Scotland

After we traveled through southern England, my family went up to stay in Scotland for a few days. We stayed mostly in Edingburgh, which is one of the neatest cities I've been to. It's surrounded by the gorgeous Scottish mountains, has tons of character and old buildings, and is filled with history and things to do. We spent a lot of time walking around, took a guided walking tour of the city, went into Edinburgh Castle, tried out a few of the pubs and restaurants, enjoyed listening to the bagpipers everywhere, and did some shopping. There was still so much of the city that we didn't get to discover because of its size and the amazing amount of things to do while there. Some of the highlights were having tea at the same place where J.K. Rowling wrote the first few chapters of Harry Potter on napkins (back when she was poor), the walking tour of the old sights and hidden places of the city (and hearing many interesting stories about the history there), visiting the castle (which actually was used in battle many times), and just exploring the city.

One day while in Scotland, we decided to take a day bus trip to the Highlands. We went through Glascow and a few small towns on our way. We also stopped and took a boat tour on Loch Lomond, which is the lake that the famous song names. The mountains around Loch Lomond are breathtaking. We stopped in Aberfoyle, which was a very tiny town that is apparently known for its wool. They had a sheep herding demonstration when we arrived, only they showed it to us using mallard ducks. The Border Collie ran around after about 6 dugs and herded them through tunnels and over a bridge when commanded to do so. It was very interesting. We then drove through a scenic national park with absolutely beautiful views. It's hard to describe how amazing it was. The mountains are so green, the mist from the clouds gently hangs over the mountains, and there are rivers, valleys, and cattle spread throughout the mountains to finish off the view. I took many pictures of it, so you can have a sample of what it was like. We ended the trip at Stirling, which is a history town with a castle. We didn't go into Stirling Castle, but looked at the outside of it. The William Wallace (the guy from Braveheart) monument can be seen from Stirling Castle, so there are photos of that. We walked around Stirling a little and looked at the Church of the Holy Rude, which is where Mary Queen of Scots' son was coronated as an infant (after she was exiled for her Catholic faith). There were other neat historic buildings in the town as well. The day trip was totally worth it, and definitely an adventure!

For pictures of Edinburgh (and more stories to go with the photos): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2197088&id=30308465&l=0fe2b4bae3

For pictures from the day trip to the Highlands: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2197120&id=30308465&l=6a74fb0cab