Travel First Hand - Scotland

These past weeks have been a stroll down memory lane on my trips to Ireland and the UK and in my opinion I've saved the best for last. Don't get me wrong everywhere I went was a new adventure, a breathtaking sight, a friendly face, but Scotland blew them all away. From the dark underground of Edinburgh to the Famous hospitality of the Highlands, I invite you to explore this timeless country for yourself.

Edinburgh 

Nicknamed the "city of the dead" This gorgeous city is a lively and engaging town, full of adventures and sights. take a day to visit the castle and after enjoy a picnic lounging in the park beneath it, that was once the location of the castle's moat. Walk the town and visit the shops, you'll need an extra bag for all the souvenirs you'll want to bring home. Search the city for a statue of Abraham Lincoln, then Search for the famous Greyfriars Bobby. while you're out and about schedule a ghost tour, you'll learn why it is called the city of the dead and learn

some amazing history as well. Don't forget to pack some hiking boots so you can climb a nearby "hill" called Arthur's Seat. Also be aware of the season you travel in, I was there in March and we were hit with a blizzard, this caused some, thankfully not to serious, travel issues.

Oban and the Isle of Mull

My traveling companion and I hit the road after a few days in the capital and headed northwest to the lovely seafood capital of Scotland, Oban. We didn't come for the seafood and due to the time we chose to visit, the hostile we stayed in was empty except for us. We visited local ruins and walked two miles to the Oban rare breeds animal park. This is where planning ahead would come in handy ( I did not), arriving at the animal sanctuary we found that it was closed for low season. However, the staff was on hand at the park getting it ready to open, they spoke with us and found we had walked in from the town and allowed us to explore the park free of charge. This was my first introduction to Highland hospitality and it wouldn't be my last.

While we were in Oban, we decided to hop a ferry and take a day trip to the Isle of Mull. Once again poor planning on my part made for an amazing experience. We hopped off the Ferry and headed straight for the visitor center to ask which bus we should take to go to the other side of the island, where we could see a castle and a few other sites we had heard about. The man behind the counter kindly pointed to the bus that was driving away. 

The bus only made the run twice, once in the morning and again in the evening and we were out of luck. We asked if there were any other castles or sites we could visit nearby and were told that there was, but they were 8 miles away. My companion and I walked those 8 miles, saw two castles, admired the cutest cows in all the world and had the area all to ourselves. It was beautiful and then it started raining. We slogged back 8 miles the way we came. Now if you're counting, yes, we walked 16 miles that day, and by the time we reached the visitor center we were starving. The power was out to the whole village and all the shops were closed (just great). The man at the visitors center suggested we walk a mile to the local hotel and see if we could buy a meal there. Once again the hospitality of Scotland warmed our hearts. The hotel fed us, for free. A simple meal of soup and bread, but it was one of the most delicious meals I had on the whole trip. The gentleman who ran the visitor center had two cups of hot tea waiting for us when we returned.

Highlands

The Highlands are quite extensive and our 6 day tour that we hired, barely touched the surface.  The history alone had me on the edge of my seat. Then there was the different types of terrain from hiking rocky valleys to see waterfalls, to wandering mist covered forests, the Highlands will take your breath away. We visited Inverness and searched for Nessy at the Loch, as well as visiting a number of ruins, monuments and castles (we even stayed a night in one). We had a snowball fight with a few Australians and visited local pubs to hear local musicians and talk to the people in the area.

Scotland is by far my favorite destination, but it might not be yours. So pack your bag and find your own amazing adventure.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your business and leisure travel needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com

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