Very long day with a tour out of Edinburgh…before I get to that, let me just comment how hot it is in Europe in general. A “heatwave” has been following me since Toronto. If I weren’t so sweaty and close to heat stroke, I’d consider it a compliment that the sun is following me around. I wish I had access to a pool. Heck, I’d even sit it a kiddie pool with some wee Scots children just to cool off.
Today’s tour started off much better than the one in Dublin. No one singled out solo travelers and I even got to sit by myself and stretch out. The company I went through was Highland Tours. My only real complaint is that they could have laid out the itinerary a bit better as we went to places that weren’t listed online. Our tour guide was Glenn. Glenn was cool because he didn’t force solo travelers to buddy up, he drove the bus, gave us fun history and stories about Scotland and its people AND even curated a playlist for when he wasn’t talking to us. Scotland is just as lush as Ireland, if not more than. That’s Loch Lomond in the picture below. That would be my second complaint; I assumed we’d be stopping along the lake’s edge for some scenic pictures. Instead, we ended up at a car park that was an hours walk from getting good views. We had to settle for the tiny little inlet in the second picture.
After the car park, we headed to Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle sits atop a hill and had a strong defensive position against enemies. The castle was one of the most used royal residences being both palace and fortress. My girl Mary Queen of Scots was crowned at Stirling in 1542 and her son James VI was baptized there.
There’s a lovely garden (Queen Anne’s Garden) where I ate my picnic lunch and thought of how much history had taken place right where I was sitting eating a macaroon!
There’s a cute little village (aptly named Stirling) that sits at the base of the castle. Fun fact about Stirling: back in the day, regions had their own measuring systems for a pint of ale. Scottish Beer Authorities decided they would standardize the pint and chose the Stirling pint as the official guide (I made this group’s name up but maybe I could come back and be the founding member. I like beer. Waaaaaay too much). 2nd fun fact: the Stirling pint is 3 times that of the English pint. Damn, Scots know how to party!
The last stop on our tour was The Kelpies. Basically the largest equine sculptures ever in existence (30 meters high per the internet but I’m too tired to google the conversion to feet, there’s some homework for you). Look at the people at the base. They’re ants!!
I’m finally all alone in my room. I think I’m over the whole shared room thing. I’ll still stay at hostels but meet people in the common rooms or at the bar. Private rooms are my new jam. Tomorrow is my last full day in Edinburgh. What adventures could I find myself in?!!
There She Goes... 