Scottish Skyes

I hope no one every expects me to keep this thing updated! it appears that that simply isn’t how I operate at this stage in my life.

So…. October half term gave me another opportunity to spread my wings and explore this land that has trapped me for the foreseeable future. It was a magnificent week of city highlights and mountain scenes. I was initially booked onto a week long bus tour, but a week out, they cancelled due to lack of bookings. Instead I showed up to my hostel in Edinburgh on the first night with no plans past that first day.

In retrospect, the hostel I had booked was in the perfect location, if a little loudly and raucous for my delicate sensibilities in my old age. It was right near the Edinburgh Castle, and a stones throw from the Royal Mile, the stretch of road through the heart of the cities Old Town. I started my week with a walk through Greyfriars Kirkyard, the 16th century cemetery made famous by Harry Potter characters, many famous burials, and, of course, Greyfriars Bobby, the most famous dog in Scotland (I’m guessing).

I went on to explore the most cluttered and hectic museum I have even stepped into, learned as much as I could at the Surgeons’ Hall, and joined up with two separate walking tours; an Old Town one which was absolutely incredible (Kenny from City Explorers), and an evening Ghost Tour. Both tours were “Free” tours which mean you pay the guide however much you think they deserve at the end, so they usually put their heart and soul into delivering a truly magical experience. I have had so many good tours throughout Europe, and would recommend them to anyone wanting to learn about a new city before deciding where to spend time and money.

So in true tourist fashion, I devoted most of a day to visiting the awe inspiring Edinburgh Castle, which looks out upon the city – one can understand why it has been a stronghold for various Royals since the 11th century. Currently it is home to military museums, Government offices, and, of course, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo each August. The sounds of the One O’Clock Gun have rung out each day (apart from Sundays , Good Friday, and Christmas) since 1861, and I was lucky enough to see the tradition in action after hearing it each day while I explored the city. In true British fashion, it rained all day, but I spent the day in and out of galleries and exhibitions within the castle, reading about conflicts, the Mons Meg (one of the largest cannons in the world) and, of course, the Scottish Crown Jewels (no photos allowed I’m afraid).

During my stay in Edinburgh, I decided to look into tours out of the city, and stumbled upon the MacBackpackers three day Isle of Skye tour. It ended up as a small group of relative youngsters who wanted nothing more than to drink whiskey and walk up large hills, which I could totally get on board with (the hiking, not the drinking I’m afraid). We explored the Highland Folk Museum, Loch Ness, the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing, Kilt Rock, Glen Coe, and the famous Doune Castle, home to Monty Python – all of it in the pouring northern rain.

Unprepared for hiking, I walked many muddy trails in jeans and my trusty Doc Martins, and faired better than my counterparts, so I must be a true Brit now. To be honest, the tour was simply a collection of beautiful lakes, moody sky’s, and large rocks (and the occasional Highland cow). But that suits me down to a t. It was a wonderful break from work and life, and I would go back in a heartbeat – what beauty!