it was full and that there is no waiting list. We wandered around a bit and decided to ask again if we could be seated on the main floor for dinner. Suddenly we were seated. I guess things are sort of informal and unorganized. If you are to visit, keep trying, you may get a different answer. The dinner experience was charming from the food to the wood shavings on the floor.

UK Food and Fun: Edinburgh

A couple of months ago I spent a couple days in Edinburgh.
We spent much our time eating and drinking around town.
Many of our days started with a hearty gourmet breakfast at our bed and breakfast.

And on the day we couldn’t make breakfast, we were given this breakfast to go. It made our entire tour van jealous.

I got to try my first cream tea at Clarinda’s Tea Room. It was a delightful experience.

One day we took part in the touristy Scotch Whisky Experience. The highlights of the experience is the whisky tasting and entrance to the largest Scotch Whisky collection in the world.

We got to see some interesting looking whisky bottles.

The evening is complete with a nice dinner made with fresh ingredients. We had a great meal at The Outsider and it was completed with a dessert platter and a sherry.